OSU BLUEBERRY SCHOOL
March 16-17, 2015
held at
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
This two-day blueberry “school” was organized for new and experienced blueberry growers,
farm managers, crew leaders, advisors, packers/shippers, and consultants. Experts from Oregon
State University, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, and the
blueberry industry were asked to address key issues of where the blueberry market is going; how
you might be more successful in tight labor or volume markets; which cultivars are easiest to
grow and are in most demand; how to establish new acreage using cutting-edge methods;
projected costs and the resources available to growers for selecting new planting sites; how to
best manage existing acreage to maximize returns of high-quality fruit; provide basic information
on blueberry plant physiology to help growers minimize environmental stresses and improve
yield potential; nutrient management programs for optimal growth and quality; irrigation and
fertigation practices for higher quality and better efficiency; use of organic amendments and
mulches; planning for and improving machine harvest efficiency; pruning for hand or machine
harvest (where can you cut corners….or not), maximizing pollination for good fruit and seed set;
overviews of the most important blueberry viruses, diseases, insects, weeds, and vertebrate pests;
and tools for good pest management. Information throughout the program addresses the needs of
conventional, transitional, and organic growers. Simultaneous interpretation to Spanish has been
provided. This proceedings book contains information provided on these topics by each speaker
and co-authors. The thumb drive provided in the registration packet for each attendee includes a
copy of each presentation. Thank you for attending. It is our sincere wish that this will be a very
useful meeting and that you find the accompanying materials a valuable reference! –
Bernadine Strik, Professor and Extension Berry Crops Specialist, OSU and the members of the
organizing committee
Organizing Committee
Bernadine Strik, Chair, Oregon State University (OSU)
Wei Yang, OSU. Co-chair (sponsorship coordinator), OSU
Donna Williams, Rachel Williams & team at OSU Conference Services
Dave Bryla, USDA-ARS HCRU
Chad Finn, USDA-ARS HCRU
Vaughn Walton - OSU
Steve Castagnoli - OSU
Steve Renquist - OSU
Bryan Ostlund – Oregon Blueberry Commission
Eric Pond - industry
Jon Umble – industry
Derek Peacock - industry
Steve Erickson - industry
Nancy Jensen - industry
i
Table of Contents
OSU Blueberry School
Title
Authors
Characteristics of production regions in the Pacific
Northwest
Lisa DeVetter, Pat Jones, Bernadine
Strik, Kathie Dello
1
Markets - what's the future for fresh, processed, and
organic markets? Things you MUST think about before
starting or expanding production
Rod Cook, Derek Peacock, Jeff
Malensky, David Granatstein
9
Cultivar choices- Tried and true to brand new
Chad Finn and Bernadine Strik
15
Economics of production – resources
Bernadine Strik and David Granatstein
29
Resources available for selecting a good blueberry site
Wei Q. Yang
37
Site selection and establishment of a blueberry field
Wei Q. Yang and Bernadine Strik
41
Organic soil amendments and mulches for blueberry:
the good, the bad and the ugly
Dan Sullivan (OSU)
47
On-farm irrigation system design and operation
David Bryla
53
Blueberry plant physiology - why it's important to
understand the plant to manage it well
Bernadine Strik
57
Irrigation scheduling: when, where, and how much?
David Bryla
63
Pruning - impact of plant age, cultivar, and harvest
method
Bernadine Strik
69
Harvesting - hand vs. machine
Bernadine Strik (moderator); Paul
Norris (Norris Farms); Frank Brown
(Littau Harvesters (Inc.); Doug
Krahmer (Berries Northwest)
75
Nutrient management of blueberry -- assessing plant
nutrient needs and designing good fertilizer programs
Bernadine Strik and David Bryla
79
Maximizing pollination in blueberry
Ramesh Sagili, Carolyn Breece, John
Borden
95
Blueberry viruses present in the Pacific Northwest and
suggestions for their management
Robert Martin
99
Blueberry bacterial and fungal diseases
Jay Pscheidt and Jerry Weiland
107
ii
Page
Title
Authors
Page
Weed management for blueberry fields in the Pacific
Northwest
Tim Miller
115
Getting hit high and low: Options for managing bird
and vole damage
Dana Sanchez (OSU
125
Management of arthropods, insect, and plant-parasitic
nematodes in blueberries
Vaughn Walton,Nik Wiman, Inga
Zasada, Joe DeFrancesco, Daniel
Dalton, Amy Dreves, Jana Lee, Lynell
Tanigoshi, Wei Yang
129
iii
Cultivar choices- Tried and true to brand new
Chad Finn1 and Bernadine Strik2 and Oregon and Washington growers
1
USDA-ARS, HCRU; 2Oregon State University
There are five main types of blueberries grown in the United States: northern highbush, southern
highbush, rabbiteye, lowbush, and half-high. The northern highbush is most common type grown
in the Pacific Northwest. In this presentation, cultivar development, some of the factors to
consider when choosing a new cultivar, the common or standard cultivars, and new cultivars that
may have potential will be discussed.
