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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 #371842
Research Project: Genetic Improvement of Blackberry, Red and Black Raspberry, Blueberry, and Strawberry

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: ‘Galaxy’ thornless semierect 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 Lee, Jungmin
item Bassil, Nahla
item MARTIN, ROBERT - Collaborator

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/10/2020
Publication Date: 6/3/2020
Citation: Finn, C.E., Strik, B., Yorgey, B.M., Peterson, M.E., Jones, P.A., Buller, G., Lee, J., Bassil, N.V., Martin, R.R. 2020. ‘Galaxy’ thornless semierect blackberry. HortScience. 55(6):967-971. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14985-20.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14985-20

Interpretive Summary: Here we report the release of a new blackberry cultivar 'Galaxy' from the USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Unit in Corvallis, Oregon. This cultivar combines desirable traits of eastern erect blackberry and western trailing blackberry. 'Galaxy' is a thornless, semi-erect blackberry that has large, firm, dark colored fruit ideal for the fresh market that ripens early. Galaxy is slightly larger than 'Eclipse' another current release from the same program. This cultivar should be adapted to areas where other semi-erect blackberries are grown successfully. 'Galaxy' was not damaged by Fusarium wilt, in test plot where the adjacent plants of 'Eclipse' were impacted by this disease. Thus, 'Galaxy' may be a better option in areas with high summer temperatures and humidity.

Technical Abstract: ‘Galaxy’ is a thornless, semi-erect, high-quality blackberry (Rubus subg. Rubus Watson) that has firm, large, dark fruit suited for the fresh market and that ripen in the early season for this type of blackberry. ‘Galaxy’ 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. This cultivar is unique in that we believe it and ‘Eclipse’ (Finn et al., 202X), siblings from the same parents but the crosses were made in different years, are the first cultivars to combine germplasm from eastern and western North American blackberry germplasm pools. ‘Galaxy’ is introduced as a high-quality blackberry that has medium-large sized berries that ripen in the early, semi-erect blackberry season where it is firmer or earlier than current standards. ‘Galaxy’ and ‘Eclipse have many characteristics in common, including high-quality fruit in the early semi-erect season, and vigorous, productive plants; ‘Galaxy’ fruit tend to be slightly larger, and slightly more irregularly shaped than those of ‘Eclipse’. ‘Galaxy’ should be adapted to areas where other semi-erect blackberries can be grown successfully. A U.S. Plant Patent (USPP 30,062) was granted (Finn, 2019).