Abstract: [Objective]Application of hydroponics for breeding blueberry seedlings was studied.[Method] Seedling propagation of two rabbit eye varieties of blueberry, Baldwin and Britewell, in hydroponics using a 1/2 Hogland nutrient solution, an improved formulation medium or tap water was compared to the conventional cultivation on soil. The root development and plant growth with respect to the physiological characteristics, including plant height, dry mass, chlorophyll content, root activity, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductivity, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration and transpiration rate as well as plant nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents, were determined for the comparison.[Result]The total chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate of the seedlings grown in the hydroponics were higher than those on soil. The plant growth rate was significantly higher than that of control. The N, P, K contents and other indicators of the hydroponic seedlings were within the normally expected ranges. However, the seedlings of the Baldwin variety grew well in the hydroponics with the improved formulation medium, while Britewell did better with 1/2 Hogland nutrient solution.[Conclusion]The two blueberry varieties differed on nitrogen utilization. Therefore, in hydroponic breeding the seedlings, different forms of nitrogen ought to be used for the medium formulation. Commercial blueberry seedlings generally require 1.5-2.0 years to be fully developed for transplant. With the hydroponic cultivation, the plant growth was stimulated so that the breeding time could be considerably shortened.

Key words: hydroponics, blueberry, seedling growth, photosynthetic characteristics