US (FL): University develops blueberry cultivation

Blue Youth Berries owner, Carleen Gunter, was a third generation citrus grower when she decided too focus her efforts on a different crop. she was struggling with repeated pest and disease attacks when she found that blueberries were an easier option, as they are faced with less pest and disease incidence.

She is very grateful to the University of Florida for her crops.

"There wouldn't be blueberry farms in Florida without the university," she said.

She is right in this - Florida is not traditional blueberry country. In its natural state - and also in the state of most of its cultivated varieties - the blueberry requires cold weather during its winter dormancy. Which is why it is a much more common crop in the northern states.

However, the university of Florida carried out research and began producing varieties more suited to the Florida climate and soil. The first varieties were released in the id 1970s, but there has been considerable growth since then and the blueberry industry has become one of importance for the state.

In 2010 the blueberry crop netted he state $48 million - a 167% increase from 2003 levels.

Florida now ranks as the fifth largest state in the US for blueberry production - not bad for an environment not suited to the plant in its natural form.

The range of varieties produced by the University of Florida enables production in the state to take place between late March and mid-May - a perfect window of opportunity between the end of the South American season and before the northern states' season commences.

This also fits neatly in between citrus harvests, meaning that there is usually an abundance of labour available to gather in the crops.

The research continues. The university is always seeking more and more appropriate varieties for the state. The most recent research includes attempts to breed and graft blueberries with sparkleberry. Sparkleberry is not bushy and multi-stemmed like blueberry, it is free standing and single stemmed, like a tree. If such characteristics can be passed on to blueberries then it would mean that the crop could be harvested mechanically, thus removing the slow, expensive process of hand harvesting.

Source: www.ocala.com