Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) TITANIUM®

Blueberry - Variety 'Titanium®'

'Titanium®' is a modern, premium, and patented Northern Highbush blueberry variety developed with a clear goal: to surpass established commercial standards. As its trade name suggests, its greatest asset is the extreme firmness of its fruit. Combined with an excellent sweet-tart flavor, a small dry scar, and an upright growth habit, it represents the absolute top tier for modern commercial orchards, as well as for demanding home gardeners seeking fruit with a long shelf life.

Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) 'Titanium®'

The variety originates from the USA (Silverton, Oregon), where it was bred by Robert Gabriel. It is globally protected by Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) and was patented in the US in 2016 under the breeder designation 'OBF0622'. It was developed as a direct competitor and improvement to the famous 'Draper' variety, offering even firmer and sweeter fruits in comparison.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Extreme firmness: The berries are extra firm, withstanding handling and transport excellently.
• Dry picking scar: A very small (1 mm) and completely dry scar guarantees superior storability.
• Excellent taste: A harmoniously balanced sweet-tart flavor that is sweeter than 'Draper'.
• Minimal seeds: A very low number of tiny seeds (0 to 7) per berry enhances the eating experience.
• Upright growth: The compact and upright habit is ideal for machine harvesting and field maintenance.
• High vitality: The bush is characterized by vigorous growth and overall good resilience.

Detailed variety description: Plant

• Growth and habit: The bush exhibits excellent vitality and vigorous growth. It has an upright and rather narrow (compact) habit. At 3 years of age, it reaches a height of approximately 106 cm and a width of 89 cm. The upright growth makes harvesting significantly easier.
• Chilling requirement: This is a typical Northern Highbush variety with a high need for winter chilling. It requires approximately 1000 chill hours (below 7 °C) for proper dormancy break and abundant flowering, making it suitable for temperate and cooler climates.

Fruits and flavor profile

• Appearance and size: The berries are medium to large (approx. 18 mm in diameter). They have a slightly flattened spherical shape and a purple-blue color covered with an attractive waxy bloom.
• Firmness and picking scar (Crucial advantage): They are classified as extra firm. They leave only a very small (1 mm) and completely dry picking scar when detached.
• Seeds: An interesting feature is the very low seed count (only 0 to 7 tiny seeds per fruit).
• Taste and aroma: Rated as very good, harmoniously sweet-tart. It is sweeter than the comparative 'Draper' variety.

Growing characteristics and agrotechnics

• Ripening and yield:
  • Harvest window: Early to mid-season variety. Under Oregon conditions, it reaches 50% ripeness in the first week of July.
  • Yield and harvest: Medium-high to high. Thanks to the fruit characteristics and upright growth, it is excellently adapted for mechanical harvesting (by combine), but it is also very easy to pick by hand.
• Resistance and requirements:
  • Soil: Strictly requires acidic (pH 4.5 – 5.5), light, peaty, and well-drained soil with regular irrigation.
  • Diseases: Does not show any particular susceptibility to common blueberry diseases; plant health is standardly good.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• High chill requirement: Needs 1000 chill hours, making it unsuitable for very warm areas without freezing winters.
• Specific pruning: The narrower, upright habit may require specific pruning to thin out and open the center of the canopy slightly.
• License protection (PBR): Commercial propagation without a license is strictly prohibited (plants are usually more expensive due to royalty fees).