SPAD: potential phenotyping method for characterization of blueberry

Abstract

Background: Blueberry is an attractive fruit due to its blue or purple-colored pigments with effective anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Accordingly, the demand for blueberry cultivation is rapidly increasing. However, various cultivars from different regions are cultivated without characterizing it. Methods and results: We present a method to characterize crops using the SAPD meter. For characterizing each cultivar, the photosynthetic potential of each cultivar, which was measured by SAPD meter three times a day at three heights of a crop, was compared under the same conditions. Conclusion: A difference in photosynthetic potential even in the same SHB-type cultivars was found. Therefore, applying cultivation methods suitable to the characteristics of each cultivar is necessary. At the same time, it would be meaningful for researchers and breeders to use this method for genome-wide association study in order to develop molecular markers for increasing photosynthesis efficiency.