Taller sobre productos forestales no madereros de las Yungas en Argentina - Workshop on non-timber forest products from the Yungas in Argentina

Chilto o tomate de árbol (http://static.elfederal.com.ar/)

PROGRAMA

3er Taller Nacional de Chilto: “Estado del conocimiento y Perspectivas de desarrollo del Cultivo de Tomate de Árbol”

1er Taller de PFNM (Productos Forestales No Madereros) de las Yungas”.

FECHAS: 28 y 29 de julio de 2016

LUGAR: Salón Hansen de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias de Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Alberdi 47, San Salvador de Jujuy, Prov. de Jujuy, Argentina

CRONOGRAMA

3 er Taller Nacional de Chilto – Jueves 28 de Julio.

8:45 – 9:00 hs: Acreditaciones.

9:00 – 9:25 hs: Apertura.

9:30 – 9:55 hs: Ley de Bosques (MAyDS).

10:00 – 10:25 hs: Actualidad del Chilto (Solanum betaceum) en el Mundo y Argentina. Ing. Agr. Juan Pablo Moro

10:30 – 11:00 hs: CAFÉ.

11:00 – 11:25 hs: Presentación video. Chilto en Colombia. TVAgro de Colombia.

11:30 – 11:55 hs: Ensayo experimental de una clasificación comercial post-cosecha, muestral de Chilto de Yunga Jujeña”. Prof. Ec. Daniel R. Biagetti (INTI).

12:00 – 12:25 hs: Experiencias de cultivo de Chilto en Valle Grande. Prof. Elber Ríos y Orlando Jara. Representantes de Escuela Provincial Agrotécnica N° 13. Valle Grande, Jujuy.

12:30 – 12:55 hs: Experiencias de cultivo de Chilto en La Candelaria, Ledesma,  Jujuy. Matías Entrocassi.

13:00 – 14:00 hs: Almuerzo.

14:00 – 14:25 hs: Experiencia de Chilto en la Prov. de Tucumán. Norberto Primo, Fundación Ecologista Nuestra Tierra.

14:30 – 14:55 hs: Diversidad morfológica y genética del Chilto. Lic. G. Caruso, V. Broglia y F. Yañez (Consejo de Investigación. UNSa).

15:00 – 15:25 hs: Avances en el conocimiento de las propiedades nutricionales y funcionales de Chilto y productos derivados. Control de calidad de los productos derivados. Estudio de Variedades. Dra. María Inés Isla y Lic. Eugenia Orqueda (UNT – CONICET Tucumán).

15:30 – 15:55 hs: Distribución geográfica y economías vinculadas al Chilto. BGEN, UNSa.

16:00 – 16:30 hs: CAFE

16:30 – 16:55 hs: Caracterización de seis poblaciones nativas del Chilto. BGEN, UNSa.

17:00  – 17:25 hs: Prospección y conservación de poblaciones silvestres de Chilto en el Noroeste Argentino. Lic. Mariana Ferreyra, Banco de Germoplasma de la EEA Salta del INTA.

17:30 – 18:00 hs: Conclusiones Taller CHILTO 2016. Intercambio de ideas. Redacción de conclusiones y determinación de futuras acciones.

1er Taller de PFNM de las Yungas – Viernes 29 de Julio.

8:45 – 9:00 hs: Acreditaciones.

9:00 – 9:30 hs: Avances en el conocimiento de las propiedades nutricionales y funcionales de Eugenia uniflora  (arrayán /ñangapiri) y Myrcianthes pungens (Mato blanco/Mato arrayán / Guabiyú). Comparación. Dra. Catiana Zampini (UNT – CONICET Tucumán).

9:30 – 9:55 hs: Avances en el conocimiento de las propiedades nutricionales y funcionales de Achoscha o Achojcha (Cyclanthera pedata). Dra. Maria Rosa Alberto (UNT – CONICET Tucumán).

