Press Release – New Southern Highbush Cultivar
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Washington, D.C.
and
NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
NOTICE OF RELEASE OF ‘PINNACLE’ SOUTHERN HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY
The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service announce the joint release of PINNACLE southern highbush
blueberry. PINNACLE, tested as US 508, resulted from the cross NC 1408 (Elizabeth x US 75) x Bluechip, made by A.D. Draper at Beltsville, MD. It was selected by Draper at Beltsville, MD in 1987,propagated, and rooted cuttings sent to J.R. Ballington for establishment in trials at the Horticultural Crops Research Station at Castle Hayne, NC. Following its performance in initial trials, it was evaluated in replicated trials at Castle Hayne and Rowan, NC. PINNACLE has also been tested for adaptation on a variety of commercial blueberry farms in eastern North Carolina.
PINNACLE is an early ripening southern highbush blueberry cultivar that produces large-size, light-blue, firm, high-quality fruit with good picking scars and good post-harvest shelf-life. In eastern North Carolina, it typically ripens between the very early southern highbush cultivar, O’Neal and the second-early, southern highbush cultivar, New Hanover, which puts it in the early ripening season and in a favorable marketing window. Yields are moderate to good, equal to or better than O’Neal, and often equal to New Hanover. It produces a much higher percentage of berries in larger size categories than O’Neal, New Hanover, or the industry-standard, second-early, northern highbush cultivar, Duke. It blooms early, and requires frost protection to ensure regular cropping in eastern North Carolina (similar to O’Neal and New Hanover). Chilling requirement of buds is estimated to be 600 to 700 hours below 45 OF.The plant is semi-upright in growth habit and is only adapted to “good highbush blueberry soils” such as Berryland soils. In trials, it has not been prone to infection by stem blight, stem canker fungal diseases, or blueberry red ringspot virus up to this time, but it is not considered resistant to any of these diseases. ARS and NCARS are jointly applying for a U.S. Plant Patent for PINNACLE.
PINNACLE plants will be available for licensing to commercial propagators on a non-exclusive basis in the U.S. For the first three years following release, plants will be distributed through The North Carolina Foundation Seed Producers Inc., 8220 Riley Hill Rd., Zebulon, NC 27597; telephone (919) 269-5592.
This is the official press release PDF formatted for the use of the North Carolina Blueberry Council, Inc.
