Abstract:
The primocane management apparatus enables an operator to manipulate primocane-fruiting blackberries so that the primocanes are periodically bent into a horizontal configuration. The primocanes of the primocane-fruiting blackberries are managed so that the horizontally-grown primocanes produce an increased amount of fruit relative to conventionally-grown vertical primocanes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosed method and apparatus relates to a process and apparatus for increasing the production of an agricultural product. Specifically, the method and apparatus described herein relates to a trellis system and a method of manipulating blackberry primocanes to increase flower numbers and increase fruit production in primocane-fruiting blackberries. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Most agriculturally-cultivated blackberries are known as “floricane”-fruiting blackberries. Floricane blackberries are primarily produced in Oregon, which accounted for a 2009 harvest of approximately 42.6 million pounds. The canes of floricane-fruiting blackberries have a two-year life cycle. In the first year, the canes emerge and form a vegetative structure with leaves and buds at each node of the cane. These canes must then weather a period of cold temperatures in the winter before they develop further. 
     In the second year of the canes&#39; life cycle, flower shoots form from the buds that developed the previous year. At this point the canes are considered to be “floricanes” because the over-wintered canes now can develop reproductive flower shoots. The flowers on the floricanes continue to develop and eventually mature into fruit—which ripens during the summer of year two. 
     Although floricane-fruiting blackberries are well-suited for production in the Mid-Atlantic area, growers in the Mid-Atlantic area have been reluctant to plant floricane-fruiting blackberries because the fruit is only produced in the second year, and a harvestable crop is only produced during a relatively short time period. Additionally, floricane-fruiting blackberries are vulnerable to the long periods of extremely cold weather that sometimes strike the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northeastern United States. Extremely cold weather can severely damage or destroy mature plants. These limitations render floricane-fruiting blackberries less desirable than many competing crops which may produce multiple harvests or may continuously produce fruit throughout the growing season—and are not as susceptible to cold weather. 
     Recently, new varieties of blackberry plants designated as “primocane-fruiting” blackberries are being used in commercial production. Unlike the more flexible stalks of floricane-fruiting blackberries, primocane-fruiting blackberries have more rigid stalks that, left undisturbed, can grow vertically to 10 feet or more. Flowers and eventually fruit develop primarily on the ends of the vertically-extending primocane shoots. Although the primocane-fruiting blackberries develop fruit every year, the yield per plant is relatively low. To increase fruit yields, growers prune the ends (i.e. “tip”) the ends of each primocane so that one or two side shoots emerge. Clusters of fruit eventually form on the emerging side shoots. 
     The need exists for a process that increases the amount of blackberry fruit that can be produced per season on current year&#39;s growth of primocane-fruiting blackberries. The primocane-fruiting blackberry production system described herein includes a flexible trellis that periodically reconfigures the blackberry primocanes so that the primocanes extend horizontally. The horizontally-extending primocanes produce flowers and eventually fruit along the entire length of the horizontally-extending primocanes—thereby maximizing blackberry flowering and ultimately fruit production. Further, the horizontally-extending primocanes concentrate blackberry fruit production in a zone that is near ground level rather than at the elevated heights normally seen during conventional primocane fruit production. The lower height of the fruit produced in accordance with the method and apparatus described herein enables the fruit to be harvested with conventional machinery that cannot be efficiently utilized with taller vertically extending primocanes. The lower height of the fruiting primocanes also facilitates hand-picking the fruit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure is directed to a trellis system for producing an agricultural product, preferably primocane-fruiting blackberries and primocane-fruiting red and black raspberries. The trellis system comprises a plurality of trellises, each trellis being aligned with an adjacent trellis so that the trellis system comprises a row of trellises. Each of the trellises in the trellis system comprises an upper post member, and a lower post member. An upper trellis arm is attached to the upper post member, and a lower trellis arm is attached to the lower post member. At least two parallel upper guide wires connect the upper trellis arms of each trellis in the trellis system; and at least two parallel lower guide wires connect the lower trellis arms of each trellis in the trellis system. Multiple upper cross members extend between the two parallel upper guide wires, and multiple lower cross members extend between the two parallel lower guide wires. A pivot joint positioned between the upper and lower post members enables each of the upper post members to pivot from an upright essentially vertical position to a lowered, horizontal position. 
