There is new research from the University of Idaho study on huckleberries: the Idaho state fruit.
Historically, the domestication of wild huckleberries has been a challenging project. Dr. Dan Barney did manage to make some serious progress, but
unfortunately, his research project was halted in 2010. Much of his research is listed on this site: http://wildhuckleberry.com/category/huckleberry-research/dr-dan-barneys-research/
Recently, we found an article, U of I researcher lending a helping hand to Idaho’s state fruit. Following is an excerpt from the article:
University of Idaho Professor Stephen Cook, head of the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, has been working to overcome significant hurdles to huckleberry propagation. Cook is in the fourth and final year of USDA-funded research to organically protect greenhouse-raised huckleberry starts from a destructive pest, called the black vine weevil, in addition to studying ways to boost survival when those potted plants are transplanted into residential yards or the wild.
The research team also includes Randall Brooks, a UI Extension forestry professor, and Andrew Nelson, director of the Franklin H. Pitkin Forest Nursery, which is located on the Moscow campus and operated by the College of Natural Resources.
Cook is also leading a second huckleberry project that started in 2022 with funding from a three-year USDA grant. He’ll be testing how the addition of biochar, which is a type of charcoal produced from plant matter, affects huckleberry starts planted in the wild, as well as which pollinating insects are drawn to them.
One of the reasons huckleberries have been so difficult to domesticate is because they are finicky about their growing environment, preferring acidic soils and partial shade. They’re often found in clearings within conifer forests, which have been growing denser due to decades of fire suppression.
