Production of ‘Misty’ and ‘O’Neal’ blueberries in organic farming system

Abstract

Blueberries are very appreciated by their exotic flavor, nutraceutical proprieties and economic value.The southern highbush group (Vaccinium sp.) has varieties with low cold requirement, such as ‘Misty’ and ‘O’Neal’. The objective of this work was evaluating the initial production of ‘Misty’ and ‘O’Neal’ under organic management. An experiment was conducted in Chapecó, at 630 m above sea level, in an organic farm. Planting was performed in August 2011, spaced 4 x 1.5 m. Number and mass of total and individual fruits were evaluated until the fourth year. The cultivar Misty was more productive, regardless the year, and the harvesting times were similar among cultivars. Fruit mass was not different among cultivars. The mass increased along the years from 1.25 to 1.76 g per fruit. In the third year, fruits heavier than 1 g produced by ‘O’Neal’ ‘O’Neal’ produced fruits heavier than 1 g in bigger proportion, besides its smaller total production. In conclusion, the initial production of ‘Misty’ is bigger than of O’Neal under organic production in Chapecó.