Southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum interspecific hybrids) cultivars exhibit diverse canopy architectures. Plant architecture phenes influence light interception in other plant species. However, the relationship between canopy architecture and light interception is still poorly understood in southern highbush blueberry. We evaluated 29 genotypes, including cultivars and breeding selections from the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding and Genomics program. Plants were grown under commercial conditions in Citra, FL. We employed photogrammetry, field measurements, and a plant canopy analyzer to measure canopy density, canopy volume, base angle, and plant height in four plants per genotype. We found that genotypes differed in all measured phenes. Intercepted PAR in the bottom of the canopy varied among genotypes according to their plant architecture. Taller, wider, and denser genotypes received less light in the bottom of the canopy than shorter, narrower, and more sparse ones. We used principal component analysis to assess the relative contributions of each plant architecture phene to intercepted PAR. Canopy density and volume strongly contributed to intercepted PAR. These results suggest that plant architecture could be optimized, through breeding and agronomic practices, to maximize photosynthetic light interception in southern highbush blueberry.
