Breeding SHB Cultivars at UF-IFAS

1. Breeding SHB Cultivars at UF-IFAS Dr. Jim Olmstead Horticultural Sciences Department FBGA Fall Meeting – September 19, 2013

2. UF Blueberry Breeding History • 1950s: Ralph Sharpe begins blueberry breeding at UF • 1976: Wayne Sherman and Ralph Sharpe release ‘Sharpblue’ and ‘Flordablue’ – first southern highbush varieties • 1990s: Plantings increased with improved varieties released by Paul Lyrene. • 2000s: Rapid expansion of Florida industry

3. UF Blueberry Breeding Strategy • Recurrent selection • High density nursery, rapid breeding cycles • Large parent, cross, and seedling numbers

4. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

5. Up to 200 crosses per year • Elite parents (cultivars and advanced selections) • Top seedling performers • Wild germplasm

6. UF Blueberry Timeline Jan.

7. UF Blueberry Timeline

8. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

10. UF Blueberry Timeline

11. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13. Stage 1 • Precocious • Early maturity • Large size • Good color • Good stem scar • Firmness • Flavor 2009 Stage 1

14. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

16. 2007 Stage 2 2008 Stage 2 • Stage 2 • Survival • Chill adaptation • Crop potential • Early maturity • Large size • Good color • Good stem scar • Firmness • Flavor 2009 Stage 1

18. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

19. Stage 3 – Cooperator trial • 200+/year • 15 plant plots • Survivability 2008 Stage 3 2007 Stage 3 2009 Stage 3 2006 Stage 3

20. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

21. Advanced Selection Trial Sites Windsor/Waldo, FL Interlachen, FL Citra, FL Haines City, FL Arcadia, FL

22. Stage 4 – • 20/year • 5-50 plant plots • Management systems • Yield trials • Fruit quality measurements

23. Field Ratings (2011-2013)

24. Lab Ratings (2012)

25. Harvest Timing/Yield

26. Sensory Evaluations Anne Plotto and Liz Baldwin – USDA

27. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

28. UF Variety Release • Must adhere to current UF-IFAS standards • Tested in enough replication, locations, years, etc. • Chain of custody – developmental timeline, MTA agreements • Foundation stock • Plan for intellectual property protection and commercialization

29. UF Variety Release • Cultivar Release Advisory Committee • Departmental, comprised of research and Extension • Cultivar Release Committee • IFAS • Once the variety is approved by these two committees it is considered “Released”. • Variety is commercially available only when licenses for propagation have been offered.

30. Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

31. UF Variety Release • After release, Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. handles commercialization for the University of Florida. • Patent/trademark application filed • Licensing strategy developed • Licenses for propagation in Southeastern U.S. offered • Upon request for other territories worldwide, Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) is considered

32. Royalties • UF – IFAS policy on release, protection and introduction of plant material: 70% of the royalty payment comes directly back to the breeding program Royalty payments fund personnel, students, and infrastructure

33. Dr. Jim Olmstead • UF-IFAS Horticultural Sciences Dept. • 2211 Fifield Hall • Gainesville, FL 32611 • (352) 273-4837 • http://www.hos.ufl.edu/faculty/jwolmstead • UF Blueberry Breeding and Genetics David Norden – Research Coord. Werner Collante – Lab Manager Paul Lyrene – Professor Emeritus Rachel Itle – Postdoctoral Assoc. Sarah Taber – Postdoctoral Assoc. Patty Rodriguez – PhD Student Gerardo Nunez – PhD Student Jessica Gilbert – PhD Student Catherine Cellon – MS Student