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Abstract
Blueberry popularity is increasing, and new cultivars are needed to support increased demand from consumers and withstand environmental variability. Five rabbiteye (Vaccinium virgatum) breeding lines were evaluated on harvest traits and micro-propagated through tissue culture. Breeding line T-2604 had favorable harvest traits and growth habits in tissue culture. Micropropagation through tissue culture is also a versatile tool that allows for polyploidy induction. Diploid V. fuscatum is a genetically valuable species but is not directly cross-compatible with tetraploid southern highbush, the major cultivated species in Georgia. In this study, the ploidy level of V. fuscatum was doubled through in vitro colchicine treatment, with southern highbush cultivars ‘Emerald’ and ‘Rebel’ used as controls. Recovery of solid octoploids through chimera dissociation using both adventitious and axillary shoot regeneration was accomplished from ‘Emerald’ mixoploids. Overall, these results can be used to further cultivar development and expand the genetic base of blueberries.