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nafex - [NAFEX] Ka-Bluey blueberr, from the source

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  • From: "Kieran &/or Donna" <holycow@frontiernet.net>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Ka-Bluey blueberr, from the source
  • Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 21:18:19 -0600

From: Kieran &/or Donna [mailto:holycow@frontiernet.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 3:41 PM
To: John R. Clark
Subject: Ka-Bluey blueberry



Dr. Clark,

Here we are on the Nafex group discussing the Ka-Bluey blueberry, and I
can't find out if it's northern highbush, rabbiteye, or another one of your
complex hybrids. Can't find any kind of release notice, nada. So don't keep
me in suspense, there's still time to order it, along with your Ozark Blue,
which kept dying on me. Not your fault, Simmons sent it growing in a peat
plug, and combined with clay soil in the drought and heat wave of 2005, I had
to wrap my head about the idea of "delayed transplant shock" or more like
something to do with soil types so different from each other that the
democratic clay would take all the water from the peat plug. Summit, which
arrived bareroot from Finch's, did fine. So far the northern and southern
highbush have grown very slowly, and compared to the overbearing rabbiteyes
they are very poor advertising for either in Tennessee without irrigation.
Only the Summit plants look happy, so I'd like more of what ya'll have
released. Thanks.

Donna Hudson, Cookeville TN





Donna:
Happy to share info on this.


First, KaBluey is A-257, selected here at UA (Clarksville AR to be exact)
and it went the Gurney/Fields mail order route due to this seln not being of
commercial quality and wanted to try to keep it in the home market. Mr
Fackler, research director for the parent company Gardens Alive!, saw this
and was interested. I would have discarded it eventually due to it was rather
dark (commercial berries need to be lighter) and not sure if large enough (is
medium in size but not really what is intended commercially). I thought only
use was as a parent. Since public releases here are tough to try to direct to
the home market (someone not knowing this and plant a whole bunch and get
burned is always a concern - cant communicate to everyone that might buy a UA
variety as you well know) and he thought they could market and that seemed
better than throwing it away. Thus it did not go the formal release and
public route. It just was not suited in my opinion for that and the Univ went
another path.



I think I would classify it as a southern highbush type. It has in its
background mostly highbush (V.corymbosum) and some V darrowi (the lower chill
source for shb types) plus some what was once called V atrococcum (which
Arlen Draper used a lot as a parent due to its strong plants and Phytophthora
resistance; I think the taxonomists have lumped this species with corymbosum
now). I cant really estimate easily the percentages, but maybe 1/8 darrowi
maybe? It has in its background Bluecrop, Ashworth, Earliblue of HB
background plus selections from other programs with the other species
including one FL seln where the darrowi comes in.



It is a real strong plant here, one of best I have seen, but the material
from V atrococcum tended to be that way. Tho this species was often a source
of dark berries, it also had a unique flavor that I called peach-like. Some
don't agree. Dr Draper laughed at me when I called it that when we selected
back in the late 1980s. He did not pick that flavor up; but I am a peach
breeder also, so cant I get away with that? That is part of what got Mr
Fackler's attention. It is crisp usually too, another unique trait. And, a
strong plant. It has had some bud kill at times at Clarksville but don't
think ever lost a crop; this due to swelling in the spring and a late freeze.
This is common on shb types here.



I suggest you only try - not commercial-like planting. And get Ozarkblue
again if you can. It is still a good one if you can get the culture and
plants right. Good luck and thanks for your interest!

John R. Clark, University Professor

Dept. of Horticulture

316 Plant Science

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 72701











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