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Blueberry micropropagation technology enhances the market advantages of blueberry production

In response to the needs of blueberry growers, after years of research, the Taiwan Seed Improvement and Propagation Station (TSIPS), Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, R. O. C (Taiwan) has successfully developed the blueberry tissue culture for mass propagation of blueberry seedling. The fruits set well with no mutation after propagated plantlets have been planted in the greenhouse for three years, which now can be ordered by farmers for production and cultivation.

Blueberries are Fruits of the spirit, native to North America, belonging to perennial shrubs of the Ericaceae family. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. The fruit matures from April to October, which is a globally important economic fruit tree. In Taiwan, most of the blueberries are imported, owing to being rich in anthocyanins and other antioxidant active ingredients, blueberries are widely loved by consumers for their rich nutrition. In addition to fresh fruit, it can be dehydrated and made into dried fruit or processed to make jams become a good commodity.

TSIPS indicates that blueberries are emerging fruit trees in Taiwan, and farmers have a strong demand for high-quality seedlings. Traditionally, cuttings are the mainstay, but the reproduction multiple is limited, and it is difficult to supply a large number of homogenous in the short term. Therefore, we worked on developing the tissue culture technology and automation system(Fig. 1, 2, 3), which can effectively shorten the propagation time and provide a large number of high-quality plantlets.

Blueberries are loved by domestic consumers, so triggered farmers have a strong willingness to plant them. As the demand for blueberry seedlings is increasing, in order to meet the cultivation needs of farmers, TSIPS's well-developed blueberry micropropagation technology is ready to take an order, and related cultivation inquiries are all welcome.

 

▲Fig. 1. In vitro plantlets of blueberry
Fig. 1. In vitro plantlets of blueberry
  ▲Fig. 2. Ex vitro plantlets of blueberry
Fig. 2. Ex vitro plantlets of blueberry
▲Fig. 3. The fruit of blueberry greenhouse cultivation for three years
Fig. 3. The fruit of blueberry greenhouse cultivation for three years