ABSTRACT
The lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) is forced into a biennial production cycle by regular pruning that normally occurs every second year (Kinsman, 1993). Fruit buds develop on 15-20 cm (5.9-1.9 in) upright stems during the first year of the two-year production cycle (Hall et al., 1979), and remain dormant over the winter between the prune and crop years. Flowering, fruit development, and harvest occur during the second year (Eaton, 1988). Lowbush blueberry fruit buds are generally able to withstand the low winter temperatures that are typical of Atlantic Canada (Quamme et al., 1972), but less so when exposed to cold winds during winters that have insufficient snow cover (Cappiello and Dunham, 1994). The lowbush blueberry is susceptible to winter injury through dessication of the fruit buds (Hall et al., 1971). Fruit yields in the Parrsboro area of Nova Scotia, where salt spray periodically drifts off the Bay of Fundy, have been substantially reduced in years following winters with little snow cover (Hall et al., 1979). Kinsman (1993) has documented yield reductions caused by both severe winter temperatures and salt deposition over several winters in Nova Scotia; several producers report similar effects in Nova Scotia (NS) and Prince Edward Island (PEI).
