Articles
VACCINIUM CULTURE IN POLAND
Other species like Oxycoccus quadripetalus Gilib. are present at lower extent (Tab. 2). At the present time yield of wild fruits gathered is lower.
This is due to many factors like: changes in the forest management, shortage of labour (pickers), and "an invasion" of urban people.
Data in Tab. 3 shows wild fruits gathered by National Buying Company "LAS".
In 1966 the yield of wild fruits harvested in Poland was estimated on 34.5 thousands tons and in 1978 only 7.2 thousands tons.
Blueberries represent 60–70% of the total annual crop.
This gradual decline of wild fruits in the Polish forests has forced some researchers to look forward to introduce cultivated Vaccinium spp.
Poland is a country with large areas of an acid, sandy soil.
Some of these areas are limited for agricultural use.
The commercial plantations, will be, in future an important source of supplying.
In many countries, attemps are made for domestication of wild small fruit plants (spontaneous plant population).
The magnificent development of the highbush blueberry Vacciniumcorymbosum L., as a cultivated fruit in America has forced some research workers of Poland to undertake studies on highbush blueberry culture.
First efforts were made in 1924 by famous horticulturist Dr.
Piotr Hoser and again in 1947.
A real progress was made in the early seventies.
In 1975, first commercial plantations were established.
Today total acreage under cultivated bleuberries has reached 120 ha.
Simultaneously, research work has been undertaken.
There are many problems to be solved like: cultivar testing, winterhardiness, and pest and disease control.
Also breeding programme has been initiated.
Most of the blueberry research work is done at the Warsaw Agricultural University (SGGW). A special experimental field for "Vaccinium culture" was established nearby Warsaw (40 ha of forest land).
The author started blueberry studies in years 1962–1965, during his stay at the Rutgers State University of New Jersey, U.S.A., under Prof.
L. Fred Hough.
After his return to Poland (Warsaw Agric.
Univ.) first efforts on propagation by soft-wood cuttings were made.
Cultivar trial was established at the Department of Pomology, Warsaw Agricultural University in 1971 (Pliszka, 1977). The main aim of this study was growth and development of blueberry under Poland’s climate conditions.
Bushes were planted in special concrete rings, which were sunk into the ground (Fig. 1). Three types of soil were used: 1 (podsolic collected from the farm field with peat-moss in ratio 3:1, 2) forest podsolic, top layer, and 3 (peat-moss with sand in ratio 3:1). The following highbush blueberry cultivars were tested: Blueray, Bluecrop, Dixi, Rekord, Concord, Darrow and Herbert.
The vegetative growth of the blueberry bushes was evaluated on the basis of their total terminal growth, number of terminals and volume of bushes.
It was found that cvs.
Rekord and Concord produced the highest total terminal growth.
The best bearers were cvs.
Dixi, Rekord and Concord.
In regard to size of the berry, the biggest