A thornless, trailing, firm-fruited blackberry that is primarily suited for machine harvesting and processing but is also suited for local fresh market sales. Origin: United States Depar™ent of Agriculture –Agricultural Research Service in Corvallis, Ore., by Chad E. Finn, Brian M. Yorgey, Bernadine C. Strik, Harvey K. Hall, Robert R. Martin and Michael Qian. Kotata × NZ 8610L-163; cross made in 1991 by H. Hall with New Zealand HortResearch Inc. in New Zealand; selected in 1997 by C. Finn in Corvallis, Ore.; tested as NZ 9128R-1; introd. in 2005. Tree: trailing canes; thornlessness from Austin Thornless; healthy but less vigorous than Marion; productive, comparable yield to Marion; not particularly susceptible to Septoria leaf spot (Mycosphaerella rubi) and purple blotch (Septocyta ruborum); no vegetative or fruit symptoms of cane or leaf rust (Kuehneola uredinsis); hardiness not well tested but has survived-8 °C in northern Washington when Marion was severely damaged. Fruit: medium, 6 g; firm; attractive and glossy; uniform and conical; excellent drupelet set; very good flavor; soluble solids and titratable acidity comparable to Marion and greater than Chester Thornless; as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit ranked similarly to Marion in color and appearance but lower for flavor, seediness and overall quality; as a puree, ranked similar to Marion for aroma, flavor, color, and overall quality; ripens in midseason with the harvest midpoint 2 d before Marion and later than Siskiyou; fruit are readily harvested by machine with excellent quality.
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