Breeding of highbush blueberry in Lithuania

Abstract

Growing of half highbush blueberry in Lithuania has been limited till the present time. One of the main reasons for such situation was absence of local cultivars. The collection of half highbush blueberry germplasm and respective breeding programme were started at Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University in 1993. Fifty seedlings were examined in the years 1993 - 2010. The seedlings № 11, № 16, and № 17 were selected for further cultivar testing. The results were compared with the same characteristics of the cultivar Putte. Fruiting potential of Lithuanian half highbush blueberry accessions was determined, taking into account the following characteristics: number of berries and number of simple clusters in a composite cluster, average berry mass and volume. Productivity of investigated seedlings was determined too. The seedling № 17 was distinguished for the biggest clusters with the largest number of berries and the largest number of simple clusters in a composite cluster. The average berry mass of selected seedlings was smaller than berry mass of the cultivar ‘Putte‘. Ripening period of all investigated seedlings was long. Berries of the seedlings № 11 and № 16 were harvested completely during 2 - 3 pickings, whereas harvesting berries of the seedling № 17 was completed in 3 - 4 pickings. The № 17 appeared the most productive, its yield reached from 1.8 to 3.3 kg in different years. Yields of the seedlings № 11 № 16 were significantly lower.