Mini Blues cv.
IQF
Attributes
- Northern Highbush
- Superior flavor & aroma
- Outstanding fruit quality and firmness
- Very uniform, small berries
- Bright blue color
- Easy management
- Minimal pruning requirement
- Low operational cost
- Easy harvestability
- Machine harvests nearly stem free
Fruit & Plant Characteristics
The Mini Blues blueberry variety is a Northern Highbush developed by plant breeder, Dr. Chad Finn, of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service in Corvallis, Oregon. The Mini Blues cv. is distinguished by its superior flavor and fruit quality, as well as high yields of very small fruit that is well adapted to machine harvest.
The Mini Blues blueberry variety is a consumer favorite whether used for fresh consumption or in the process trade. Intense, sweet flavor is packed into a small, bright blue berry. BRIX averages 16.05% and balances well with a median acidity of 7.99 g⋅L-¹. The fruit is incredibly uniform and weights between 0.8-1g. With flavor, nutrients, and color mostly stored in the skin of the fruit, the small size of Mini Blues provides a tremendous benefit, especially when used in baking, purees, or as IQF product.
The Mini Blues variety produces high volumes of fruit with an average yield of 5.93 kg/plant. This Northern Highbush cultivar is easy to manage and extremely efficient. Harvest can be completed in just a couple of picks. It produces superb fruit quality even if not pruned for two winters, further lowering production cost. The berries release easily from the stems without breaking them off.
Climatic Requirements
The Mini Blues blueberry variety is suitable for production in traditional Northern Highbush areas. It is estimated to have a winter chill requirement of at least 800 hours. Although specific data has not been recorded related to cold hardiness, performance of the Mini Blues cv. under varied conditions suggests it to be cold hardy around -15°C to -20°C, similar to the Legacy blueberry variety.
Disease Resistance
The Mini Blues variety offers very good overall disease tolerance. In its original trialing sites, the Mini Blues cv. has been grown under a ‘minimal spray program’ and has not suffered any significant disease or pest problems.
Although the Mini Blues variety has been grown in the presence of significant pressure from Blueberry Shock Virus, it has been slow to become infected, suggesting some level of tolerance to the virus.
*Characteristics may vary depending on weather conditions, day length, soil type and location.