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‘Draper’ northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is a widely-planted mid-season cultivar with excellent fruit quality. Under the climatic conditions of Southwestern British Columbia, Canada, and Northwestern Washington, USA, it expresses a physiological disorder causing spontaneous green fruit drop (GFD) of up to half of the developing crop just prior to onset of the fruit coloring phenophase. Reduction of economic losses due to GFD required identification of the cause of this disorder and development of an agronomic solution that would reduce fruit drop. In 2014, two initial experiments were conducted to compare three foliar Ca products under a range of N fertilization rates. In 2015 and 2016, three locations were used in a first step to optimizing rates and timings of foliar Ca application. Initial experiments determined that higher N fertilization rates exacerbate GFD but that foliar Ca corrects the condition. Multi-site, multi-year trials identified key rates and timings for foliar Ca application to provide an agronomic solution for commercial growers. These trials identified an acute fruit Ca deficiency as the cause of GFD, and that foliar calcium applied frequently at high concentration from mid-bloom onward can be effective in reducing GFD, often to negligible levels. This condition has now been reported in several production regions around the world.

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a novel fruit crop that stands out for its northern climatic adaptation. Understanding spring phenological adaptation to temperate climate is central to development of a broader range of production and greater mainstream crop potential. In 2012 and 2013 across three sites in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, spring phenophases from bud break to fruit harvest were determined across three foundation groups. Genetic variability is characterized for Russian, Japanese, and Kuril blue honeysuckle foundation groups used in breeding at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK. Germplasm group membership is the principal feature of phenological adaptation. Although temperate climate adaptation is limited in the Russian germplasm, the intermediate Japanese and later Kuril spring phenology provide an adequate degree of temperate climate adaptation to facilitate commercial production. These findings demonstrate that blue honeysuckle has phenological adaptation to a temperate climate. Diversity between and within genetic groups presents opportunities for crop enhancement, especially through breeding for later bloom periods.Résumé : Le camérisier bleu (Lonicera caerulea L.) est une nouvelle culture fruitière, remarquable par son adaptation au climat nordique. Il est capital de comprendre comment les caractères phénologiques vernaux s'adaptent au climat tempéré si l'on veut multiplier les variétés et augmenter le potentiel commercial des principaux cultivars. En 2012 et 2013, les auteurs ont déterminé les phénophases vernales (du débourrement à la récolte) de trois groupes de fondation, à trois sites de la vallée du Fraser, en Colombie-Britannique. Ils ont caractérisé la variabilité génétique des groupes de fondation du camérisier bleu russe, japonais et kourile employés pour l'hybridation à l'Université de la Saskatchewan. L'appartenance à un groupe génétique est la principale raison de l'adaptation phénologique. Si l'adaptation du matériel génétique russe au climat tempéré est restreinte, les caractères vernaux intermédiaires des variétés japonaises et kouriles autorisent une acclimatation suffisante aux conditions tempérées pour que la production commerciale puisse être envisagée. Ces résultats illustrent que la phénologie du camérisier bleu peut s'adapter au climat tempéré. La diversité au sein des groupes génétiques et entre ceux-ci permettrait d'améliorer la culture par la création de variétés à floraison plus tardive, essentiellement par l'hybridation. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

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