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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #224947
Title: Developing Blueberry Plants with Shock Virus Tolerance for the Pacific Northwest

Author
item YANG, W - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Martin, Robert
item CHANG, Y - NORTH AMERICAN PLANT

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2008
Publication Date: 8/28/2008
Citation: Yang, W.Q., Martin, R.R., Chang, Y. 2008. Developing blueberry plants with shock virus tolerance for the Pacific Northwest. HortScience.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In the Pacific Northwest, Blueberry shock virus (BlShV) causes short term blighting of flowers and young leaves in young and established blueberry fields, resulting in yield loss for one or two years. After the initial shock phase, plants recover and do not exhibit symptoms again. The virus is pollen-borne and transmission is facilitated by bees. Three highbush blueberry cultivars (‘Duke’, ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Elliott’) that tested positive for BlShV by ELISA and RT-PCR were selected for tissue culture propagation. Tissue-cultured shoots from all three cultivars tested positive for BlShV by ELISA and RT-PCR, indicating that the BlShV was passed on during tissue culture. These experiments provided evidence that BlShV was maintained through tissue culture. These plants will be rooted and planted in the field to determine if the severe reaction observed after infection can be avoided by starting with plants preconditioned for BlShV tolerance.