California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Berries

  • Leslie Wada Named USHBC’s First-Ever Senior Director of Nutrition and Health Research

    The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) recently announced the appointment of Leslie Wada, Ph.D., RD, as senior director of nutrition and health research. A longtime consultant for the council, Wada will continue to manage USHBC’s multi-million dollar pipeline of health research projects as she has for the past 12 years. In her expanded role, Wada will have increased ownership and responsibility in leading the health and nutrition pillar of the USHBC’s 2021-2025 strategic plan, integrating the research projects and results with the council’s overall strategy in marketing and promotions.

    A registered dietitian with an undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics from the University of California, Davis, Wada earned a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. She worked as a research scientist on nutrition studies and taught classes in dietetics at UC Berkeley before leaving academia to work with companies that developed functional foods and ingredients. For the past 20+ years, she has worked as an independent consultant for companies in the food and agriculture industry.

    To hear Wada tell the story of the heart-healthy properties of blueberries, check out this podcast episode of “The Business of Blueberries” from earlier in the year.

  • Solution for California Soil Salinity

    – SPONSORED CONTENT –

    With California facing an ongoing drought that is squeezing already limited surface water supplies, farmers are extracting groundwater to continue growing food as usual. Unfortunately, ground water can contain high levels of sodium from soil leaching.

    Water with a high salt (NaCl) content can be a big issue for growers once it is deposited into the root zone. Once there, the sodium and chlorine ions separate when dissolved in water. These ions can then displace other nutrients necessary in the plant such as phosphorus and potassium. As a result of this high soil salinity and displacement of key nutrients, some crops are unable to develop properly. This can potentially lead to the costly decision of walking away from a crop. This was the exact situation a local Miller Chemical and Fertilizer territory manager witnessed. After taking some time to discuss potential solutions, a local strawberry grower and the territory manager concluded that this would be a great opportunity to test one of the products in the Miller portfolio; C.F.O.™

    C.F.O. is an organic compliant proprietary blend of carboxylic acids (40%) designed to release soil nutrients for plant uptake during critical growth and development stages. They key reason for selecting C.F.O. though is the ability to enhance calcium, phosphorus, and micronutrient uptake while also solubilizing and leaching harmful salts out of the root zone, thereby reducing plant stress. The addition of C.F.O. to the soil surrounding the root zone can release these nutrients to be utilized for plant development and improve overall plant health as a result.

    For this challenging situation, one gallon of C.F.O. was applied per acre via drip irrigation. Soil tests were taken at the start of the trial and 21 days after treatment. With 1 application of product, soil salinity was reduced 94%, from 11.5 meq/L Na to 0.75 meq/L Na. The difference is clear from a soil and crop perspective.

    To learn more, please visit Miller’s C.F.O. product page HERE.

  • Blueberries & Walnuts Partner to Give Brain Health Month a Boost at Retail

    June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, and the California Walnut Board (CWB) and U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) are collaborating with a select group of retailers, including Coborn’s, Rouses Markets and Weis Markets, to encourage consumers to “grab a boost of blue and walnuts, too!” Activations will include unique opportunities such as local TV segments, e-newsletter features, Facebook Lives, and more, led by retail registered dietitians. There’s no better time to consider brain benefits through snack food choices.

    “Power periods like Brain Health Month are timely opportunities to get consumers thinking in new and different ways about the products they love,” said Jennifer Sparks, V.P., Marketing and Communications at USHBC. “This strategic collaboration helps both the walnut and blueberry industries reach new audiences and increase demand. It’s a win-win.”

    “While the health benefits of blueberries and walnuts are compelling, this campaign clearly demonstrates how agricultural groups can come together through combined thought leadership and resources, to bring exceptional value and benefit to retailers, consumers and their growers,” said Jennifer Olmstead, Senior Director of U.S. Marketing & Communications at the California Walnut Board. “By working together, we can educate consumers about the benefits of consuming walnuts and blueberries while providing simple snacking solutions that they can implement in their daily lives.”

