Volume 46 Number 4 Article 1
Year 1992 Month 10
Title: The 'Sharpblue' Southern Highbush Blueberry
Authors: P.M. Lyrene and W.B. Sherman
Abstract:
'Sharpblue' and 'Flordablue' were the first low-chill highbush blueberry
varieties released for commercial production (4,5,6). They were bred by
hybridizing northern highbush cultivars and selections (primarily Vaccinium
corymbosum L.) with low-chill native blueberries (V. darrowi Camp
and V. ashei Reade) from north and central Florida (1,2,3). 'Sharpblue' and 'Flordablue' were released by Ralph H. Sharpe and Wayne B. Sherman from the University of Florida in 1976. 'Avonblue,' a variety of similar parentage, was released from the same program the following year.
Within the past 10 years, many blueberry varieties with reduced chilling requirements have been developed in other breeding programs by combining genes from northern highbush with genes from V. darrotvi. These have become known as "southern highbush" varieties.
The first developed outside of Florida was 'Georgiagem', released in 1986 from the cooperative U.S.D.A.-University of Georgia breeding program.
Thus, in addition to its importance as a commercial variety, 'Sharpblue' was also important as a pioneer variety that showed the commercial potential of low-chill highbush blueberries and the cultural problems that needed to be overcome in growing highbush blue berries in low-chill zones.
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