10:00 – 10:25 hs: Yacón. Alfredo Grau (UNT).

10:30 – 11:00 hs: CAFÉ.

11:00 – 11:25 hs: Procesamiento y conservación de productos derivados de frutos. Ing. Susana Monserrat (Tucumán).

11:30 – 11:55 hs: Papaya o higuera del monte (Vasconcellea quercifolia): una especie y varias potencialidades. María Manuela Urtasun (BGEN, UNSa).

12:00 – 12:25 hs: Uvilla o Uchuva (Physalis peruviana) o (Physalis pubescens). Matias Entrocassi.

12:30 – 12:55 hs: El Picante que nos da el campo, el Ají Kitucho (Capsicum microcarpum subesp. baccatum). Ing. Agr. (MSc.) María Julia Fagiani (INTA EECT Yuto).

13:00 – 14:00 hs: Almuerzo.

14:00 – 14:25 hs: Granadilla, la pasionaria del campo (Passiflora caerulea). Ing. Agr. (MSc.) María Julia Fagiani (INTA EECT Yuto).

14:30 – 14:55 hs: Aspectos generales sobre la Chirimoya (Rollinia occidentalis). Ing. Sebastián Horacio Buono (FCA – UNJu e INTA AER San Pedro).

15:00 – 15:25 hs: El Nogal de las Yungas (Junglans australis). Ing. Agr. Dante Aramayo (UNJu).

15:30 – 15:55 hs:  "Conclusiones del Seminario “Etnobiología. El inventario de los saberes locales: ¿hacia dónde y para qué?” y sus proyecciones". Dra. Nilda Dora Vignale, Lics. Estela Noemí Flores, Marina Eva Acosta y Leila A. S. Giménez y Bromat. Analía Vera INECOA, UNJu-CONICET y Referente Cs.Naturales-Unidad de Investigación. Sede UNJu San Pedro de Jujuy.

16:00 – 16:30 hs: CAFE

16:35 – 17:00 hs: ProYungas: Actividades en las Yungas. Amelie Lester.

17:00  – 17:30 hs: Conclusiones Finales

Fuente: Juan Pablo Moro: jpmoro@ambiente.gob.ar 

La ECONOMÍA DE PATIO en un congreso en Nicaragua - BACKYARD ECONOMY in a congress in Nicaragua

Con el lema "En los patios las familias producen para una vida mejor”, el gobierno sandinista a través del Ministerio de la Economía Familiar Comunitaria, Cooperativa y Asociativa (MEFCCA), inauguró el Congreso Internacional de Economía de Patio y Patio Saludable. Participan más de 300 protagonistas de todo el país que compartirán experiencias exitosas que han tenido con el Patio Saludable, a fin de fortalecer sus capacidades.

Durante el congreso, países como Chile e Italia compartirán sus experiencias de Patio Saludable con protagonistas de Nicaragua. Desde el 2012 hasta la fecha, MEFCCA ha apoyado a 173 mil familias protagonistas con Patios Saludables; más de 233 mil familias han sido capacitadas en el tema de procesamiento de frutas y verduras. El Programa de Patio Saludable se impulsa para luchar contra la pobreza, contribuye a mejor calidad de vida de las familias.

Vidaldina Isabel Centeno del municipio de Yalaguina, recuerda que ella junto a un grupo de 10 mujeres se convirtieron en 2015 protagonistas del Patio Saludable, al recibir arboles de aguacate, naranja, limón y matas de guinea, y desde entonces siguen avanzando y trabajando. "Nosotros esperamos hacer crecer nuestro Patio Saludable aumentando la producción de frutas, verduras y plantas medicinales, en mi caso inicié en mi solar, luego compré una parcela y ahora tenemos la oportunidad de participar en feria y darnos a conocer”.

