Eclipse cv.
Attributes
- Thornless, floricane blackberry variety
- Very high fruit quality
- Exceptional flavor and sweetness
- Medium, uniformly well-shaped fruit
- Consistent black, glossy color
- Great firmness
- Good yields
- Very vigorous plant
- Very good disease resistance
- Easily harvested by machine or hand
Fruit Characteristics
The Eclipse blackberry variety is a product from the collaboration between the USDA and Oregon State University. Dr. Chad E. Finn developed this exceptional cultivar that offers outstanding fruit quality early in the season of semi-erect growing blackberries.
Berries of the Eclipse variety have a beautiful, uniform, black shine to them. The cultivar produces very little cull fruit. The medium sized berries have the ideal snack size with an average weight of 7.5 g. The texture is pleasantly firm. Consumers will enjoy a nice POP on their tongue followed by a burst of flavor. The average BRIX measures 13.8% with a Titratable Acidity of 9.9 g⋅L-¹. The Eclipse variety is very sweet and aromatic, leaving a smile on everyone’s face who tries it.
The very good skin toughness of the Eclipse blackberry variety is an advantage in harvesting, packaging and shipping. The fruit can easily be picked by machine or by hand and will store for 10 days to two weeks. The Eclipse cultivar can be picked firm and still offer very good flavor. It was developed for the IQF and process industry but should perform well for the fresh fruit market as well.
Plant Characteristics
The Eclipse blackberry cultivar grows very vigorous, semi-erect plants that are thornless, allowing for easy management and harvesting. In grower trials, yields compete favorably with industry standards with a mean per plant yield of just under 7 kg. The variety outperforms established commercial blackberries in terms of fruit quality, flavor, and firmness.
Climatic Requirements
Developed in the Willamette Valley of northwestern Oregon, the Eclipse blackberry variety adapted to climates of mild summers and winters and is estimated to be cold hardy to about -10°C.
Disease & Pest Resistance
The Eclipse blackberry variety has shown good disease and pest resistance apart from a moderate but manageable susceptibility to Red Berry Mite, Acalitus essigi.
*Characteristics may vary depending on weather conditions, day length, soil type and location.