Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: This project includes both blueberry and muscadine grape breeding. The target audience for blueberries is commercial industry (NC and beyond), other breeders in academia and private corporations, and fellow academics in different disciplines. Within North Carolina the emphasis is on commercial production of blueberries for fresh market and process as well as a few you-pick operations and some homeowners. The target audience for muscadine grapes is industry (NC and beyond), other breeders in academia and private companies, and fellow academics in different disciplines. Within North Carolina the emphasis is on commercial production of muscadine grapes for the wine industry and fresh market fruit as well as some homeowners. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? I attended the North American Blueberry Research and Extension Workers conference in June of 2014. This was my first time meeting many of my blueberry research peers from around the world. It allowed for in depth knowledge of current research as well as new collaborations on projects. Additionally, I also visited a number of Univeristies (UFL and OSU) as well as private blueberry companies (Fall Creek and Michigan Blueberry Growers Association). I also attended the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference and the 48th Annual Blueberry Open House and Trade Show in NC. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results from these two prorams have been shared with interested parties at grower meetings. Verbal and written reports were presented to both the North Carolina Blueberry Council and the North Carolina Grape council. Data was also presented to growers and researchers at the annual blueberry meeting. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? 54 crosses have been planned for the blueberry breeding program this year. Crosses were aimed at machine harvestability and fruit firmness, fall fruiting varieites as well as early fruiting cultivars. Seedlings will be walked and evaluated on many criteria looking for new potential commercial cultivars and parent material. These selections will be propagated for further trialing. A mechanical harvest trial will be performed on 16 advanced selections this summer. 10 seedlings will attempt to be established in tissue culture. A few micro cuttings will be taken out of TC to root and grow in the greenhouse for future establishment in the field. This will be trialed and best practice protocols written as well as developing space and techniques for TC microcuttings to root outside of TC and plants to grow long term in the greenhouse. 12 crosses are planned for the muscadine breeding program this year. 1,570 plants will be planted in the field for futher testing and evaluation and 2,833 seed will be sown.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Blueberry variety, NC 2701, has been reviewed by the release board at NCSU and a patent will be applied for next year. 40 blueberry crosses were made with emphasis on commercial cultivars, mechanical harvestability, fruit harvest timing, and fruit quality. 3,500 seedlings were planted in the field and evaluations on these varieties will begin in 2 years. 45 seedlings were selected from plants established in the field in 2011 and 2012. These plants were propagated and will be established in adcanced trials in the field next year. 1,500 seedlings were evaluated in the muscadine breeding program. 22 seedlings were selected and propagated and 1,570 seedlings and selections were planted in the field for further testing.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: This project includes both blueberry and muscadine grape breeding. The target audience for blueberries is commercial industry (NC and beyond), other breeders in academia and private corporations, and fellow academics in different disciplines. Within North Carolina the emphasis is on commercial production of blueberries for fresh market and process as well as a few you-pick operations and some homeowners. The target audience for muscadine grapes is industry (NC and beyond), other breeders in academia and private companies, and fellow academics in different disciplines. Within North Carolina the emphasis is on commercial production of muscadine grapes for the wine industry and fresh market fruit as well as some homeowners. Changes/Problems: Wet weather was a major issue this year for the blueberry breeding program. The weather altered fruit harvest timing and picking schedules. It also affected disease and insect pressures. One particular pest problem this year was Spotted Wing Drosophilla. This insect lays it's eggs in ripening fruit. The eggs then hatch and larvae feed on the fruit. This alters the firmness of the fruit and can affect our selection of firm or soft fruited varieties. Rain also impacted the grape breeding program. The Horticultural Crops Research Station in Castle Hayne has limited field space and a new vineyard was established on poor soil. The soil does not drain well and the rain caused poor establishment of cultivars. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results from these two programs have been shared with interested parties. One way information is presented is through field days where growers and researchers come together to present, collaborate and strengthen relationships. Reports were also presented to both the North Carolina Blueberry Council and the North Carolina Grape council in person and in writting. Results were also presented in presentation form to the blueberry industry during their annual meeting. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Thirtyfour crosses have been planned for the blueberry breeding program this year. Crosses were aimed at fruit firmness for mechanical harvest and ship-ability, fruit flavor and quality and fruit harvest timing. Seedlings will be walked and evaluated on many criteria looking for new potential commercial cultivars and parent material. These selections will be proppagated for further trialing. A mechanical harvest trial will be performed on 16 advanced selections this summer. A tissue culture lab will be established in aiding in blueberry breeding. This lab will produce clean plant material for trials and eventual release of new cultivars to the market. Eight crosses have been planned for the muscadine breeding program this year. 1,860 seedlings will be established in the field for evaluation in a couple of years when they are fruitful. 1,500 selections and seedlings will be evaluated.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
