Accumulation of copper and nickel in plant tissues and an insect gall of lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium, near an ore smelter at Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1483-1490 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bagatto ◽  
J. D. Shorthouse

The accumulation of copper and nickel in plant tissues and galls of Hemadas nubilipennis on lowbush blueberry near an ore smelter at Sudbury, Ontario, was investigated. Concentrations of these metals in the root, stem, and leaf tissue decline logarithmically with increasing distance from the Sudbury smelter. The pattern of accumulation for copper and nickel in the various tissues was root > stem > leaf > berry; however, metal differences in these tissues were not as great in plants farther from the smelter. The root tissue is the primary site of accumulation of these metals when environmental levels of copper and nickel are high. The highest concentrations of copper and nickel were found in the galls, indicating that gall tissues act as a strong physiological sink for micronutrients and redirect nutrients from the host plant. Key words: Vaccinium angustifolium, copper, nickel, gall, Sudbury.

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 1387-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Bagatto ◽  
Joseph D. Shorthouse

Cryoanalytical scanning electron microscopy was used to examine cellular concentrations of K, P, S, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, Ni, and Au in a planed section of an insect gall induced by Hemadas nubilipennis on shoots of lowbush blueberry. Levels of K varied throughout tissues of the gall, with the highest levels within the cytoplasmically dense nutritive cells lining the larval chambers, storage nutritive cells, and peridermal cells. It is postulated that K increases the osmotic potential and size of nutritive cells, thereby facilitating larval feeding. Nutritive cells also contained elevated levels of P and S. Levels of Cu, Ni, Fe, and Au were elevated in epidermal tissues, especially near the stomata. Key words: gall, blueberry, minerals, cryoanalytical SEM, Hemadas nubilipennis, Vaccinium angustifolium.


2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 781-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. I. N. Jensen ◽  
E. G. Specht

Spring application of 1.0 kg ha-1 hexazinone to fruiting-year lowbush blueberry no later than the F3 floral stage, when floral buds separate, but before the corolla tube shows white, controlled some common herbaceous perennial weeds without injury to the crop. Key words: Herbicide injury, growth stages, weed control, hexazinone, Vaccinium angustifolium


2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-781 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Randall ◽  
Olson and Leonard J. Eaton

Closed flower buds and flowers at full bloom of Vaccinium angustifolium Ait. were collected from the field and histologically examined after severe spring frosts. Prior to anthesis, blackened ovarian placentae in closed buds were the only damaged tissues evident; placental damage may interfere with both seed and fruit set. Undetected frost damaged placentae may contribute to losses in commercial yield. Key words: Vaccinium, frost damage, placenta


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. C. Shinners ◽  
A. R. Olson

Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi (Reade) Honey is an economically important pathogen of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) which causes blighting of leaves and flowers and mummification of fruits. This study was conducted to determine if infection of lowbush blueberry gynoecia occurs through colonization of the stigma. Sections of gynoecia inoculated with conidia were examined by brightfield microscopy. Conidia germinated on the stigmatic surface 1–3 d following inoculation to form hyphae winch invaded the stylar canal and other tissue down to the ovules. The infection pathway observed was identical to that of pollen tubes following pollination. After invasion of the ovary fungal colonization continued until the entire fruit wall was colonized with mycelium. Key words: Mummy berry, stigma colonization, pseudosclerotium


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 889-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Hokanson ◽  
J. Hancock

Data collected by Hall and Aadlers (1963) on the white-fruited trait were used to determine whether Vaccinium angustifolium is an allopolyploid displaying disomic inheritance or an autopolyploid with tetrasomic inheritance. Chi square tests for goodness-of-fit were non-significant for both models in all crosses, but the probabilities were higher in two of them for tetrasomic inheritance. Key words: Tetrasomic inheritance, disomic inheritance, allopolyploidy


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 1263-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Sanderson ◽  
J. A. Cutcliffe

The effect of sawdust mulch applied at 0-, 5- and 10-cm depths on yield of select clones of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) was studied in Prince Edward Island for three consecutive cropping cycles from 1985 to 1989. Sawdust applied post-plant, as a mulch, at a depth of 5 cm increased the total yield of the first three harvests by approximately 30% compared to the 0-cm mulch. Mean berry weight was also increased where sawdust was applied. There was not significant difference in yield between the 0- and 10-cm sawdust application treatments. The 10-cm sawdust mulch reduced plant survival by 23% compared with the check. Key words: Lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Ait., select clone, sawdust mulch, yield


