Florida Blueberry Season Is Here, As Is a New Blueberry Variety From the University of Florida
April is Florida blueberry season, a time to savor these sweet fruits from our very own soil. You can pick them yourself or buy them from the store or market. The University of Florida developed and released another tasty blueberry variety to add to the seasonal mix.
When Patricio Munoz developed this newest variety from the university’s Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences, he wanted to name the fruit in honor of Alto Straughn, a longtime supporter of UF’s blueberry breeding program.
Muñoz decided to call the new cultivar the Sentinel.
“A sentinel is a watcher or guardian,” said Muñoz, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences at the university. “It is symbolic. We came up with the idea to name the blueberry after Alto because he watched and guarded the blueberry breeding program for many years.”
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