Articles
BERRY TRIALS IN THE AZORES
Article number
918_98
Pages
753 – 758
Language
English
Abstract
The Direcção de Serviços de Agricultura e Pecuária, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Açores, Portugal, began a collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Clonal Germplasm Repository at Corvallis, Oregon, and The Ohio State University, Department of Entomology in 2004. While previous horticultural production in the Azores included bananas, pine-apples, apples, pears, and grapes, the cultivated temperate zone berry crops have not been grown extensively.
Our objective was to compare berry cultivars in the Azores.
Between 2006 and 2009, plantings of southern highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum, Emerald, Jewel, Misty and ONeal; of northern highbush blueberries, V. corymbosum, Brigitta, Duke and Elliott; and a rabbiteye cultivar, V. virgatum, Spring High, were established in Furnas and in Ponta Delgada.
In 2007 and 2009, plantings of thornless blackberry Rubus hybrid Triple Crown, and two cultivars of red raspberries, Rubus idaeus Heritage and Taylor, were established.
In Furnas, only the Emerald blueberry produced fruit in 2008 and 2009. The average yield in the first year was 0.4 kg/plant; in 2009 it was 2.6 kg/plant.
The average fruit diameter was 13.95 mm, and weight was 2.44 g.
The other cultivars did not produce fruit and the Jewel plants were susceptible to leaf rust disease caused by Naohidemyces vaccinii (Wint.) Sato, Katsuya et Hiratsuka (=Pucciniastrum vaccinii). The blackberry plants produced fruit in 2009. Bud break occurred very late in the season (beginning of June) and the crop season extended from 26 August to 17 December although during the last month only a few fruit were produced.
The production peak occurred on the first week of October.
The Heritage red raspberry fruit first ripened on 7 August and finished 14 September.
The maximum production occurred on 17 August.
The average fruit diameter was 15.93 mm, length was 17.50 mm, and weight was 2.60 g/berry.
The raspberries became infested with the insect Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval). Taylor was more susceptible than Heritage to this lepidopterous pest.
Trials are continuing.
Our objective was to compare berry cultivars in the Azores.
Between 2006 and 2009, plantings of southern highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum, Emerald, Jewel, Misty and ONeal; of northern highbush blueberries, V. corymbosum, Brigitta, Duke and Elliott; and a rabbiteye cultivar, V. virgatum, Spring High, were established in Furnas and in Ponta Delgada.
In 2007 and 2009, plantings of thornless blackberry Rubus hybrid Triple Crown, and two cultivars of red raspberries, Rubus idaeus Heritage and Taylor, were established.
In Furnas, only the Emerald blueberry produced fruit in 2008 and 2009. The average yield in the first year was 0.4 kg/plant; in 2009 it was 2.6 kg/plant.
The average fruit diameter was 13.95 mm, and weight was 2.44 g.
The other cultivars did not produce fruit and the Jewel plants were susceptible to leaf rust disease caused by Naohidemyces vaccinii (Wint.) Sato, Katsuya et Hiratsuka (=Pucciniastrum vaccinii). The blackberry plants produced fruit in 2009. Bud break occurred very late in the season (beginning of June) and the crop season extended from 26 August to 17 December although during the last month only a few fruit were produced.
The production peak occurred on the first week of October.
The Heritage red raspberry fruit first ripened on 7 August and finished 14 September.
The maximum production occurred on 17 August.
The average fruit diameter was 15.93 mm, length was 17.50 mm, and weight was 2.60 g/berry.
The raspberries became infested with the insect Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval). Taylor was more susceptible than Heritage to this lepidopterous pest.
Trials are continuing.
Authors
J. Mota, K. Hummer, R. Williams
Keywords
highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, blackberry, Rubus, raspberry, Rubus idaeus
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