Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc. has officially launched Fall Creek® Collection Apex 'FCM14-057', marking the blueberry variety's formal entry into the Collection platform after an extended period of commercial-scale evaluation and grower adoption across multiple production regions.
The variety fills a defined gap in the Collection platform: an early- to mid-season option combining fruit quality, shelf performance and sizing consistency that blueberry export and retail channels demand. The variety joins a portfolio built on regionally adapted genetics with proven field credentials, now three years in market as an open licensing program available to blueberry growers in zero- and low-chill production environments.
The new variety launch arrives at a moment of growing demand for early-season blueberry supply consistency. As retail programs work to extend premium blueberry availability across the calendar, varieties that combine shelf life, sizing reliability and flavor in an early- to mid-season window are increasingly difficult to source at scale.
© Fall Creek Farm and Nursery, Inc.
Agronomic characteristics confirmed through commercial field performance include:
- Firm fruit with a shelf life of up to 45 days;
- Large, consistent berry sizing aligned with export and retail grade specifications;
- Early-to mid-season harvest window;
- Yield potential exceeding 20 metric tons per hectare;
- Flavor attributes that support repeat consumer purchase;
"Fall Creek Collection exists to give growers access to blueberry varieties that perform where it counts, in the field and through the supply chain," said Fall Creek chief commercial officer Paul Nselel. "Apex earns its place in the Collection platform because it delivers on both counts. Growers who have been working with this blueberry variety know what it can do, and this launch gives them a stronger foundation to build around it commercially."
"Apex represents what continuous trait improvement looks like in practice," said Paul Sandefur, Ph.D., vice president of research and development at Fall Creek. "The combination of shelf life, fruit size, and yield potential in an early to mid-season window is not easy to achieve. What makes Apex significant from a breeding standpoint is that these traits hold across diverse production environments, and that breadth of adaptability is what earns a blueberry variety a place in Fall Creek Collection."
With Apex now formally part of Fall Creek Collection, the variety is available through the company's global licensing network. Commercial activation will focus on importers and retailers across key importing markets, building awareness of the Apex name and supporting pull-through demand as the blueberry variety scales.
Fall Creek Collection is one of two distinct programs through which the company brings advanced blueberry genetics to growers globally. Together with Sekoya®, it reflects a commitment to expanding what is possible across chill requirement profiles, delivering regionally excellent varieties with documented field performance.
For more information:
Pavel Gonzalez
Fall Creek Farm & Nursery
[email protected]
www.fallcreeknursery.com
