New small fruit cultivars from Cacak: 1. The new blackberry (Rubus sp.) cultivar 'Cacanska bestrna'

Blackberry breeding at Cacak started in 1982. Up to now, some 50,000 hybrid seeds were obtained and over 10,000 hybrid seedlings were planted out. The objectives of blackberry breeding are developing thornfree cultivars, vigo rous, bearing, with good quality berries (size, firmness, taste and aroma), earlier - ripening than the leading cultivar 'Thornfree'. Also, they show hardiness to winter temperatures below -15 degrees C and to major diseases. The new cultivar 'Cacanska Bestrna' was derived from a cross between 'Dirk sen Thornless' x 'Black Satin', made in 1984. and was selected in 1987. It was tested as 1/III/87 and was named and released in 1997. The plant is vig orous. It produces 4-5 strong canes bent from the middle part, with short i nternodes. The cane is thornless. The fruiting branches arise from the base of the cane, with inflorescences at tops in which the flowers are quite co ncentrated. Cropping is abundant. It is resistant to cane and leaf rust cau sed by fungus Kuchneola uredinis (Link.) Arthur. No damage to canes caused by low winter temperatures has been observed so far. The bud break is mediu m early and flowering time is medium late. Ripening time is mid early. It h as a short ripening season so that all fruits ripen till the beginning of S eptember. The fruit size is very large about 9.3 g, the individual fruit re aching is 15,4 g. It has 89 drupelets on average. The colour of fruit is gl ossy black, long, of cylindrical shape, sweet, of aromatic taste and firm. It is picked easily and should be harvested in good time. The fruit is very suitable for fresh consumption, suitable for freezing and processing.