Fruiting of varieties of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in Belarus

Abstract

The features of entering into the stage of generative development, industrial fruiting, productivity, the variability of fruiting of 20 cultivars of blueberry and a large variety of blueberry, introduced in Belarus have been shown on the base of results during many years of researches. All the investigated blueberry cultivars in conditions of Belarus fulfill their target functions – they form fruits. It indicates successful implementation of their adaptive potential at the introduction point. The introduction into the generative phase of the development of blueberry plants occurs at the age of 4, in the stage of industrial fruiting – in the 6-year-old. . In different years of fruiting, the yield of blueberry cultivars varies greatly. While the cultivars Bluecrop, Bluetta, Denise Blue, Duke, Earliblue, Elizabeth, Jersey, Northblue, Northcountry, Northland, Patriot, Weymouth are characterized by a higher berry productivity then other ones, Blueray, Northland and Jersey are characterized by more regular fruit bearing. The variability  of fruiting of blueberry plants mainly is caused by the death of flowering buds in winter and/or by the drought during the period of their forming. The weight of the blueberry fetus is very variable, depending on the varietal characteristics and the year. A close size of berries correlation dependence has been established concerning to the moisture content in the period of their growth, and to its temperature regime especially.