Technical sheet of the Duke blueberry variety
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Fruit flesh color: Clear, translucent
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Skin color: Blue to bluish, intense blue, bright blue, with a well-marked bloom giving it a plummy blue appearance
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Size and shape: Large size (12-18 mm in diameter), average weight 1.6 to 2 g per fruit, generally round and uniform in shape
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Tree size: Medium size, reaching 1.20 to 1.80 m in height at maturity, bushy and upright habit
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Fruit maturity: Very early, end of June to beginning of July
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Fruit Taste: Sweet, slightly acidic, slightly sweet, well balanced, aromatic, with a pleasant flavor
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Earliness of the variety: Very early
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Fruiting period End of June to beginning of July
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Disease resistance and storage: Overall good disease resistance, moderate susceptibility to anthracnose. Good post-harvest stability and long storage life due to its firmness and strong bloom. Generally considered robust and resistant in cultivation to other diseases such as gray mold and stem dieback.
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Variety yield: Very high, suitable for mechanized harvesting, with a yield of 4 to 6 kg per plant per year in intensive production.
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Is this variety self-fertile? Self-fertile, but the presence of other varieties (such as 'Berkeley') improves fruit size and harvest consistency. Good pollination is crucial for yield.
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Commercial use: Fresh consumption, processing (juice, jams), professional fresh market, particularly suitable for mechanized harvesting.
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Comments: A honey-producing variety, its flowers attract bees and other pollinators. It does not bloom again and only produces one harvest per season. Its upright growth makes the fruit easy to pick.
Quick read / the essentials on Myrtillier Duke
The Duke Blueberry variety is now one of the preferred choices of professional market gardeners in France, due to its many advantages: precocity, high yield, firm and calibrated fruits, prolonged conservation and compatibility with mechanical harvesting. At Bairiverse , a specialist wholesale supplier of blueberry plants , we offer producers certified plants, ready to integrate modern and efficient cultivation systems.
Coming from the Vaccinium corymbosum species, the Duke blueberry develops a vigorous plant with an upright habit and remarkable longevity (up to 50 years). It reaches 1.5 to 2 m in height at maturity, with grouped fruiting from the end of June. Its fruits, of generous size (18 to 25 mm), are renowned for their dense, sweet (11–13° Brix), low-acid flesh, and their excellent resistance to cold, which makes them suitable for both the fresh market and for processing (juice, jams, frozen foods, pastries, etc.).
For growers looking to maximize their performance, buying Duke blueberry plants from Bairiverse means benefiting from our agronomic expertise, competitive wholesale prices, and technical support. In addition, this self-fertile variety is particularly productive when cross-pollinated with Spartan or Reka.
Thanks to its average yields of 8 to 10 tonnes/ha and its ease of harvesting, buying Duke blueberry plants represents a profitable investment, both in open-field cultivation and in soilless systems. Trust Bairiverse , a specialist wholesale supplier of blueberry plants , to start or renew your production park in the best conditions.
Fruit characteristics
The Duke blueberry bush produces large fruits, typically reaching a diameter of 18-25 mm and weighing about 1.5-2.0 g . These berries have a pale blue to bluish, sometimes intense blue , skin covered with a fine, light bloom. Their round shape and dense, moderately juicy, non-floury flesh facilitate both mechanical harvesting and storage. In terms of taste, Duke fruits have a sweet, well-flavored flavor, characterized by a sugar level of between 11 and 13° Brix , low acidity and a slight tangy note.
The exceptional firmness of the fruit allows excellent conservation , up to several weeks in a cold room at a temperature between 0 and 2°C . This characteristic makes the Duke particularly suitable for fresh marketing, but also for food processing (juices, jams, jellies, sorbets, pastries) and freezing.
Origin and classification
Although the precise geographical origin of the Duke variety is not explicitly documented, it is a variety belonging to the species of American blueberries ( Vaccinium corymbosum ).
