Progress with breeding blueberries in New Zealand

A total of 10 blueberry cultivars, 6 northern highbush and 4 rabbiteye, have been released from the HortResearch breeding programme over the past 15 years. Of these, the northern highbush cultivar Reka has been the most successful to date, showing widespread adaptation to soils and climate both within New Zealand and in parts of Europe and North America, Nui and Puru, also released in 1987, show promise for certain temperate-subtropical regions of the Northern hemisphere. All rabbiteye releases have occured since 1990 and include: Maru and Rahi (1990); Ono and Whitu (1995). Most of the breeding effort prior to 1985 relied on Fl selection from crosses carried out in the USA. More recently we have undertaken long term improvement of Vaccinium by introgressing diverse germplasm followed by recurrent mass selection. Increasing diversity of the New Zealand blueberry genepool is a priority. Efforts to improve Vaccinium in New Zealand are increasing as a result of recent changes in horticultural research funding priorities.