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Leaf bud development is a problem on many blueberry cultivars grown throughout the Southeast. Dormex (50% hydrogen cyanamide) has shown potential in accelerating leaf and floral bud development of some fruit crops, but its usage on blueberries has not been thoroughly explored. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to examine the effects of timing Dormex applications on `Climax' rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) and `Oneal' southern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum). Plants were subjected to low and moderate chilling conditions and were forced under greenhouse conditions. Dormex timings were: 1)1 day after forcing (DAF), 2) 3 DAF, 3) at 10% stage 3 floral buds, 4) at 30% to 50% stage 3 floral buds, 5) at 10% to 30% stage 4 floral buds, 6) control (no Dormex). All Dormex applications were applied at a rate of 2% product. Results showed that Dormex both increased and accelerated leaf bud break as compared to the control. However, flower buds at stage 3 of development or beyond were very susceptible to chemical burn by the product. The data indicate that timing of Dormex applications on blueberries should be based on rate of plant development rather than calendar time. Additional research is needed to most effectively use the product to aid blueberry leaf development.
`Tifblue' and `Brightwell' rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade) were planted in 1992 in a tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) sod. Vegetation-free areas of various sizes were maintained around plants to determine the area's influence on establishment and growth of young plants. Vegetation-free circles 0 (control), 0.6, 0.9, and 1.5 m in diameter were maintained from 1992 to 1994 by a combination of commercially recommended herbicides and hand-weeding. The treatments resulted in vegetation-free areas of 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.8 m2. Fall growth index values (derived from canopy height and width measurements) increased with size of vegetation-free area in each of the three years. The response was positive linear and negative quadratic, with little difference between the 0.6- and 1.8-m2 vegetation-free areas. Average shoot length in Fall 1992 showed a response similar to that of the growth index; total shoot count per plant was not affected by the treatments. Percent fruit set was not influenced by treatments; however, the number of flower buds per plant in Spring 1994 was correlated positively with size of vegetation-free area. The cultivars responded similarly. Thus, vegetation control seems to be important in establishing young rabbiteye blueberry plants, with the optimum vegetation-free area between 0.6 and 1.8 m2 during the first 2 to 3 years after planting.
Individual flower clusters of `Tifblue' rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) were treated with 300 ppm GA at several flower bud stages to determine the activity of the growth regulator in promoting fruit set. Applications were made one time only at a specified stage of flower development, or once followed by a second application. A single application of GA when flower buds had elongated but corollas had not expanded (stage 5) led to the largest increase in fruit set. Two applications of GA, 10 to 18 days apart, increased fruit set compared with a single application at flower developmental stages other than stage 5. Fruit set promoted by a single spray of GA imposed on fully expanded corollas (stage 6) decreased with increasing number of chill hours (350, 520, 760, or 1150). Chemical names used: gibberellic acid (GA).
Plants of the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cultivars Brightwell, Climax, and Tifblue were subjected to pollination with bees or to applications of 250 mg·L-1 of gibberellic acid (GA3) to examine the influence on fruit size and maturation period. Plants were thinned to a similar fruit density (FD) 4 weeks after anthesis. `Tifblue' and `Climax' fruit were smaller on GA3-treated than on bee-pollinated plants, but no difference was observed for `Brightwell'. The fruit maturation period for `Climax' was not affected by treatments, but `Brightwell' and `Tifblue' fruit on pollinated plants ripened 2 weeks earlier than fruit on GA3-treated plants. These data suggest that excess fruit load is not the primary factor responsible for the smaller fruit size and lengthened fruit development period resulting from GA3 applications to rabbiteye blueberries.
Poor blueberry leaf development is a serious problem in medium and low chilling regions which leads to smaller, later ripening fruit and reduced bush vigor. Dormex (hydrogen cyanamide) and Promalin or Accel (6-benzyl adenine plus gibberellins A4 and A7) were used in the experiments. Dormex 1991-1995 trials with applications at the end of the dormancy period (February) looked promising but were not uniformly successful. In 1996, applications were made starting in mid-dormancy (early-mid January) about 6-8 weeks before normal bud break. Spring vegetative bud development was greatly accelerated with minimal advance in flower development. Mid-dormancy Dormex rates of 1.5% to 2% appear promising. Dormex application after bud break or at excessively high rates will kill flower buds, but has excellent potential as a bloom thinning agent for juvenile blueberry plants. Promalin or Accel applications post bloom significantly accelerated spring leaf development. Late summer applications of Promalin significantly increased fall growth and number of side shoots.
