Developing Blueberry Cultivars For Mechanical Harvesting
The North Carolina Blueberry Council: Partners Focused On Better Blueberries!
Excerpted & Shared With Permission
Full Story: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agcomm/news-center/perspectives/hot-summer-blues/ (7/13/2015)
The North Carolina Blueberry Council, through grants and direct funding, is focused on supporting research to improve the quality of blueberries. One of the current issues being pursued in cooperation with NC State’s Castle Hayne Research Station, is developing better blueberry cultivars for commercial harvesting.
“Nearly 70 percent of high-bush variety blueberries are still picked by hand, which is labor-intensive and expensive for growers.” (“Hot Summer Blues” 7/2015 CALS News Center)
Do in part to the rapid grown of blueberry farm operations, more producers are turning to mechanical harvesting of blueberries. The linked article gives an inside look at how research is being applied to the blueberry industry to benefit both producer and consumer.
“The North Carolina Blueberry Council plays a big role in supporting the college’s blueberry breeding program.” (“Hot Summer Blues” 7/2015 CALS News Center)
This is just one example the important the partnership between producers, researchers and the North Carolina Blueberry, Inc.
Your membership in the North Carolina Blueberry Council, Inc. is fundamental to supporting the blueberry industry from farm to spoon! Your membership as well as your voice are critical to improving farm and production practices as well as putting better blueberries on the consumers table!
Read the whole story “Hot Summer Blues” and get an inside glimpse of where the partnerships in better agriculture are taking your favorite “Little Blue Dynamo”, aka, blueberries!
