Vaccinium corymbosum - Licensed varieties distributed only by authorised nurseries - Plant patent Michigan State University 2004 U.S. Plant -Patent USPP15146P3
Excerpt from the plant patent: Liberty is a variety of blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum. It is a productive, very late maturing variety with a high quality for fresh consumption, marketed to northern areas where highbush varieties are successfully grown. Liberty plants are vigorous and upright. The canes are numerous, moderately branched and the fruits are well exposed. Her berries are
moderately large, have small dry harvest scars, excellent blue colour, delicious flavour and excellent toughness. Liberty has a harvest schedule that starts about 5 days earlier than the variety known as Elliott.
Fall Creek - The blueberries Liberty is a late maturing, fast growing, upright crop that has performed well in Oregon and Western Washington. Harvest begins 7-10 days earlier than Elliott. blueberries Liberty is slightly flat, sky blue in colour, and has a balanced, attractive flavour. High temperatures during harvest of blueberries Liberty can lead to tender fruit. The berries fall off very easily, making it important to use mechanical pickers properly.
The main features of Liberty are:
- Gauge: medium large
- Use: fresh and for processing
- Fruit characteristics: light blue, balanced flavor
- Plant bearing: open, vertical, vigorous
- Seasonality: late
- Typology: High Chill
LIBERTY IS NOW CONSIDERED THE STANDARD MID-SEASON VARIETY IN EUROPE. IT PERFORMS WELL IN HIGH TEMPERATURE REGIONS WITH A GOOD COLD RESISTANCE PERFORMANCE. IT IS A VARIETY THAT REQUIRES GOOD PRUNING PRACTICES TO ENSURE GOOD FRUIT. LIBERTY HAS AN EXCELLENT AROMATIC TASTE OF BLUEBERRY.
Antonio A. Alamo, breeding and R&D manager, Fall Creek
Agrion - the foundation for research, innovation and technological development in Piedmontese agriculture that has been observing the main varieties of blueberry for years - summed up Liberty's characteristics in 2014:
STRENGTHS
- Plant of high vigour and assurgent poise
- Flattened fruit shape, high bloom
- Consistency of the average epidermis
- Good resistance to manipulation
- Good taste, very aromatic
- Good productivity
CRITICALITY
- Small size (2.1 g).
- Need for rational pruning
- Presence of thin branches
Blueberry Italia - Liberty® is a fast-growing, medium-sized, rounded shrub that is characterised by a high yield, often in the first year. The berries are medium to large in size and have an extraordinarily penetrating and acidic taste. They are slightly flattened and have a pleasant blue colour. The size of blueberry, which has an excellent shelf life, decreases with successive partial harvests. As the ripe fruit is easily detached, the variety is also suitable for mechanical harvesting. Liberty is a licensed cultivar and only selected nurseries are allowed to produce it.
Fairplant - Liberty® is a fast-growing blueberry plant with an upright bush. The berries can be harvested 1 to 1.5 weeks before Elliot. The berries are sweet with a slightly sour taste. The berries are flat, medium-sized and have a good shelf life. The fruit is very easy to pick from the bush and is therefore definitely a suitable berry plant for machine picking.
Plantgest - Late ripening variety (July-August) originated from a cross between Brigitta x Elliot carried out in 1991 in Michigan. Selected in 1997, it was launched on the market and patented in 2003. The fruits are medium-high in size, bright blue in color, crunchy flesh and good taste. The plant has high production, compact vegetative habitus and medium vigor.
Main data of the variety
- Place of origin: United States of America (USA)
- Obtaining technique: Brigitta x Elliot
- Year of diffusion: 1991
- Year of marketing: 2003
Earth and Life - The Aurora variety has the following characteristics:
AWARDS
- It is a very productive cultivar that bears fruit in July-August.
- The berries are rich in blue bloom, medium in size and good taste, firm and consistently shaped.
- The plant is less demanding than other varieties in terms of acidity.
DEFECTS
It needs proper management of the vigour of the foliage and sometimes supports because the fruitful branches bend down to the ground.
