The new blueberry plant variety ‘Ridley 0803’ is provided. ‘Ridley 0803’ is a commercial variety intended for use as fresh fruit for shipping, hand pick, customer pick, machine harvest and processing markets and as a home garden plant. The variety is produced from a cross of ‘M09-18-09’ (unpatented) and ‘Ridley1403’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,432), and can be distinguished by its outstanding features.

Latin name of the genus and species: Genus—Vaccinium.Species—hybrid.

Variety denomination: The new blueberry plant claimed is of the variety denominated ‘Ridley 0803’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety ofVacciniumhybrid (Southern Highbush Blueberry), which has been given the variety denomination of ‘Ridley 0803’. Its market class is that of a fruiting plant. ‘Ridley 0803’ is intended for use as fresh fruit for shipping, customer pick and processing markets and as a home garden plant.

The newVacciniumhybrid cultivar is a selection resulting from seedlings produced in a breeding program ofVacciniumat Lindendale, NSW, Australia in 2013 from the controlled pollination of seed parent ‘M09-18-09’ (unpatented) with pollen parent ‘Ridley 1403’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,432). The seed parent was produced from a seedling selection of seed parent ‘C00-09’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,778) and pollen parent ‘C99-42’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,695). The pollen parent was produced from a seedling selection of seed parent ‘S02-25-05’ (not patented) and pollen parent ‘S03-08-02’ (not patented).

The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single plant within a population of 100 resultingVacciniumhybrid plants from this controlled pollination in 2016 in a commercial field plantation environment at Tabulam, New South Wales, Australia.

The new blueberry cultivar was designated ‘M16-08-03’ and has been planted in replicated trials since 2017 at the commercial farms at Tabulam, New South Wales, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cutting propagation since 2016 at Lindendale, New South Wales, Australia has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of the new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Tabulam, New South Wales, Australia and that have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘M16-08-03’ (‘Ridley 0803’) as a new and distinct cultivar ofVacciniumhybrid plant:1. very large fruit size;2. strong crunch;3. firm texture;4. excellent bloom;5. sweet flavor;6. vigorous growth;7. round bush shape; and8. mid-season timing of flowering and fruiting.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Ridley 0803’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions of the original selection. Dimensions, sizes, colors, and other characteristics are approximations and averages set forth as accurately as possible. The plant history was taken on plants approximately 1-2 years of age, and the descriptions relate to plants grown in the field in Tabulam from 2017-2021, New South Wales, Australia. Descriptions of fruit characteristics were made on fruit grown in Tabulam, New South Wales, Australia. Color designations are from Tabulam, New South Wales, Australia. Color notations are based onThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, sixth edition.Classification:a. Family.—Ericaceae.b. Genus.—Vaccinium.c. Species.—Hybrid.d. Common name.—Southern Highbush Blueberry.Parentage:Female parent.—‘M09-18-09’ (unpatented).Male parent.—‘Ridley1403’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,432).Market class: A fruiting plant intended for use as fresh fruit for shipping, hand pick, customer pick, machine harvest and processing markets and as a home garden plant.

PLANT

FOLIAGE

FLOWERS

FRUIT

COMPARISON BETWEEN PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

When ‘Ridley 0803’ is compared to the seed parent ‘M-09-18-09’ (unpatented) it can be observed that ‘M-09-18-09’ has comparatively poor flavor, firmness and plant vigor. ‘M-09-18-09’ has not been maintained so is not available for further comparison.