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Summer pruning southern highbush blueberries in Florida

University of Florida Horticultural Sciences Department. Summer pruning southern highbush blueberries in Florida. Al Kovaleski February, 2014. Blueberry summer pruning. No removal of flower buds Long growing season in FL Pruning promotes increased vigor

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Summer pruning southern highbush blueberries in Florida

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  1. University of Florida Horticultural Sciences Department Summer pruning southern highbush blueberries in Florida Al Kovaleski February, 2014

  2. Blueberry summer pruning • No removal of flower buds • Long growing season in FL • Pruning promotes increased vigor • More support for reproductive structures

  3. Objectives Determine the effects of timing and severity of summer pruning: • Vegetative traits: • Regrowth • Cane breakage • Timing of defoliation • Incidence of leaf spots • Incidence and severity of stem blight • Reproductive traits: • Flower bud initiation • Fruit set • Yield • Quality of fruit

  4. Plant material • Two cultivars • ‘Emerald’ and ‘Jewel’ • Seven year old plants • Commercial cultural practices • PSREU – Citra, FL

  5. Treatments • No summer pruning control • Prune 30% early June • Prune 30% mid-July • Prune 30% early June+tip • Prune 60% early June+tip • Detailed hand pruning control www.caes.uga.edu

  6. Treatments Unpruned 30% 60%

  7. Vegetative traits • Canopy volume • Regrowth • Condition of fall foliage • Time of defoliation • Leaf spot

  8. Vegetative traits • Incidence and severity of Stem Blight

  9. Reproductive traits • Re-growth shoots collected to assess timing of flower bud initiation – Late summer until defoliation

  10. Reproductive traits • Harvest • Period • Yield • Fruit quality • Total soluble solids • Titratable acidity • Firmness • Average berry weight picturesbychristopher.wordpress.com Labmate-online.com

  11. Results to date

  12. Regrowth volume - Jewel

  13. Cane breakage - Freezes

  14. Leaf spots - Jewel

  15. Environmental Conditions 2011 2012 2013 2014

  16. Leaf spots - Jewel

  17. Defoliation - Jewel • No significant defoliation in ‘Emerald’ until December

  18. Flower bud initiation

  19. Flower bud initiation

  20. Flower bud initiation • Emerald – Sep 8th • Jewel – Oct 20th

  21. Flower bud initiation • Important: • Develop management strategies to enhance flowering • Regulate fruit load • Yield! • First sign of transition detectable

  22. Stem blight • Jewel was not affected • No differences among treatments in Emerald • 25% incidence

  23. Berry quality • Average weight - Jewel • Reduction in the 60%+tip • 1.9g  1.4g • Others averaged 1.7g • pH, acid and sugar content, anthocyanins, firmness • No differences

  24. Yield - Emerald

  25. Yield - Jewel

  26. Yield - Jewel

  27. Acknowledgements • Dr. Darnell and Dr. Williamson • Dr. Olmstead and Dr. Harmon

  28. Thank you!

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