Blueberry plant denominated ‘Katahdin’

#Botanical designation: The present invention relates to a new Northern Highbush blueberry variety.

#Latin name and variety denomination: The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Vaccinium corymbosum, which is hereby denominated “Katandin.”

#This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of highbush blueberry plant. It has as its maternal parent MSU 46 and its Paternal parent is Draper. ‘Katandin’ is primarily Vaccinium corymbosum, with about 7% of its genes coming from V. darrowii, 4% from V. angustifolium and <1% from V. tenellum and V. ashei. It is a highly productive cultivar with excellent fresh fruit quality. It is likely well adapted to all northern highbush production areas. Plants of ‘Katandin’ are vigorous and upright, although the canes can be lax when loaded with fruit. Canes are numerous, moderately branched and the fruit are well exposed. Its berries are large, have small, dry picking scars, medium blue color, good firmness and flavor.

#The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a photographic print in full color of a 4-year-old Katandin blueberry plant with green fruit in a planted row in the foreground.

#FIG. 2 is a photographic print in full color of a 4-year-old Katandin blueberry plant with blue fruit in a planted row in the foreground.

#The following is a detailed botanical description of the new and distinct variety of blueberry, its flowers, fruit and foliage, based on observations of specimens grown at Benton Harbor Mich. and Grand Junction, Mich. over four years, and at South Haven, Mich., Lacota, Mich., Corvallis, Oreg., and Lowell, Oreg., over a two year period. The taxonomic characteristics chosen in the detailed description are standard in the practice (R E Gough, R J Hindle, and V G Shutak, “Identification of Ten Highbush Blueberry Cultivars using Morphological Characteristics,” HortScience 11 (5): 5124, 1976). Color descriptions, except those given in common terms, are presented in Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart designations. In cases where the color descriptions cited from The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart differ from the colors shown in the drawings, the colors cited from The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart should be considered accurate. Any deviation from these colors in the drawings is due to failure of the photographic process to exactly duplicate the colors of nature. In addition, fruit color designations in Table I are applicable only to mature fruit.

#TABLE 1 ‘Katahdin’ characteristics Plant traits Mature height 1.40 m Mature width 1.05 m Height/width ratio 1.33 Growth habit upright Annual renewal canes 2-4 Internode length on 1.56 cm average (range 1.4-1.7) spring shoots Mature cane color Grayed green, 197 A Mature cane length 1.07 m (range 80-140) Mature cane width 3.7 cm (range 26-41) Bark texture Rough and flakey New shoot color primarily green Foliage Leaf shape obtuse Apex shape acute Base shape rounded Leaf length 5 cm average (range 4.4-5.0 cm) Leaf width 2.4 cm average (range 2.1-2.8 cm) Leaf length/width ratio 2.1 Leaf margin entire Leaf nectaries absent Pubescence none Color upper surface green (137A) Color lower surface green (138B) Petiole length 1.7 cm average (range 1-2 cm) Petiole color light yellowish green (142C) Bud Bud shape ovate Bud width 3.8 mm average (3.0-4.0 mm range) Bud length 55.2 mm average (5.0-6.0 mm range) Color reddish brown Blossoms Shape of corolla Round-urceolate Calyx 5 lobed Style length 8-9 mm Color of open flower White with pink blushes Flower # per cluster 8 average (range 5-10) Pistil one per flower Pistil color yellowish green (145A) Pistil length 8-9 mm Flower diameter 8-9 mm Flower length 10-11 mm Fragrance faint blueberry aroma Calyx diameter 5 mm Sepals fused, 5 lobes Length 1-2 mm Width 1 mm Color top yellowish green (146C) Color bottom yellowish green (146C) Reproductive organs Type berry Seed size 1.32 mm Number of seeds 12.7 average (ranges 5-32) Mature fruit Height 1.1 cm average (range 1.0-1.2 cm) Width 1.6 cm average (range 1.5-1.7 cm) Shape oblate Color with bloom violet blue (98D) Color without bloom violet blue (103A) Pedicel scar size range 1.5-2.0 mm (1.8 mm average) Pedicel length 7-8 mm Pedicel color yellowish green (144B) Peduncle length 11-13 mm Peduncle color yellowish green (138A) Average weight 2.44 g

#In multi-location trials, ‘Katandin’ has proven to be an extremely upright very vigorous bush that ripens fruit in the early mid-season (Table 2). Its fruit have had good to excellent size, color, firmness and flavor. It has also annually produced good to excellent yields.