Recently, Bloom Fresh [3], a global leader in fruit breeding, hosted its first blueberry [4] open day in Chiclayo, Peru’s fourth-largest city and a key blueberry-growing region. The event highlighted two new varieties: Abril Blue+ [5] and Alessia Blue+ [6].

Bloom Fresh is best known for developing grapes and cherries, including top-selling grape varieties such as Cotton Candy, Sweet Sapphire and Sweet Globe. In October 2024, the company announced its acquisition [7] of the breeding program of Peru-based Inka’s Berries, marking its official entry into the blueberry sector.

The program has developed high-quality varieties such as Abril Blue+ and Alessia Blue+, and it is currently advancing a new pipeline of blueberry cultivars. Several successful varieties from Inka’s Berries are already under cultivation in South America, Europe and Africa. Bloom Fresh’s current blueberry portfolio includes Abril Blue+, Alessia Blue+, Matías [8] and Salvador [9].

According to Bloom Fresh’s official website, Alessia Blue+ (cultivar name: IBUGA001) produces large, uniformly sized berries (≥16 millimeters: 95%; ≥18 millimeters: 76%) with a sweet flavor and crisp texture. It is an early-maturing variety that requires no chill hours, offers a long harvest window and has a shelf life of over 60 days at 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Abril Blue+ (cultivar name: IBUGA002) also produces large berries (≥16 millimeters: 94%; ≥18 millimeters: 69%) with excellent flavor and a firm, crisp texture. Like Alessia Blue+, it matures early, requires no chill hours, has an extended harvest window and can be stored for over 60 days at 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Image: Bloom Fresh

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [10].