Blueberries
Fruit Crop Guesstimate to be held June 24
The 60th Annual Fruit Crop Guesstimate, sponsored by the Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association (MFFPA), will be held at 2:30 p.m. June 24 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.The Guesstimate provides... more »
Contest planned to find blueberry harvester
Naturipe wants to hear from innovators, developers and technology integrators who have ideas for a fully functional industrial prototype of an automated blueberry harvester.Although “The Blue Challenge” is a few weeks away from an official... more »
The challenges of disease control during rainy spells
While relatively dry, cool conditions in early spring may have delayed pathogen development, recent warm, wet conditions mean that fungal and bacterial diseases are getting a jump start. This even applies to powdery mildews, which... more »
UGA expert: Georgia peach crop looks typical this season
The late-March cold spell caused some Georgia peach growers to lose a portion of their crop, but consumers should see a typical selection of fruit when the first Georgia-grown varieties ripen this month, said University... more »
Top 10 things to do now for optimal blueberry pollination
The recent, warm weather and predicted scorching May conditions (86 degrees predicted in Grand Junction, Michigan on Thursday, May 7) predict a super-fast start to bloom this year. It is time again to review blueberry... more »
UGA working to avoid blueberry damage during harvest
Forget about Georgia peaches. It’s time to talk about Georgia blueberries, which are now the state’s No. 1 fruit crop.With a growing crop comes growing demand. How can farmers cut their losses? Avoid damage during... more »
Small Fruit Report: Central Michigan
Small fruit crops in West Central Michigan are developing rapidly after a long period of low temperatures that maintained the crop dormant for at least two more weeks than the previous year.Current temperatures are back... more »
Using exclusion netting helps manage SWD in blueberries
Dale-Ila Riggs, owner of The Berry Patch at Stone Wall Hill Farm, a diversified fruit and vegetable farm in Stephentown, New York, has been attempting everything imaginable to reduce the impact of spotted wing drosophila... more »
MSU tips for better blueberry weed control
Blueberry growers have several long-residual herbicides available for use in first-year and established plantings. Complete weed control is critical the first year to ensure high survival rates and quick establishment. Weed competition or herbicide injury... more »
Rain-resistant coating cuts cherry cracking in half
A tissue-thin, food-grade film developed at Oregon State University (OSU) acts like a raincoat for sweet cherries, cutting rain-related cracking of the fruit in half and potentially saving a whole season’s crop.The stretchy spray-on biofilm,... more »