scholarly journals Effects of Self or Cross Pollination and Seed Number per Berry on Berry Maturation in Highbush Blueberry

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoto Iwasaki ◽  
Takuo Ono ◽  
Keiichi Sasame
Keyword(s):  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Berry Maturation

scholarly journals Impact of Cross- and Self-pollination on Fruit Set, Fruit Size, Seed Number, and Harvest Timing Among 13 Southern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah K. Taber ◽  
James W. Olmstead
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Self Pollination ◽  
Southern Highbush

Cross-pollination has been associated with improved fruit set, weight, and shortened time to ripening in southern highbush blueberry [SHB (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids)]. Because of this, growers commonly plant two or more cultivars in small blocks to facilitate cross-pollination. However, many SHB cultivars may vary in the degree of improvement in each parameter after cross-pollination. Understanding the impacts of cross-pollination on a particular cultivar is crucial to forming planting recommendations, particularly as growers begin to transition to fields designed for machine harvest where large solid blocks would increase the harvest efficiency. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of cross- and self-pollination among 13 commonly planted or newly released SHB cultivars. Cross-pollination typically improved fruit set, fruit weight, and seed number while decreasing the average days to harvest. Cross-pollinated fruit always weighed more than self-pollinated fruit from the same cultivar, which was highly correlated to seed number per fruit. Although there was variation for each trait, interplanting with another unrelated cultivar sharing a similar bloom time remains the best recommendation to ensure early, high yield among these SHB cultivars.

Effect of blossom thinning on fruit density, fruit size and seed count of Williams' Bon Chretien and Packham's Triumph pears

1971 ◽  
Vol 11 (49) ◽  
pp. 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Selimi
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
Bud Removal

Effects on fruit density, fruit size, and fruit fertilization (seed count) of several degrees of fruit bud removal three to four weeks before bloom, was studied on Williams Bon Chretien and Packham's Triumph pears. The effects were studied in the presence or absence of cross pollination. Fruit set increased with increasing severity of blossom bud removal, indicating that poor setting was not due to faulty flowers. This was also confirmed by hand pollination of the clusters on unthinned limbs, where fruit set was much higher than on unthinned unpollinated limbs. Fruit density in Packham's was not reduced even by 80 per cent of fruit bud removal, and in Williams' fruit density was significantly reduced at 60 or 40 per cent of fruit bud removal, in a heavy or intermediate flowering years, respectively, whereas in a poor flowering year, fruit density was not significantly reduced even by 80 per cent of bud removal. Heavy thinning resulted in increased fruit size in Williams' but not in Packham's pears. Hand poIlination or bouquets increased seed number and fruit size greatly in \Villiams7 and increased seed number but not fruit size in Packham's.

FLOWERING AND POLLINATION REQUIREMENTS IN CEREUS PERUVIANUS CULTIVATED IN ISRAEL

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Weiss ◽  
A. Nerd ◽  
Y. Mizrahi
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Open Pollination ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Beer Sheva ◽  
Carpenter Bee ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Hot Season ◽  
Very High ◽  
Xylocopa Pubescens

The flowering and pollination requirements of Cereus peruvianus (L) Mill. (Cactaceae) were investigated in Beer Sheva, Israel, in a three-year-old plantation which had been established from seedlings, in order to domesticate this plant as a fruit crop. Plants flowered during the hot season (May-October), and flowers opened for one night only. Variations were observed in the flowers' opening time, with the early-opening plants beginning to open two hours before sunset, and the late-opening plants opening close to sunset. Flowers were visited only by day-active insects: the honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the carpenter bee (Xylocopa pubescens). The visitors' behavior indicated that they were involved in pollination. Early-opening flowers were visited both in the evening and in the morning, whereas late-openers were visited only in the morning. C. peruvianus was found to be self-incompatible, and fruit set did not occur when flowers were hand self-pollinated. Hand cross-pollination resulted in very high fruit set (92%) and heavy fruits with a high seed number. Fruit set, seed number, and fruit weight were lower in open-pollination than in hand cross-pollination. This indicates limited pollination or fertilization in open- pollination and might be related to the briefness of the bee visits, reduced pollen germinability, and stigma receptivity during part of the visit period.

scholarly journals 097 Aspects of Self- and Cross-fertility in Recently Released Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 458B-458
Author(s):  
Mark K. Ehlenfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Average Increase ◽  
Ripening Time ◽  
Cross Pollination

