Flower Age Affects Fruit Set and Stigmatic Receptivity in Rabbiteye Blueberry

Brevis, Patricio A.; NeSmith, D. Scott; Wetzstein, Hazel Y.

doi:10.21273/hortsci.41.7.1537

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Despite the restricted exposure time, approximately half of the potential yield was set during this period. Blueberry ßowers within each cluster open sequentially over the course of bloom and ßower viability declines with age (Brevis et al 2006), so it is unlikely that all the ßowers in each cluster were receptive during the time when the bags were removed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weather During Bloom Affects Pollination and Yield of Highbush Blueberry

Tuell

Isaacs

2010

116

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Weather plays an important role in spring-blooming fruit crops due to the combined effects on bee activity, flower opening, pollen germination, and fertilization. To determine the effects of weather on highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., productivity, we monitored bee activity and compared fruit set, weight, and seed number in a field stocked with honey bees, Apis mellifera L., and common eastern bumble bees, Bombus impatiens (Cresson). Flowers were subjected to one of five treatments during bloom: enclosed, open, open during poor weather only, open during good weather only, or open during poor and good weather. Fewer bees of all types were observed foraging and fewer pollen foragers returned to colonies during poor weather than during good weather. There were also changes in foraging community composition: honey bees dominated during good weather, whereas bumble bees dominated during poor weather. Berries from flowers exposed only during poor weather had higher fruit set in 1 yr and higher berry weight in the other year compared with enclosed clusters. In both years, clusters exposed only during good weather had > 5 times as many mature seeds, weighed twice as much, and had double the fruit set of those not exposed. No significant increase over flowers exposed during good weather was observed when clusters were exposed during good and poor weather. Our results are discussed in terms of the role of weather during bloom on the contribution of bees adapted to foraging during cool conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weather During Bloom Affects Pollination and Yield of Highbush Blueberry

Tuell

Isaacs

2010

116

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“…Exudate formation is delayed until 6 to 24 h after buds open. Delayed stigmatic receptivity is seen in other species, including Collinsia heterophylla (Lankinen et al, 2007), Prunus dulcis (Yi et al, 2006), and Vaccinium ashei (Brevis et al, 2006). Stigmas of E. racemosa lack papillae and develop a raised and lobed central region with a clefted opening to the stylar canal where exudate is secreted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Floral Morphology and Development in Georgia Plume, Elliottia racemosa (Ericaceae), a Rare Coastal Plain Endemic

Radcliffe¹,

Affolter²,

Wetzstein³

2010

J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci.

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Georgia plume (Elliottia racemosa) is a threatened woody plant endemic to the Coastal Plain region of Georgia in the southeastern United States. Seed set is low in most populations, and sexual recruitment has not been observed in recent times. The objective of this study was to describe the floral biology of georgia plume. which is fundamental information needed to develop an understanding of the causes for lack of sexual reproduction in natural populations. Floral development was characterized and morphological characteristics at key developmental stages ranging from small, unopened buds to open flowers with receptive stigmas were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. Flowering is protandrous, and anthers dehisce releasing pollen within closed buds before stigmas are receptive. Pollen tetrads, aggregated by viscin strands, are presented on unreceptive stigmas when petals reflex. Receptive stigmas developed a raised and lobed central region with a clefted opening leading to a stylar canal containing exudate produced in secretory regions. Receptivity of the non-papillate stigma is indicated by the formation of an exudate droplet, which is formed within 1 day after flower opening. Pollen viability was low to moderate; tetrad germination ranged from 20% to 40% using in vitro germination assays indicating poor pollen quality and may contribute to lack of seed development in some populations. No developmental abnormalities in stigmas or styles were observed indicating other factors are responsible for lack of sexual recruitment in the wild.

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“…Historically, the blueberry seed set has been quantiÞed by the number of seeds that Þt qualitative descriptions such as "plump," "sound," "large," "dark," and "apparently viable" (Eaton 1967, Krebs and Hancock 1991, MacKenzie 1997, Dedej and Delaplane 2004, Brevis et al 2006, Isaacs and Kirk 2010. In 2010, we used such methods to visually classify all seeds as small, medium, or large.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Criteria for Evaluating Pollinator Performance in Highbush Blueberry (Ericales: Ericaceae) Agroecosystems

Rogers¹,

Tarpy²,

Burrack³

2013

env. entom.

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Numerous bee species provide pollination services in agricultural ecosystems. Evaluating a pollinator's performance with regard to a crop is an important step in attributing pollination services and predicting how changes in a bee community or foraging environment will affect those services. We used multiple criteria to evaluate pollinators of North Carolina highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum L., agroecosystems. For five groups of bees (Apis mellifera L., Bombus spp., Habropoda laboriosa F., small native bees, and Xylocopa virginica L.), we measured forager abundance through transect observations, quantified per-visit efficiency as viable seed set resulting from a single visit, and analyzed bee presence in different weather conditions. We also considered two other criteria affecting pollinator performance-visitation rate and interspecific influence. A. mellifera was the most abundant bee in the majority of our survey sites, yet had low per-visit efficiency and reduced foraging activity in inclement weather. Small native bees were highly efficient pollinators. Their visits resulted in nearly twice as many seeds as A. mellifera or H. laboriosa. Bombus spp., H. laboriosa, and small native bees were more resilient to fluctuations in temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation than A. mellifera. Although nectar-robbing X. virginica contributed to little pollination through direct flower visits, their presence within the crop impacts the behavior and performance of other individuals. Underscoring the importance of evaluating pollinator performance via multiple criteria, our results show that bee groups contribute to pollination in different ways. These differences may provide functional complementarity and stability of pollination services to agricultural systems.

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Flower Age Affects Fruit Set and Stigmatic Receptivity in Rabbiteye Blueberry

Cited by 14 publications

References 34 publications

Weather During Bloom Affects Pollination and Yield of Highbush Blueberry

Weather During Bloom Affects Pollination and Yield of Highbush Blueberry

Floral Morphology and Development in Georgia Plume, Elliottia racemosa (Ericaceae), a Rare Coastal Plain Endemic

Multiple Criteria for Evaluating Pollinator Performance in Highbush Blueberry (Ericales: Ericaceae) Agroecosystems

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