Development of new blueberry cultivars
Over the past 30 years, dozens of cultivars have been developed by a number of programs
around the world. The major emphasis of many breeding programs has been to expand
production to new regions and as a result southern highbush cultivars with lower chilling
requirements have been the predominant types of cultivars released over the past 15-20 years.
Luckily since 2010, there has been an upsurge in releases of northern highbush cultivars that may
be viable in the Pacific Northwest especially as the need for cultivars with improved fruit quality
has risen.
The process to develop new cultivars begins with the breeder choosing the two parents to use in
a cross. Breeders around the world have many common breeding objectives including:
productivity, flavor, fruit quality, picking scar, season, machine harvestability, fruit color,
firmness, disease resistance, fruit size, post-harvest shelf life and tolerance to environmental
stress in addition to any local challenges. Seedlings from the crosses are grown out in the field
until they are producing fruit. Breeders walk their fruiting fields regularly and over the course of
1-3 harvest seasons try to identify the seedlings with the most potential. Typically 0.5-1.0% of
the seedlings are selected (5-10 selections/10,000 seedlings), tested for viruses, propagated and
planted in multiple plant trials. In these more advanced trials, more time is spent on each
selection and things like fruit yield and size can be determined. Fruit from these trials can be
used in storage trials to evaluate fruit quality potential for the fresh market or they might be
frozen so that their potential quality as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit and fruit chemistry
(soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH) can be determined. If a selection continues to look
good it will be moved into trials with collaborators and commercial growers. Finally, the
decision to release a superior selection as a cultivar is made, the plant is cleaned up for the
commercial nurseries, data are collected to file for a plant patent and the named cultivar is
released. This whole process may be done in as few as 9 years but more than likely it will take
closer to 12-15 years to have the confidence to release a cultivar.
While there are few dozen breeding programs around the world, the most important or
potentially most important programs for Northwest growers are the public breeding programs
with the B.C. Blueberry Council, Michigan State University, the USDA-ARS programs in New
Jersey and Oregon, and the private breeding programs at Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, and
Oregon Blueberry Farms and Nursery. Of these programs, only the Michigan State and USDA-
15
NJ program have released cultivars that have had a major impact as the other programs are fairly
young.
Factors to consider when choosing a cultivar
The most important factors to consider when deciding which cultivar to grow are related to the
market. Are you self-packing or is someone packing for you? If someone is going to do it for
you, they have to agree that the cultivar you are choosing is acceptable to them. Some cultivars
are primarily suited for processing (i.e. ‘Reka’ and ‘1613A’/Hardyblue) and shouldn’t be planted
if you are primarily planning on selling your fruit fresh. Are you planning on selling your fruit
wholesale or retail and how close to where the fruit is produced? If you are selling close to the
production fields, cultivars that have softer fruit may be acceptable whereas if the fruit is going
onto a boat to be shipped to Korea it needs a whole different level of post-harvest quality. Are
you trying to produce for organic markets? If so not only does the disease resistance of a cultivar
play a more important role when choosing what to plant, but trying to avoid later season pests
such as spotted winged drosophila may push you to grow early season ripening cultivars.
Your site can affect your choice of cultivars. The potential for cold damage in winter and frost in
spring varies quite a bit from the generally milder Willamette Valley, the often colder Fraser
River Valley, and the potentially much colder east side of the mountains in Washington or
Oregon. If winter cold is a problem in your region, avoid cultivars or blueberry types that are
known to be less cold hardy. Sunburn and heat damage causing soft fruit are going to potentially
be a problem every year in the later season on the east side in Washington and in southern
Oregon, will be a regular problem in the Willamette Valley, but be much less commonly a
problem in northern Washington. If intense sunlight and heat are potential problems, choose
cultivars that are more tolerant of these or choose cultivars that ripen before those conditions hit.
