Choosing Blueberry Cultivars Experiences in NC and thoughts on cultivars for Missouri BLUEBERRIES IN NORTH CAROLINA Home garden and pick-your-own plantings exist throughout the state, but our main commercial crop is harvested in southeastern NC (blue area) with an annual farm gate value of $78M (2015). Limited to unique, low ph sand-based organic soils (Leon, Lynn Haven series), or organic muck soils (i.e., Carolina Bays). Approx 10,000 acres total Bill Cline Entomology & Plant Pathology North Carolina State University Horticultural Crops Research Station Castle Hayne, NC The best native NC blueberry soils are organic sands (>3% organic matter) with a water table within 12-24 of the surface; fields are bedded to improve root aeration. Hand harvesting is the largest annual expense. Small, shallow buckets must be used to avoid crushing berries. The industry standard is a one-gallon bucket. Pickers tie the bucket to their belt to leave both hands free for harvesting fruit. Immediately after harvest, berries are quickly cooled by using forced-air fan systems to pull cold air across shallow trays of fruit. 1
Commercial growers use automated packing lines for dry-sorting and packaging fresh blueberries in plastic clamshell containers Bark mulch added to increase organic matter, lower ph and improve drainage (note raised beds) Surface mulch holds moisture and suppresses weeds. Use organic mulch (bark, wood chips, pine straw), black plastic, or weed barrier fabrics. Rabbiteye Cultivars for NC: STANDARDS: Premier, Tifblue, Powderblue, Climax, Brightwell NEWER CVS Alapaha, Vernon, Ochlockonee, Columbus, Onslow, Ira (shown) Southern Highbush for NC: STANDARDS: O Neal, Star, Legacy (shown), Reveille, Bladen, Southern Belle, Southmoon NEWER CVS: Rebel, New Hanover, Camellia, Springhigh, Emerald, Jewel 2
Highbush Cultivars (NC Mtns): STANDARD: Bluecrop, Berkeley, Jersey, Earliblue, Patriot, Elliott NEWER CVS: Duke (Shown), Aurora, Liberty, Draper, Echota, Toro Cultivated Blueberry Types/Species Rabbiteye (Vaccinium virgatum syn. V. ashei) native to deep South, hexaploid 6X Highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) Northern highbush domesticated in NJ, but also native into the South; tetraploid 4X Southern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum X?) complex interspecific hybrids with lower chill requirement, greater soil adaptability Pentaploid 5x between rabbiteye & highbush Limitations on use of blueberry species and cultivars (NC examples): Poor leafing due to lack of Winter Chill Hours <45 o F Soil adaptability = rabbiteyes are the best choice for Piedmont, homeowner, PYO Winter hardiness = northern highbush best choice in WNC mountains above 2500 ft Chill requirement = (i) some cultivars @ less than 350 hrs do really well in areas of FL and CA but are too risky for SENC (Snowchaser, Ventura, Jewel, Emerald, etc.), while (ii) some N. highbush do not get enough chilling in SENC to bloom and leaf normally (Bluecrop, etc.) Further limitations I wouldn t grow that one because Stems don t detach Cracking Wet stem scar Too soft Poor flavor (esp. tart) Disease Color (too dark) Size Poor bush survival Market prejudice (species, size, color) Ripens too late Yield not consistent Yield too low Won t machine pick Machineharvestable but stems do not detach Fresh berry destemmer? 3
