** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CONSUMER DEMAND IS INCREASING FOR FRESH-MARKET BLACKBERRIES, BUT THE ABILITY FOR U.S. BLACKBERRY PRODUCERS TO MEET THIS DEMAND AND STAY PROFITABLE IS THREATENED. MAIN ISSUES INCLUDE DECLINING YIELD CAUSED BY SOILBORNE PATHOGENS AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY, AND RISING PRODUCTION COSTS WHICH CONTINUE TO ERODE PROFIT MARGINS. BREEDING FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE IS AN OPTION, BUT THIS IS TIME-CONSUMING, DOES NOT SOLVE ALL ISSUES, AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON SOLELY. THE FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY OF BLACKBERRY PRODUCTION AND IMPROVED FOOD SECURITY REQUIRES (I) DEVELOPMENT OF NEW KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO INCREASE YIELDS AND (II) OUTREACH EFFORTS TARGETING A BROAD FRUIT GROWER AUDIENCE SPANNING ACROSS FOOD SYSTEMS. WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECT EVALUATING NOVEL SOILLESS LONG-CANE PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES FOR THE INCREASED SUCCESS AND PROFITABILITY OF BLACKBERRY PRODUCTION. OBJECTIVES 1 AND 2 DEVELOP NEW INFORMATION ON HOW CULTIVAR SELECTION AND TARGETED CULTURAL PRACTICES INFLUENCE LONG-CANE YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY. OBJECTIVE 3 EVALUATES BREAKEVEN AND RISK ANALYSES FOR BOTH LONG-CANE AND FIELD-BASED BLACKBERRY SYSTEMS AND QUANTIFIES THE MAGNITUDE OF KEY PROFITABILITY DRIVERS. OBJECTIVE 4 FOCUSES ON RAPID AND LONG-TERM APPLICATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS TARGETING SMALL AND LARGE OPERATIONS. SOILLESS SYSTEMS THAT REDUCE LOSSES FROM DISEASE AND INCREASE YIELDS WILL ALSO INCREASE THE PROFITABILITY AND SUCCESS OF BLACKBERRY PRODUCERS, BENEFITTING LOCAL AND REGIONAL ECONOMIES. CONSIDERING THE NATIONAL SCOPE AND INCREASING TREND FOR SOILLESS CULTURE, WE ANTICIPATE THE OUTPUT FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE CRITICAL IN PROGRESSING THE BLACKBERRY INDUSTRY FORWARD AND BUILDING FOOD SYSTEM RESILIENCE.