The University of Florida's blueberry breeding program has announced the release of two new southern highbush blueberry cultivars, set to hit the market by 2025. These cultivars, specifically developed for the evergreen production system, have shown promising results in on-farm trials across South-Central and Central Florida. Both are early-season producers with high yields, firm fruit, excellent flavor, and robust evergreen foliage. The newly released cultivars are dubbed "FL17-141" and "FL19-006".
"FL 17-141" stands out as a vigorous, high-yielding, early-season cultivar with no known disease or pest issues. This cultivar has consistently produced very high yields in South Florida's evergreen system. The fruit is characterized by its jumbo size, firmness, high wax bloom, and extended postharvest life.
"FL 19-006" mirrors the first cultivar as a vigorous, high-yielding, early-season cultivar with no known disease or pest issues. Its fruit is jumbo-sized, exceptionally sweet and firm, with a high wax bloom and a long postharvest life.
Source: floridablueberrygrowers.org