Flowering and Fruiting Characteristics of Vaccinium ashei and Vaccinium ashei-Vaccinium constablaei Derivative Blueberry Progenies

Hexaploid Vaccinium hybrid progenies, including F 1 , F 1 intercross, F 1 × F 2 , BC 1 , BC 1 intercross, and BC 1 × F 2 crosses between V. ashei Reade and V. constablaei Gray, and an intercross between late-blooming V. ashei genotypes, established in the commercial blueberry production area in eastern North Carolina, were compared among themselves and with 2 highbush blueberry ( V. corymbosum L.) cultivars for flowering, ripening, primary mummy berry infection, crop, and fruit characteristics. There were significant differences among progenies for all traits, with sufficient variability for selection within most progenies. Differences reflected specific parent combinations rather than type of cross with the V. ashei–V. constablaei derivative progenies. The experiment included both V. ashei and V. ashei–V. constablaei derivative progenies that produced a high percentage of seedlings flowering with or later than highbush blueberries. Two percent of the V. ashei–V. constablaei derivative seedlings bloomed and ripened with the early ripening highbush cultivar ‘Croatan’. Crop ratings were variable in all progenies, and high sds for the cultivars indicated that a high percentage of the variation was environmental. Primary mummy berry infection significantly reduced the crop in several progenies but was not responsible for the poor overall crop performance of most. Mean fruit size of the V. ashei intercross was large enough for hand harvest, while all but the 2 smallest-fruited V. ashei- V. constablaei derivative progenies were large enough for mechanical harvesting. Fruit of most progenies were commercially acceptable for color, picking scar, firmness, and flavor.