Blueberry Germplasm Screening at Several Soil pH Regimes. I. Plant Survival and Growth

Summary

This two-year field trial evaluated 33 blueberry seedling progenies at three soil pH regimes to identify germplasm tolerant of higher soil pH conditions. Plants performed best at low pH (4.0), poorly at high pH (6.5), and intermediately at native pH (4.5); significant variation existed among populations for most traits. The study demonstrated that non-destructive measurements correlate strongly with dry weight, enabling efficient screening for pH tolerance without destructive sampling, though V. angustifolium alone did not consistently confer high-pH tolerance.

Regional applicability

This Minnesota-based trial is directly applicable to UK blueberry cultivation, particularly in regions where soil pH varies or where growers seek to expand production to less acidic soils. The identification of pH-tolerant germplasm and non-destructive screening methods could inform UK breeding and varietal selection programmes, though local soil conditions and climate would require validation.

Key measures

Plant survival, growth traits, vitality at 18 months, subjective and objective plant performance measurements, total plant dry weight, pH tolerance across populations

Outcomes reported

The study measured plant survival, growth, and dry weight accumulation across 33 blueberry seedling progenies grown at three soil pH levels (4.0, 4.5, and 6.5) over two years. Performance traits included vitality, subjective vigour ratings, and objective measurements correlated with total plant dry weight.

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