BLUEBERRY-BUNCHBERRY INTERACTIONS IN LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY FIELDS.

Stem Pigmentation in Lowbush Blueberry.

Pollination Reservoirs in Lowbush Blueberry (Ericales: Ericaceae)

Pollinator-dependent agriculture heavily relies upon a single pollinator-the honey bee. To diversify pollination strategies, growers are turning to alternatives. Densely planted reservoirs of pollen- and nectar-rich flowers (pollination reservoirs, hereafter "PRs") may improve pollination services provided by wild bees. Our focal agroecosystem, lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton),...

Harvestman (Opiliones) fauna associated with Maine lowbush blueberry fields in the major production areas of Washington and Hancock counties.

Over a period of 19 yr, the harvestman (Opiliones) community associated with the lowbush blueberry agro-ecosystem in Maine was studied. Eight species representing five genera, four subfamilies, and two families of harvestmen belonging to the suborder Eupnoi were collected. The harvestman community was dominated by two introduced, synanthropic species: Phalangium opilio in all but 1 yr (that ye...

Mitigation of pollen limitation in the lowbush blueberry agroecosystem: effect of augmenting natural pollinators

Growers of small fruit crops often supplement the natural pollinator community by introducing pollinators into commercial orchards and fields, but there are relatively few studies that test the extent to which such interventions increase fruit yield. To test whether plants are limited by pollen availability, inflorescences in 78 commercial lowbush blueberry fields during three years were handpo...

Characterization of Changes in Polyphenols, Antioxidant Capacity and Physico-Chemical Parameters during Lowbush Blueberry Fruit Ripening

Changes in major polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, and selected physico-chemical parameters were examined in lowbush blueberry during fruit ripening. Polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins), density, soluble solid content, pH, titratable acidity, sugars, organic acids, and antioxidant capacity were determined in fruits of four maturities: green, pink/red, blue, ...