Harvests may be nearing an end for Florida’s blueberry producers, but management should continue during May. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recommends that growers monitor for leaf diseases like rust, anthracnose, Septoria, target spot and Phyllosticta. Florida’s blueberry producers should continue with insecticide sprays for spotted wing drosophila to protect against any remaining ripe fruit …
Blueberry Management: What to Remember for April
Blueberry harvests are well underway across Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts provide blueberry management tips that growers need to be mindful of in April. Since it is harvest season, farmers need to harvest their crop promptly and cool the ripe fruit. Growers can use the Blueberry Advisory System (BAS) at www.agroclimate.org/BAS, to determine if …
Blueberry Production in Florida
Florida’s blueberry production, harvest and shipping season is well under way. Doug Phillips, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) statewide blueberry Extension coordinator, discusses blueberry production in Florida. Q: In addition to Sentinel, what are some the latest blueberry varieties from UF/IFAS? What makes them interesting to the consumer? How about for the producer? A: …
Blueberry Production: Protect Against Root Rot Disease
By Clint Thompson Blueberry growers who utilized overhead freeze protection to protect their crop from the freeze event during the weekend of March 12, need to guard against the development of root rot disease. Growers used overhead irrigation to protect against sub-freezing temperatures. In doing so, however, a large amount of water was utilized, resulting in saturated root zones. This …
Georgia Blueberry Production ‘Heavy,’ Earlier Than Normal
By Clint Thompson Most of Georgia’s blueberry production survived the late January freeze and is expected to have a bumper crop when harvesting commences in a month. Chris Reighberg, Colquitt County blueberry producer, shared that assessment when discussing the aftermath of the freeze event on Jan. 30. “We didn’t have freeze protection and we may have lost 10% at most. …
Blueberry Market Trends and Implications for Growers
By Kimberly L. Morgan The U.S. commercial blueberry industry value of utilized production was $933 million in 2020. An unchanging trend since 1970, the U.S. consumer continues to eat less than 40% of the federal dietary guidelines of fruits and vegetables [U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 2021] and only 12% meet fruit intake requirements (Seung Hee Lee-Kwan et al., 2017). …