Blackberry (Rubus spp.) production in Georgia is valued at $19.9 million annually with approximately 1,900 planted acres, mostly concentrated in the southern part of the state. Blackberries have been increasingly planted in Georgia as a dynamic alternative crop that can diversify and support blueberry growers’ income. The harvest season is short, starting in mid-May and ending mid-July. The planted genotypes are mainly from other Southeastern breeding programs often with little to no testing on their suitability for the local growing conditions. Four University of Arkansas-bred cultivars – ‘Caddo,’ ‘Osage,’ ‘Ouachita,’ and ‘Ponca,’ were selected with a goal to identify the most appropriate cultivar for production in Georgia climatic conditions. Blackberries were hand-harvested, field-packed, placed in cold storage for up to 21 days, and evaluated over a two-year harvest period from a commercial field in Holt, GA (31.5957˚N, 83.1507˚W). Red Drupelet Reversion (RDR) is a major postharvest disorder where fully ripe, black drupelets revert to red color after harvest. Assessments for RDR incidence were conducted immediately after harvest and every seven days, along with measurements of berry physicochemical traits. Consumers' taste panels were conducted a day after harvest. A high incidence of RDR was quantified at harvest and after storage for ‘Ouachita,’ followed by ‘Ponca,’ ‘Caddo’ and ‘Osage.’ In addition, the panelists favored ‘Caddo’ blackberries, while ‘Ouachita’ was the least preferred cultivar. Appropriate preharvest and postharvest practices, in combination with timely, gentle harvests should be employed to decrease RDR incidence and maintain fruit quality.
