Temporary immersion and stationary bioreactors for mass propagation of true-to-type highbush, half-high, and hybrid blueberries (Vaccinium spp.)

Blueberries are health-promoting fruit crops and are believed to help prevent heart disease, diminished eye vision and have anticancer activity. Traditionally blueberry plants are produced from stem cuttings. But this is a very slow process and cannot supply the large number of plants needed for commercial production. This can be overcome by tissue culture or micropropagation. This is a method to produce a large number of identical plants in a container with a growth nutrient solution (culture medium). In the present study, a large number of blueberry plants were produced using two systems of micropropagation: stationary bioreactorsand temporary immersion bioreactors In both systems, a liquid culture medium was used. Hundreds of plants were produced from small plant segments of two blueberry varieties (cultivars) ‘St. Cloud’ and ‘Polaris’, and six blueberry hybrids. Blueberry hybrids were developed at the St. John’s Research and Development Centre by crossing half-high or highbush blueberry plants with wild lowbush blueberry plants. Micropropagated plants grown in a greenhouse had a 80−90% survival rate. DNA analysis proved that the tissue culture plants were similar (genetically identical) to the original donor plants. This is the first report of blueberry production in stationary bioreactors, a technique developed at St. John’s Research and Development Centre. The protocol is cost-effective and a very efficient way to produce large numbers of identical blueberry plants. The protocol should contribute significantly to global production of blueberry plants. Research will continue with more types of blueberry hybrid plants for mass production on a commercial scale.