LOCAL testing & evaluation is very important esp. on-farm with growers Blueberry harvest timing by cultivar in southeastern NC (*NCSU) Cultivar MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEP CROATAN* REBEL O NEAL* STAR REVEILLE/BLADEN* DUKE NEW HANOVER* LEGACY PREMIER* COLUMBUS* TIFBLUE POWDERBLUE EARLY >>>MIDSEASON >>>LATE HIGHBUSH SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH RABBITEYE Mike Mainland, Hort Sci Emeritus Prof. Earliest Cultivars (NC) O NEAL -- Southern highbush cultivar, released by NCSU. Early ripening, fairly good soil adaptation, Extended bloom period reduces freeze risk. O Neal is planted world-wide. Susceptible to blueberry stem canker. Standard O Neal, Star Emerging Rebel, Suziblue What s next? FL98-325 (Indigocrisp), TH 948 (Miss Lilly), Meadowlark, Georgia Dawn? Early Midseason Cultivars Standard Croatan*,Duke, New Hanover Emerging Farthing, Abundance, San Joaquin What s next? DUKE Northern highbush, short bloom-to-ripe interval, early and productive. May not chill adequately some years in SE NC, requires careful pruning to prevent over-cropping. Tight clusters, mild flavor. Coastal Plain - YES Piedmont - MAYBE Mountains - YES *Phasing out rapidly 4
NEW HANOVER -- Southern highbush, NCSU, (2005). Early large-fruited cultivar for hand harvest. Very productive. Some stem tearing will occur. FARTHING good for machine harvest, productive, compact plant, but fruit has green/red backs at time of harvest hold at 70 F for a day to allow them to turn blue? Midseason Cultivars Standard Legacy, Premier Emerging Camellia, Robeson What s Next? TH 917 (Miss Jackie),Gupton, Vernon LEGACY --Southern highbush from USDA, developed in NJ. Ripens early June in southeastern NC and is widely soil-adapted -- a possible choice for marginal sites. Coastal Plain - YES Piedmont - MAYBE Mountains -???? GUPTON southern highbush from USDA/ARS,Poplarville, MS, 2012. Same pedigree as Camellia (MS-122 MS-6). Possible machine-harvest cultivar. SHB in Rabbiteye window in NC. Susceptible to mummy berry! ROBESON -- Pentaploid, 2005. 400-600 chill hrs, potential for upland sites, earlier than Premier. Fruit soft and unlikely to ship well fresh. 5
ROBESON has found a place with PYO growers wishing to produce berries ahead of rabbiteye season on marginal soils. Highbush berry qualities but too dark and soft for fresh shipping. Possible processing berry for growers phasing out rabbiteye cultivars. Krewer 10 June 2016 new rabbiteye from UGA would like to see tested widely in the southeastern US Mid- to Late-Season Cultivars all rabbiteyes Standard Brightwell, Columbus, Tifblue, Powderblue Emerging Onslow? What s Next? Overtime, Ochlockonee COLUMBUS NCSU rabbiteye release (2002), ripens in early July (SENC). Excellent flavor, color and shelf life. Difficult to propagate and establish. ONSLOW -- Rabbiteye, 2001. Latest ripening of NC releases, Fruit slightly darker and larger than Powderblue when fully ripe. Blueberry harvest timing by cultivar in southeastern NC (*NCSU) B MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEP CROATAN* REBEL O NEAL* SUZIBLUE STAR REVEILLE/BLADEN* FARTHING ABUNDANCE SAN JOAQUIN DUKE NEW HANOVER* CAMELLIA LEGACY PREMIER* COLUMBUS* TIFBLUE POWDERBLUE 6
What about Missouri? Temps, chill hrs are comparable to WNC Mtns: STANDARD: Bluecrop, Berkeley, Jersey, Earliblue, Patriot, Elliott NEWER CVS: Duke (Shown), Aurora, Liberty, Draper, Echota, Toro and others Some potential northern highbush and higher-chill southern highbush for Missouri: Southern highbush Legacy New Hanover Gupton Sweetheart Ozarkblue Northern highbush Duke Echota Cargo Top Shelf Blue Ribbon LEGACY --Southern highbush from USDA, developed in NJ. Ripens early June in southeastern NC and is widely soil-adapted -- a possible choice for marginal sites. NEW HANOVER -- Southern highbush, NCSU, (2005). Early large-fruited cultivar for hand harvest. Very productive. Some stem tearing will occur. Coastal Plain - YES Piedmont - MAYBE Mountains -???? GUPTON southern highbush from USDA/ARS,Poplarville, MS, 2012. Same pedigree as Camellia (MS-122 MS-6). Possible machine-harvest cultivar. SHB in Rabbiteye window in NC. Susceptible to mummy berry! DUKE Northern highbush, short bloom-to-ripe interval, early and productive. May not chill adequately some years in SE NC, requires careful pruning to prevent over-cropping. Tight clusters, mild flavor. Coastal Plain - YES Piedmont - MAYBE Mountains - YES 7