1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 813-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
ERIC J. HANSON ◽  
AMR. A. ISMAIL ◽  
ROLAND A. STRUCHTEMEYER

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) plants were pruned mechanically by flail mowing, or thermally by oil burning in the spring or fall. The pruning treatments had no effect on soil organic matter or pH. Leaf tissue samples taken from burned plants the first growing season after pruning were higher in N and P, but lower in Ca than leaf samples from mowed plants. Leaf tissue samples taken the second growing season following pruning were not influenced by treatments.


2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Penney ◽  
K. B. McRae ◽  
G. A. Bishop

Most commercial blueberry growers follow a 2-yr pruning cycle because second-crop yield in a 3-yr cycle is usually too low for an economical harvest. Research was conducted to determine the extent to which second-crop production could be increased by applying fertilizer in the second-crop year. Treatments, consisting of factorial combinations of N (0, 60 kg ha-1), P (0, 26 kg ha-1), and K (0, 50 kg ha-1), were studied over two 3-yr burn-pruning cycles on a natural lowbush blueberry stand. Treatments were applied prior to, or shortly after, flower buds started to swell in the spring of the second-crop year. Nitrogen increased ripe fruit yield by 65% (3410 vs. 2070 kg ha-1) when compared with plots not previously fertilized with N, and by 43% (3410 vs. 2380 kg ha-1) when compared with plots previously fertilized with N. These results indicate that N might make the second crop economical to harvest. Phosphorus did not significantly affect yield, but K applied in combination with N in the second-crop year negatively affected production and Mg uptake. The increase in yield by N was due to more ripe berries resulting from a higher total (ripe + unripe) number of berries and hastened maturity that increased the percentage of ripe fruit. Reduced fruit abortion is suspected to be the reason for higher berry numbers. In contrast, the negative response to K applications with N was due to reduced total berry numbers. Key words: NK interaction, N × K interaction, potassium, nutrition, fertility, fruit abortion


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard J. Eaton ◽  
Jeff Hoyle ◽  
Andrew King

The effects of deicing salt (NaCl) on buds, blossoms and yields of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) were assessed over 3 yr in two commercial fields adjacent to a major Nova Scotia highway. Concentrations of road salt on exposed stems were highest next to the highway, and decreased with distance from the road. Numbers of blossoms, and subsequent fruit yields were low nearest the road, and increased with distance from the highway. Numbers of live blueberry buds and blossoms, and subsequent yields, were inversely related to concentrations of road salt on the stems. Plants under plastic shelters placed near the highway had more live buds and blossoms, as well as higher yields relative to plants exposed to deicing salt. Key words: Vaccinium, sodium chloride, salt damage, desiccation


2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. Penney ◽  
K. B. Mcrae

Past research has shown that fertilizer applied in the vegetative year can increase yield, but not always. Fertilizer applied in the crop year without weed control also has been shown to increase yield. The present study, conducted on a natural lowbush blueberry stand for 8 yr, compared the effects of factorial combinations of two rates each of N (0, 60), P (0, 26), and K (0, 50 kg ha−1) applied either in the vegetative or crop year, with or without weed control. Greatest production was obtained with weed control, which increased ripe fruit yield by 247% over that from plots without weed control. Nitrogen alone or P and K with N also increased yield, but only when applied in the crop year to weed-controlled plots. Phosphorous or K alone was of little benefit. Nitrogen increased ripe fruit yield from 3910 (unfertilized plots with weed control) to 4440 kg ha−1 and in combination with P and K to 5520 kg ha−1. Yield increases from weed control and N were due to increased berry weight and hastened maturity, but weed control also increased total berry number. The increase by P and K was due to an increase in total and ripe berry numbers. Nitrogen applied in the vegetative year, although producing more flower buds m−2 than when applied in the crop year, gave lower yields. Fruit abortion, due to insufficient nutrients in the crop year, particularly N, is suspected to be the reason for the reduced yield. Key words: Lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium, yield flower buds, weed control, fertilizer, herbicide


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