scholarly journals The Effective Pollination Period in Rabbiteye Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 825A-825
Author(s):  
Patricio A. Brevis* ◽  
D. Scott NeSmith

Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade) often exhibit poor fruit set under commercial field conditions. Problems of low fruit set have been attributed to short periods of flower receptivity in different fruit crops. This study seeks to establish the effective pollination period (EPP, defined as the number of days during which pollination is effective to produce a fruit) in rabbiteye blueberry. The cultivars Brightwell and Tifblue were chosen due to their known difference in fruit set and field performance. Flowers were hand pollinated 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days after anthesis (DAA) using self- and cross-pollen. Fruit set, seeds per berry, berry weight and days to ripening were recorded. Fruit set showed a polynomial trend across flower ages. `Brightwell' was highly receptive from the day of anthesis, whereas, `Tifblue' receptivity was low until 2 DAA. `Brightwell' and `Tifblue' flowers produced adequate fruit set (≥50%) over a period of 7 and 5 days, respectively. In `Tifblue', fruit set was limited by the low receptivity of newly opened flowers. The difference in EPP helps to explain the performance of these cultivars in the field. The rate of ripening increased with flower age in both cultivars. The number of seeds per berry was affected by flower age only in `Tifblue'. The effect of flower age on berry weight depended on the cultivar and the pollen source.

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 324-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Creighton L. Gupton ◽  
James M. Spiers

To determine the effects of pollen source on blueberry production, we made a partial diallel set of crosses involving seven rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei Reade) and seven southern highbush (SH; V. corymbosum L.) parents. Pollination of rabbiteye blueberry flowers with SH pollen reduced fruit set, seeds per berry, and berry weight and increased fruit development period (FDP) compared to pollination with rabbiteye pollen. Pollination of SH flowers with rabbiteye pollen resulted in about the same fruit set and FDP but fewer seeds per berry and slightly lower berry weight compared to intraspecific pollination. Self-pollination significantly decreased the number of seeds per berry and berry weight and increased FDP in SH. Pollination of rabbiteye and SH flowers with mixed pollen produced the same results as intraspecific pollination. Using `Tifblue' and `Baldwin' (rabbiteye) as the pollen parent significantly increased FDP in rabbiteye blueberry. Using `Georgiagem' and `Cape Fear' as pollen parents produced the longest FDP, and using `O'Neal' and `Gulfcoast' produced the shortest FDP in SH blueberry. The heaviest berries were produced by using `Blue Ridge', `O'Neal', and `Gulfcoast' (SH) as pollen parents on SH females. These results suggest that xenia possibly could be used to increase yield and reduce FDP in blueberry.


HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 1537-1540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricio A. Brevis ◽  
D. Scott NeSmith ◽  
Hazel Y. Wetzstein

Rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) often exhibits problems with low fruit set. Little is known about the duration of flower receptivity in this species. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of flower age at pollination on fruit set, seed number per fruit, and stigmatic receptivity. `Brightwell' and `Tifblue' rabbiteye blueberry plants were kept under controlled conditions in a growth chamber. Day/night temperatures during pollination were 23 °C/10 °C. Flowers were hand pollinated with self- or cross-pollen at 2-day intervals ranging from 0 to 8 days after anthesis (DAA). Flower age at pollination had a significant effect on both fruit set and seed number per fruit. Rabbiteye blueberry flowers were able to produce optimum fruit set during a period of at least five days. Fruit set was markedly reduced 6 to 8 DAA, depending on the cultivar. Flower age at pollination also had a significant effect on stigmatic receptivity, which was assessed as the number of germinated tetrads on the stigma 24 hours after pollination. Stigmas pollinated 0 DAA had a significantly lower number of germinated tetrads than those pollinated 8 DAA. Flower age at pollination and stigmatic receptivity were positively associated. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative evidence of delayed stigma maturation in blueberry. Stigmatic receptivity and fruit set were not correlated. Overall, the data strongly suggest that stigmatic receptivity was not a limiting factor for fruit set of `Brightwell' and `Tifblue'. It is hypothesized that ovule longevity determines the duration of flower receptivity in these two rabbiteye blueberry cultivars.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Cairns Fortuin ◽  
Kamal JK Gandhi

AbstractFruit set, berry size, and berry weight were assessed for pollination by the solitary bee Osmia lignaria (Say) in caged rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade, Ericales : Ericaceae), and compared to that of uncaged rabbiteye blueberries which were pollinated largely by honey bees (Apis mellifera L). O. linaria produced berries that were 1.6mm larger in diameter and 0.45g heavier than uncaged blueberries. Fruit set was 40% higher in uncaged blueberries. This suggests that Osmia bees can produce larger and heavier berry fruit, but O. lignaria may be less efficient at blueberry pollination as compared to A. mellifera under field cage conditions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Gibson ◽  
Colin Yates ◽  
Margaret Byrne ◽  
Margaret Langley ◽  
Rujiporn Thavornkanlapachai

Calothamnus quadrifidus subsp. teretifolius A.S.George & N.Gibson is a short-range endemic shrub whose habitat has been greatly reduced by clearing for agriculture. Reproductive output was high in all populations sampled, although there were large differences among populations in fruit set, the number of seeds per fruit and seed germination. These traits showed no relationship to population size, degree of isolation, or fragment size, which contrasts strongly with the patterns found in a widespread congener. Demographic studies in remnants with an intact understorey showed stable adult populations with continuous seedling recruitment. In contrast, there was consistent widespread failure of seedling and juvenile recruitment in degraded roadside remnants that also showed significant mortality of reproductive adults. In these degraded remnants, recruitment failure appears to be the primary cause of species decline.