    Just about all Americans snack daily (97%), and 22% of snackers (53 million people) are looking for snacks that promote cognitive health, according to a new snacking survey conducted by California Walnuts in partnership with Kelton Global.  Diet may have a role to play in bolstering brain health and mitigating potential risks. A growing field of research is looking at the connection between certain foods like walnuts and blueberries and cognitive function. Snacking on walnuts provides important nutrients, like ALA omega-3 fatty acid (2.5 g/oz), that have been studied in connection with brain health. A growing body of scientific evidence is examining how blueberries can be part of eating patterns to support brain health, especially as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

    Perfect as on-the-go snacks to enjoy all month long, blueberries and walnuts are easy to add into any routine and are sure to become a family favorite. For recipe inspiration, the CWB and USHBC created a new blueberry & walnut recipe collection.

    “Grab a Boost of Blue and Walnuts Too!” is designed to inspire and motivate consumers to enjoy more of the blueberries and walnuts they love, in more ways and more often – ultimately driving demand and increasing sales. Retailers are encouraged to participate and inspire their audiences to think about brain health using engaging, easy-to-use content developed by USHBC and the CWB, including recipes, social media images, digital ads and other resources.

    California walnuts and blueberries are also teaming up for joint displays at two regional retailers.  In June, Giant Eagle will prominently integrate walnuts into their month-long “blueberry harvest” event and support the effort with a display contest awarding the stores achieving the largest sales increases.  In August, Jewel Osco will feature both California walnuts and blueberries in their circular ad and showcase both items with adjacent displays in-store.

    About the Survey: The study surveyed 1,005 nationally representative Americans age 18+ in the U.S., and was conducted online during the period of May 7-14, 2021 and the study has a margin of error of+/- 3.1%. Methodology: Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percent, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all personas in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher. Kelton Global, a Material Company, is a strategic consulting agency specializing in quantitative and qualitative market research and serves as a partner to more than 100 of the Fortune 500 and thousands of smaller companies and organizations. For more information about Kelton Global please call 1.888.8.KELTON or visit www.keltonglobal.com.

    About the California Walnut Board 

    The California Walnut Board (CWB) was established in 1948 to represent the walnut growers and handlers of California. The CWB is funded by mandatory assessments of the handlers. The CWB is governed by a Federal Walnut Marketing Order. The CWB promotes usage of walnuts in the United States through publicity and educational programs. The CWB also provides funding for walnut production, food safety and post-harvest research.

    About the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council 

    The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is an agriculture promotion group, representing blueberry growers and packers in North and South America who market their blueberries in the United States and overseas, and works to promote the growth and well-being of the entire blueberry industry. The blueberry industry is committed to providing blueberries that are grown, harvested, packed and shipped in clean, safe environments. Learn more at blueberrycouncil.org.

  • An Organic Alternative to Combatting Spotted Wing Drosophila

    Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are working to understand how something can be equally effective as both a government-approved food additive and as a pesticide.

    Methyl benzoate is a naturally occurring compound produced by plants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration long ago approved methyl benzoate for human use; its fruity and floral aroma makes it a staple in perfumes and cosmetics and as a food additive. Nature employs it to attract pollinators.

    While many insects find methyl benzoate appealing, Aijun Zhang, research chemist at the ARS Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory in Beltsville, MD, is investigating why some insects and non-insect pests find it revolting.

    From left, research chemist Aijun Zhang, postdoctoral Nick Larson, and intern Lauryn Brooks demonstrated research into methyl benzoate uses as a pesticide in an ARS poster day demonstration.

    Zhang’s research has focused on methyl benzoate’s utility as a pesticide for human protection and crop protection. So far, Zhang has documented that the compound will kill or repel many insects in various stages of development, including mosquitoes, bed bugs, fire ants, ticks, flies, moths, and the brown marmorated stink bug. Perhaps most important, however, is its ability to repel and kill the spotted wing drosophila fly (SWD). “SWD is the most significant invasive insect pest of soft-skinned fruit crops in the USA,” Zhang said.

    Since SWD was first detected in California a little over a decade ago, the fly has become a key pest in blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries. These crops have a combined annual value of over $5.8 billion, and farmers lose about $718 million annually to SWD damage.

    Farmers fight SWD with synthetic insecticides, but at prices up to $1,200 per acre, that method is expensive. It is costly in other ways, too, Zhang said; the synthetic insecticide is harmful to the environment, contributes to pesticide resistance, and may be harmful to humans.

    Because methyl benzoate is an environmentally friendly, bio-based compound, Zhang thinks it has great potential to be used by people for human protection as an alternative to synthetic pesticides. It also costs much less than synthetic pesticide treatments.