     The trellis system is structured so that when each trellis in the trellis system pivots from the upright position to a lowered position, the upper post members are positioned in tandem and primocanes growing between the two lower guide wires are sandwiched between the upper cross members and the lower cross members—thereby converting the vertically growing primocanes into horizontally-extending primocanes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the inventor&#39;s trellis system in the upright position as a blackberry primocane grows adjacent to the system. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the inventor&#39;s trellis system as the system is pivoted from an upright position to a lowered position and the blackberry primocane is bent so that the primocane grows in an essentially horizontal direction, with the upper portion of the trellis being shown in dashed lines. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the inventor&#39;s trellis system after the system has been returned to an upright position.  FIG. 3  shows the original blackberry primocane in a bent/horizontal configuration as a new blackberry primocane emerges. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the inventor&#39;s trellis system wherein the new blackberry primocane has grown to an upper portion of the trellis. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the inventor&#39;s trellis system with the trellis system pivoted to a lowered position so that both new and original blackberry primocanes extend horizontally. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of two exemplary blackberry primocanes showing fruit (on the original primocane) and flowers (on the new primocane) produced after a technician has “tipped” the horizontally extending primocanes as well as vertical shoots emerging from the primocane. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As generally shown in  FIG. 1 , blackberry primocanes  10  typically emerge and begin growing in a generally vertical direction. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, a single blackberry primocane  10  and a simplified trellis system  11  (comprising two associated trellises  12 ) are shown schematically in  FIG. 1 . In an actual field environment, primocane-fruiting blackberry plants  10  are typically planted about 5 feet apart and the associated trellises  12  are spaced at about 25 feet apart. A trellis system  11  (and associated primocanes  10 ) may be relatively short, or a row/system  11  may extend for one hundred yards or more. Each individual trellis  12  comprises at least an upper post member  14  and an upper trellis arm  16 , and a lower post member  18  and a lower trellis arm  20 . 
     As generally shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , the trellis system  11  generally comprises a horizontal line/row of trellises  12  connected by a network of guide wires/cables  24 ,  26 . An upper pair of guide wires  24  is positioned at each end of the upper trellis arm  16 , and a lower pair of guide wires  26  is positioned at each end of the lower trellis arm  18 . In alternative embodiments, there may be more than or less than two upper  24  and lower  26  guide wires, and the guide wires  24 ,  26  may be spaced as required along the upper  16  and lower  18  trellis arms. 
     The trellis system  11  also includes multiple upper cross-members  28  and lower cross-members  30 . The upper cross-members  28  connect parallel upper guide wires  24 , and the lower cross-members  30  connect parallel lower guide wires  26 . Although  FIG. 1  shows only a few upper  28  and lower  30  cross-members, many more cross-members  28 ,  30  may be present, as required by the volume and structure of the primocanes  10 . The cross-members  28 ,  30  may be essentially cross-wires/cables, or they may comprise arching or non-arching non-wire/cable structural members. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a flexible pivot joint  22  is positioned between the upper  14  and lower  18  post members. The pivot joint  22  enables an operator to pivot the upper post member  14  in the direction of the arrow  15  to a lowered position. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the pivot joint  22  enables each trellis  12  to pivot so that the upper post member  14  moves from an essentially upright vertical position (as shown in  FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 ) to a lowered position (as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5  ( FIG. 6  does not show the upper portion  14 ,  16 ,  24 ,  28  of the trellis system  11 ). The pivot joint  22  is designed so that, as the upper post member  14  pivots in a direction parallel with an associated row of primocanes  10 , the upper guide wires  24  swing down to a position adjacent to the lower guide wires  26 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , as the upper post members  14  pivot downwardly, the upper cross members  28  catch and deflect any vertically extending primocanes  10  so that the primocanes  10  are bent and thereby repositioned to extend horizontally, without causing injury to the plants or primocanes. In the lowered position, the pivoted upper post members  14  form a generally horizontal line that is aligned with, and parallel to—a row of primocanes. Essentially, in the lowered position, the upper post members  14  are positioned in tandem, with the top of each upper post member  14  generally pointing toward the bottom of the next (adjacent) upper post member  14 . 
     In an actual field environment, once the trellis  12  is moved from an upright vertical position to a lowered position (as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 5 ), the trellis  12  is generally left in the lowered position for a “repositioning period”. The repositioning period is one day or more, but is typically less than a week. During the repositioning period, the primocanes  10  that are sufficiently tall are attached to one of the lower guide wires  26  or to one of the lower cross members  30 . At the end of the repositioning period, the trellis system  11  (and consequently each individual trellis  12 ) is returned to the upright vertical position. 