Doña Amelia Auxiliadora Muñoz, del departamento de Granada, recuerda que “desde mis antepasados nos enseñaron a sembrar; algo que contribuye en la alimentación y economía de la familia. El cultivo de la hortaliza es mi pasión y es bonito ver que con nuestro Gobierno esto se está implementando y promoviendo más”. Ella trabaja con su familia en la siembra de rábanos, pipián, espinaca, frijoles, arroz, maíz y trigo y plantas medicinales. Agregó que además promueve el reciclaje ya que su jardín esta en baldes, botellas plásticas y llantas, promoviendo el reciclaje.

Aprendieron la siembra en llantas y ahora tienen buenos ingresos, además de los ingresos que genera la venta de yerba buena y esperan buena producción en tomate, cebolla y zanahoria, según doña Martha Lorena López.

Fuente: Nohemy Sandino (http://www.el19digital.com)

New WHITE GRAPE variety would allow great reductions of pesticide applications - Nueva variedad de UVA BLANCA permitiría grandes reducciones de las aplicaciones de pesticidas

Itasca grape clusters weigh from 95 to 145 grams, can be winged or shouldered and show a golden hue at harvest (Courtesy John Thull).

The University of Minnesota has announced its newest cold-hardy wine grape variety, and it’s one for which north country grape growers have been waiting. Called the Itasca for the lake in northern Minnesota identified as the source of the Mississippi River, the white grape has a lower acidity than other cold-hardy varieties and high sugar, potentially making it an ideal candidate for a dry white wine. The variety also shows resistance to downy and powdery mildew, as well as phylloxera, and it is hardy to USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone 4.

Provenance

The Itasca has been in development since 2002. Originally tagged as MN 1285, it was created from a cross pollination of Frontenac Gris and MN 1234, a Seyval Blanc offspring known for its resistance to powdery mildew. Two of its ancestors are accessions of Vitis riparia, from which it acquired its high sugar — and its cold-hardiness.

In 2014, the winter of the Polar Vortex, Frontenac Gris had a 25 percent bud survival rate, while Itasca endured the same weather and emerged with 65 percent primary bud survival, said Matt Clark, a University of Minnesota assistant professor and grape breeder.

Though not certified yet, the variety has been submitted to the Clean Plant Center Northwest in Prosser, Washington. To date, they’ve done a few performance evaluations with some growers but no large-scale vineyard or winery trials.

The university has licensed three nurseries to sell its new variety for the 2017 season: Winterhaven Vineyard and Nursery in Janesville, Minnesota; Double A Vineyards in Fredonia, New York; and Northeastern Vine Supply in West Pawlet, Vermont. Knight Hollow Nursery of Middleton, Wisconsin, uses a tissue culture for micropropagation.

Grower friendly

Vines can be vigorous, depending on the soil. The breeders have found vine spacing should be 6 feet apart when organic matter is 2.5 percent or less and 8 feet apart for 3 percent or more. “Irrigation is important for establishment,” Clark said. Its growth habit is open and manageable. Shoots can either grow upright or procumbent. “Fruit exposure is good with minor adjustments,” he said.

The university vines hang on high-wire, double cordon systems. Clark said he thinks they can be trained to vertical shoot positioning, though it’s not been tested yet. Kicker shoots on the trunk can reduce vine growth, and should be pruned off or back to short spurs, he said.

Clark said they don’t have very good data on when bud break occurs. “It didn’t seem to be as early as Marquette, but may be in the same time frame as Frontenac,” he said. The fruit ripens earlier than Frontenac, by mid- to late September. Cluster structure is moderately compact, weighing in at 95 to 145 grams, is cylindrical and can be  shouldered or winged. Berries take on a golden hue when ripe, with some clusters showing one or two pronounced rosy berries. The fruit has flavors of pear, gooseberries, honeydew melon and star fruit.

