Blueberries
Blueberry production expected to surpass 1.4 billion lbs.
The blueberry industry is projecting a 25 percent increase in North American production over a four-year span, growing from 750.2 million lbs. in 2015 to 940 million lbs. in 2019. North American production for 2016... more »
Workers sue Michigan blueberry farm
Migrant Legal Aid and Willenson Law, a Chicago law firm, have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of migrant and seasonal farm workers against Fennville, Michigan, grower Blue Star Farms and its owner Anthony Marr.... more »
Pruning key in managing blueberry stem gall wasp
Blueberry stem gall wasp is native to eastern North America, where it can infest new and actively-growing blueberry stems during bloom. It can be found in lowbush and highbush blueberries, and in managed and unmanaged... more »
Checking for fruitworms can help guide decisions in blueberry IPM
Cherry fruitworm emergence has started in southwest Michigan, and the first cranberry fruitworm moths are also being caught in a few sites. This highlights that it will soon be time for protecting the newly forming... more »
Highbush blueberries require pollination
Northern highbush blueberries are common throughout the northern United States and Canada, and are native to eastern North America. They require pollination to ensure that flowers present at bloom turn into large, harvestable berries later in... more »
Michigan growers adopt reduced-risk pesticide practices
The Integrated Crop Pollination Project has released a summary report from its 2015 survey of Michigan blueberry growers’ pollination practices. The survey of 240 blueberry growers delved into growers’ goals for pollination management, networks of information sources about pollination, and... more »
New berry crop miticides, insecticides introduced
Kathy Demchak, senior Extension associate at Penn State University, discusses changes with insecticides and miticides for us on berry crops in the last few years: A tarnished plant bug on a... more »
2016 fruit insecticide registration update
The following is a review of insecticide and miticide label changes and restrictions to the Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E0154, “2016 Michigan Fruit Management Guide.” Agri-chemical labels and regulations can change quickly, so use this... more »
Consumer focus spurs Wish Farms’ success
Wish Farms, a Plant City, Florida-based grower-shipper of strawberries and blueberries, has expanded its Argentina blueberry program, seeing its recent harvest double in volume over last season. The Argentina blueberry season spanned from the beginning... more »
NCSU wins grant to curb SWD
North Carolina State University (NCSU) has won a $6.7 million grant from USDA to undertake research and grower education efforts aimed at better managing a major new pest that causes hundreds of millions of dollars... more »
