IQ Berries (IQB) and Osiris Plant Management (Chile) are joining forces to develop and bring new blueberry varieties with innovative and palate-captivating qualities to the market. Attributes of these varieties include large size and firmness, a popping texture, sweet flavor (high Brix levels), great color and bloom, high-yielding crops from the first season of production and a long shelf life.
"Our goal has always been to connect our varieties of unique attributes and features with both growers across the Americas and markets to captivate the end consumer," said Danny Francis commercial director for IQ Berries.
The attributes of the new varieties are large size and firmness, poppy texture, sweet flavor (high Brix levels), great color and blooming, long shelf life and more.
These blueberries are best suited to regions where low accumulation of chilling units (zero chilling hours) occur, making warmer territories ideal including Peru, northern Chile, Colombia and Mexico, among others. “IQB and Osiris Plant Management are proudly partnering not only to select the best growers in that territory, but also to manage the import, quarantine and multiplication of genetics,” said Francis.
These varieties adapt very well to cultivation in pots, which offers great advantages such as higher plant density and the resulting higher yields, customization of specific culture substrates for better fruit quality, and optimized use of water and fertilizers, among others. This new genetic line makes a difference with what the industry is currently working on regarding attributes and the semi-open commercialization model.
From left to right: Cristobal Ortiz (partner, Osiris Plant Management), Lucia Corbetto (partner, Osiris Plant Management), Peter Rolfe (owner, IQ Berries) and Danny Francis (commercial director of IQ Berries).
According to Lucía Corbetto, a partner of Osiris Plant Management, one of the goals is to promote these blueberry varieties and maintain a close relationship with the growers, guiding and advising them during the production stage. "We hope growers and exporters contact us to learn more about the great attributes of these varieties and their commercial advantages,” she said.
Based in Brisbane, Australia, IQB is involved in enhancing development of high-quality blueberries. The company is headed by Peter Rolfe, who has more than 20 years of experience in cultivation of berries with excellent genetics, such as the high quality and low chill Southern Highbush. IQ Berries research and development work will be supported by Osiris Plant Management, a Chilean company specializing in plant genetics representation, intellectual property management and marketing of innovative fruit varieties.
Those interested in discovering the standards of these new varieties can contact Osiris, the license holder for the Americas region, from the United States to Chile. It also offers sublicensing agreements to growers and exporters who want to undertake the challenge of producing these blueberries.
For more information:
Osiris Plant Management
Tel: +569 9654 6305.
[email protected]
https://www.osirisplant.com/