Blue Ribbon Fall Creek patented NHB, shown 8Jun16 in SE NC Top Shelf -- Fall Creek Patented NHB shown 8Jun16 in SENC Echota -- NCSU release, NHB for Western NC, shown 14Jun04 in SENC Cargo -- Fall Creek Patented NHB shown 6Jul16 in SENC mid-late season LOCAL testing & evaluation is very important esp. on-farm with growers Mike Mainland, Hort Sci Emeritus Prof. 8
To machine for fresh, you need the right Pruning Soft Sorter Cultivars Machine for Fresh (MFF) in NC Began 1990s with Reveille, Bladen Dry weather Machine For Fresh Precooler Blowers, sorters (color & soft) critical to success Forced-air cooling (pre- & post-pack) is necessary Legacy, O Neal, Reveille, & rabbiteyes Est. 50% hand, 30% MFF, 20% processed Labor Woes Field setup Usually start with hand harvest 1-2x Handle fruit dry Color Sorter Harvester Machine for Fresh (MFF) -- Grower Discussion/Comments Bladen County (NC) Blueberry Meeting, 2007 HIGHBUSH or FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH SHB CULTIVAR PICKING PICKING PICKING PICKING Star no (pull) no (pull) yes -- O Neal no ($) at 30% ripe yes yes Bladen* at 30% ripe yes yes -- Reveille* at 30% ripe yes yes -- Duke no (clusters) no ($) maybe -- Croatan no no no no Legacy no ($) at 30% ripe yes yes Jubilee* at 30% ripe no (size) no (size) -- Pender* at 30% ripe yes -- -- O NEAL -- Southern highbush cultivar, released by NCSU. Earliest ripening, good soil adaptation. O Neal is very popular and is planted world-wide. Susceptible to blueberry stem canker. Hand or machine for fresh, high value discourages machine-for-fresh until later pickings. RABBITEYE CULTIVARS PREMIER no ($) at 30% ripe yes yes BRIGHTWELL at 30% ripe yes? (splits) yes? (splits) no (size) COLUMBUS at 30% ripe yes maybe -- TIFBLUE* no (splits) no (splits) -- -- POWDERBLUE at 40% ripe yes yes no (size) Reasons MFF not acceptable: $=price timing, Pull=difficult to pick, Clusters=clusters too tight, Splits=prone to rain splitting, Size=too small for fresh (*)=minor or declining acreage REVEILLE 1990, Southern highbush. Medium to small, very firm, machine-for-fresh berry. Once15% of NC acreage, now declining due to low, inconsistent yields. Exceptional, unique flavor. Susceptible to cracking in wet seasons. BLADEN 1991, Southern highbush. Small, machine-forfresh berry. In NC, use is limited to well-drained organic sands (Leon, Lynn Haven series). 9
DUKE Northern highbush, short bloom-to-ripe interval, early and productive. May not chill adequately some years in SE NC, requires careful pruning to prevent over-cropping. Tight clusters prevent machine harvest in early pickings. LEGACY --Southern highbush from USDA, developed in NJ. Ripens early June in southeastern NC and is widely soil-adapted -- a possible choice for marginal sites. Usually hand picked once, then either hand, machine-for-fresh, or machine for processed. Advice to growers regarding machinefor-fresh (MFF) blueberries in NC Yes, you can do it successfully, BUT No one in NC has yet been able to go entirely MFF, you will still have to use hand pickers Equipment costs are prohibitive for smaller operations There must be a ready processing outlet for machine-harvested fruit that is not suitable for the fresh market 10