The new cultivar, Island Blue, is an early ripening southern highbush type suitable for warmer growing areas. Southern refers to blueberries'North American origin and indicates their suitability for warmer climates.

The fruit will be tested overseas and its commercialisation will depend on suitability.

'Its main advantages compared to other southern highbush types is its ability to produce consistently early, high yields of fruit with good flavour,' said Narandra Patel, HortResearch's berry fruit portfolio manager.

'It ripens in New Zealand from mid-late Octdober onwards with varieties such as O'Neal and Misty extending our start to the northern hemisphere markets.' Island Blue is also suitable as a processing variety thanks to its plant shape, yield at harvest and smaller size of fruit. The EU licensee is German company Wilhelm Dierking Beerenobst.

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