The 2012 ASHS Annual Conference

NC 430 is a new erect, thornless, floricane-fruiting blackberry. NC 430 was selected in 1998 by J. R. Ballington.  Replicated trials of NC 430 were established at the Piedmont Research Station (PRS) in Salisbury, NC, in 2007 and at the Upper Mountain Research Station (UMRS) in Laurel Springs, NC, in 2009. Data was collected from 2008–2010 and 2010-2011 at the PRS and UMRS respectively. In replicated trials at the PRS, with five other cultivars, NC 430 had the highest total, marketable and percent marketable yields. Over a three-year period, marketable yield of NC 430 was 10,704 g/plant (21,434 lbs/acre).  Fruit of NC 430 is medium size  (6.6 g) has smaller drupelet and seed size compared to other cultivars. NC 430 produces fruit in the late season, with average date of harvest commencing in the third week of June, peaking in the second week of July and ending the first week of August. In post harvest evaluations, when blackberries were held 7 days at 4 °C, 90% RH in pint clamshells, NC 430 has a marketable score of 90.6, which is as good or better than the leading commercial cultivars. Soluble sugars content of NC 430 was 9.4% and pH was 3.57, traits that characterize NC 430 as sweet with low acid content. NC 430 is the first thornless, floricane-fruiting blackberry to be released from NC State University.