January 2021 - 17

BLUEBERRY
" The UF/IFAS Blueberry
Growers Guide will help
Florida's growers more
easily manage damage
from disease, insects
and other causes. "
- Doug Phillips,
University of Florida
Users can access this information
by using the diagnostic key to help
identify symptom or injury causes and
the image gallery to compare pictures
of symptoms to observed symptoms.
They also can use a reference listing
of diseases, insect injuries, nutrient
deficiencies and other symptoms or
injuries.
More functions will be added in
the near future, Phillips said. They
include a module with detailed
information on all UF southern
highbush blueberry cultivars.
" The UF/IFAS Blueberry Growers
Guide will help Florida's growers more
easily manage damage from disease,
insects and other causes, and in the future
will be a valuable resource for other
production issues, including choosing
which UF varieties are likely to perform
well on their farms, " Phillips said. FGN
New blueberry variety honors benefactor, alumnus Straughn
When Patricio Muñoz developed the University of
Florida's newest blueberry variety, he wanted to name
the fruit in honor of Alto Straughn, a longtime, strong
supporter of UF's blueberry breeding program.
" A 'sentinel' is a watcher or guardian, " said Muñoz, a
UF/IFAS assistant professor of horticultural sciences.
" It is symbolic. We came up with the idea to name the
blueberry after Alto because he 'watched and guarded'
the blueberry breeding program for many years. "
For years, Straughn, an alumnus of the UF/IFAS
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and a former
UF/IFAS Extension administrator, owned blueberry
farms near Waldo, Florida, northeast of the main UF
campus in Gainesville.
Now in his 80s, Straughn still meets regularly with
the UF/IFAS blueberry breeder.
" Since I arrived at the program, Alto and I have
discussed much about blueberries: cultivars,
production, packing, marketing and more, " said
Muñoz. " Alto has seen the industry from the
beginning, and I am glad he has shared all that
information with me and the blueberry breeding
program team. "
Scientists first tested the new UF/IFAS variety
on Straughn's farm in Waldo, and later in fields
stretching as far south as Arcadia, Florida.
" So, we have determined that the best area for
its production is the central and northern parts of
Florida, " Muñoz said.
Blueberries are about a $60 million-a-year industry
in Florida. To put the impact of blueberries into
further economic perspective, Florida's blueberry
The Sentinel blueberry cultivar. Photo: Patricio Muñoz/UF
farmers produce about 10 to 12 million tons annually
in Florida, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
It's a higher quality fruit than previous UF/IFAS
cultivars. It also gives the grower fruit at the best
market window, Muñoz said.
And, it tastes good. This variety was tested in
multiple flavor panels at UF, and they rated 'Sentinel'
" high " regarding flavor, Muñoz said.
The release of the new blueberry variety couldn't
come at a better time, Muñoz said.
" While 2020 has been a tough year - with hurricanes
and COVID, among other issues - some good things
are still happening, including a new blueberry that
farmers and consumers will both enjoy, " Muñoz said.
- Brad Buck, University of Florida
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FGN | JANUARY 2021 | 17
http://www.specmeters.com
January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2021