'Climax' and 'Tifblue' blueberry cultivars were harvested, cooled, and later warmed to room temperature for use in individual berry dropping experiments. Surfaces used were concrete, “Softer NoBruze” and “Poron #7R70-Grey.” Berries in the check were not dropped. Three groups of 25 berries were dropped individually from various heights ranging from .5 ft to 7 ft. Initially, berries were cut to determine percent flesh showing bruising. Later, berries were rolled between fingers and assigned a firmness: firm, medium firm, or soft. The first two firmnesses are considered marketable. Fruit tended to bruise more when harvested later in season. More bruising occurred with higher drop heights. More marketable fruit resulted from thicker padding. Repeated dropping increased bruising. “NoBruze” was superior to “Poron” at any thickness. Many berries in the mechanical harvester have to drop over a foot onto a metal surface; padding these surfaces should increase percent of marketable (undamaged) berry yield.
`Climax' blueberry is a major cultivar in Georgia, but because of its excessively low chilling requirement and early blooming habit, it has a poor cropping history in recent years due to spring freezes. Research was initiated to explore the potential for ethephon to delay bloom, without delaying ripening too much. In 1997-1998 a treatment of 200 ppm ethephon applied on 3 Nov. or 400 ppm applied on 17 Nov. delayed bloom 5 to 7 days compared to the control. There was no significant difference between the control and the ethephon treatment in flower bud density or fruit density in the spring. In 1998-1999 ethephon applications at 200 and 400 ppm were applied once or twice 2 weeks apart starting on 5 Oct. and ending 19 Nov. A bloom delay of about 7 days was achieved with most ethephon applications. However, an application of 400 ppm on 19 Oct. and 2 Nov. delayed bloom about 14 days compared to the control. There was a trend toward delayed fruit ripening with the most-effective bloom delay treatments, but the extent of delayed ripening was minimal. Berry weight was not effected by ethephon treatments.
Recent research in Georgia indicated gibberellic acid (GA3) could possibly be used to induce fruit set of freeze damaged rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) blooms. This research was conducted to determine the subfreezing temperature limit at which GA3 could be expected to be of use in salvaging a crop with freeze-damaged flowers. Rabbiteye blueberries with flower buds at stages 5 to 6 of development (fully elongated corollas and open blooms) were exposed to temperatures of 0, –1, –3, and –4.5°C in growth chambers to simulate overnight freezing events. After cold exposure, plants were placed in a greenhouse with a hive of bumblebees. Half of the plants were treated with GA3 and half were not. The number of flowers and subsequent fruit were recorded in order to calculate fruit set. Temperatures of –1°C and below caused fruit set resulting from pollination by bees to decline compared to control plants; whereas, flowers treated with GA3 had fruit set comparable to control plants down to –3°C. Plants exposed to –3°C had 50% to 80% fruit set when treated with GA3 compared to 5% to 19% fruit set for untreated plants. Temperatures of –4.5°C caused severe flower damage, and fruit set by pollination or GA3 was very poor (<2%). These results indicate that GA3 should be useful in salvaging a blueberry crop exposed to temperatures of – 1 to –3.5°C during bloom.
Solarization and chemical alternatives to methyl bromide (MeBr) soil fumigation for strawberry (Fragaria {XtimesX} ananassa) were evaluated in a 3-year study in Savannah, Ga. Solarization using clear or black plastic, metam sodium (Sectagon), dazomet (Basamid), 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin (Telone C-35), MeBr, and untreated control treatments were used. Solarization produced maximal soil temperatures of 55 to 60 °C (131 to 140 °F) at the 2.5 cm (1 inch) depth, and 42 to 48 °C (108 to 118 °F) at the 15 cm (6 inch) depth. Clear and black plastic were generally equally effective in heating the soil. A double layer of clear plastic raised soil temperatures 1 to 2 °C (2 to 4 °F) above those under a single layer of clear at the 2.5 cm depth, although this occurred less frequently at the 15 cm depth. MeBr treatment increased yield by 46% and 128% in the first and second years, respectively, compared to the untreated control, but all treatments were similar in yield in year three. Season average fruit size differed among treatments in only the first year, with MeBr resulting in fruit 13% to 25% larger than other treatments. Yield for the metam sodium treatment in the first year was 34% lower than for MeBr, but comparable to MeBr in the other 2 years. Solarization treatment yields were similar to those of MeBr in the first and third years, but could not be analyzed in the second year due to plot damage. Dazomet treatment yields were similar to those of MeBr, metam sodium, and the untreated control in its single year of testing, but logistics of application and high costs may disfavor this treatment. The 1,3-dichloropropene/chloropicrin treatment performed as well as MeBr in its single year of testing. Three treatments-metam sodium, 1,3-dichloropropene/chloropicrin, and solarization with black plastic-offer viable, lower cost alternatives to MeBr.