Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408770
Research Project: Accelerating Blueberry and Cranberry Improvement by Exploiting Germplasm Resources and Multi-omics Technologies

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Title: Triploid hybrids of 2x lingonberry (vaccinium vitis-idaea) by 2x black highbush blueberry (v. fuscatum) and 2x elliott’s blueberry (v. elliottii) as evidence of a genome balance requirement for hybridization success

Author
item Ehlenfeldt, Mark
item LUTEYN, JAMES - New York Botanical Garden
item Zalapa, Juan
item DE LA TORRE, FERNANDO - University Of Wisconsin

Submitted to: Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/2023
Publication Date: 12/6/2023
Citation: Ehlenfeldt, M.K., Luteyn, J.L., Zalapa, J.E., De La Torre, F. 2023. Triploid hybrids of 2x lingonberry (vaccinium vitis-idaea) by 2x black highbush blueberry (v. fuscatum) and 2x elliott’s blueberry (v. elliottii) as evidence of a genome balance requirement for hybridization success. Horticulturae. 9(12):1308. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121308.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121308

Interpretive Summary: The highbush blueberry industry has benefited significantly in the past from utilization of blueberry relatives in breeding new improved cultivars. Further understanding of methodology for utilization of distant relatives will benefit ongoing cultivar development and improvement efforts. A project was undertaken to understand the crossing barriers between lingonberry, Black Highbush blueberry, and Elliott's blueberry, all of which might benefit highbush blueberry cultivar development. Hybridizations were made between lingonberry cultivars and a Black Highbush blueberry clone and between lingonberry and Elliott's Blueberry. The crosses succeeded at a low level, with few hybrids produced. When verified for ploidy levels (sets of chromosomes), hybrids produced from these diploid (two sets of chromosomes) parents were found to be triploid (three sets of chromosomes) and one was tetraploid (four sets of chromosomes). Hybrids were intermediate in morphology and had low fertility due to their triploid nature. However, several hybrids produced progeny when used as females, and pollinated with hexaploid (six sets of chromosomes) rabbiteye blueberry. The production of triploids from diploid crosses suggests there is natural selection for a reproductive genome balance between these species with 2 sets of chromosomes from lingonberry and one set from blueberry. This information will be beneficial in helping blueberry breeders plan crosses that will facilitate the use of these species in developing improved blueberry cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Hybridizations were made between a 2x V. vitis-idaea section Vitis-idaea (lingonberry) cultivar and a 2x V. fuscatum section Cyanococcus (Black Highbush Blueberry) clone. The crosses succeeded at a low level, and only 6 hybrids were produced. When verified for ploidy levels, 5 of 6 hybrids were found to be triploid and one was tetraploid. Hybrids were intermediate in morphology and fertile only at very low levels, mostly due to their triploid level. Several hybrids produced progeny when used as females, and pollinated with 6x rabbiteye-derived males, indicating viable unreduced 2n eggs. Similar crosses were made between the lingonberry clones and a 2x V. elliottii section Cyanococcus (Elliott’s Blueberry) clone. These crosses produced only 2 hybrids, both also verified as triploid. These hybrids also were effectively sterile. The production of triploids from 2x x 2x crosses suggests tthat here is natural selection for a reproductive genome balance of 2 vitis-idaea: 1 Cyanococcus.