ARS | Publication request: A METHOD TO DETERMINE CHILLING REQUIREMENTS OF BLUEBERRY PLANTS USING CUTTINGS

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 1, 2003
Publication Date: August 1, 2003
Citation: Spiers, J.M., Marshall, D.A. 2003. A method to determine chilling requirements of blueberry plants using cuttings. Hortscience. vol 38(5):795

Technical Abstract: A study was initiated to determine the accuracy and efficiency of using cuttings from plants to determine the sufficient accumulation of chilling for bloom. A previous study showed that floral bud development in cut stems approximate that of intact plants for a period of 4 weeks if sufficient chilling has been obtained. In this study two rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei Reade)('Tifblue' and 'Climax') and two southern highbush (V.corymbosumx)('Jubilee', and 'Magnolia') cultivars were naturally chilled. At 100 chilling hour intervals (<7C), plants and cuttings were placed in a greenhouse and allowed to bloom. Floral development was rated weekly. 'Climax' plants and cuttings reached stage 3 within 4 week after 300 hours of chilling. 'Tifblue', 'Pearl River', and 'Jubilee' plants and cuttings needed 400 hrs of chilling for both to reach stage 3 within 4 weeks. 'Magnolia' plants and cuttings advanced to a stage 3 within 4 weeks after 500 hours of chilling. The study indicated that cuttings from blueberry plants can be used to determine approximate chilling requirements if plants reach a floral bud development scale rating of >3 within a 4 week forcing period.