Cranberry growers in Massachusetts still rely primarily on heritage cultivars, such as Howes (1843) and ‘Early Black’ (1852). The research aims to increase the profitability and sustainability of the Massachusetts cranberry industry by evaluating twelve new hybrid cultivars for improved yield, fruit quality, disease resistance, and size. The research project was initiated in March 2021 with the prorogation of the new cultivars in a greenhouse. At the same time, the renovation of a 0.75-acre cranberry bog was initiated. The renovation included stripping off the top 0.25 m of the bog and replacing it with new sand. A new irrigation and drainage system was also installed. The new cultivars were planted in June 2021 at the Cranberry Station in East Wareham, Massachusetts. The new cultivars were planted in a randomized, complete block design with four replications per cultivar and buffer zones between the plots. Standard commercial cultural practices for new plantings regarding irrigation, fertilization, pest control, and canopy management were followed. Fruit was removed from the vines to allow maximum resource allocation for canopy growth in 2022, and the first fruit harvest was in 2023. Yield was measured by picking all fruit within a 0.09 m 2 quadrat. The fruit samples were then sieved through an 8-mm opening to remove undersized berries; the remaining berries represented the yield of marketable berries. Additional samples (≈500 g) were collected from each treatment replication for fruit quality analysis. Fruit color was measured using total anthocyanin content (TAcy). Regarding yield, Haines® (353 barrels/acre), Welker™ (287 barrels/acre), and Crimson King (243 barrels/acre) were the most productive, while Vassana® (112 barrels/acre) and HyRed® (117 barrels/acre) performed poorly, with the other cultivars in the mid-range. Scarlet Knight® (81 TAcy), HyRed® (65 TAcy), and Midnight 8 (58 TAcy) had the best fruit color, while Badger (16 TAcy), Granite Red (22 TAcy), Sundance (24 TAcy), and Pilgrim King (26 TAcy) had poor fruit color. The highest fruit rot incidence was observed in HyRed® (37%), Welker™ (52%), and Vassana® (63%), while Granite Red (11%), Mullica Queen® (13%), Badger (18%), and Sundance® (19%) had the lowest incidence. The fruit size measured as fruit diameter was largest in Badger (20.3 mm), Granite Red (20.3 mm), Crimson King (19.8 mm), and Haines® (19.5 mm). In conclusion, first-year harvest data showed differences in the performance of the cultivars under MA growing conditions. Additional data from multiple years are still needed to provide growers with recommendations.
