WASHINGTON, December 16, 2020 – Blueberry growers across America today established a new coalition, the American Blueberry Growers Alliance, to seek relief from rising imports that are harming their businesses. The Alliance will provide information and support to an ongoing U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into the serious injury caused by increased imports of fresh, chilled and frozen blueberries …
In Story of Blueberries and Bees, Scientists Play Matchmaker
December 10, 2020 By: Samantha Murray, grenrosa@ufl.edu, 949-735-1076 GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Chew on this the next time you eat a blueberry: Every single blueberry is the result of a flower that was pollinated by a bee. In other words: no buzz, no berry. With that in mind, it’s no wonder blueberry growers bring in hives of honey bees or bumble …
UF/IFAS-Developed Blueberry App to Help Growers Battle Diseases, Pests
By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, 352-875-2641 (cell) A new University of Florida app will help the state’s blueberry growers identify and manage disease and insect injuries commonly encountered in Florida before their crop is ruined. Collectively, blueberries are a $60 million-per-year crop in Florida. Patricio Munoz, the UF/IFAS blueberry breeder and an assistant professor of horticultural sciences, came up with the …
Slug Management in Blueberries
Ash Sial, Associate Professor in the University of Georgia in the Department of Entomology, is receiving reports of slug infestations in Georgia blueberries. According to the UGA IPM blog, slugs generally lay between 3 and 40 small transparent eggs at one time. Each slug can lay up to 400 per year. The slugs can contaminate the harvested fruit once harvest …
UGA Researcher Part of Grant Studying Efficacy of Essential Oils in Organic Fruit Production
Organic agricultural production is increasing in Georgia. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, wants to help producers be more efficient by researching ways to protect organic blueberries from diseases. According to UGA Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded a $2 million grant to the team of 15 …
Smart Irrigation Tools for Blueberry Growers
By Vasileios Liakos One of the goals of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (UGA CAES) is to develop new irrigation methods and tools for crops. Researchers, including myself, Erick Smith, George Vellidis and Wes Porter, have been developing smart irrigation scheduling tools for blueberry growers in Georgia since 2015. Smart irrigation is a new method …
New Blueberry Variety Honors Benefactor, UF Alumnus Alto Straughn
October 29, 2020 By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu When Patricio Muñoz developed the University of Florida’s newest blueberry variety, he wanted to name the fruit in honor of Alto Straughn, a longtime, strong supporter of UF’s blueberry breeding program. Muñoz decided to call the new variety the ‘Sentinel.’ “A ‘sentinel’ is a watcher or guardian,” said Muñoz, a UF/IFAS assistant professor …
Alabama Extension Agent: Plant Now to Get Head Start on Spring
Alabama farmers interested in producing blueberries or any other containerized plant are encouraged to plant now, says Gary Gray. The Alabama Regional Extension Agent emphasizes the importance of keeping them watered, however. “I do prefer now. If you’ve got containerized plants, plant them now and they’ll have a head start on spring. They’ll be ahead of the game, as opposed …
UGA researcher to study potential use of essential oils in organic blueberry production
By Josh Paine for UGA CAES News Organic fruit and vegetable growers want to meet the recent uptick in national consumer demand, but they need additional tools to battle pests and diseases that often accompany organic crop growth. One such tool may be the use of essential oils. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and …
American Blueberry Growers Alliance Welcomes U.S. Trade Representative’s Request for Safeguard Investigation
Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) formally requested that the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) initiate a Section 201 global safeguard investigation regarding imports of blueberries into the United States. The American Blueberry Growers Alliance (“ABGA”) applauds USTR’s request and expects that the investigation will result in a remedy that allows the domestic industry to recover from …