Fertile Intersectional F1 Hybrids of 4x Vaccinium meridionale (Section Pyxothamnus) and Highbush Blueberry, V. corymbosum (Section Cyanococcus)

Vaccinium meridionale (section Pyxothamnus ), a tetraploid species native to higher altitude locations in Jamaica, Colombia, and Venezuela, is of considerable interest blueberry breeders for its profuse, concentrated flowering monopodial plant structure, both which may be useful breeding mechanical harvest. In this study, V. was successfully hybridized as male with 4 x corymbosum Cyanococcus , highbush blueberry). The first-generation hybrids selections were intermediate morphology notably vigorous. F 1 displayed variable branching dormancy, prolificacy, fruit wax, etc.; however, most appear deciduous semi-evergreen, small, dark-colored fruit. good fertility females backcrosses these crosses have produced numerous offspring morphologically indistinguishable from at the seedling stage. Evaluations found variation pollen production quality but, significantly, some clones very shed, high stainability, almost complete tetrad production. suggests that hybrids, despite being derived intersectional crosses, might conventionally used without significant difficulty. These also potential value nascent efforts occurring South America.