    According to Zhang, methyl benzoate shares the same “chemical skeleton” as DEET, the gold standard in arthropod repellency, a detail that is leading future research efforts.

    “Understanding the structure-activity relationship will allow researchers to modify the chemical structure of the methyl benzoate molecule to develop pesticides that are more efficient at controlling arthropod pests,” he said. — By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications.

  • Breeding Better Blueberries with USDA

    Drs. Jim Polashock (JP) and Jeannie Rowland (JR) are researchers with the Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory located in Beltsville, MD. Their work involves the improvement of blueberries through the identification and evaluation of genetic markers linked to traits like fruit color, cold hardiness, and disease resistance. In an “Under the Microscope” (UM) interview with the USDA-ARS, the following was shared:

    UM – Blueberries are often hailed as ‘superfruits.’ What makes these berries so healthy?

    JR – The same compounds that give blueberries their hue are also potent antioxidants. Anthocyanins have been linked to many health benefits, from improving night vision and preventing macular degeneration to ameliorating inflammation associated with chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

    JP – In addition to the anthocyanins, blueberries are relatively low in calories and packed with other nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, and compounds called flavonoids. The flavonoids also have been linked to anti-inflammatory activity.

    Side by side comparison of two blueberry lines; ‘Bluecrop’ (left) has light blue-colored fruit with a waxy coating, while ‘Nocturne’ has black-colored fruit without a waxy coating.

    UM – Which blueberry traits are you and your team looking to improve?

    JR – We focus on improving traits that are important to the blueberry industry. For example, we hope to discover the genes that are responsible for climatic adaptation (like cold hardiness and chilling requirement), which help determine the geographical range where plants can be grown. We’re also studying several fruit quality traits, such as firmness and scar size. The scar is the opening on the back of the berry that is left when the stem detaches. This can be an entry point for diseases, so it is important that the opening is small.

    Fruit color is also an important trait that we are researching.  Berries can range from black to the more desirable light blue color. The light blue color is the result of a waxy coating on the fruit that can help prevent disease and desiccation (the drying out of the fruit).

    Blueberry plants of a new ARS-developed cultivar ‘Talisman.’

    JP – Another one of our goals is to improve natural disease resistance in blueberries. We are working on uncovering the genes associated with disease resistance. Once discovered, we can bring resistance genes from various blueberry plants into superior plants through traditional breeding. Blueberries with improved resistance reduce production costs and help protect the environment and consumers. We are also working on varieties suitable for machine harvesting, which requires the fruit to be firm and ripen around the same time. Machine harvesting increases sustainability by reducing costs.

    UM – The U.S. blueberry crop alone is estimated to be worth more than $900 million and the global blueberry market is swiftly expanding.  What kinds of threats do blueberry growers and producers currently face?

    JP – To be competitive, growers must produce a quality product while keeping costs down. This involves research across several different disciplines including breeders, horticulturalists, pathologists, and others that all contribute to various aspects of developing improved varieties, disease control and production practices.

    JR: In some years, severe low temperatures in winter can cause damage to flower buds. Also, frosts in late winter and early spring can cause major damage to opening flowers in some years. This kind of damage to flower buds and opening flowers decreases fruit yield.

    UM – What common pathogens or fungi should home gardeners be aware of? 

    JP – Since blueberries are native to North America, they are well-adapted to grow here and have few important disease problems. However, the most common disease home gardeners are likely to see is fruit rot — called anthracnose — that is caused by a fungus. While not harmful to consume, it can make the berries soft and unappealing.  Another common fungus-caused threat to blueberries is a disease called mummy berry, which results in leaf infections and small dried fruit called ‘mummies.’

    Blueberries can also acquire viral infections that reduce plant vigor and yield.  Unfortunately, virus-infected blueberries cannot be cured and affected bushes must be removed to contain the virus. In addition, most of these viruses are transmitted by sucking insects, so the best way to prevent blueberry viruses from spreading is through insect control.

    UM – How can growers protect their blueberries?

    JP – Home gardeners should check with their local gardening supply store for recommendations on how to control the diseases and insects. Birds eating the berries as they ripen is probably more of issue for home gardeners. Bird netting can be purchased at gardening supply stores to help protect the crop.

    UM – How can consumers extend the shelf life of blueberries?

