GROWTH, YIELD, AND FRUIT QUALITY OF 10 LINGONBERRY (VACCINIUM VITIS-IDAEA) CULTIVARS AND SELECTIONS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, USA

Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis- idaea L.) has a long history of commercial harvest in Europe and parts of northern North America, but is considered a new crop in the Pacific Northwest region (PNW) of the United States. ‘Koralle’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘Red Pearl’ are the standard cultivars for the PNW industry.
Three Swedish advanced selections (87102-3, 8723-10, 8724-49) from the now closed Balsgård Research Station, and seven cultivars (‘Ida’, ‘Koralle’, ‘Linnea’, ‘Red Pearl’, ‘Sanna’, ‘Splendor’, and ‘Sussi’) were compared in a replicated trial at the USDA-ARS in Corvallis, Ore. (USA). Genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design in autumn 2000 on raised beds. Prior to planting, the soil pH was adjusted to 4.5 and sawdust was incorporated into the planting row.
Vigorous genotypes filled their beds by late 2002. In 2002, vigor and full bloom date for the first cropping season were recorded.
In 2003, most of the genotypes had two crops and some had a third fall bloom, therefore 1st bloom, full bloom, first fully colored (“ripe”) and 50% of fruit fully colored for each crop were recorded along with plant vigor.
Fruit were harvested in both years and berry weight determined.
Soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH and total anthocyanins were determined from frozen samples.
While ‘Linnea’ and ‘Sussi’ had a single crop that ripened in late July-early August, the other genotypes had two crops the first ripened in mid-July and the second in late September-early October. ‘Ida’ had the largest fruit and the greatest yield even though it was in the middle of the group for vigor scores. ‘Ida’s fruit were over 40% heavier than the second largest genotype (8723-10), and nearly twice as heavy with almost twice the yield as ‘Koralle’. ‘Red Pearl’, which is also grown commercially in the PNW, had a very poor yield and was similar to ‘Koralle’ in fruit size.
Those cultivars that had a significant crop in mid-summer would be of value to small farms selling to local farmers markets but the poorer fruit quality under these conditions would mean this fruit would not be valuable for harvest for the processing market or the valuable American Thanksgiving holiday market. ‘Sussi’ and ‘Linnea’s single, August harvest is too early while the environmental conditions are still somewhat unfavorable. ‘Ida’, 8724-49, ‘Koralle’, ‘Linnea’, and ‘Red Pearl’ had 80-100% of their crop ripen in September.
Of these, ‘Ida’ and ‘Koralle’, and perhaps 8723-10, appear to have the best overall horticultural characteristics and fruit characteristics.

VIII International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture

C. Finn, T. Mackey

titratable acidity, soluble solids, pH

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2006.715.42