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Parentage/Origin
Adrienne was raised from a cross between Silvan and an unnamed
selection. It therefore belongs to the group of blackberries which
originate in western America and whose varieties are notable for their
rich aromatic flavour, their large long-conical shape and early
ripening. The cross was made in 1990 by Dr. Derek Jennings, and Adrienne
was selected in 1993 for its spine-free, high quality fruits and high
yield potential, and released to the industry in 1995.
Cane Management & Yield
Yields are very dependant on the success of the training method used.
New canes in their first year must be separated from fruiting canes and
protected from damage. Vigour can be reduced by cutting to ground level
in early June and thereafter several methods can be used. In one system,
the plants, which are 5’ or more apart in the row, have their fruiting
canes trained onto a two or three-wire trellis and their new canes are
trained along the ground. The fruiting canes are removed after harvest
and the next year’s fruiting canes are then trained to the trellis.
In districts where canes frequently suffer winter injury, damage is
reduced by leaving the canes trained to the ground until early March,
otherwise early lifting in August gives higher yields. In another
system, the plants are individually supported by posts, with fruiting
canes tied to the posts and new canes tied to a diagonal string running
between two adjacent posts during the growing season. The latter are
then moved to the post after the fruiting canes have been removed at the
end of the season.
Fruit Quality
The fruits are firm, long and conical in shape and have an attractive
bright regular appearance. Average fruit weights are typically 6.0 gm to
6.5 gm, similar to those of Silvan, and the fruits have a similar
excellent flavour.
Season
The cropping season varies with locality and season. In Kent,
Adrienne usually starts to ripen in mid July, a week after Silvan and a
week before Waldo. It has a fairly concentrated fruiting season. The
variety therefore provides a supply of fruit for the fresh markets
before production commences from varieties of the European group of
varieties such as Loch Ness and Fantasia.
Plant Characteristics
Canes of Adrienne are spine-free, stout and vigorous, typically over
6 feet long. The plant habit is trailing. The fruits are borne on short
stout fruiting laterals which display the fruit well. Trailing
blackberries produce no suckers from the roots and all new primocanes'
arise from the crown of the plant. The plants are therefore grown as
individual units.
Disease Resistance
No serious diseases have been seen on Adrienne blackberry.
Blackberries do not normally suffer from root rots caused by
Phytophthora species, and varieties such as Adrienne that originate from
the western American group do not usually suffer from cane canker (Botryosphaeria
dodthidea), which is thought to be a serious disease of Loch Ness, or
from purple blotch (Septocyta ruborum). Routine sprays to control grey
mould (Botrytis cinerea) may be necessary.
Marketing & Use of the Variety
Adrienne is a dessert blackberry that provides large, flavoursome
fruit of supermarket quality from early July onwards or earlier if grown
under protection. Its excellent flavour also makes it a suitable choice
for processing, though frozen fruit are liable to turn red or purple. |