Some blueberry cultivars, particularly ‘Duke’ and ‘Draper’, do not do well with “wet feet” or on
heavy soils. Either find better ground or stay away from sensitive cultivars.
Depending on the blueberry cultivars you choose, you can have cultivars that ripen in mid-June
in Oregon with other cultivars ripening as frosts in the fall start to hit (Table 1). Choose cultivars
that are in the right season for your market or that your packer/freezer has capacity for when they
are ripe. If everyone in a region is planting a concentrated ripening cultivar like ‘Draper’, then it
could overrun all freezing lines that a company runs.
Many blueberry cultivars are adapted to machine harvest for processed fruit. Now breeders are
working hard to develop blueberry cultivars that can be machine harvested for the fresh, this has
not been perfected yet. There are some cultivars that, in the right year, with the right machineharvester operator, and for the early picks can be machine harvested for the fresh market but this
cannot be counted on. You need to decided whether you plan to hand pick or machine harvest
before choosing a cultivar.
Finally, be honest in assessing your management skill. Do you or folks in your operation have
experience growing blueberries? Some cultivars such as ‘Draper’ can be challenging for first
time blueberry growers while many are much more “grower friendly”
16
Common/standard cultivars
The standard cultivars become standards because they typically have very good quality fruit,
consistently produce high yields, and are manageable but they aren’t perfect. For the following
common Pacific Northwest cultivars, we will give some background information followed by
information collected from interviews with Oregon and Washington growers and packers. While
we tried to get a consensus opinions, in some cases some comments may only be one growers
opinion that might differ from others. Also listed are cultivars that may still be in commercial
plantings but are disappearing from the landscape. Finally, these are listed in approximate order
of ripening.
Bluetta. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars for the
Pacific Northwest.
Duke
Bush: Erect, open, susceptible to root rot, performs poorly when soil pH and fertility not optimal
Plant on well-drained soil and manage irrigation well. Berry: Large size, uniform, light blue,
firm, small scar, excellent eating quality, flavor declines less in storage than other cultivars,
excellent shipping quality, machine harvests well (including for fresh market) with optimal
management. Yield potential: Medium to high, but variable with location and management.
Excellent large-scale commercial value.
Grower feedback:
Plant
 Not tolerant wet/heavy soils
 Hard to figure out how to grow
 Easy and cheap to prune
 With lower inputs or on poor site will not do well
 Works on eastside
Fruit
 Very good fruit quality especially in storage.
 A standard for shipping quality but bland
 Consistent
 Early season so lower spotted winged drosophila pressure
 Can have green fruit botrytis issues
 Lots of it- A good and bad thing
Earliblue. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars for
the Pacific Northwest.
Huron (U.S. Plant Patent 21,777)
Bush: Vigorous, erect, excellent winter hardiness, late flowering among early cultivars. Berry:
Moderately large size, small and dry picking scar, medium blue, excellent firmness and superior
flavor when fully ripen. Yield potential: Medium; performs better with cross-pollination.
Possibly good large-scale commercial value but yield and fruit quality are concerns. Good
potential for areas where other cultivars are not cold hardy. New and untried.
17
Bluegold
Bush: Vigorous but somewhat squat, very susceptible to Blueberry shock virus (which may stunt
plants if infected when young). Berry: Large size, light blue, firm, small scar, very good flavor,
overall excellent quality, often retains stems when picked. Yield potential: Medium to high;
varies from field to field and year to year. Possibly good large-scale commercial value but the
bush habit is challenging and the cultivar often has erratic year-to-year yield.
Grower feedback:
Bush- Squat, small, shrubby. Long term easy to maintain small stature
 Very high yielding
 Fruit- Great quality! Great storage!
Reality- very little new going in:
 Very susceptible to Blueberry shock virus
 Not tearing out but not planting
Spartan
Bush: Vigorous, erect, open, generally does not do as well on heavy soils. Berry: Very large size,
light blue, moderately firm, very good scar, excellent flavor, blooms late (avoids frost injury) but
ripens early, concentrated ripening permits two main pickings. Yield potential: Medium to high.
