Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) OUACHITA

Blackberry 'Ouachita' (PBR)

A highly productive, thornless American variety featuring self-supporting upright growth, large fruits, and an excellent sweet flavor.

'Ouachita' (syn. Ark. 1905) is a modern, highly productive thornless blackberry variety developed at the University of Arkansas (USA) by breeders John Reuben Clark and James Norman Moore. It was created in 1990 by crossing the 'Navaho' variety with the unpatented selection A-1506 (patented in 2004). It was bred with the goal of providing growers with a variety that combines excellent fruit quality with a robust, self-supporting habit that does not require a trellis. Thanks to its disease resistance and high yield, it is an outstanding choice for both commercial plantations and home gardens.

Key advantages of the variety:

• Self-supporting upright growth: The shoots grow upright and are self-supporting, meaning they do not require a trellis or support system.
• Thornless: The variety is genetically thornless, which greatly facilitates harvesting and maintenance.
• Large and firm fruits: The fruits are large (averaging 6.0 g) and maintain their size very well throughout the entire harvest season. They are very firm when fully ripe.
• High yield and self-fertility: The yield is high and consistent (2.3 to 3.2 kg per plant). The variety is fully self-fertile.

Fruit and Harvest

• Appearance: Round-oblong to conical fruits of a vibrant, glossy black color.
• Flavor and flesh: The taste is good, sweet, and mildly subacid with a distinct blackberry aroma. The sugar content averages 9.9% (with maximums up to 12%).
• Harvest period: Mid-season variety. Begins ripening 7 days earlier than the 'Navaho' variety. The harvest period lasts an average of 35 days.
• Storability: The shelf life of fresh fruits is excellent.

Cultivation and Resistance

• Health status: Excellent. It features moderate tolerance to anthracnose and appeared immune to rust and double blossom disease in trials.
• Disadvantages and notes: Frost hardiness is limited to -17 °C (may require protection in colder regions). It is a licensed protected variety (PBR).