     In the preferred embodiment, a mechanical cable winching system (not shown) is used to pivot and resurrect the upper portions  14 ,  16 ,  24 ,  28  of the trellises  12  so that all connected trellises  12  pivot in unison. In alternative embodiments, the trellises  12  may be raised and/or lowered individually or in subgroups. In the preferred and/or alternative embodiments, any means known in the art may be used to effect the trellis/trellis system movement. 
     In operation, as best shown in  FIG. 1 , as vertical blackberry primocanes  10  emerge, the primocanes  10  grow past the lower guide wires  26  in the direction of the upper guide wires  24 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , after the primocanes  10  reach about the height of the upper guide wire  24 , an operator pivots the trellis system  11  so that the upper post member  14  swings downwardly in the direction of the arrow  15  from an essentially upright position (shown by the  FIG. 2  vertical dashed trellis  12  outline) to a lowered position (shown by the lowered dashed outline). 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , when the upper post member  14  is lowered, the upper cross-members  30  catch any upright primocanes  10  and bend them down so that the primocanes  10  are aligned parallel with the pivoted upper post members  14 . When the upper post members  14  are lowered, the primocanes  10  are sandwiched between the upper  28  and lower  30  cross members. In the preferred embodiment, the trellis system  11  remains in the lowered position for a repositioning period. 
     While the trellis system  11  is in the lowered position, a technician weaves (or otherwise attaches) the primocanes  10  over and/or under the lower cross-members  30  so that the priomcanes  10  are secured in an essentially horizontal position extending parallel with the row of primocanes  10 . Once the original primocane  10  is secured and growing in the horizontal position, an operator raises the trellis system  11  back to the upright position so that the upper post member  14  is once again in an essentially vertical position. As shown in  FIG. 3 , once the trellis system  11  is in the upright position, new primocanes  13  emerge while the original primocane  10  remains in a bent position and is trained to essentially grow horizontally. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , eventually the new primocane grows past the lower guide wire  26  and attains a sufficient height to warrant bending the new primocane  13  to grow horizontally. As shown in  FIG. 5 , once again the trellis system  11  is pivoted so that the new primocane  13  is bent to an essentially horizontal position. The horizontal primocane  13  is weaved around the lower cross-member  30  or otherwise secured to a lower guide wire  24  so that the new primocane  13  is retained in the bent position. After the repositioning period, the trellis system  11  is once again returned to the upright position (as originally shown in  FIG. 1 ) and the cycle starts over. The cycle is repeated continuously throughout the growing season as long as new vertical primocanes emerge. 
       FIG. 6  is an exemplary illustration of mature primocanes  10 ,  13  that have reached the flowering and fruit development stage. Note that, for the sake of simplicity, the upper portion  14 ,  16 ,  24 ,  28  of the trellis  12  is not visible in  FIG. 6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , after the primocanes  10 ,  13  are established in the horizontal position, vertical shoots  32  emerge from the primocanes  10 ,  13  and are “tipped” i.e. the shoots  32  are cut near a distal end by a technician. Secondary lateral shoots  34  form shortly thereafter and then (about 5 weeks later) flowers  36  emerge. Fruit develops about 6 weeks after the flowers appear. The inventors have found that flower (and ultimately fruit) production is significantly increased by tipping the vertical shoots  32  of horizontally-extending primocanes  10  relative to conventional fruit production by non-tipped vertically-extending primocanes. 
     Further, in accordance with the process described herein, fruit production is concentrated at a lower height above ground, thereby facilitating harvest of the fruit. In conventional systems with vertically-grown primocanes, fruit production areas may comprise a zone extending from just above ground level to a height of eight feet or more. With conventionally-grown blackberries it is difficult to use vine-shaking machines when the fruit is elevated more than a few feet because of the increased likelihood of bruising the fruit during the harvesting process. Similarly, concentrating the fruit at a lower level simplifies the manual harvesting process where the crop is hand-picked. Concentrating the fruit at a lower level significantly increases the potential scope of harvesting methods to include techniques that are currently used with other crops such as blueberries and other vine/cane-based fruits. 
     For the foregoing reasons, it is clear that the method and apparatus described herein provides an innovative method of maximizing blackberry production throughout a growing season. The current system may be modified in multiple ways and applied in various technological applications. The disclosed method and apparatus may be modified and customized as required by a specific operation or application, and the individual components may be modified and defined, as required, to achieve the desired result. 
     Although the materials of construction are not described, they may include a variety of compositions consistent with the function described herein. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.