Importance of Outcrossing in Highbush Blueberry Cultivars
Conference Year
2023
Abstract
Some flowering plants require cross pollination, while other rely on selfing. Many, like highbush blueberries, use both, but one method may still be more effective. This phenomenon has been studied in blueberry cultivars which have shown a variety of results. To test this, Blueray and Bluecrop flowers were pollinated with self, bush-crossed, and out-crossed pollen. The fruit set, seed count, sugar content, viable seed percentage, and mass were compared using generalized linear models. The first four were insignificant, but selfing resulted in significantly different mass than crossing. To produce larger berries, farmers should isolate their Blueray and Bluecrop plants
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Alison Brody
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Biology
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Importance of Outcrossing in Highbush Blueberry Cultivars
Some flowering plants require cross pollination, while other rely on selfing. Many, like highbush blueberries, use both, but one method may still be more effective. This phenomenon has been studied in blueberry cultivars which have shown a variety of results. To test this, Blueray and Bluecrop flowers were pollinated with self, bush-crossed, and out-crossed pollen. The fruit set, seed count, sugar content, viable seed percentage, and mass were compared using generalized linear models. The first four were insignificant, but selfing resulted in significantly different mass than crossing. To produce larger berries, farmers should isolate their Blueray and Bluecrop plants