Plant characteristics
The Duke blueberry reaches a height of 1.50 to 2.00 meters at maturity, with a spread of 1.00 to 1.50 meters . It is distinguished by its strong vigor, a bushy, compact and upright habit, with straight branches which generally do not require staking under normal conditions. However, in windy conditions or for young plants, individual support or light trellising may be considered.
The Duke variety has a remarkable productive longevity of up to 30 to 50 years under optimal growing conditions. Its fruiting is early , generally starting from the end of June to the beginning of July , with a fairly grouped harvest, ideal for reducing costs and the frequency of picking.
Pollination
The Duke variety is self-fertile , but to maximize yields and fruit quality, cross-pollination with other compatible varieties is highly recommended. This practice can increase yields by 20-30% . Varieties particularly suited to cross-pollination with Duke include Spartan, Reka, Patriot, Bluecrop and Collins , due to their close flowering times.
Resistance to diseases and parasites
The Duke variety generally has good disease resistance , particularly to grey mold (Botrytis) and stem dieback (Godronia cassandrae). However, it shows moderate susceptibility to anthracnose (44% of fruits affected in the test), thus requiring careful monitoring and appropriate preventive phytosanitary measures.
Regarding pests, Duke has no significant specific resistance and remains susceptible to the spotted wing drosophila ( Drosophila suzukii ), a common parasite of blueberries, as well as to aphids and blueberry midges. Integrated and preventative pest management is therefore essential in professional production.
Specific cultural requirements
Like all American blueberries, the Duke variety requires well-drained soil with an acidic pH (between 4.5 and 5.5) , and is therefore sensitive to limescale and root asphyxiation. Although its specific resistance to drought is not explicitly mentioned, regular watering is recommended during the fruiting period to ensure optimal yields.
Yields and production economy
The Duke reaches full production at around 4 to 5 years of age. The average yield per fully mature plant ranges from 4 to 5 kg per year , with possibilities of up to 6 kg in highly optimized systems (soilless or agro-industrial). Per hectare, the Duke variety can produce an average of 8 to 10 tonnes per year with a planting density ranging from 2,000 to 3,300 plants/ha .
Thanks to its large, firm fruits, its precocity and its ease of mechanical harvesting, Duke is particularly suitable for commercial production intended for fresh consumption and processing. Its juice content is average ( 65 to 70% of fresh weight), allowing profitable industrial use alongside the fresh fruit market.
Other features of interest
The Duke variety is a honey-producing variety , effectively attracting bees and other pollinators with its white bell-shaped flowers. This characteristic further enhances its yield potential.
Finally, it is important to note that Duke is a non-remontant variety, offering a single annual harvest, favorable to production management and mechanization.
Thus, the Duke blueberry represents a wise choice for professionals seeking to combine precocity, high yield, good storage and ease of marketing, while requiring particular attention to certain health aspects.
To summarize: Blueberry Duke
The Duke blueberry is a valuable variety for any producer aiming for performance: early harvest (end of June), generous size, firm and sweet fruits, and excellent post-harvest behavior. Its high yield, reaching up to 6 kg per plant and 10 tons/ha, makes it ideal for commercial operations. As a specialist wholesale supplier of blueberry plants , Bairiverse selects for you the best Duke plants, adapted to professional requirements.
Beyond its organoleptic and technical qualities, Duke also appeals for its versatility: fresh marketing, agri-food processing and even freezing. Its abundant flowering attracts pollinators, naturally strengthening yields, especially in the case of cross-pollination (with Bluecrop, Collins, etc.). Buying Duke blueberry plants from Bairiverse means betting on varietal reliability and long-term profitability, while relying on an expert partner in the sector.
Agronomically, Duke prefers acidic, well-drained soil and requires careful monitoring of diseases (anthracnose, fruit fly). It tolerates mechanized harvesting very well, reducing operating costs. It is this unique combination of precocity, ease of cultivation and economic potential that makes Duke a must-have in the professional MARKET . For your planting projects, don't wait any longer to buy Duke blueberry plants from Bairiverse , your specialist wholesale supplier of blueberry plants .
