Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

An Economic Analysis Of Wild Bee Pollination In Lowbush Blueberry Production, Francis A. Drummond

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The purpose of this project is to determine the relative economic values of wild bee pollinators and commercial honeybees in lowbush blueberry production for individual Maine farms. The lowbush blueberry requires insect pollination in order to set fruit. Most farmers rent colonies of the non-native honeybee for pollination services, but wild, native bees are also effective pollinators. This project aims to provide growers with the means to assess the pollination needs of individual fields and to understand the levels of pollination possible if honeybees are not available. In order to achieve these goals, the relative abundance and species diversity of …

Production Of Minitubers From Potato Seedlings And Advanced Selections, Benildo G. De Los Reyes

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This cooperation between the University of Maine and USDA-ARS was aimed at providing the infrastructure and manpower support for the propagation and advancement of tetraploid potato breeding materials for the USDFA-ARS-Beltsville Potato Breeding Program (K. Haynes, PI).

Factors Responsible For Differences In Yield Among Lowbush Blueberry Clones, Francis A. Drummond

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Identify factors that explain differences in yield among lowbush blueberry clones. Compare high yielding clones to low yielding clones for several factors. Factors include average genetic similarity with neighbors and effects of relationship of parents in controlled crosses on fruit set, synchrony of flowering time with neighbors, freezing tolerance of closed flower buds and open flowers, floral morphological and physiological differences (nectar amounts) that might be more attractive to bees, signs of disease, etc.

Studies will focus on comparing high yielding clones to low yielding clones for several factors. Because V. angustifolium is predominantly outcrossing and self-fertility is poor due …