The juice

So far, the university has only produced about eight gallons of wine this year, fermented in glass or plastic. Grape berries were harvested, destemmed and pressed in one day and inoculated with yeast on the second day to dry, Clark said. With a pH of 3.05 to 3.35, Itasca has 30 percent less acid than Minnesota’s other cold-hardy varieties, a gift from its European parents. “It has lots of French in its background,” Clark said. He said they try to pick the grapes at 26 Brix, but depending on where they are planted, the variety can deliver up to 28 Brix.

The titratable acidity (TA) of Itasca’s juice is much lower than the other Minnesota cold-hardy varieties, such as Frontenac, which sports 15 to 16 grams per liter. “It has titratible acidity in the 9 to 10 grams per liter range, putting it more in line with other vinifera varietal dry table wines like Sauvignon Blanc or even Riesling,” said Bryan Forbes, the University of Minnesota’s cold-hardy wine grape breeding program interim winemaker.

Itasca can make a crisp, white wine but it is also very versatile, Forbes said. Using malolactic fermentation, for example, a winemaker could make a wine similar to that of a typical Chardonnay, with a richer, potentially buttery character.

It is not hyper-aromatic like a Muscat nor is it bracing on the tongue. “It’s pretty zippy but it is not an assault,” he said. Clark deferred to Forbes for a more expert opinion, but allowed the wine would do best on its own. “It would also be nice to blend with high-acid wines to improve mouth feel and flavor,” he said.

Source: Dave Weinstock (http://www.goodfruit.com)

Factores climáticos hacen retrotraer las exportaciones de FRUTAS chilenas a niveles del 2006 - Climatic factors make roll back exports of Chilean FRUIT to 2006 levels

Foto: portalfruticola.com

Las 2.338 millones de toneladas proyectadas por Fedefruta para el 2016, son la cifra más baja de exportaciones chilenas de fruta fresca desde el 2006. Desde el año 2002, además, que la uva de mesa no registraba números tan bajos de exportación. La manzana, a su vez, cedería su puesto a los arándanos en términos de valores FOB. Fedefruta despliega un ciclo de encuentros frutícolas en las regiones para abordar la situación con los productores, puesto que es necesario encontrar nuevos nichos de negocio frente a este escenario de tendencia a la baja en los envíos.  Éstos parten la próxima semana en las regiones Metropolitana y del Maule. Definitivamente, las heladas del 2013 -en medio de la sequía- marcaron un antes y un después para la fruticultura chilena, porque desde ese momento que la industria no ha logrado recuperarse del todo en cuanto a los volúmenes, principalmente debido a factores climáticos que han consolidado una baja en las exportaciones.

Aquello es lo que estima Fedefruta en base a su proyección de fin de temporada, que revela no sólo una disminución del 4% en las toneladas enviadas de fruta fresca en relación al 2015. “La fruticultura chilena viene marcando una tendencia a la baja en sus exportaciones desde las heladas de septiembre de 2013, por ese mismo y otros factores climáticos posteriores como primaveras húmedas y lluvias en cosecha, además de la sequía”, concluye el presidente del gremio, Ramón Achurra, al revisar los datos que señalan que las exportaciones chilenas han caído en un 13,6% desde el 2013, año peak en los embarques frutícolas. Las 2.338 millones de toneladas proyectadas por Fedefruta para el 2016, son la cifra más baja de exportación de estos productos desde el 2006, año en que se enviaron 2.257 millones a los mercados. “La fruticultura chilena se ha devuelto unos diez años atrás en cuanto a volúmenes, pese al crecimiento en especies como arándanos, cerezas y frutos secos en este tiempo”, afirma Achurra.

