Assessing the performance of blackberry cultivars in central Alabama, southern USA

A blackberry cultivar study was established at the Chilton Research and Extension Center, Clanton, AL, USA in 2014. The trial consisted of two five-plant replications per cultivar. Data collection included yield, weight of 25-fruit samples, and number of fruit with white drupelets out of the 25-fruit sample each harvest. Only floricane-produced fruits were included in the assessment. Soluble solids content was evaluated in 2017 and 2019. Cultivars evaluated were ‘Caddo’, ‘Kiowa’, ‘Natchez’, ‘Osage’, ‘Ouachita’, ‘Prime-Ark 45’, ‘Prime-Ark Freedom’, and ‘Sweetie Pie’. ‘Kiowa’ consistently had high yields, greatest individual berry weight (~8.0 g), and among the lowest soluble solids content. ‘Osage’ produced high yields of smaller berries (~4.7 g). ‘Sweetie Pie’ fruit had high soluble solids content. ‘Osage’ and ‘Prime-Ark 45’ had fewer berries with white drupelets compared to ‘Kiowa’, ‘Natchez’, ‘Ouachita’, and ‘Sweetie Pie’. Although ‘Kiowa’ has proven to be a reliable cultivar for central Alabama, with high yields of large fruit, the respectable performance of many of these newer thornless cultivars warrant their inclusion in blackberry plantings.