The variety has shown shelf life and storability exceeding 60 days while maintaining fruit quality Fall Creek Farm & Nursery will introduce the high-chill blueberry variety SEKOYA Nova ‘FC15-173’ at Fruit Logistica…

The variety has shown shelf life and storability exceeding 60 days while maintaining fruit quality

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery will introduce the high-chill blueberry variety SEKOYA Nova ‘FC15-173’ at Fruit Logistica 2026, showcasing distinct fruit quality and production advantages designed for mid-late season growing regions, completing the SEKOYA portfolio for year-round premium blueberry supply.

Fall Creek will present a unified show presence at the Feb. 4–6 event at Messe Berlin, exhibiting in Hall 1.2, Stand B-50. Fall Creek will also feature select Fall Creek Collection varieties spanning multiple chill zones, reflecting a genetics portfolio designed to support diverse growing regions and market windows.

“Growers are being asked to deliver greater consistency in packouts, firmness, shelf life and harvest efficiency, while navigating tighter labour conditions and higher quality expectations,” said Fall Creek Chief Commercial Officer Paul Nselel. “Sekoya Nova ‘FC15-173’ directly addresses these priorities for mid-late season production, completing our year-round SEKOYA offering. At Fruit Logistica, we’ll demonstrate how our breeding and applied research are translating into varieties that perform in the field and protect eating quality through the supply chain.”

SEKOYA Nova ‘FC15-173’ has demonstrated a combination of fruit size distribution and postharvest performance that differentiates it from many high-chill blueberry varieties currently in commercial production, according to Fall Creek evaluation results. In trials, the variety has shown shelf life and storability exceeding 60 days while maintaining fruit quality, compared with the roughly 45-day storage window typical of many newer high-chill releases.

Fruit size distribution has also been a key point of differentiation. Approximately 80 per cent of SEKOYA Nova ‘FC15-173’ fruit has exceeded 18 millimetres in diameter, a significantly higher proportion than the 20 to 50 per cent commonly observed in comparable high-chill varieties. The variety has also demonstrated concentrated ripening, supporting more efficient harvest planning in mid-late season production regions.

“What’s stood out in our evaluations is how consistently SEKOYA Nova ‘FC15-173’ holds quality through extended storage,” said SEKOYA Vice President and General Manager Mark David. “That kind of shelf life, combined with a high proportion of larger fruit, gives growers more flexibility in harvest timing and helps protect eating quality further down the supply chain.”