Results of multiple pollination in blueberry (Vaccinium elliottii Chapm.)

Blueberry ( Vaccinium section Cyanococcus, family Ericaceae) is a shrub tha t produces multiple-seeded berries in which only a fraction of the ovules d evelop into viable seeds. A recessive yellowleaf marker gene was used to ev aluate the efectiveness of a single pollination versus multiple pollination s in producing seeds in Vaccinium elliottii Chapm. A multiple-pollination e xperiment was conducted to see if the first pollen applied or the second pr oduced more progeny, and to see if multiple pollinations increased the numb er of seedlings produced. Flowers of diploid yellowleaf Vaccinium elliottii were pollinated from one to four times at daily intervals. Pollen from red leaf and yellowleaf plants was used to produce two types of seedlings that could be distinguished visually. Generally, percent berry set, seeds per be rry, and seed germination were not increased by multiple pollination. After multiple pollination, the pollen applied first always produced the most se edlings. Prior pollination greatly reduced seed set from subsequent pollina tion, but subsequent pollination caused little or no decrease in the number of seeds set by the first pollination.