Uvas, pomáceas y nueces

Basta decir que las exportaciones de las dos principales especies frutícolas del país, la uva de mesa y la manzana, que representan más del 60% del total de los envíos nacionales de fruta. La proyección de Fedefruta espera que la uva cierre con 670 mil toneladas exportadas,  una caída del 10,8% con respecto al año pasado y el volumen más bajo desde el 2002, cuando se enviaron 655 mil. Asimismo, no se espera que las manzanas superen las 580 mil toneladas de embarques, lo que significa una baja del 7,7% en relación al 2015, año que ya había anotada una disminución importante del 23,4% en comparación al 2014. Es más, si las estimaciones se cumplen, las manzanas cederían su segundo puesto a los arándanos en cuanto a valores FOB, con estos berries llegando a los USD 545 millones FOB (USD 35 millones por arriba). Otras pomáceas afectadas serán las peras, con una baja estimada de un 13% en las exportaciones, llegando a 125 mil toneladas luego del récord de 144 mil el 2015. Además, en cuanto a las nueces, que superaron la barrera de las 50 mil toneladas el 2015, se espera que las lluvias de abril hayan causado una caída del 12,1% en sus envíos este año, según las proyecciones más optimistas del gremio.

Otras frutas

Por su parte, este año los cítricos moderarán su crecimiento luego de un 2015 excepcional en que las exportaciones de naranjas, limones, clementinas y mandarinas subieron un 33%. De este modo, el gremio estima para este año un alza del 4% en estas frutas. En paltas (aguacates), Fedefruta proyecta un alza del 22,2% en la exportación, de 90 mil a 110 mil toneladas, debido a los precios más atractivos en los mercados externos, en lugar del interno que siempre ha competido con los destinos internacionales.

¿Qué hacer?

Fedefruta ha llevado este tema de la tendencia a la baja en las exportaciones a autoridades como el Ministerio de Agricultura y la banca, de la misma forma que lo hará en sus encuentros regionales con productores frutícolas en la Región Metropolitana (21 junio, Monticello) y El Maule (23 de junio, Curicó), donde se contemplarán nuevas estrategias productivas y nichos de negocio innovadores para salir adelante financieramente de esta situación que ya es tónica de los últimos años. “Por una primavera húmeda y lluvias en plena cosecha, hubo fruta que no pudo exportarse debido a que perdió la capacidad para viajar por 30 días y llegar en condiciones óptimas a sus mercados, pero no así su sabor ni calidad”, comentó Achurra. “Es fruta que podemos ocupar para otros nichos de negocio y es importante que podamos acordarlo como industria con nuestros asociados”.

Rodrigo Echeverría, productor de uva de mesa de la zona de Los Andes, en el valle de Aconcagua, quien coincide con la situación y explica que ésta no se debe a problemas económicos o de mercado, sino que el culpable es el clima. Echeverría además señaló que existe un problema de fondo, y es que en otros años al haber una menor oferta, había un alza de precios, pero este año al tener un producto con exceso de humedad no se ha producido el mismo efecto en cuanto a los precios de uva de mesa.

Por otro lado, indicó que Chile se enfrenta a otro problema, y es que ahora hay muchos competidores como Perú, Brasil, Sudáfrica, e incluso Australia. “Ya no somos la potencia que fuimos hasta hace unos 5 o 6 años atrás”. Como medida, Rodrigo Echeverría sugiere que “hay que conocer la situación climática de la que estamos siendo partícipes. Ya tenemos que considerar que al menos vamos a tener una o dos lluvias en la temporada de verano, por lo tanto hay muchas situaciones que debemos empezar a prevenir”. Agregó que se está viendo la forma de poner conos sobre los racimos y tener parrones con cubiertas, “proteger es la única alternativa si queremos tener nuestro producto en el mercado” y señaló que la protección química contra hongos, ya no es suficiente con la cantidad de lluvias que hay en el país.

Fuente: www.portalfruticola.com

First commercially-grown BLACK TRUFFLES for KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) - Las primeras TRUFAS NEGRAS cultivadas comercialmente en KwaZulu-Natal (Sudáfrica)

The very first black Périgord truffle grown commercially in KwaZulu-Natal, a 97g specimen found on Max Bastard’s Willowdale Farm in the Kokstad area. Photo: Courtesy of Max Bastard 

There has been much excitement on Max Bastard’s Willowdale Farm near Kokstad in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), following the recent discovery of three black Périgord truffles (Tuber melanosporum). These were the first commercially-grown specimens in KZN.

