Agronomijas v stis - Latvijas Lauksaimniecības universitāte

g m -25000,04500,04000,03500,03000,02500,02000,01500,01000,0500,00,01 farm 2 farm 3 farm 4 farm 1 farm 2 farm 3 farm 4 farm2007 2008200,0180,0160,0140,0120,0100,080,060,040,020,00,0gYield, g m-2100 berries mass, gFigure 3. The average yield of the cultivar ‘Stevens’, g m -2 , and the mass of 100 berries, g (on threefarms in the years 2007 and 2008).The analysed late cranberries varieties in the autumn frost, up to 10 % of the harvest was lost inautumn frosts on the farms of the western area of Latvia.Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). The most popular varieties of blueberries in Latvia arethe northern highbush varieties adapted to quite cold mid-winter temperatures below -20 ºC‘Bluecrop’, ‘Patriot’ and ‘Northland’ (Hancock, 2006). The newest varieties are ‘Toro’, ‘Rubel’,‘Blue Gold’.In the collections of some farms, such varieties as ‘Hanna’, ‘Klara’, ‘Drapers’, ‘Bonus’ are startingto appear but are not popular in Latvia yet (Figure 4).Others43,9 %Northland5,6 % Patriot10,7 %Bluecrop15,6 %Stanley0,3 % Woodart0,4 %Polaris0,2 % Brigita2,2 %Northcauntry3,1 %Duke6,9 %Early Blue0,2 %Blue Ray7,5 %Northblue3,3 %Figure 4. The division of highbush blueberry cultivars on farms, %Like it was with cranberries, most blueberry farms - 80 % are small with 0.1 – 5.0 ha of land, but11 % of the farms have 5.1 – 10 ha of land (Figure 5). The main reason why small farms are somany, is the high start up cost and lack of experience in highbush blueberries cultivation.On the surveyed farms, the highbush blueberries are chosen for cultivation in one of the followingways: in mineral soil (78 % of the breeders) – the soil before planting is adequately prepared: theplants are planted in cushion peat pits (50 x 50 x 50 cm), which are filled with acidic high mosspeat, some of the farmers fill the furrows with peat and chippings or sawdust (1:1).The second option-in the peat bog (22 % of the farmers) they choose to breed highbush blueberriesin worked out peat-moss bogs, planting plants on a level field or in the beds.11