Poor large-scale commercial value.
Draper (U.S. Plant Patent 15,103)
Bush: Young plants may produce many whips and require more pruning. Machine harvestable.
Fruit can be “stemmy” (berry stem stays on plant), particularly when machine harvested. In some
northern production regions, premature fruit drop has been a problem. Berry: Medium to very
large (size variable), light blue, firm, small scar, crisp texture, mild flavor, stores extremely well,
concentrated ripening. Yield potential: High. Excellent large-scale commercial value.
Grower feedback:
Plant
 Slower growing/compact
 Slower to reach height for machine harvest
 Brushy – prune out center and low wood
 Expensive to prune
 More upright and vigorous than ‘Duke’
 Sensitive to management issues
 Not a good “starter variety”
 Sensitive to heavy soils like ‘Duke’ parent
 Everything happens to it
 Works on Eastside
Fruit
 High quality but bland/not exciting flavor
 Can be shipped long ways
 Occasionally foul out of storage like apple stored too long.
 Standard that other early season need to meet
 Can be stemmy; pickers must not pick hard
 Short harvest window. Very concentrated ripening - Less so as mature
 Can pick almost in one pick for process market
18



Can “slam” packinghouses as so much comes off at once
Runs easily and fast through packing line
Can split
Reka
Bush: Very vigorous, upright, open, tends to overcrop if not pruned correctly. Berry: Medium to
large size, dark blue, medium scar, good flavor, machine harvestable, excellent for processing.
Yield potential: Very high. While possible good large-scale commercial value it is not well
suited to fresh market sales due to its dark fruit color.
Grower feedback:
Bush- Vigorous, upright open, can overcrop
 Very high yielding
 Fruit- Medium; dark, machines excellent for processing
Reality- very little new going in:
 While high yielding, quality not great fresh (redback, dark, thin skin) so limits your
options
 Not tearing out, but not planting
 Does take wet soils
Bluejay
Bush: Extremely vigorous, open, fast growing, medium spreading. Berry: Medium size, resists
cracking, sensitive to sunburn, small scar, mild flavor, loose clusters, machine harvests well, ripe
fruit can hang on plant for a long time without losing quality (so can be harvested in fewer
pickings). Yield potential: Medium to high. While can be good for large-scale commercial,
especially in the more northern parts of the Pacific Northeast, there are concerns and it has been
generally surpassed by other cultivars in new plantings.
Grower feedback:
Bush- Extremely vigorous, open, fast growing, medium spreading. Reliable in colder climates;
easy to grow
 High yielding (up to 15 tons/acre)
 Fruit- Medium size, resists cracking, sensitive to sunburn, mild flavor, loose clusters,
machine harvests well, ripe fruit can hang without losing quality
Reality- very little new going in:
 Fruit quality has been surpassed
 Not tearing out but not planting
Olympia. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars for
the Pacific Northwest.
Berkeley. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars for
the Pacific Northwest.
Baby Blues (U.S. Plant Patent applied for)
Bush: Vigorous, dense foliage, with many canes, speed or rapid pruning may be possible.
Machine harvestable. Very slow to become infected with Blueberry shock virus; has survived
winters in Michigan with minimal injury. Berry: Very small size, very light blue, firm, small
19
scar, excellent flavor, very good as frozen IQF fruit. Yield potential: Medium to high. Too new
to fairy determine potential value. Should be well suited for processed, small fruit market.
Bluecrop
Bush: Vigorous, upright, open, easy to grow but tends to overproduce if not pruned correctly.
Berry: Medium to large size, light blue, firm, resists cracking, small scar, good flavor, loose fruit
cluster, machine harvests well, fruit can be tart or show “red back” (stem side of fruit red) if
picked too early, overcropped, or when ripening in very hot weather. Yield potential: Medium to
high. While one of the most widely grown cultivars, it is no longer being planted regularly due to
its fair fruit quality and red-back fruit when overcropped or in warm weather.
Grower feedback:
Plant
 Upright
 Very successful
 Big, balanced, pretty
 Works on eastside but very little planted
Fruit
 After ‘Draper’, pickers don’t like to pick- Can take 4 picks
 Costly to pick
 While firm enough in past, too soft going forward.