    JP – Fresh blueberries generally disappear pretty quickly but keeping them in the refrigerator will help extend shelf life. They can also be frozen for longer term storage.

    UM – Do blueberries lose some of their nutritional value if frozen or mixed with other fruits?

    JP – Blueberries maintain all of their nutritional quality after being frozen. In fact, freezing can help preserve some nutrients. The berries will be soft when they defrost but will still taste great.

    UM – Can your research in blueberry improvement be applied to other fruits, such as other members of the genus Vaccinium like cranberries? 

    JP – Blueberries and cranberries are actually closely related North American fruit crops.  Although they appear to be quite different, as blueberries grow on bushes with soft sweet fruit while cranberries grow on low-growing vines and bear firm tart fruit, they are actually genetically quite similar.

    JR – We have been working on team projects to sequence the blueberry and cranberry genomes.  Due to their similarities, we can compare traits and markers of one species to those in other related species and transfer information between the two.

  • ITC Deems Foreign Imported Blueberries Not a Threat to Domestic Production

    The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that fresh, chilled or frozen blueberries are not being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat of serious injury, to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. The determination was made in the context of an investigation initiated on September 29, 2020, under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252) at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative. Information about this investigation and global safeguard investigations in general can be found here.

    The Commission’s determination resulted from a 5-0 vote. Chair Jason E. Kearns, Vice Chair Randolph J. Stayin, and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the negative. As a result of today’s vote, the investigation will end, and the Commission will not recommend a remedy to President Joe Biden. The Commission will submit its report containing its injury determination and the basis for it to the president by March 29, 2021.

    The American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) released the following statement regarding the outcome of the ITC’s global safeguard investigation into imports of fresh, chilled or frozen blueberries:

    “The American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) is disappointed with the decision today by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to find that rising imports of foreign-grown blueberries are not a substantial cause of serious injury, or threat of serious injury, to domestic farmers. We disagree with the outcome of the Commissioner’s investigation.

    Throughout this case, blueberry growers across the United States provided the ITC with extensive data and personal experiences about the significant harm caused by surging imports on the supply and pricing of blueberries in the U.S. market, especially during our critical growing and harvest seasons. We believed this data and testimony made a compelling case that safeguard measures were critical to the survival of our domestic farmers, and we are disappointed by the Commission’s decision.

    We actively participated in this investigation because we believe U.S. trade laws must support a level playing field for American farmers – one in which lower labor costs and more lax environmental standards in other countries does not drive our domestic growers out of business. The outcome of this investigation reveals deficiencies in U.S. trade laws, which unfortunately will put the long-term viability of the domestic blueberry industry in jeopardy.

    We have received strong support from members of Congress, state elected officials, agricultural associations and other farm interests throughout this investigation, and we plan to work with these groups on other remedies to ensure that American consumers continue to have access to fresh, high-quality, safe, domestically grown blueberries.

    Meanwhile, our domestic growers will face another year of economic uncertainty as they grow and harvest their 2021 blueberry crop. No doubt, imports will now accelerate to overwhelm our domestic market this year. This will cause even greater hardship on family-owned farm operations, as well as on providers of packing and freezing services, and damage to local communities and tax bases.”

  • New ‘Prime-Ark® Horizon’ Blackberry

    A new blackberry has been released by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UA), named Prime-Ark® Horizon. This is the sixth public primocane-fruiting variety from the UA breeding program.

     Key items to note about Prime-Ark® Horizon:

    • Primocane fruiting, thorny
    • A complement to Prime-Ark® 45 for commercial production for primocane fruit
    • High floricane crop potential
    • Primocane berries are large, with larger fruit size potential than other primocane-fruiting varieties in summer heat and potential primocane crop extension beyond the Prime-Ark® 45 season
    • Berries are very firm in storage, and otherwise comparable to Prime-Ark® 45 in postharvest potential
    • Soluble solids averaging 10% and titratable acidity 0.92%, providing good sugar/acid balance
    Prime-Ark® Horizon with extended fruiting on the primocane, late August, 2020, Arkansas.

