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RECENT RESEARCH ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY IN CANADA
Although these stands are managed in terms of weed control, burn pruning, and the application of pesticides, year to year yields fluctuate widely.
These fluctuations are largely due to climate and its effect on pollination, growth, and pest populations.
A technique has been developed for the propagation and establishment of superior clones selected from native stands and superior seedlings from controlled crosses.
After 2 years of growth in the field, a planting of select clones yielded 1662 kg/ha in 1975. Other plantings produced 8083 and 14032 kg/ha 4 and 6 years respectively after planting.
Production from seedlings has been of the same order of magnitude.
Yields from mature native stands are in the order of 2000 kg/ha.
Depth of planting, soil pH, and prevention from frost-heaving the first winter are important factors in developing new stands of select clones or seedlings.
The establishment of select clones and/or seedlings makes it possible to implement a greater degree of management coupled with superior plant material resulting in increased, and hopefully, more consistent yields.
The lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifoloum Ait. and V. myrtilloides Michx., grows naturally in the 6 provinces of Eastern Canada.
Winter temperatures go down to at least -25°C in most areas of Eastern Canada, and winter injury to highbush blueberry, V. corymbosum L. buds is recurring problem.
Since the lowbush blueberry is usually protected from winter injury by snow, flower bud and plant survival are not serious problems.
The lowbush blueberry of North America differs from the European bilberry, V. myrtillus L., in that the fruit of the former is not so acid and the color of the juice is not so intense.
The fruits of the lowbush blueberry are generally smaller than those of the highbush blueberry, and for this reason are preferred for some uses, such as in muffin mixes.
Eastern Canada and the State of Maine produce approximately 50 million pounds of lowbush blueberries annually (Hall and Aalders, 1972). These are grown from native stands of plants which have been improved by weed control and biennial burn-pruning.
As a result of the burn-pruning, crops of fruit are obtainable only in alternate years.
Approximately half the crop areas are fruiting each year, and the remainder are in sprouts which is the vegetative phase.
About 10 years ago, we decided at Kentville to try to develop