One blueberry variety, US 508 is currently pending a plant patent. Another selection, NC 2701 will be going before the review board this year to begin the process of patenting. Twenty crosses were made with emphasis on early fruit ripening, mechanical harvest, and fruit quality. 7,000 seedlings were planted in the field and evaluations will begin on these varieties next year. Thirtyfour seedlings were selected from plants established in the field in 2010. These plants were propagated and will be established in advanced trials the field next year. 1,500 seedlings and advanced selections were evaluated in the muscadine breeding program. 266 selections were planted in the field for further testing.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Decision made to seek permission for joint release of US 508 southern highbush blueberry with the USDA. US 508 ripens between the very early ripening cultivar O'Neal and the second early cultivar New Hanover. US 508 produces large, light blue, firm and high quality berries with good post harvest shelf-life. Seventy-one recent blueberry selections were established in duplicate 3 plant plots at Castle Hayne with single back-up plots at the Sandhills Research Station. Eight thousand five hundred sixty one blueberry seedlings were established in evaluation fields in 2012. These included 6215 seedlings at Ivanhoe, NC, and 2346 at Castle Hayne. Two hundred three new blueberry seedling selections were identified in 2012. Completed second year evaluations of muscadine cultivars and experimental selections in evaluation trials at Castle Hayne, Jackson Springs, Salisbury and Reidsville, NC. These evaluations emphasized consistent production, fruit size and fruit quality as well as winter hardiness. Propagated 53 muscadine seedling selections first identified in 2011. PARTICIPANTS: William T. Bland, Research Associate/Technican assisted with cultivar selection and seedling evaluations. TARGET AUDIENCES: blueberry and muscadine grape researchers, extension specialists/county extension agents, and growers in North Carolina and the southeastern US. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
US 508 will meet the need of the NC blueberry industry for another early ripening, large fruited high quality variety that ripens in the season when the NC industry has a market window. The 71 recently propagated selections and 203 selections first identified in 2012, along with the 8561 seedlings established in the field in 2012 will all be key to the continued progress of the NCSU blueberry breeding program. Based on the two year evaluations of muscadine cultivars and experimental selections the following recommendations can be made: Fresh Fruit - Nesbitt, Supreme, Summit,Triumph; Wine - Noble, Regale, Carlos, Sterling. In addition, NC 1006 appeared promising for fresh fruit, and FL H 17-66 for red wine. The 53 muscadine selections propagated in 2012 will be established at Castle Hayne, Jackson Springs and Salisbury in spring 2013, where they will be compared with standard cultivars.
Publications
- Ehlenfeldt, M.K. and Ballington, J.R. 2012. Vaccinium species of section Hemimyrtillus: their value to cultivated blueberry and approaches to utilization. NRC Research Press: Botany 90:347-353.
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Twenty-nine blueberry selections were established in duplicate plot mechanical harvest trials at Castle Hayne, NC, to be compared with the standard mechanical harvest cultivars Reveille and Southern Splendor. Ninty-three recent blueberry selections were also established in duplicate plots at Castle Hayne and single plot observation trials at Jackson Springs, NC. These include 68 southern highbush selections and 25 rabbiteye selections. The southern highbush selection US 508 is planned for joint release with the USDA in 2012/2013. The complex pentaploid selections NC 2701 and NC 3465 are also planned for release in 2012/2013. Thirty-one muscadine cultivars have been established in duplicate plot trials at three loctions in the coastal plain and piedmont of North Carolina to determine adaptation across the state. Twenty advanced muscadine selections were also included in these trials, along with three selections of Vitis munsoniana. Seventy-three new seedling muscadine selections were selected at Castle Hayne, NC, in 2011. In addition, 13 open pollinated selections from wild muscadines from Arkansas and Kentucky were selected for useas parents at Jackson Springs. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. James R. Ballington, principal investigator, William T. Bland, research specialist: Partner organizations; North Carolina Blueberry Council, North Carolina Wine and Grape Council, USDA CREES SCRI admin. by UGA Res. Found. Collaborators: Bill Cline, Dept. of Plant Pathology, N.C. State University, Dr. Hannah Barrack, Dept. of Entomology, N. C. State University TARGET AUDIENCES: Blueberry and muscadine grape growers and professionals in North Carolina and the southeastern USA. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Following four years of evaluation in replicated trials US 508 appears very promising as a potential new cultivar that ripens in the early season with large size, light blue, firm, and high quality fruit that should meet the need for an improved early season southern highbush cultivar. NC 2701 and NC 3465 are trispecies (highbush, rabbiteye, V.constablaei) pentaploid hybrids thay ripen between highbush and rabbiteye cultivars. NC 2701 produces medium to large size very light blue, firm, high quality fruit that is "almost" seedless. NC 3465 produces very firm, medium blue, good quality fruit and appears adapted to mechanical harvest. When released these two selections will fill the gap season-wise between current highbush and rabbiteye blueberries. Since the muscadine breeding part of this project is just getting established, no results are ready to be reported at this time, other than the fact that cultivar trials have been established, and 86 seedling selections have been identified.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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