The University of Arkansas' System Division of Agriculture has released a thornless blackberry variety it says is the first of its kind to yield shipping-quality fruit suitable for commercial markets. 

Prime-Ark Traveler is also a primocane-fruiting blackberry, meaning it produces fruit on both previous-year and first-year canes.

Fruit breeding program director John R. Clark said the new cultivar produced medium-large berries, good yields and had excellent plant health.

He said it complemented Prime-Ark 45 - a thorny primocane-fruiting blackberry released in 2009 - as a quality product with good storage and shipping characteristics for commercial use.

Prime-Ark Traveler's yields sometimes do not match those of Prime-Ark 45, but its berry size is more uniform at 7-8 grams and is easier to pack in clamshell containers.

The fruit's flavor and sweetness are also said to be very good, with lower acidity than many other blackberries.

The Prime-Ark Traveler's floricane yields — those berries that form on second-year canes — are reportedly very good too. Yields on primocanes, or first-year canes, are sensitive to high heat that often occurs in late summer and fall in Arkansas.

"We've made some progress since the first primocane-fruiting blackberries were released in 2004. But yields for those late-season berries continue to be a challenge," he said.

Heat stress reduces flowering and fruit size and quality when daytime temperatures are 90°F (32°C) and higher for five or more days.

Primocane-fruiting blackberries do better in areas with lower summer temperatures, Clark said. For commercial markets in Arkansas, he recommended Ouachita, Natchez and Osage blackberries, all more traditional floricane-fruiting varieties.

Clark said Prime-Ark Traveler was just entering the marketplace and may not be available until late spring, and then only in limited quantities. More plants should be available later in 2015 and 2016.

Photo: University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

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