Photoselective Devices Increased Productivity of Southern Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum Interspecific Hybrids)

Blueberry is the leading specialty crop in the state of Georgia, USA, with a farm gate value of more than 449 million US dollars. The productivity and development of southern highbush blueberry plants (SHB- Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids L.) were examined under photoselective devices in Georgia, USA, over two growing seasons. The photoselective devices: Opti-Gro and ChromaGro, were tested on two blueberry cultivars, Keecrisp and Meadowlark, alongside grow tubes and an untreated control group. The results revealed that relative to the control group, cultivar Meadowlark, exhibited an average yield increase of 1170% under Opti-Gro and 919% under ChromaGro. Similarly, the ‘Keecrisp’ exhibited yield increases of 1076% under Opti-Gro and 384% under ChromaGro. In the Opti-Gro treatment, ‘Meadowlark’ exhibited an increase in height of 15.8 cm, whereas ‘Keecrisp’ showed a more pronounced increase of 37.34 cm. Similarly, the ChromaGro treatment led to height increases of 15.49 cm for ‘Meadowlark’ and 39.87 cm for ‘Keecrisp’ in the 2 years of the study. Net photosynthesis, electron transport rate, and quantum yield of photosystem II were significantly higher in plants under photoselective treatments. In addition, berries harvested from plants under photoselective devices had a larger diameter and total soluble solids in both cultivars. Berries from the cultivar Keecrsip under the ChromaGro treatment had higher anthocyanin concentrations. Overall, this study demonstrates that photoselective devices can significantly enhance the yield, growth, and fruit quality of young blueberry plants by improving photosynthetic capacity. These findings offer a promising strategy for optimizing the establishment and productivity of young blueberry plants in Georgia, USA.