The Fruiting Nursery: Ultrahigh Density for Evaluation of Blueberry and Peach Seedlings1

Abstract

Approximately 80% of the seedlings of blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and 55% of peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] fruited the 2nd year after seed harvest when grown rapidly at densities of 16 plants/m2 for blueberry and 8 plants/m2 for peach. This permits roguing of plants on the basis of fruit characters in the 2nd year from seed harvest (24 months) and evaluation of remaining plants the following year. The fruiting nursery system, based on intensive care of seedlings at ultrahigh densities to achieve rapid growth, is suggested to improve breeding efficiency.

Breeding of Low-chill Peach and Nectarine for Mild Winters

“…In Venezuela, peaches are grown commercially at altitudes from 1200 to 1700 m in valleys lower, and thus w arm er, than C olonia T ovar (la t.l0 °N , alt. 1790 m, mean max 21.4°, mean min 12.1°) (22,25). Low-chill peaches were successfully grown experimentally at Baguio, but not at lowland sites in the Philippines (9) (Fig.…”

“…of Florida land at Gainesville, while hybrid populations were fruited primarily in grower orchards and on other state experiment station lands. The lack of available root-knot nematode-free land in grower orchards and uni versity farms and the need to accelerate the breeding program for hybrid seedling evaluation gave impetus to the development and use of the fruiting nursery (22) since 1975.…”

Genetic Remodeling of Fruit and Nut Trees to Facilitate Cultivar Improvement1

“…The importance of screening large numbers of seedlings has been under stood by various fruit breeders. For example, ultra-high density plantings have been used in the peach breeding program at the University of Florida in an effort to mitigate some of the adverse effects of large plant size (40).…”