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Parentage
Chemainus was selected from a 1989 cross of
BC 82-5-84 x Tulameen made at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre
(PARC) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in British
Columbia, and tested as BC 89-33-84.
Season
Similar season to Tulameen.
Plant Characteristics
Chemainus is a highly vigorous cultivar with an upright habit.
Spines are dense on the lower 30 cm of the canes but relatively
sparse up the canes, which is similar to those on Tulameen. Because
of its early bud break, Chemainus shows some bud damage after sudden
drops in temperature during mild winters. When winters are cold, it
shows good winter hardness with little or no damage relative to
other Pacific Northwest (PNW) cultivars.
Fruiting Characteristics
The fruit of Chemainus resemble Tulameen, being long and conical
shaped with fine drupelets. Berries are firm, shiny and medium to
dark red in colour. Chemainus is well suited for mechanical
harvesting, producing large crops of high quality, firm fruit. The
firmness, colour and attractive appearance of Chemainus fruit make
it highly desirable for individual quick freezing (IQF).
Pest & Disease Resistance
Chemainus is resistant to the common biotype of Amphorophora
agathonica Hottes, the North American aphid vector of the raspberry
mosaic virus (RMV) complex. Although susceptible to RBDV, Chemainus
does not express symptoms of yellow leaves and experiences a long
delay before expression of crumbly fruit symptoms. Chemainus may
exhibit some degree of field resistance to root rot caused by
Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi. In the PNW, Chemainus has been
moderately susceptible to spur blight (Didymella applanata), to cane
Botrytis (B. cinerea) and to anthracnose (Elsinoe veneta Burkh.),
similar to its parent Tulameen.
Potential Uses
Chemainus is a multi-purpose cultivar suited for processing and
fresh market uses in the PNW. It is high yielding, is suited for
machine harvesting, and produces high quality fruit that is firm,
attractive and highly desirable for IQF processing.
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