Midwest Blueberry Production Guide.pdf

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COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE

UNIVERSITY

OF KENTUCKY

COLLEGE

OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT,

LEXINGTON,

KY, 40546

ID-210

Midwest Blueberry Production Guide

Agriculture

and Natural Resources • Family

and Consumer

Sciences • 4-H

Youth Development

• Community

and Economic Development

EXTENSION

Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................ 3

Blueberry Growth and Development ........................................................ 4

Types of Blueberries and Cultivar Selection ........................................... 7

Site Selection.....................................................................................................12

Planting and Establishment ........................................................................14

Irrigation and Water Management ..........................................................16

Pollination..........................................................................................................19

Propagation .......................................................................................................20

Pruning and Growth Management..........................................................22

Soils, Fertilization, and Nutritional Disorders .....................................25

Blueberry Diseases .........................................................................................29

Insect and Mite Pest Management ..........................................................39

Managing Wildlife Problems in Blueberries ........................................49

Weed Management ........................................................................................52

Edited by

Nicole Ward Gauthier and Cheryl Kaiser, Department of Plant Pathology, Uni-

versity of Kentucky

Contributors

University of Kentucky—Tom

Barnes, Department of Forestry; Chris Smigell,

John Strang, Dwight Wolfe, and Shawn Wright, Department of Horticulture;

Nicole Ward Gauthier, Department of Plant Pathology

University of Missouri—Patrick

Byers, Extension Service

Pennsylvania State University—Kathy

Demchak, Department of Horticulture

The Ohio State University—Michael

Ellis, Department of Plant Pathology;

Gary Gao, South Centers and Department of Extension

Michigan State University—Eric

Hanson, Department of Horticulture; Rufus

Isaacs, Department of Entomology

University of Arkansas—Donn

Johnson, Department of Entomology

Mississippi State University—Eric

Stafne, Department of Plant and Soil Sci-

ences

The Midwest Fruit Workers would also like to thank the authors of the following

publications for contributions to this guide: Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide, Michigan

State University Blueberry Facts, and Northwest Berry and Grape Information

Network.

Cover photo:

Mark Ehlenfeldt, USDA-ARS

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not

constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable

products or firms.

Chapter 1

Introduction

lueberries are one of the few fruit

crops native to North America.

Wild blueberries were utilized by Na-

tive Americans for making medicines,

dyes, and flavorings, as well as for direct

consumption. Once a small-scale crop

produced within limited regions, blue-

berries are now grown throughout the

United States and the rest of the world.

Although highbush blueberries (Vac-

cinium corymbosum)

are the primary

type of blueberry grown commercially,

others such as southern highbush (Vac-

cinium

spp.), rabbiteye (V.

virgatum;

syn.

V. ashei),

and lowbush (V.

angustifolium)

are commonly grown in regions that suit

their horticultural requirements.

Before improved varieties were avail-

able for commercial production, wild

blueberries were used to supply the

market demand. Highbush blueberry cul-

tivation and breeding programs, which

began in the early 1900s, paved the way

for the modern blueberry industry. Early

blueberry production was limited to the

eastern United States and Upper Mid-

west, but with the new cultivars available,

growers and researchers alike began to

look outside of this region. By the 1930s

and 1940s, blueberries were being grown

in North Carolina and the West Coast,

with further expansion occurring in

subsequent decades. Desirable traits were

intensified, and the highbush blueberry

industry continued to grow worldwide.

Today, nearly 90 percent of the world’s

blueberries are grown in North America.

The main blueberry production

regions in the United States are the

Northeast (Maine, New Jersey, New

York), Southeast (Alabama, Florida,

Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina),

Northwest and West (California, Oregon,

Washington), and Midwest (Arkansas,

Indiana, Michigan). The production-use

in the United States is divided between

fresh and processed, with a slight ma-

jority (about 55 percent) sold for fresh

consumption. The United States not

only exports blueberries, but it also

imports fruit from other countries, such

as Canada and Chile, between harvest

seasons.

Commercial production of blueber-

ries is a relatively new phenomenon when

compared to other fruit crops (such as

apples, peaches, and grapes). Cultivated

blueberry acreage, which was essentially

nonexistent during the last century, is

more than 70,000 acres in the United

States alone. Markets are varied, with

berries sold in both retail and wholesale

markets. Small scale, local production

has also grown substantially in recent

years, including farmers markets, road-

side stands, and pick-your-own.

Blueberries, when compared to other

fruits, are desirable because they have

small seeds, thin skins, vibrant flavor,

attractive color, good storage capabil-

ity, can be mechanically harvested, and

are adaptable for value-added products.

In addition to flavor, blueberries have a

number of health benefits, such as low

levels of calories, sodium, and choles-

terol, along with high vitamin C and

fiber. Blueberries also contain one of the

highest levels of antioxidants, including

flavonoids and phenolic compounds, of

any other fruit or vegetable. Researchers

have linked blueberries to the reduction

of “bad” cholesterol and slowing of age-

related memory loss. Increased recogni-

tion of these and other health benefits

contributed to the 160 percent increase

in U.S. blueberry consumption between

1994 and 2003 and has also sparked an

increased use of blueberries in jams, jel-

lies, and pastries.

Additional Resources

Bushway, L. 2005. Eat your blueberries.

Cornell University. http://www.fruit.

cornell.edu/berry/.

Coville, F.V. 1937. Improving the wild

blueberry, pp. 559-574 in United States

Department of Agriculture Yearbook

of Agriculture 1937. Washington, D.C.

Eck, P., R.E. Gough, I.V. Hall, and J.M. Spi-

ers. 1990. Blueberry management, pp.

273-333 in Small Fruit Crop Manage-

ment. G. Galletta and D. Himelrick,

eds. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs,

NJ.

Economic Research Service. 2012.

USDA http://usda.mannlib.cornell.

edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.

do?documentID = 1765.

Pritts, M. and J. Hancock. 1992. Highbush

blueberry production guide. Northeast

Regional Agricultural Engineering

Service, NRAES-55.

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