The first-ever black Périgord truffle to be commercially-grown in South Africa was discovered on a farm near Dullstroom in Mpumalanga in August 2014. This was followed by a similar discovery on a Western Cape farm in August 2015. Bastard’s three truffles were produced in a 20 ha orchard of host trees inoculated with black Périgord truffle spores four-and-a-half years ago.

“Black Périgord truffles are prized for their unique, pungent, earthy aroma, and [are] utilised in the best kitchens and restaurants around the world. They are one of the most expensive culinary ingredients globally, fetching up to US$2,000/Kg (R30,700/Kg),” said Bastard.

Prof Alessandra Zambonelli of the University of Bologna in Italy, told Farmer’s Weekly when the first commercially-grown black truffle was discovered in South Africa, that successful commercial production could be achieved in this country if sufficient host tree orchards were planted. These host trees also needed to be of good quality, and the areas selected for truffle production had to be suitable.
Source: Lloyd Phillips (http://www.farmersweekly.co.za)

'Arctic Fuji', the next GMO APPLE - 'Arctic Fuji', la próxima MANZANA OGM

'Arctic Fuji' apple  (Courtesy Okanagan Specialty Fruits)

After 20 years of development, a Canadian company is expecting its first commercial crop of genetically modified apples in 2016 while awaiting approval to forge ahead with its third and latest variety, 'Arctic Fuji'. Okanagan Specialty Fruits plans to harvest and pack about 50 bins of Arctic Golden Delicious apples and plant its first Arctic Granny Smith apples this year. The Summerland, British Columbia, company develops and produces apples genetically modified to not turn brown when sliced.

Specialty Fruits received approval for Arctic Golden and Arctic Granny apples from food and plant health agencies in both countries early in 2015 and planted about 15 acres of Goldens in Washington, said Neal Carter, company president and founder. Those trees will yield a small crop this fall, while the company plans to plant significantly more acreage of both varieties in 2016, mostly in Washington, with increasing quantities in the following years in other states and Canada.

The company will test market the first apples from this year in a few select stores, but as it ramps up production, it will distribute to a variety of locations in both the U.S. and Canada, Carter said. Carter declined to say which growers, packers or retailers will be working with Arctic apples. At the same time, the firm expects U.S. approval sometime this year of its latest variety, the Arctic Fuji, with Canadian approval to follow within another year.

Arctic Fuji

Specialty Fruits applied for U.S. deregulation for the Fuji on Dec. 31, 2015, in the form of an extension to the documents of previously approved varieties. The process should move faster than the original application, filed with the U.S. authorities in 2010 and the year after in Canada. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service have regulatory oversight of biotechnology in America. In Canada, the two agencies involved are Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Once approvals are in place, the company may propagate and market the apples as if there was nothing different about them. “What that approval means is it’s treated like any other apple variety,” Carter said. At its laboratory in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Specialty Fruits alters the DNA of apples to silence an enzyme that causes apple flesh to brown when exposed to oxygen, such as when it’s sliced or bitten. Specialty Fruits plans to apply for approval for an Arctic Gala by the end of 2017, with other varieties to follow. The company also is seeking agreements to grow and market its Arctic apples in other countries, a lengthy process just as it is in North America. “The regulatory thing is quite onerous no matter where you are in the world,” Carter said.

In Mexico, the company is seeking a food safety assessment to ship Arctic apples in the country and slice them there, he said, while a group of Australians is discussing growing the apples with the company’s representatives. The company both plants its own orchards and contracts with outside growers. Either way, and no matter where the trees are planted, Okanagan Specialty Fruits will own the trees and apples, unlike the royalty arrangements that usually accompany club varieties, Carter said. Such a structure will give Specialty Fruits more control to prevent cross-pollination and other co-mingling of conventional fruit, one of the biggest objections to the controversial genetic techniques, Carter said.

So far, the company has contracted with two large, well-established growers, one in Washington, one in the Eastern U.S. Carter declined to specify the locations. Okanagan Specialty Fruits was purchased in April 2015 by Intrexon Corp., a biotechnology company based in Germantown, Maryland.

Source: Ross Courtney (http://www.goodfruit.com)

Dry weather speeds BLUEBERRY harvest - El tiempo seco acelera la cosecha de ARÁNDANO

Rabbiteye blueberries make up 80 to 90 percent of the Mississippi’s blueberry crop. Recent dry weather has made harvesting easier than normal. (Photo by MSU Extension Service/File)

The first half of June is usually a busy time for blueberry growers in Mississippi, and this year is no different, as recent dry conditions have expedited the crop’s harvest. A few scattered small-market “U-Picks” can be found in north and central portions of the state, but most of the commercial activity is happening south of Interstate 20, where rain has been in short supply lately. Wayne County boasts the highest blueberry production in the state. 

“The dry weather has accelerated the ripening but also made harvest easier than normal,” said Eric Stafne, an associate Extension and research professor in fruit crops with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in Poplarville. “It’s been smooth sailing this year with no major worries about split berries or disease issues.” Amy Phelps, a Pearl River County grower, has grown blueberries commercially in the past but is operating a U-Pick farm this year after a tornado damaged some of her property in February. Despite the setback, she said this year’s crop was one of her best in 16 years.“Whenever the field is stressed by Mother Nature, whatever follows is always big,” Phelps said. “It’s almost like the field is expressing its desire to survive. What we have out there right now is beautiful, and we’ve had ideal picking conditions.”

The Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Service reported 89 percent of the blueberry crop is in good to excellent condition for the week ending May 29. Mandy McCormick grows organic blueberries commercially and opens a U-Pick to the public June 1 each year in Poplarville. She said prices for berries have typically run around $25 to $32 for a 9.5-pound flat, with little change this year. “We can’t pick wet berries because we don’t have a harvester and pick by hand,” she said, “so we welcome all the sunshine we’re getting.” Rabbiteye varieties, which make up 80 to 90 percent of the state’s crop, are generally ready for harvest in late May. The remaining crop mostly consists of Southern highbush varieties, which tend to produce in late April and early May. Rain at the end of this period may have stopped the Southern highbush harvest season prematurely, Stafne said.   

“The rabbiteyes started around May 20, and volumes are increasing at this point,” he said. “We’ll be in the peak of it in mid-June, then we’ll start going into later varieties with lesser volumes in terms of commercial production.” Blueberry production typically continues into July, depending on market demand. Each year, Mississippi has anywhere from 2,000 to 2,500 acres of commercial blueberries. That number was closer to 2,500 acres in recent years, but market conditions are stalling, causing a few growers to switch to other opportunities, Stafne said. “A lot of our production is in the processed market, which means primarily frozen berries. Right now there is a backlog of freezer stock nationwide,” he said. “It’s been difficult to sell that product, so some growers have moved out of the business, and we’re starting to see some slight attrition. But these markets can change quickly. There is always interest from new growers.”

Growers continue to watch for fungi and pests that have compromised crop conditions in the last five years. Exobasidium, a fungal disease found mostly in the Southeast, can be problematic if left untreated. Spotted-wing drosophila fruit flies attack healthy, ripe fruit. Stafne said the pests are relatively new to Mississippi and have been a challenge to control. “We’re just now starting to get into the time period where these fruit flies become a real problem,” he said. “Early varieties miss them for the most part because populations have not yet built up and any that are there are controlled as long as growers are spraying. Timely fungicide sprayings have also limited damage from exobasidium. Growers who have had major problems didn’t treat for the disease.”

Source: Robert Nathan Gregory. Mississippi State University (http://extension.msstate.edu)