New cultivars for the Northwest- Out of the research plots and into commercial fields Chad Finn, USDA-ARS. With input from several growers, packers and

New cultivars for the Northwest- Out of the research plots and into commercial fields

Chad Finn, USDA-ARS.

With input from several growers, packers and processors

Newer cultivars that have been commonly planted

Reka NZ Hort Research 1989Rahi NZ Hort Research 1990Legacy USDA-ARS, Beltsville 1993Ozarkblue Univ. of Arkansas 1997Draper Michigan St. Univ. 2004Liberty Michigan St. Univ. 2004Aurora Michigan St. Univ. 2004Ochlockonee Univ. of Georgia 2006

What I’ve said

What growers/packers have found

‘Draper’

Duke x G 751 Yield good off station. Ok

on station Outstanding ‘Duke’ type

fruit quality Stored 3 wks w/excellent

quality Ripens just after ‘Duke’ To watch: poorly set fruit

What growers/packers have found:

‘Draper’

Plant Slower growing (But often compared to Liberty!) Slower to reach height for machine harvest Compact Brushy – prune out center and low wood More upright and vigorous than Duke Inconsistent plant-to-plant vigor Sensitive to management issues Not a good “starter variety”


‘Draper’

Fruit/Yield Very good fruit quality especially in storage. Does not have intense flavor- Sugar and nice pop Very firm- Can get weirdly firm- fibrous? Picks fast- faster than Duke Precocious- productive early Uneven fruit size Machines Very low dockage <0.5%


‘Draper’

Season Short harvest window- Very concentrated ripening Will “slam packinghouses” as so much comes off at

once

Reka Northern highbush Mid-season High yielding Good fruit quality but

dark fruited

Plant/fruit Grows quickly High yields Very precocious Can machine early Some redback like Bluecrop Dark fruited very difficult fresh- Picking time critical if

trying to harvest blue enough for fresh market “Why plant a cultivar that is most likely going to be

limited to processing market?”


‘Reka’

‘Legacy’ Late mid-season i.e. Berkeley Excellent fruit quality Medium size fruit Excellent yields “Umbrella”/ “willowy” growth Tendency to be evergreen

can slow winter pruning


‘Legacy’

Plant S. Highbush-Evergreen tendency makes pruning difficult

(50%+ cost) SHB- so can break bud early… concerns this last week! Twiggy inner bush/V. dense Grows quickly & new growth hides fruit- Pickers hate Low N- Excellent organic potential Fruit throughout so need to clean out middles “Amazingly adaptable” C. Washington to C. California” Tall, willowy


‘Legacy’

Fruit Outstanding quality- good size, great

flavor and firmness Easy release Poor concentration of ripe fruit Can split w/rain Not a great harvesting window-

competing with mid season and Liberty Gets firmer in CA

‘Ozarkblue’

Very late; just before ‘Elliott’

Excellent fruit quality Precocious High yields Concerns:

- Plant-to-plant variability


‘Ozarkblue’Fruit Fantastic quality Occasional wet scar Can be dark Good yield Won’t CA Need to manage harvest carefully

Need 8 vs. 10-12 d rotationCannot let hang or will fall apart (soft)


‘Ozarkblue’

Plant Vigorous and precocious Great leaf/fruit ratio Not a tall plant Need to flower thing or prune

hard to prevent overcropping Tendency to show little leaf trait

‘Liberty’

Brigitta Blue x Elliott Excellent fruit quality V. good yield Late, just before ‘Ozarkblue’ To watch: Pruning challenges

Plant Vigorous Good grower Responds to nutrients Needs lower N- Organic potential Can outgrow top and have weak canes early Need trellis for vigorous growth or will lodge and to keep fruit

off of ground; best if get on early Nice bush shape A good “starter variety”


‘Liberty’

Fruit Highest quality fruit- Better than anything new Long loose clusters Incredible flavor; excellent firmness Flat shape- if running over sizer need true sizer not band

sizer Can get slight splitting Excellent yield Good CA storage


‘Liberty’

Season/Harvest Releases very easily. Blues come off greens stay on.

Releases too easily??? Pickers make good money Run nice, firm, consistent Better fruit quality than the slightly later Elliott and

Aurora. Possible to hold, or delay until that season?


‘Liberty’

‘Aurora’

Brigitta Blue x Elliott Late, with or slightly later than Elliott Similar fruit quality to Elliott Good yields

Plant Needs more N than Elliott Can have squat habit early but will grow out of it

and trellis can help


‘Aurora’

Fruit Not great improvement over Elliott if growers pick the

same as Elliott No shrivel so can let hang to get better quality

especially flavor Colors before ripens V. good firmness and can ship! Only slight split when Elliott had major split problems Season probably only 2-3 d later than Elliott and not in

every year. Elliott ripens its crops slower


‘Aurora’

New rabbiteyes ‘Ochlockonee’- Promising ‘Powderblue’ still looking good ‘Maru’- Very large but ugly ‘Rahi’- Poor yield and splits ‘Onslow’- Poor quality, dark and ugly Mississippi selections- Not happy

here very low yield and poor quality

Onslow Rahi Maru

Ochlockonee

‘Ochlockonee’

Rabbiteye from Georgia Tifblue x Menditoo Extremely late High quality Concerns: will see 1st good

crop in 2007=Ochlockonee

Excellent quality. Best rabbiteye- Better than Elliott Good yield Can overcrop Brushy and hard to pick Tends to get less Pseudomonas than Powderblue, but when it

gets it its dead vs. Powderblue tolerates Not great shelf life Can have poor pollination Not as pretty as Powderblue Less split than most


‘Ochlockonee’

Rahi

Rabbiteye; ‘Premier’ OP Needs testing- Looks good

in observation plots at a nursery

Late High quality Hope to plant this spring

Very good quality Some split problems Can’t get yield


‘Rahi’


Rabbiteyes in general

Season is September-October: Do you really want fruit then with Argentina and Chile coming on with early southern highbush with better quality?

So many problems (“Pain in the $*&@#!”)…

Split, pseudomonas, fruit quality, need to survive August heat

Better to push/hold Liberty and Aurora?

Maru

Newer cultivars that have been commonly planted

More being planted?Reka Probably not muchRahi NoLegacy ProbablyOzarkblue Probably not muchDraper DefinitelyLiberty DefinitelyAurora ProbablyOchlockonee Probably

Thanks to Blueberry Trial Support Group!

And for their use of a harvester in the OSU and USDA-ARS plots at NWREC

Questions?

Come Visit!!

Corvallis, Oregon

Come Visit!!

Kiger Gorge on Steens Mountain, Oregon

Alvord Desert, Oregon Corvallis, Oregon

Documents

New cultivars for the Northwest- Out of the research plots and into commercial fields Chad Finn, USDA-ARS. With input from several growers, packers and