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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147439
Title: 'OCHLOCKONEE' RABBITEYE BLUEBERRY

Author
item NESMITH, SCOTT - UNIV OF GEORGIA
item DRAPER, ARLEN - RETIRED USDA
item Spiers, James

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2003
Publication Date: 12/10/2003
Citation: Nesmith, S.D., Draper, A.D., Spiers, J.M. 2003. 'ochlockonee' rabbiteye blueberry. HortScience 38(7)1448-1449.

Interpretive Summary: The USDA-ARS and the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Science and the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations announce the naming and release of the rabbiteye blueberry Ochlockonee. It is recommended that growers desiring to grow a late ripening blueberry try Ochlockonee in areas where rabbiteye blueberries are successfully grown. Notable characteristics of Ochlockonee are: later fruit ripening, larger fruit size, and greater production than Tifblue and comparable in other traits. It is recommended that Ochlockonee be planted with rabbiteye cultivars of similar flowering dates, Brightwell and Powderblue, for cross pollination.

Technical Abstract: The Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Science and the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Stations announce the naming and release of the rabbiteye blueberry Ochlockonee. Plants of Ochlockonee are vigorous, upright and have moderately narrow crowns. They produce abundant fruiting stems annually with only moderate growth. Some stem lesions (Gloeosporium minus and/or Septoria Albopunctata) have been observed but have not caused production problems. Ochlockonee propagates readily asexually by softwood cuttings. Ochlockonee is very productive; in yield it substantially exceeds Tifblue, the widely grown and standard cultivar. Berries of Ochlockonee ripen about one week after Tifblue an are larger in size. Other important fruit characters (stem scar, color, firmness, and flavor) of Ochlockonee are similar to those of Tifblue. Plants of Ochlockonee flower generally late enough to escape late spring freezes in south Georgia. It has an estimated chilling requirement of 650-700 hours below 45 degrees (7 degrees C. It is recommended that growers desiring to grow a late ripening rabbiteye blueberry try Ochlockonee in areas where rabbiteye blueberries are successfully grown. Notable characteristics of Ochlockonee are: later fruit ripening larger fruit, size and greater production that Tifblue and comparable in others traits. It is recommened that Ochlockonee be planted with rabbiteye cultivars of similar flowering dates, Brightwell and Powderblue, for cross pollination.