'Pearl' Southern Highbush Blueberry

Abstract

'Pearl' is a new southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium spp. hybrid) developed and released by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. The new cultivar has several advantages for growers in the Southeastern U.S. over rabbiteye blueberry cultivars, the most widely grown type of blueberry in the region. Among these are an earlier ripening period, high yield potential, and fruit quality. These attributes enable producers to participate in the lucrative early U.S. fresh market where opportunities for marketing rabbiteye blueberries have diminished due to expanding acreage in the region and other states. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.