Black Diamond
Date: 2021-01-31, updated: 2022-03-31
Thornless commercial trailing cultivar with big fruit
Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson 'Black Diamond'
Originated from a cross of Kotata x NZ 8610L-163
Variety denomination 'Black Diamond', tested as NZ 9128R-1
Plants are thornless
Bushes have trailing canes
Fruit weight is 6 g
Berries have a conical shape
Soluble solids - 10.4%
Acidity - 1.2%
Fruiting habit floricane fruiting (summer-bearing)
Flowering on floricanes starts in the third week of May
Ripening date (regular) - first week of July
Productivity is 4.7 kg per plant
Cold hardiness is moderate
Country of origin United States
Current status - modern or widely used
Black Diamond blackberry is a thornless trailing cultivar from United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service. It is one of three thornless varieties which are being released simultaneously - Black Diamond, Black Pearl and Nightfall.
Black Diamond is thornless, but primocanes are thorny on the basal 30 to 40 cm, fruiting laterals are medium in length. Harvest season starts in late June, peaks in early July and largerly done by the third week of July. Fruits of Black Diamond blackberry are uniform, conical, very attractive, have excellent firmness. This firmness leads to a high quiality machine-harvesting product and provides the opportunity for a good fresh market product if hand harvested. Also fruits have good flavor but are less aromatic than Marion blackberry. The average fruit weight for a season is about 6 g.
Winter hardiness is not high, about minus 13 C.
Black Diamond is thornless, but primocanes are thorny on the basal 30 to 40 cm, fruiting laterals are medium in length. Harvest season starts in late June, peaks in early July and largerly done by the third week of July. Fruits of Black Diamond blackberry are uniform, conical, very attractive, have excellent firmness. This firmness leads to a high quiality machine-harvesting product and provides the opportunity for a good fresh market product if hand harvested. Also fruits have good flavor but are less aromatic than Marion blackberry. The average fruit weight for a season is about 6 g.
Winter hardiness is not high, about minus 13 C.
| Cultivar | Berry weight, g | Yield, kg/ha | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | ||
| Black Diamond | 5.8 | 23281 | 15568 | 19001 |
| Nightfall | 6.2 | 42447 | 13405 | 20962 |
| Silvan | 6.2 | 31757 | 16811 | 21486 |
| Marion | 5.1 | 26380 | 13021 | 18397 |
| Black Pearl | 6.2 | 26969 | 14373 | 15505 |
| Waldo | 5.5 | 25849 | 11000 | 17286 |
| Siskiyou | 6.9 | 20969 | 9854 | 9359 |
| Cultivar | Yield, kg/ha | Harvest season | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | Peak | 95% | ||
| Black Diamond | 17281 | July 11 | July 21 | August 6 |
| Nightfall | 14384 | July 11 | July 25 | August 6 |
| Silvan | 12106 | July 11 | July 21 | August 3 |
| Marion | 10382 | July 11 | July 21 | August 6 |
| Siskiyou | 9656 | July 11 | July 21 | July 31 |
| Boysenberry | 8670 | July 16 | July 25 | July 31 |
| Metolius | 8480 | July 11 | July 21 | July 25 |
| Waldo | 7112 | July 21 | July 31 | August 6 |
| Cultivar | Harvest season | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | Peak | 95% | |
| Black Diamond | June 28 | July 8 | July 21 |
| Nightfall | July 3 | July 11 | July 23 |
| Silvan | June 26 | July 8 | July 21 |
| Marion | July 3 | July 10 | July 22 |
| Siskiyou | June 25 | July 8 | July 25 |
| Obsidian | June 25 | July 4 | July 15 |
| Black Pearl | July 3 | July 10 | July 24 |
| Metolius | June 25 | July 3 | July 14 |
| Waldo | July 8 | July 22 | August 7 |