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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #64790
Title: NAMING AND RELEASE OF 'JUBILEE' A NEW SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH CULTIVAR

Author
item Gupton, Creighton
item Spiers, James
item DRAPER, A - RETIRED-USDA-ARS

Submitted to: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cultivar Release
Publication Type: Germplasm Release
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/29/1994
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A new southern highbush blueberry cultivar named 'Jubilee' was released by the USDA Small Fruit Research Station, Poplarville,MS. This cultivar should be grown in the coastal plain areas of Southeast U.S. 'Jubilee' plants grow upright, are vigorous, and productive. Fruit of 'Jubilee' is medium in size, has good color, flavor, and firmness with small picking scar. Plants sof 'Jubilee' bloom later and ripen their fruit about two weeks earlier tha the earliest rabbiteye blueberry cultivars. These plants should allow southern growers to market fruit earlier and also have more protection from late-spring freezes which damage flowers and reduce fruit yields.

Technical Abstract: The Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, recently released to nurserymen a new southern highbush blueberry cultivar, 'Jubilee', which is relatively low chilling and recommended for trial on the coastal plain areas of Southeast U. S. They are probably not adapted to the very low chilling areas of central Florida. Plants of these cultivars are more vigorous than others grown in the Gulf Coast Region. 'Jubilee', tested as MS351, came from a cross made by C. L. Gupton of Sharpeblue x MS60 (G-132 x US75). G-132 is a highbush (V. corymbosum) blueberry selection that came from a cross of E-118 (Ashworth x Earliblue) x Bluecrop. The seedling progeny was grown in the field in south Mississippi and 'Jubilee' was selected in 1986 by C. L. Gupton, J. M. Spiers, and A. D. Draper. Plants of 'Jubilee' grow upright, are vigorous and productive. Fruit of 'Jubilee' is medium in size, has good color, flavor, and firmness with small picking scar. Plants of 'Jubilee' bloom later and ripen their fruit about two weeks before the earliest rabbiteye cultivars. This cultivar should be interplanted with other southern highbush cultivars to facilitate fruit set, early ripening, and maximum yield. No virus symptoms have been observed. It is recommended that this new cultivar be planted for trial in areas where southern highbush blueberries are grown successfully, roughly corresponding to the Gulfcoast Region of USDA plant hardiness zone 8.