Self- and cross-fertility was evaluated in the highbush blueberry cultivars Bluegold, Duke, Legacy, Nelson, Sierra, Sunrise, and Toro, all released since 1987, by comparing them to standards of `Bluecrop' and `Rubel'. Percent fruit set increased with cross-pollination in all cultivars except `Bluecrop', which decreased by 13%. The average increase in the recently released cultivars was 43%. Fruit weight also increased in cross-pollinations for all cultivars except `Rubel', which showed a decrease of 2%. Average increase in fruit weight on cross-pollination in the recently released cultivars was 27%. Fruit set and fruit weight measurements suggest that `Duke', `Legacy', and `Nelson' could perform well in solid stands, but `Sierra' and `Toro' are more likely to need cross-pollination for best yields. Investigations were also made on a group of 10 cultivars, to evaluate whether ripening time of the pollen source cultivar had any effect on the ripening time of the fruiting parent. No single pollen source had consistent general effects on ripening, although specific combinations of females and males appeared to either hasten or delay ripening. The largest deviations were seen in delays of ripening, suggesting that poor pollination may have been the greatest factor contributing to the observed variation in ripening times.

scholarly journals Calcium and Fruit Firmness in Highbush Blueberry: Natural Gradients and the Effect of Foliar Applications

HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 784D-784
Author(s):  
Jorge B. Retamales ◽  
Cerardo A. Accedondo
Keyword(s):  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Fruit Firmness ◽  
Southern Chile ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Calcium Sources

Calcium gradients were established in firm (`Bluecrop' and `Blueray') and soft (`Ivanhoe') highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruits from a 7-year-old planting at La Union, southern Chile. Manual firmness measurements established that `Ivanhoe' fruit was softer than either `Bluecrop' or `Blueray'. In all varieties, Ca concentrations were: seed > pulp > epidermis; opposite trends were found for K+Mg/Ca ratios. Seed number and Ca concentration in the pulp were negatively correlated in `Bluecrop' and `Ivanhoe', but not in `Blueray'. In a related experiment, the response of `Bluecrop' to preharvest sprays of two calcium sources (chloride and nitrate) in four doses (0, 47.5, 35, or 190 g Ca/100 liters of water) was studied; dose and source interactions were not significant. Both calcium sources affected fruit Ca concentrations similarly;l calcium applications, either as nitrate or chloride, increased Ca significantly in epidermis and seed; the highest dose was required to raise significantly Ca concentrations in the pulp. K+Mg/Ca ratios in nitrate- or chloride-treated fruit were: pulp > seed > epidermis.

scholarly journals Honey Bee Activity in Northern Highbush Blueberry Differs across Growing Regions in Washington State

HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (10) ◽  
pp. 1228-1232
Author(s):  
Lisa W. DeVetter ◽  
Sean Watkinson ◽  
Ramesh Sagili ◽  
Timothy Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Visitation Rates ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Western Washington ◽  
Eastern Washington

Commercial production of northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is dependent upon rented colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera) for meeting pollination requirements. Despite the prevalent use of honey bees, growers in Washington State and the greater Pacific Northwest (PNW), particularly those located in the western regions, claim pollination is limited and yield potential is subsequently reduced due to pollination deficits. However, there have been no studies or surveys that document this occurrence for this economically important region of blueberry production. The objective of this study was to survey honey bee activity in commercial plantings of ‘Duke’ highbush blueberry in western and eastern Washington and to assess the relationship between honey bee activity, growing region, and select yield components. Honey bee colony strength was also assessed to evaluate this variable’s relationship to honey bee activity and measured yield components. Sixteen and 18 commercial ‘Duke’ blueberry fields across Washington State were surveyed in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Average number of honey bee visitations per plant and honey bee colony strength were determined to evaluate overall honey bee activity. Estimated yield, berry number per plant, berry size (mass), and seed number per berry were also determined and analyzed to determine their relationship to honey bee activity through regression analysis. Honey bee visitation rates differed between western and eastern Washington, with western Washington sites consistently below recommended honey bee densities. Colony strength was also below recommended levels, but was lower for western Washington relative to eastern Washington. Estimated yield and berry number differed across sites and years, but were not related to honey bee visitation rates. Regression analysis revealed few significant relationships, although honey bee visitation rates were positively related to seed number per berry and seed number was positively related to berry size (R2 = 0.25 and 0.16, respectively). Berry size was also positively related to colony strength (R2 = 0.63). This study demonstrates that honey bee activity is limited in Washington blueberry production, particularly in western Washington, when compared with recommendations for optimal honey bee activity in blueberry. However, yields were unaffected between the compared regions. The lack of a relationship between honey bee visitation rates and yields suggests that pollination is sufficient for ‘Duke’ blueberry in Washington State and pollination deficits do not limit yield for this cultivar under the conditions of the study.

scholarly journals Pollination Requirements of Three Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) Cultivars

1997 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 891-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenna E. MacKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Seed Coat ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Harvest Date ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Total Seed

The effects of pollination treatments on fruit set and five berry characteristics [mass, diameter, number of apparently viable seeds (well-developed, plump with dark seed coat), total seed number (includes apparently viable and partially developed seeds), and harvest date] were examined on three highbush blueberry cultivars. Pollination treatments included unpollinated, open pollinated, emasculated, and three hand pollinations that used pollen from the same flower, from the same cultivar, or from a different cultivar. Berries matured earliest and were smallest with the most apparently viable seeds in `Northland', `Patriot' had the greatest fruit set and smallest seed number, and `Bluecrop' matured the latest. Fruit set was greater, berry size larger, seed number smaller, and maturation later in 1990 than 1991. For all three cultivars, berries were generally smallest, latest maturing, and had the fewest seeds when pollination was prevented and were largest with the most seeds and earliest maturing in open visitation. Emasculation resulted in berries similar to those from unpollinated flowers. For berry characteristics, cross-pollination was of benefit for `Patriot' and possibly `Northland' but not `Bluecrop'. Thus, commercial highbush blueberry planting designs must be based on the pollination requirements of the particular cultivar. `Northland' berries almost always had seeds, while `Patriot' showed high levels and `Bluecrop' low levels of parthenocarpy.

scholarly journals Self- and Cross-fertility in Recently Released Highbush Blueberry Cultivars

HortScience ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark K. Ehlenfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Weight ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Average Increase ◽  
Cross Pollination

Self- and cross-fertility were evaluated in the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars Bluegold, Duke, Legacy, Nelson, Sierra, Sunrise, and Toro, all of which have been released since 1985, by comparing them with `Bluecrop' and `Rubel', which were used as standards. Cross-pollination increased fruit set in all cultivars except `Bluecrop', in which set was reduced 13%. The average increase among recently released cultivars was 43%. Cross-pollination also increased fruit weight for all cultivars except `Rubel'. Average increase in fruit weight with cross-pollination of the recently released cultivars was 27%. Fruit set and fruit weight measurements suggest that `Duke', `Legacy', and `Nelson' would perform satisfactorily in solid stands, and that `Sierra' and `Toro' probably need cross-pollination for maximum yields.

scholarly journals Blueberry Floral Attributes and Their Effect on the Pollination Efficiency of an Oligolectic Bee, Osmia ribifloris Cockerell (Megachilidae: Apoidea)

HortScience ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blair J. Sampson ◽  
Stephen J. Stringer ◽  
Donna A. Marshall
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Set ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Flower Size ◽  
Floral Traits ◽  
Solitary Bee ◽  
Pollination Efficiency ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Cross Pollination ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Fruit Abortion

We evaluated relationships between floral traits of 23 genotypes of southern blueberries and indices of pollination efficiency (fruit set, fruit abortion, seed number, and berry size) for Osmia ribifloris Cockerell, a manageable solitary bee. Flower size in Vaccinium and presumably ovary size were proportional to berry size, except for the tiny blooms of one V. tenellum clone (NC7808), which produce large commercial-sized berries of ≈2 g. Longer-styled blueberry flowers visited by O. ribifloris produced the heaviest berries with the most seeds. Osmia ribifloris reliably pollinated ‘Climax’ and ‘Tifblue’ rabbiteye blueberries. However, the peculiarly misshapen blooms of ‘Premier’ rabbiteye blueberry receive less pollination from O. ribifloris and yield berries containing 25% fewer seeds. Fruit set for these misshapen ‘Premier’ flowers was equivalent to that of intact flowers indicating that this floral polymorphism would not greatly alter cultivar performance. For seven Vaccinium species, wild and cultivated alike, 80% to 100% of a plant’s fruit production depends on efficient cross-pollination by bees such as O. ribifloris.

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