History & Taxonomy
Who were the two key figures credited with domesticating cultivated blueberries in New Jersey around 1911?
Frederick Coville and Elizabeth White.
What does MAS stand for in plant breeding?
Marker-Assisted Selection.
What soil pH range is optimal for blueberry growth?
4.2-5.5
What disease causes fruit mummification and shoot blight in blueberries?
Mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi).
Name two of the top five global blueberry-producing countries.
USA, Peru, Canada, Chile, Spain.
What are the three major cultivated blueberry species?
Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush), V. angustifolium (Lowbush), and V. ashei (Rabbiteye).
Which two molecular techniques are used to locate QTLs for fruit traits like firmness and flavor?
GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Studies) and QTL mapping.
Why are blueberries especially sensitive to drought?
Their shallow root systems occupy only the top 30 cm of soil.
Which invasive pest lays eggs directly into ripening blueberries?
Spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii).
What is the approximate global annual value of the blueberry industry?
Over US $9 billion.
Which family do blueberries belong to?
Ericaceae.
What advantages does autotetraploidy give highbush blueberries?
Enhanced vigor, stress tolerance, and buffering against deleterious alleles.
What are the ideal storage temperature and humidity conditions for fresh blueberries?
0–1°C and 90–95% relative humidity.
Name one management strategy for Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot.
Raised beds, improved drainage, or use of resistant genotypes.
How does climate change affect chill-dependent cultivars?
Reduced chill hours lead to uneven bud break and yield loss.
What makes classification within the genus Vaccinium difficult?
What makes classification within the genus Vaccinium difficult?
Which wild Vaccinium species contributed low-chill tolerance genes to southern highbush cultivars?
Vaccinium darrowii.
What environmental cue regulates dormancy release and uniform flowering?
Accumulated chill hours below 7°C.
What bacterial pathogen causes twig dieback and is controlled with copper sprays?
Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. - Bacterial Canker
What production system is expanding blueberries into nontraditional soils?
Soilless or containerized substrate systems.
How has polyploidy influenced blueberry evolution and breeding?
It created genetic redundancy, adaptability, and complex inheritance patterns.
Name two non-CRISPR genetic improvement tools used in blueberry breeding.
RNA interference (RNAi), somatic hybridization, mutagenesis, or polyploid manipulation.
Why are blueberries considered non-climacteric fruits?
Ripening is ABA-regulated and largely independent of ethylene.
What technologies are part of modern data-driven IPM?
IoT sensors, AI pest recognition, and weather-based disease modeling.
Name two major technologies shaping the future of blueberry cultivation.
AI-driven management, genomic prediction, robotic harvesting, or carbon-neutral systems.