BREEDING STRATEGIES IN LINGONBERRY CULTURE (VACCINIUM VITIS–IDAEA)

Extensive collections of lingonberry germplasm were accumulated from natural populations in Sweden in 1992–94 to be used in our plant breeding program.
In addition, seeds and plants were supplied from Scandinavia, the Baltic states, Russia and Japan.
About 8,000 seedlings are now being grown at Balsgard for evaluation.
Selection criteria include upright growth habit, precocity, abundant rhizome production, productivity, concentrated fruit ripening and high berry quality.

Experimental crossings were carried out in 1994 and 1995: 2,850 pollinated flowers resulted in 6,600 seeds.
Seed number per berry varied from 0 to 24 and fruit set from 0 to 96%. When used as pollen donors, some clones yielded a consistently higher fruit set as compared to other clones.
Pollination immediately after emasculation increased fruit set as compared to pollination after a delay of up to 24 hours.
Clones with desirable growth and fruiting properties fro commercial cultivation were crossed with clones characterized by a high berry quality (aroma, color and acidity). The first hybrid plants were sown in the spring of 1995, and selection work is scheduled to begin in 1998–99.

VI International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture

B. Gustavsson

Temperate crop, small fruit, genetic resources, cross pollination

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1997.446.18