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Parentage
Obsidian originates from the US Department of
Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) breeding
programme in Corvallis, Oregon, and has been released in cooperation
with the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station and
the Washington State University. Obsidian was selected by Dr Chad
Finn from a cross between ORUS 828-43 x ORUS 1122-1, and was tested
as ORUS 1369-3.
Fruit Quality
The fruit of Obsidian are very attractive,
glossy, somewhat conical in shape, with better uniformity compared
to Marion, but not as uniform as Metolius. The fruit are firm, and
when harvested fully-black have a very good, full and rich flavour.
Fruit retain their black colour well after refrigeration or
freezing.
Yield and Fruit Size
Obsidian has a high yield potential, producing
higher or comparable yields to all other varieties in trial in the
USA. The yield was generally double that compared to the current
early season standard variety, Siskiyou. Fruit are large, comparable
to Siskiyou and averaged 6.8g in trials in the USA.
Season
Together with Metolius, Obsidian is the earliest
ripening blackberry variety in the Pacific Northwest. The 50% pick
date is some 4-5 days ahead of Siskiyou, 7 days before Marion and
2.5 weeks before Waldo.
Plant Characteristics
Plants of Obsidian have a trailing habit, the
canes being spiny, comparable to Marion, and are vigorous, similar
to Marion and Silvan. Fruiting laterals are medium-long in length,
and have similar stiffness to Chester Thornless and Marion. The
fruit are well displayed and easy to pick.
Disease Resistance
Obsidian has been free of serious cane, leaf of
fruit diseases in the USA. The variety has not shown to be
particularly susceptible to Septoria leaf spot, purple blotch, cane
and leaf rust.
Use of the Variety
Obsidian has excellent potential as early season
variety for the fresh market. While it was released primarily for
the fresh market, Obsidian also produces an excellent processed
product and a significant amount has been planted for processing in
the USA, despite the plant’s thorniness. Obsidian is expected to
perform well in countries where trailing blackberries grow
successfully, including Chile, New Zealand, UK, and the
Mediterranean region.
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