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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #372301
Research Project: Genetic Improvement of Blueberry and Cranberry Through Breeding and Development/Utilization of Genomic Resources

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Title: Breaking interspecific barriers in vaccinium: Hybrids of andean blueberry (V. Meridionale swartz) with highbush blueberry, cranberry, and lingonberry

Author
item Ehlenfeldt, Mark
item Polashock, James

Submitted to: Acta Horticulture Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/9/2022
Publication Date: 1/31/2023
Citation: Ehlenfeldt, M.K., Polashock, J.J. 2023. Breaking interspecific barriers in vaccinium: Hybrids of andean blueberry (V. Meridionale swartz) with highbush blueberry, cranberry, and lingonberry. Acta Horticulture Proceedings. 1357:151-156. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1357.22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1357.22

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The blueberry species V. corymbodendron of section Pyxothamnus has shown value as a bridge between taxonomic sections and ploidies in Vaccinium as either a first-generation or second-generation parent. Tetraploid V. corymbodendron has hybridized successfully with 2x and 4x species of section Cyanococcus (blueberry), 4x section Oxycoccos (cranberry) and 2x section Vitis-idaea (lingonberry). The first-generation hybrids with 4x blueberry and 4x cranberry both produce strong plants with notable vigor. First generation blueberry hybrids have successfully crossed to both 4x blueberry and 4x cranberry. Second-generation allotetraploid V. corymbodendron - V. vitis-idaea hybrids have hybridized successfully with 4x cranberry, 4x blueberry, and 2x lingonberry. It appears that these varied allotetraploid hybrids may allow gene movement among these diverse sections at the 4x level. Further test-crosses are being made to evaluate the range of crossability of 4x V. corymbodendron and the hybrid V. corymbodendron allotetraploids with other taxonomic sections of Ericaceae.