Interesting article: blueberry breeding of FL does the consumer want bland fruit

[Francis_Eric]

What is your thoughts Opinions
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-does-fruit-breeding-work


"UF/IFAS’s breeding program
 founded in the 1940s with the goal of developing varieties that could produce fruit in warmer environments. Most blueberry bushes thrive in northern climates with chilly winters, so creating new Florida-friendly, low-chill varieties requires crossing them with native Southern relatives of the bush"

https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-breeding/

“For some reason, one of these plants was making skatole, the molecule that gives poop its distinctive aroma, and putrescine,” she says, “which is a big part of what makes the characteristic petrifying flesh smell.”

I looked Skatole up, and in small amounts I suppose Some things have it that smell nice like Jasmine.

[W.]

Commercial fruit breeding is very difficult; it takes a great deal of effort and luck to create a fruit strong enough to withstand commercial packing and shipping while also actually tasting like something good. The latter tends to suffer in comparison to the former, though. Of course, that is why the fruit growing community here exists; all most of us are concerned with is growing fruit for personal consumption. We can afford to choose the varieties that have the very best flavor, regardless of keeping or shipping qualities.

[murahilin]

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

I wish they would release some varieties that have unique characteristics such as flavor or shape even though they aren’t commercially viable.

[Epicatt2]

I wish they would release some varieties that have unique characteristics such as flavor or shape even though they aren’t commercially viable.

Alas, there's no colossal cornucopia of commercial cash for offering fruit with less economically viable properties.  It all boils down to what will return the most profit that focuses the commercial breeder to concentrate on producing comercially viable hybrids. Likewise this is true in the orchid industry where viably commercial hybrids are what are attempted as the commercial breeder-grower is always hoping for a reasonably good profit 

Now as a comparison, there are many of us orchid aficcionados who long for orchids which are unique and different ones from the norm, but where those sorts of 'different' hybrids tend to come from are backyard/hobbyist growers-breeders who are not constrained from making odd and interesting hybrids by needing to recoup a big money return.  Yet even so, a few of those 'weird' crosses turn out to be wildly popular things with many orchid growers wanting them and so they get mericloned and made more widely available.

This same situation could easily apply, for instance, to any individuals doing backyard/hobbyist breeding of blueberries –or other tropical fruits, for that matter.  Mangoes, for one, come to mind I suppose because I am certain that with so many mango varieties extant that surely a portion of them were created by hobbyist fruit growers.

OK — Just FWIW . . .

Cheers!

Paul M.
==

[fruitnut1944]

There is a Florida blueberry that I think stands out above most. That's Sweetcrisp. It's very crisp and I've grown them with brix as high as 28. It's the texture that stands out. Yield is 50% of things like Emerald. But I'd rather have a pound of Sweetcrisp than 10 of Emerald.

[murahilin]

There is a Florida blueberry that I think stands out above most. That's Sweetcrisp. It's very crisp and I've grown them with brix as high as 28. It's the texture that stands out. Yield is 50% of things like Emerald. But I'd rather have a pound of Sweetcrisp than 10 of Emerald.

That’s good to know. I will give that variety a try.

Do you do anything to keep the ph of your water low?

A few years ago I had about 9 different southern highbush varieties but they never did well because my water ph was too high. I eventually gave up.

[fruitnut1944]

With well water I've used battery acid to lower pH. Not needed with rain water. I think FL has information about lowering pH of irrigation water. You could also apply sulfur to the soil. My understanding is in FL that there isn't much pH adjustment needed. I think they're planted in beds of composted sawdust. So they do well with high organic matter. Lots of info in FL about growing them given their commercial importance.

[850FL]

The wild blueberries around here are tiny and almost black. Blueberries in general seem very hardy in this climate.. I might start propagating seeds from the wild ones and cultivars I have growing in proximity..

[Galatians522]

There is a Florida blueberry that I think stands out above most. That's Sweetcrisp. It's very crisp and I've grown them with brix as high as 28. It's the texture that stands out. Yield is 50% of things like Emerald. But I'd rather have a pound of Sweetcrisp than 10 of Emerald.

That’s good to know. I will give that variety a try.

Do you do anything to keep the ph of your water low?

A few years ago I had about 9 different southern highbush varieties but they never did well because my water ph was too high. I eventually gave up.

We grew blueberries commercially for a while in pinebark fines, but our soil and water is already very acid. Have you thought about grafting on Sparkleberry? It is suposed to have a wider ph tollerence and is being trialed by UF now.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.floridablueberrygrowers.org/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_dailyplanetblog%26view%3Dentry%26category%3Dblueberry-blog%26id%3D57:update-on-blueberry-grafting-research-in-florida&ved=2ahUKEwi94MXEv8LtAhWG2FkKHYgcDu4QFjAEegQIDRAB&usg=AOvVaw1aNImlcQX6wp2jRAXrRNan&cshid=1607572016118

[Plantinyum]

Can someone give a list of the highest brix level blueberrie varieties ? Tanks .