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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #371785
Research Project: Genetic Improvement of Blackberry, Red and Black Raspberry, Blueberry, and Strawberry

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: ‘Eclipse’ thornless semi-erect blackberry

Author
item Finn, Chad
item STRIK, BERNADINE - Oregon State University
item YORGEY, BRIAN - Oregon State University
item Peterson, Mary
item JONES, PATRICK - Oregon State University
item BULLER, GIL - Oregon State University
item SERCE, SEDAT - Nigde University
item Lee, Jungmin
item Bassil, Nahla
item MARTIN, ROBERT - Collaborator

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/2020
Publication Date: 5/4/2020
Citation: Finn, C.E., Strik, B.C., Yorgey, B.M., Peterson, M.E., Jones, P.A., Buller, G., Serce, S., Lee, J., Bassil, N.V., Martin, R.R. 2020. ‘Eclipse’ thornless semi-erect blackberry. HortScience. 55(5):749-754. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14891-20.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14891-20

Interpretive Summary: A new blackberry, 'Eclipse' is being released for commercial production. The fruit ripens early and has firm, uniform, dark fruit that is well suited for the fresh market. It is a high quality blackberry with medium sized fruit that is firmer that the currently grown standard cultivars. The plants are semi-erect, vigorous and should do well in areas where other semi-erect blackberries are grown. It is recommended that for warm and humid climates, small test plantings be established since this blackberry is susceptible to Fusarium wilt disease. The cultivar has been patented. It is available from major berry nurseries in the U.S.

Technical Abstract: ‘Eclipse’ is a thornless, semi-erect, high quality blackberry (Rubus subg. Rubus Watson) that has firm, uniformly shaped, dark fruit suited for the fresh market and that ripen in the early season for this type of blackberry. ‘Eclipse’ was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) breeding program in Corvallis, OR in cooperation with Oregon State University’s Agricultural Experiment Station. ‘Eclipse’ is introduced as a high quality blackberry that has medium-sized, uniformly shaped berries that ripen in the early, semi-erect blackberry season where it is firmer or earlier than current standards. ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Galaxy’, released with a similar ripening season, have many characteristics in common, including high-quality fruit in the early semi-erect season and vigorous productive plants; ‘Eclipse’ fruit tend to be more uniformly shaped, slightly smaller and firmer than those of ‘Galaxy’ (Finn et al., 2020 in review). ‘Eclipse’ should be adapted to areas where other semi-erect blackberries can be grown successfully. A U.S. Plant Patent, USPP 30,448, was granted.