Author(s):  
B. V. Proshkin ◽  
A. V. Klimov

The research explores the seed productivity and plantlets growth in the free pollination of the natural hybrid taxon P. × jrtyschensis. Fruits of P. × jrtyschensis were selected from four plants that grow in the collection ofResearchCenter“EducationalBotanical Garden” ofKemerovoStateUniversity. Four P. nigra model trees, randomly selected from theTomRiverfloodplain population, were applied as a control group. The authors used 30 fruit-bearing amentumsfrom each model. The researchers measured set of fruit (capsule); number of ovules per fruit; number of seeds per fruit; set of seeds.. Laboratory germination was determined by sowing Petri dishes on wet filter paper. The authors found out sowing germination by sowing 100 seeds in a box with soil and drainage. The energy of germination was determined on the second day while germination - on the fifth day. P. × jrtyschensis is characterized by a lower level of seed productivity (15-30%) compared to P. nigra. In terms of laboratory germination of seeds, the descendants of hybrids surpassed many P. nigra models, but their soil germination was 20-30% lower than that of black poplar. The observed variability in reproductive indices of both P. × jrtyschensis and P. nigra is mainly caused by specific features of their genotypes. Plantlets being developed, the authors observed no significant differences among the descendants of P. nigra and hybrids. The researchers highlighted plantlets that can stop growing and even more abnormal plants with one, three or four seeds in P. × jrtyschensis. This may be caused by underdevelopment of hypocotyl or germ root. The authors observed breaches in development of P. nigra just once. They outline high plantlets destruction when sowing hybrids on the first day after germination The share of destructed plants within a month (from the beginning of the experiment) reaches 66,0 %, and in P. nigra it does not exceed 40,0 %.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (03) ◽  
pp. 289-295
Author(s):  
Warlinson Girsang ◽  
Rosmaria Girsang

The research was carried out in Dolog Masagal Subdistrict, Simalungun Regency, altitude ± 1.100 m above sea level. The research was conducted from January to May 2019. The purpose of this study was to determine the tolerance level of several hybrid corn varieties to cob rot disease. Methods for conducting the research used randomized block design (RBD) with 1 factor. Types of hybrid corn varieties tested were: Pioneer 29 (V1), NK 99 (V2), Pioneer 12 (V3), NK 22 (V4), Pioneer 4 (V5), Nusantara I (V6), Asia 1 (V7).The parameters observed were: plant height, cob diameter, cob length containing seeds, number of seed rows per cob, number of seeds per row, number of seeds per cob,  husk cover in cob, cob rot intensity, the amount of dry production per plot, and the weight of 1.000 seeds. Based on the research results, different types of hybrid corn varieties produce different tolerances of cob rot resistance in the Simalungun highlands. The most tolerant variety of cob rot disease is Pioneer 29 (mild damage scale = 0 - 10%). Different types of varieties planted also affect various components of growth and production, among others: plant height, number of seeds per row, number of seed rows per cob, husk cover on cob, dry production per plot, and weight of 100 grains. As for the parameters of cob diameter, cob length containing seeds and the number of seed rows per cob, the difference in varieties did not significantly affect.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Narayan Subedi ◽  
Indra Prasad Subedi

The diversity of insect pollinators and their impact on crop yield of mustard were studied in Kusma, Parbat, Nepal from December 2018 to April 2019 in four blocks with each having 12 m2 areas. Two plots; treatment and control, were established in each block. Insect diversity was observed from 8 to 16 hrs, with the interval of an hour for three consecutive months (Jan-Feb). Eighty mustard plants were randomly selected, 40 from each plot just before flowering to find the impact of insect pollination on crop yield and these selected plants were examined for various qualitative and quantitative parameters. Altogether 16 species of pollinator insects belonging to five orders and nine families were recorded. Hymenoptera (36 %) was the most abundant order visiting mustard flowers followed by Diptera (34 %), Coleoptera (17 %), Lepidoptera (12 %) and Heteroptera (1 %). The most abundant family was Apidae (35.64 %), followed by Syrphidae (31.84 %). Apis cerana and Eristalis sp. were the most important pollinator insects of mustard. Seven species were found foraging both on pollen and nectar, four species foraging only on nectar and remaining five as casual visitors. The peak foraging activities of majority of the insects were observed between 12 hr to 14 hr. A significant difference was observed in the number of pods (59.80 ± 1.967 and 70.47 ± 2.431), fruit set (70.55 ± 1.362 and 80.94 ± 0.638), number of seeds per pods (16.70 ± 0.248 and 19.30 ± 0.330), diameter of seed (0.133 ± 0.2547 and 0.275 ± 0.0051) and weight of 100 dry seeds (0.33 ± 0.058 and 0.48 ± 0.023) in control and treatment plots whereas, the difference was non-significant in case of pod length between control and treatment plots (P=0.163).


1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 633 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Vaughton

The breeding system of Banksia spinulosa var. neoanglica in the New England National Park was examined by excluding pollen vectors and hand pollinating inflorescences. Fruit set of xenogamous and open inflorescences was greater than geitonogamous and autogamous treatments, although not all differences were significant. No differences were found in the number of seeds per follicle or seed weight between treatments. A reduced number of follicles and smaller seeds occurred in the apical third of inflorescences in all treatments. This report of autogamous seed set contrasts with previous findings for this species and indicates intra-specific variation in the breeding system.


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