General Description
Meadowlark has an upright, vase-shaped growth structure with good potential for machine harvesting.
Cultivar name: Meadowlark (selection code FL01-173)
Recommended for Florida: no, too late for the Florida market window.
FL region best adapted to: none
Production system: deciduous
Hydrogen cyanamide: possible
Machine Harvestability: Possible; has performed well in machine harvest trials.
Per plant yields (Density 1,452-1,742 plants/acre):
o North-central FL (2018-2019): 2.6 – 7.7 lbs/plant, average 4.5 lbs/plant
o Central FL (2014-2016): 3.0 – 8.0 lbs/plant, average 5.4 lbs/plant
Known disease susceptibility: susceptible to bacterial leaf scorch (Xylella) and Blueberry Red Ringspot Virus
Known insect damage susceptibility: may have some susceptibility to bud mites
Fruit quality data:
o Fruit firmness: 221 – 277 g/mm, average 256 g/mm, much higher than Emerald
o Berry Weight: 2.1 – 3.0 grams, average 2.5 grams, similar to Emerald
o Berry Diameter: 17.2 – 19.7 mm, average 18.3 mm, similar to Emerald
o Brix: 9.4 – 11.4, average 10.9, lower than Emerald
o Brix/Acid Ratio: 28.1 – 69.2, average 35.4, higher than Emerald
o Fruit scar: normal (small and dry), similar to Emerald
o Wax/bloom: medium, similar to Emerald
o Fruit defects: none observed
o Flavor Score: 22.4 – reference Emerald (19.9), Kestrel (29.0)
o Aroma: low
Cultivars with overlapping timing of flowering: Jewel, Primadonna
Other information: Meadowlark has very open clusters of flowers and berries due to remarkably long pedicels and peduncles, which may be due to the presence of sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) in its pedigree. Very upright plant architecture. Very loose berry clusters with medium berry detachment force may have potential to be harvested mechanically. Berries have a mild flavor with a good balance of sugar and acid, and mature berries maintain quality for a long time on the plant.
License availability: For a list of current nursery licensees in the USA, click here
Performance 2018-2019 Season
Fruit Quality and Yield
The following plots show the most important fruit quality traits and yield, across the season.
The vertical lines in the yield plots indicate when 10%, 50% and 90% of the harvest was achieved during the season.
Dotted lines indicate the desired values for new cultivars:
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Berry weight greater than 2g
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Fruit Diameter greater than 14mm
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Firmness higher than 150g/mm
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Brix higher than 10%
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TTA less than 1%
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Brix/TTA higher than 14 units
Warning: Yield plot coming from harvesting of two bushes. Values may seem overestimated as all the fruit from the bush is harvested, and because this is harvest yield and no packed yield. Use this data to compare among cultivars and no to predict potential yield on your farm.
Measurements are in grams (g). To convert from grams to pounds (lb) use the following formula:
lb of fruit per bush = (g of fruit) x (0.002204)
Meadowlark Gallery
License Availability
For licensing availability contact Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP):