ISHS Acta Horticulturae 446: VI International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture
BLUEBERRY HYBRIDS WITH COMPLEX GENETIC BACKGROUNDS EVALUATED ON MINERAL SOILS: COLD HARDINESS AS INFLUENCED BY PARENTAL SPECIES AND LOCATION |
| Authors: | J.F. Hancock, W.A. Erb, B.L. Goulart, J.C. Scheerens |
| Keywords: | Vaccinium, inter-ploid hybrids, flower bud hardiness, wood hardiness |
| Abstract:
Flower bud and wood hardiness were evaluated in 15 standard blueberry cultivars and 40 elite selections with complex species backgrounds at Wooster, Ohio in 1994, 1995 and 1996, and East Lansing, Michigan in 1994. Temperatures in 1994 were unusually cold at both locations with record lows of -38°C in East Lansing, and -32°C at Wooster. Temperatures in 1995 and 1996 were much milder with lows falling to about -15°C and -20°C in Wooster. The most hardy cultivars were those developed specifically for the north, either as highbush types (Patriot, Elliot, Jersey) or half-highs (Northcountry, St. Cloud), while those developed for the south suffered the most damage (‘Cape Fear’, ‘Blueridge’). However, some of the complex hybrids displayed considerable winter hardiness, even in the coldest winter. Most notably, ‘Sierra’ (composed of 50% southern germplasm) performed well at both locations (especially Wooster), with as much bud and wood hardiness as the standard northern cultivar Jersey. Most of the other complex hybrids were severely damaged in Michigan in 1994, but a few of them did well in Ohio (US 612, US 625, US 676, US 703, US 717), with more than 70% of their flower buds surviving and over 85% of their wood. Plant height was positively correlated with bud and wood hardiness. | |
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