Variability in yield of the lowbush blueberry clones growing in modified soil
Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Soil and Plant Sciences, Liela iela 2, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
Abstract:
In Latvia blueberry plantations are represented by approximately 486 ha in 2018, and about 44% of blueberry plantations are established in cutover peat bogs and approximately 40 ha of them are grown lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.). In Latvia, lowbush blueberries are not grown on modified mineral soil (peat on the top of mineral soil). Ten lowbush blueberry clone were sampled from a commercial field to estimate potential productivity. The experiment was done at the Faculty of Agriculture, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. The plantation was established in peat (pH 3.8), which was covered in a layer of about 40 cm on mineral soil, rooted cuttings were planted in 2012, at a distance of 0.5×0.9 m, if necessary, the plantation was watered. The yield was estimated for a five year period, from 2015–2019. Significant differences in yield were found both by years and between clones. Over a five-year period, yields between clones ranged from 0.18 kg (2017) to 4.79 kg (2019) per bush. The high coefficient of variation (from 24.6 to 84.9%) indicate differences in yield between clones, with only 4 clones being below 30%. The average yield of clones by years was higher in 2019 (2.24 kg per bush), the lowest in 2017 (1.12 kg per bush). The results indicate variability on yield between the clones included in the experiment and year.
Key words:
one berry weigth, Vaccinium angustifolium Ait, yield