Volume 52 Number 2 Article 22
Year 1998 Month 4
Title: Pollen Fertility of Hybrids Between Rabbiteye Blueberry and Vaccinium constablaei
Authors: R. Ritzinger and P.M. Lyrene
Abstract:
Vaccinium ashei Reade, the cultivated rabbiteye blueberry of the southeastern United States, was
hybridized with V. constablaei A. Gray, a lower-growing, highly rhizomatous blueberry native on the
high mountain balds of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
Both species are hexaploid.
The
F1 hybrids appeared to be fully male fertile based on copious pollen shed and on the high percentage
of the pollen that could be stained with acetocarmine dye.
Twelve Fj plants representing three crosses
averaged 97% pollen staining, compared to 96% for V. ashei and 95% for V. constablaei.
Crosses of
tetraploid southern highbush selections (largely V. corymbosum L.) with V. constablaei produced F1 hybrids that shed little pollen and averaged only 48% pollen staining.
The low pollen fertility was probably due to differences in chromosome numbers between the parental species.
Unreduced gametes
were detected in V. constablaei and were probably involved in the evolution of V. constablaei from
diploid and tetraploid species. Vaccinium constablaei has several desirable traits needed in rabbiteye
blueberry cultivars, including short stature, low bloom-to-ripe heat unit requirement, small seeds, and
inconspicuous sclereids.
Because the interspecific hybrids are highly fertile, it is likely that hexaploid
blueberry cultivars of the future will increasingly contain a mixture of genes from the two species.
Full text download: APS subscribers
ISHS members & pay-per-view
(PDF 704080 bytes)
Translate:
APS membership administration
ISHS membership administration
