A STUDY OF VARIATION IN FRUIT YIELD AND RELATED CHARACTERS IN TWO DIALLELS OF THE LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY, VACCINIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM AIT.

Abstract

Two diallels, one involving 5 parents and a second involving 8 parents were evaluated for 3 years each. In the 5-parent diallel, date of harvest, yield of ripe fruit, weight per berry, and area covered by one plant were evaluated. Of these, weight per berry had by far the greatest genetic and additive components of variation whereas these components for yield were very low. In the 8-parent diallel, the same variables were evaluated with the addition of berry color, plant vigor and log number of berries. Weight per berry and berry color had large genetic and additive components whereas yield of ripe fruit, plant vigor and log number of berries had large environmental components of variation.