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Poor fruit set is one of the most important horticultural problems of the rabbiteye blueberry industry. Rabbiteye blueberries require cross-pollination and several bee species are expected to transfer pollen from one cultivar to another. A novel method was developed to measure bee-mediated pollen dispersion in rabbiteye blueberry. Pollen diameters were used to predict the proportion of cross-pollen in bumble bees' pollen load. Bumble bees visiting blueberry flowers had low proportions of cross-pollen. It is proposed that inadequate levels of cross-pollination play a major role in the failure of rabbiteye blueberries to set adequate commercial crops. The composition of bees' pollen load changed with the phenology of the crop. Data indicate that the greatest likelihood for cross-pollination occurred around the time of maximum bloom overlap of the two studied cultivars.

Respiration is important in the overall carbon balance of plants, and can be separated into growth (R_g) and maintenance respiration (R_m)_. Estimation of R_g and R_m throughout plant development is difficult with traditional approaches. Here, we describe a new method to determine ontogenic changes in R_g and R_m. The CO₂ exchange rate of groups of 28 `Cooler Peppermint' vinca plants [Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.] was measured at 20 min intervals for 2 weeks. These data were used to calculate daily carbon gain (DCG, a measure of growth rate) and cumulative carbon gain (CCG, a measure of plant size). Growth and maintenance respiration were estimated based on the assumption that they are functions of DCG and CCG, respectively. Results suggested a linear relationship between DCG and R_g. Initially, R_m was three times larger than R_g, but they were similar at the end of the experiment. The decrease in the fraction of total available carbohydrates that was used for R_m resulted in an increase in carbon use efficiency from 0.51 to 0.67 mol·mol^-1 during the 2-week period. The glucose requirement of the plants was determined from R_g, DCG, and the carbon fraction of the plant material and estimated to be 1.39 g·g^-1, while the maintenance coefficient was estimated to be 0.031 g·g^-1·d^-1 at the end of the experiment. These results are similar to values reported previously for other species. This suggests that the use of semicontinuous CO₂ exchange measurements for estimating R_g and R_m yields reasonable results.

Blueberry species (Vaccinium section Cyanococcus) benefit from cross-pollination. Outcrossing increases fruit set, berry size, and ripening rate. Although knowledge of pollen dispersal is essential for maximizing cross-pollination and achieving optimal planting designs, this process has not been quantified previously in blueberry plantings. A novel method was developed to estimate the proportion of self- and cross-pollen transported by blueberry pollinators. The proposed technique requires a consistent difference in pollen size between two cultivars to predict the composition of a pollen mixture based on frequency distributions of pollen diameter. Vaccinium ashei Reade `Brightwell' and `Climax' were chosen for this study because they produce pollen tetrads of different size. Tetrad diameter and number were analyzed with a particle counter. The technique was validated by predicting the proportion of `Brightwell' in pollen mixtures where the cultivar composition was known, and predicted and actual values were linearly correlated (r = 0.995, P < 0.0001). The technique was then applied to pollen samples extracted from the bodies of pollinators that were collected in a mixed `Brightwell' and `Climax' blueberry plot. Numbers of blueberry tetrads extracted per bumblebee (Bombus spp.) averaged 4595 and 797 in 2003 and 2004, respectively, which was considered adequate to make accurate predictions based on frequency distributions of tetrad diameter. The proportion of `Brightwell' pollen carried by bumblebees changed with the phenology of the crop following an expected pattern, indicating that the method performed well under field conditions. This technique could potentially be used to quantify the likelihood for outcrossing and establish the effect of cultivar arrangements on pollen dispersion, as well as to examine pollen collection and manipulation, and cultivar preference by bees.

Fruit zone leaf removal effects on grapevine (Vitis sp.) productivity and fruit quality have been widely researched. Many fruit zone leaf removal studies state that grape temperature influences grape composition; however, few studies have quantified grape berry temperature fluctuations over time, likely because of technical challenges. An efficient, simple, and economical way to estimate grape berry temperature would be valuable for researchers and industry. Consistent quantification of grape temperature would allow researchers to compare the effects of leaf removal on grape composition across varying climates and regions. A cost-effective means to quantify berry temperature would also provide industry members site-specific information on berry temperature patterns and guide leaf removal practice. Our goals were to develop a method and model to estimate berry temperature based on air temperature and berry mimics, thereby precluding the need to measure solar radiation or obtain expensive equipment. We evaluated the ability of wireless temperature sensors, submerged in various volumes of water within black or white balloons, to predict berry temperature. Treatments included 0-, 10-, 30-, 50-, and 70-mL volumes of deionized water in black and white balloons and a clear plastic bag with no water. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between sensor-logged temperatures and ‘Camminare noir’ berry temperatures recorded with hypodermic thermocouples. Nighttime berry temperatures were close to air temperature in all treatments. Using a piecewise regression model, the 30-mL white- and 30-mL black-balloon treatments predicted berry temperature with the greatest accuracy (R ² = 0.98 and 0.96, respectively). However, during daytime hours only, the 30-mL white-balloon treatment (R ² = 0.91) was more effective at estimating temperature than the 30-mL black-balloon treatment (R ² = 0.78). Housing temperature sensors in balloons proved to be an accurate, practical, and cost-effective solution to estimate berry temperature. Further refinement of this method in different regions, row orientations, training systems, and cultivars is necessary to determine applicability of this approach under a wide range of conditions.