Scintilla

U.S. Patent PP19,233
Southern Highbush Blueberry Variety

Description

Scintilla has a vigorous and semi-upright growth habit, and produces a medium number of large berries.

Cultivar name: Scintilla

Recommended for Florida: no, susceptible to a fungicide-resistant strain of anthracnose present in Florida.

FL region best adapted to: none

Production system: deciduous and evergreen

Hydrogen cyanamide: performs well with or without hydrogen cyanamide

Machine Harvestability: no data yet

Per plant yields (Density 1,452-1,742 plants/acre):

o North-central FL (2019): 1.3 lbs/plant

o Central FL (2013): 3.2 lbs/plant

Known disease susceptibility: anthracnose stem lesions

Known insect damage susceptibility: none observed to date

Fruit quality data:

o Fruit firmness: 207 – 249 g/mm, average 225 g/mm, higher than Emerald

o Berry Weight: 2.5 – 2.9 grams, average 2.8 grams, higher than Emerald

o Berry Diameter: 18.5 mm, similar to Emerald

o Brix: 12.0 – 13.0, average 12.3, higher than Emerald

o Brix/Acid Ratio: 18.2 – 37.1, average 27.1, similar to Emerald

o Fruit scar: normal (small and dry), similar to Emerald

o Wax/bloom: very high

o Fruit defects: none observed

o Flavor Score: 27.8 – reference Emerald (19.9), Kestrel (29.2)

o Aroma: low

Cultivars with overlapping timing of flowering: Emerald, Farthing

Other information: Partially self-incompatible and requires cross pollination for full fruit set. Produces new vegetative growth early enough in the season to fully support berry development. Berry clusters are loose and can be harvested rapidly.

License availability: For a list of current nursery licensees in the USA, click here.

View Pictures

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:

Berry weight greater than 2g
Fruit Diameter greater than 14mm
Firmness higher than 150g/mm
Brix higher than 10%
TTA less than 1%
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)