 Too high sort out
 Redback
 SWD loves it more than others
 Consistent, steady
 Great yield
 Lots love the flavor
 Ships fine airfreight but not one for boat or controlled atmosphere storage (CA)
Rubel
Bush: Moderately vigorous. Berry: Very small size, medium blue, firm, small scar, good flavor,
machine harvests well. Yield potential: Low to medium. Fair large-scale commercial value as
suited strictly for machine harvest, small-berry processed market.
Jersey. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars for the
Pacific Northwest.
1613-A (called Hardyblue by growers and some nurseries)
Bush: Vigorous, erect, open, adapted to a wide range of soil types. Berry: Small size, dark blue,
soft, medium scar, excellent flavor, very sweet, fruit hang and can be harvested in two passes
with a machine. Yield potential: Medium. Fair large-scale commercial value as primarily suited
for machine harvest, processed market.
Grower feedback:
Medium yielding
 Fruit- Small size, dark blue, soft, medium scar, excellent flavor, very sweet, fruit hang
and can be harvested in two passes with a machine
20
Reality- very little new going in:
 Only suited for processing
Calypso (U.S. Plant Patent applied for)
Bush: Vigorous, upright, open. Berry: Large size, light blue, good firmness, small scar, good
flavor. Some concerns with mealy fruit texture. Yield potential: Medium to high. Possibly good
large-scale commercial value but too new to fully evaluate.
Legacy
Bush: Very vigorous, habit can be weeping (requires a trellis), somewhat evergreen foliage. New
growth originates from higher on bush; prune accordingly in late winter. Prolonged bloom period
makes early flowers sensitive to frost in cooler regions or sites. High rates of nitrogen fertilizer
reduce yield. Berry: Medium to large size, light to medium blue, firm, very small scar, very good
flavor, very high overall quality, long fruiting season . Yield potential: Very high. Excellent
large-scale commercial value in climate-adapted regions.
Grower feedback:
Plant
• Vigorous, tall, willowy, can sprawl, tolerates wet swales; easy to grow
• Evergreen tendency makes pruning difficult …prune last!
• Twiggy inner bush/very dense
• Grows quickly & new growth hides fruit- Pickers hate
• Low N needs - Good in organic systems
• Fruit throughout so need to clean out middles
• “Amazingly adaptable” central Washington to central California”
• Riskier in cold winter environments
Fruit
• Outstanding quality - good size; incredible flavor
• Good firmness
• Tolerates heat well
• Easy release
• Poor concentration of ripe fruit
• Can split w/rain (not irrigation); thin skin
• Similar harvesting window to ‘Liberty’. Not necessarily good or bad but need to be aware
• Machines well
• Excellent yield; over 17 tons in many years
• Holds well in packing process
Liberty (U.S. Plant Patent 15,146)
Bush: Vigorous, upright but requires trellis, more time consuming to prune than many other
cultivars. Susceptible to cane diseases in northern production regions. Berry: Medium to large
size, bright blue, slightly flat, firm, small scar, very good flavor, can soften under high
temperature; sections of plants can produce small (shot) berries. Yield potential: High. Possibly
excellent large-scale commercial value but variable performance and fruit quality in warm
weather are concerns.
21
Grower feedback:
Plant
 Love/hate relationship
 Vigorous, good grower but can outgrow roots/crown
 Plant out of balance leads to other problems
 Need trellis for vigorous growth or will lodge and to keep fruit off of ground
 Keep young wood when pruning
 Nice bush shape
 Machine harvests well
 Excellent yields early
 On eastside can have low yield and heat tolerance problems
 Too much nitrogen can be a problem for quality, yield, and hardiness
Fruit
 Love/hate relationship
 Fruit quality can be outstanding
 Fruit can be shrivel, be soft and unacceptable
 Poor quality usually blamed on heat while may be a plant that is out of balance - some
feel grow out of it
 Excellent firmness
 Flavor good into and out of storage
 Flat shape can be a problem with band sizers
 Thin skinned/can split
 Poor sizing on late fruit/Var. size even if prune hard
 Excellent yield
 Good CA storage
Brigitta Blue. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars
for the Pacific Northwest.
Darrow. Historic cultivar; not planted in new plantings, see PNW656 Blueberry cultivars for the
Pacific Northwest.
Chandler
Bush: Moderate vigor, slightly spreading, sturdy, sensitive to bacterial blight (Pseudomonas)
when lush fall growth occurs, especially on young plants. Berry: Very large size, medium to dark
blue, good firmness, good scar, good flavor, very long ripening season. Size may be variable and
smaller when heavily cropped. Yield potential: Medium to high. Poor large-scale commercial
value.
Ozarkblue (U.S. Plant Patent 10,035)
Bush: Moderate vigor, open. Benefits from trellis support. Berry: Medium to large size, medium
blue, firm, small scar, good flavor. Yield potential: High but erratic yields from plant to plant.
Poor large-scale commercial potential as plants are not generally available.
Pink Lemonade (rabbiteye)
Bush: Moderate vigor, erect, nice ornamental. As a rabbiteye will either be slow to become
infected, or will not get infected with Blueberry shock virus. Berry: Medium size, light to dark
22
pink, good flavor. Yield potential: Medium. Poor large-scale commercial value as mostly a
novelty.
Elliott
Bush: Moderate to high vigor, erect, very precocious, needs hard and detailed pruning for good
fruit quality and to avoid very late ripening fruit. Berry: Medium size, light blue, firm, small
scar, fair flavor, tart, susceptible to cracking and softening. Yield potential: High to very high.
Fair large-scale commercial value as ‘Aurora’ is probably a better choice in a similar season.
Grower feedback:
Plant
 Nice habit
 “Easy to prune” others “Hard to prune”
Fruit
 Too soft, can’t ship
 Variable size
 Made a lot of money but not anymore
 All to freezer
 Often ripens too late in N. Washington
Aurora (U.S. Plant Patent 15,185)
Bush: Moderate vigor, stocky, spreading growth habit, especially when young. Needs hard and
detailed pruning for good fruit quality and to avoid very late ripening fruit in regions with shorter
growing season. Berry: Medium to large size, dark blue, firm, small scar, mild flavor, need to let
fruit hang on plant to fully ripen and sweeten. Hangs for much longer without shriveling than
‘Elliott’. Fruit are susceptible to sunburn under high temperatures, low humidity conditions from
late green fruit stage through ripening. Yield potential: High. Excellent large-scale commercial
value.
Grower feedback:
Plant
 Can have squat habit early but will grow out of it and trellis can help
 Gets growing quickly but needs lots of nitrogen
 Machine harvests very well
 Some on eastside but cautious
Fruit
 Superior to ‘Elliott’ quality but darker and must let hang
 Don’t let hang as then too soft to ship long distance
 More heat tolerant than ‘Elliott’; no shrivel
 Very good firmness and can ship!
 Less split problems than ‘Elliott’
 Probably only 2-3 days later than ‘Elliott’ & not in every year. ‘Elliott’ ripens its crops
slower
 More flexible on picking than ‘Elliott’
 Often ripens too late in N. Washington
Ochlockonee (rabbiteye) (U.S. Plant Patent 17,300)
Bush: Vigorous, upright, narrow crown, young plants sensitive to bacterial blight
(Pseudomonas). As a rabbiteye, will either be slow to become infected, or will not get infected
23
with Blueberry shock virus. Berry: Medium to large size, light blue, firm, good scar, good flavor,
may be resistant to splitting from rain. Yield potential: Medium to high. Excellent large-scale
commercial value.
Grower feedback:
• Excellent quality. Best rabbiteye - Better than ‘Elliott’
• Good yield
• Can overcrop
• Not great shelf life
• Can have poor pollination
• Not as pretty as ‘Powderblue’
• Less split than most but not great in rain
• Fight fruit rot
• High SWD pressure at ripening time, especially in tunnels
• Market can crash if too late
Tifblue (rabbiteye)
Bush: Vigorous, erect, dense foliage, produces suckers. Young plants sensitive to bacterial blight
(Pseudomonas). As a rabbiteye will either be slow to become infected, or will not get infected
with Blueberry shock virus. Berry: Small size, very light blue, firm, small scar, good fresh
quality, mild flavor, subject to splitting after rain. Yield potential: Medium to high. Fair largescale commercial potential as other cultivars have better yield and quality.
