Chickasaw

Chickasaw is the tenth release in a series of erect-growing, high-quality, productive blackberry cultivars developed by the University of Arkansas, United States.
Canes of Chickasaw are thorny and erect, but a thorns density is less than that of Kiowa. Chickasaw can be grown in a hedgerow without trellis support, with primocanes tipped at 1.1 m to control primocane length and encourage lateral branching. This is early-ripening variety. Blackberry Chickasaw starts bloom at the end of April. In south regions it can starts bloom earlier - at the middle of April. First berries ripen at the beginning of June, in south regions - at the end of May. Average length of fruiting period for Chickasaw is 40 days. Yield is high, about 12 t/ha.
Chickasaw maintained very good fruit weight over the harvest season, average berry weight is 10 g. Chickasaw blackberry has excellent flower and fruit fertility and full drupelet set. Berries of Chickasaw are long, cylindrical, and slightly flattened in shape and very attractive with a glossy, black finish. Primary fruit diameter is 2.5 cm and berry length averages 4 cm. Chickasaw is superior in storage.
Winter resistant is very good, up to minus 23 C.

Table 1. Yield and average berry weight (plantings established in 1996)

Cultivar	Yield, kg/ha		Berry weight, g
	1997	1998	1997	1998
Clarksville
Chickasaw	12321	11085	11.0	10.5
Choctaw	7471	7972	6.1	5.4
Shawnee	8912	8417	8.4	7.4
Hope
Chickasaw	7869	17154	8.8	8.5
Choctaw	4292	10150	5.3	4.3
Shawnee	4223	17090	7.3	6.3
Kiowa	992	11139	7.3	7.8
Fayetteville
Chickasaw	11491	11239	10.2	8.3
Choctaw	4010	6695	5.3	3.3
Shawnee	81126	8839	7.9	5.4
Kiowa	9832	10016	10.0	8.1

Table 2. Сomparison table of Chikasaw, Chocto and Shawnee blackberries at the University of Arkansas Fruit Substation, Clarksville

Main features	Variety
	Chickasaw	Choctaw	Shawnee
Flowering date
10% bloom	April 25	April 23	April 29
50% bloom	April 29	April 30	May 6
Harvest date
First	June 10	May 30	June 7
Peak	June 21	June 7	June 20
Last	July 20	July 1	July 17
Fruit (rating scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best)
Firmness	7.9	7.1	7.1
Flavor	8.1	8.6	7.4
Soluble solids, %	9.6	8.7	9.3
Plant (rating scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the best)
Vigor	8.9	8.0	9.0
Health	8.7	8.1	8.4
Winter injury	8.8	7.9	8.6