Powderblue (rabbiteye)
Bush: Vigorous, erect, dense foliage, suckers, young plants sensitive to bacterial blight
(Pseudomonas), sensitive to root rot. As a rabbiteye will either be slow to become infected, or
will not get infected with Blueberry shock virus. Berry: Small size, very light blue, very firm,
small scar, good flavor, very good overall fresh quality, resistant to splitting from rain Yield
potential: Medium to high. Excellent large-scale commercial value.
Grower feedback:
• Used to be the standard rabbiteye but now often pollinizer for ‘Ochlockonee’
• Smaller size
• Excellent quality while many rabbiteyes have poor quality
• High SWD pressure at ripening time, especially in tunnels
The following are recently released cultivars that are supposed to do well in all or part of
the Pacific Northwest. However, at the time of publication, these were not yet tested in
public research programs (in alphabetical order):
Blue Ribbon
Bush: Vigorous, spreading growth habit. Good cold hardiness but sensitive to heavy soils. Berry:
Medium size, light blue, firm, good flavor. Early midseason. Yield potential: Medium to high.
Too new to fairly determine potential value.
24
Cargo
Bush: Vigorous, upright, narrow crown. Concerns with breakage at crown during wind storms.
Berry: Medium, very light blue, firm. Mid-late season. Yield potential: High. Too new to fairly
determine potential value.
Clockwork
Bush: Upright, narrow crown. Berry: Medium size, excellent, sweet flavor, processes well with
good texture when thawed; does not store well for fresh market; concentrated ripening.
Midseason Yield potential: Medium to high. Too new to fairly determine potential value.
Granite™ (06-27)
Bush: Upright, compact, vigorous. Berry: Light blue, medium size, very firm. Machine
harvestable. Mid-late season. Yield potential: Medium to high. Too new to fairly determine
potential value.
Last Call
Bush: Vigorous. Berry: Medium to large size, very light blue, very good flavor; can shrivel and
crack with heat and late summer rains. Late season Yield potential: High. Too new to fairly
determine potential value.
MegasBlue™ (06-24)
Bush: Vigorous, spreading. Berry: Large size, good flavor, high quality. Mid-season Yield
potential: High. Too new to fairly determine potential value.
Overtime (rabbiteye)
Bush: Vigorous. As a rabbiteye will either be slow to become infected, or will not get infected
with Blueberry shock virus. Berry: Medium to large size, very light blue, good flavor. Yield
potential: Medium to high. Too new to fairly determine potential value.
Titan (rabbiteye)
Bush: Very vigorous. As a rabbiteye will either be slow to become infected, or will not get
infected with Blueberry shock virus. Berry: Very large size, medium blue, good flavor. Yield
potential: Medium to high. Too new to fairly determine potential value.
TitaniumTM
Bush: Vigorous. Berry: Large, crispy, light blue, excellent flavor, concentrated ripening,
machine harvest. Early midseason. Yield potential: Comparable to ‘Duke’. Too new to fairly
determine potential value.
Top Shelf
Bush: Vigorous vase-shaped. Concerns with lack of sufficient cold hardiness in some regions
and disease susceptibility. Berry: Very large, light blue, firm; can have off color (red) berries in
early pick. Midseason. Yield potential: Medium to high. Too new to fairly determine potential
value.
25
For ornamental and/or half-high cultivars see PNW 656 Blueberry cultivars for the Pacific
Northwest.
We are in exciting times as a number of new cultivars that may be suited for production in the
Pacific Northwest. The USDA-ARS, Oregon and two private breeding programs are beginning to
release cultivars and since they were developed here there is an excellent potential for them to do
better than those developed in programs in the eastern US. Take a leap and try some of these.
26
Table 1. Harvest season for highbush and rabbiteye blueberries based on multiple harvest seasons at Oregon State University-North
Willamette Research and Extension Center; in order of midpoint of harvest.
Bluetta
Earliblue
Duke
Spartan
Bluegold
Reka
Bluejay
Toro
Draper
Berkeley
Bluecrop
Rubel
Jersey
Baby Blues
1613A ("Hardyblue")
Legacy
Brigitta Blue
Chandler
Darrow
Liberty
Calypso
Pink Lemonade RE
Ozarkblue
Elliottt
Aurora
Tifblue RE
Ochlockonee RE
Powderblue RE
10-Jun
20-Jun
30-Jun
10-Jul
20-Jul
27
30-Jul
9-Aug
19-Aug 29-Aug
8-Sep
18-Sep