    The majority of the testing of Prime-Ark® Horizon was done at the location of its development, the UA Fruit Research Station, Clarksville, AR, with data and observations collected from plants over 8+ years. The cross for Prime-Ark® Horizon was made in 2008, and it was selected in 2010.  Additional data and observations were collected by Josh Beam at a Dole Berry test site near Lincolnton, NC (six years), and Karen Blaedow, North Carolina State University Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, NC (two years). I greatly appreciate the testing results attained by these colleagues. I have included comments from their findings in the following discussion.

    Ripening: Floricane first harvest is a few days later than Prime-Ark® 45 and near that of Ouachita (June 12). Floricane harvest period averaged 40 days. Primocane first harvest averaged August 4, just before Prime-Ark® 45. Primocane fruiting can potentially extend until mid-October, providing a fruiting period of over 60 days.

    Josh often found floricane harvest date to be similar to that observed in Arkansas. Primocane harvests began a little earlier than Arkansas, ranging from mid to late July. He harvested primocane fruit to late September or mid-October depending on the year.  Karen’s first harvest for primocane fruit was August 6 in 2019.

    Berry:  Prime-Ark® Horizon’s berry weight averaged 7.8 g overall for floricanes. Berries were often up to 10 g for floricanes. The primocane berries averaged 7.3 g. The floricane and primocane average weights are much closer than other primocane-fruiting varieties, suggesting more berry weight stability in summer heat during primocane flowering and fruiting.

    Josh found floricane berries to range from 9-11 g, and Karen’s planting averaged over 13 g in 2019. Josh found primocane berries to be 11-15 g, equally as large as floricane berries. This is unusual as primocane berry weight in southern locations is typically associated with smaller berries due to the impact of heat on fruit set and development.

    Berry shape was noted to vary with Prime-Ark® Horizon, and in some years curved berries were observed in most test locations. Primocane double berries were not seen, as is common with Prime-Ark® 45 in Arkansas, due to heat effects. This further suggests some heat tolerance for Prime-Ark® Horizon. However, temperatures above 90oF were observed to occasionally result in primocane flower death with Prime-Ark® Horizon, so full heat tolerance is not implied.

    Floricane berry along with primocane flower buds present, late June in Arkansas.

    Yield: Prime-Ark® Horizon has very high yield potential on floricanes, and exceeded yield of Natchez in some years. Floricane yields have exceeded 30,000 lb./acre in research plots usually in the year after planting.  Floricane yield is influenced by the degree of primocane fruiting the prior year. More primocane fruit production often equates to lower floricane yields the following season. Crop control with pruning is strongly advised to balance crop, particularly in the first year of floricane fruiting if no primocane crop is produced in the planting year.  Primocane yields ranged from 3,000-9,000 lb./acre depending on year and environment.

    Josh reported very high yields also, with over 2,500 flats/acre on floricanes, and then another 1,500 flats per acre on primocanes (a flat has 4.5 lb. weight). Cane management will likely be a key component to achieving full yield potential and consistency.

    Flavor:  Flavor has consistently been rated good with light aromatics over many years of evaluations. As with most blackberry varieties, Prime-Ark® Horizon can have variation in sweetness.  Berries were noted at times to be tart, particularly when very high floricane crop was experienced. The overall average soluble solid content was 10% (ranging from 9-11%). Titratable acidity averaged 0.9% (ranging from 0.8-1%), which is within the “reduced acidity” target of the UA breeding program.

    Josh consistently noted the fruit to be sweet over many years of observation, with soluble solids content of 10% or higher. Karen found fruit to have a pleasant flavor but at times variable.

    Postharvest: Storage for 7 days has been comparable to Prime-Ark® 45 in reddening/reversion. It has also shown potential for longer-term storage particularly in the retention of firmness. In addition to excellent firmness in storage, leakage and decay have been among the best measured in the Arkansas program.

    Plants:  Prime-Ark® Horizon plants have shown good health, except when excessive floricane yields were experienced that resulted in reduced floricane leaf size as well as upward leaf curling. No orange rust nor anthracnose were observed on Prime-Ark® Horizon.  Winter hardiness has been comparable to Ouachita, and has shown very limited winter injury to a low of 1oF. Spring freeze damage has not been observed. Chilling requirement is unknown, but is anticipated to be approximately 300 hours.

    Plant vigor can be high, and this can result in extended primocanes with long fruiting laterals. Overall, Prime-Ark® Horizon has reduced thorns compared to Prime-Ark® 45. Thorn density on canes is 45% lower than Prime-Ark® 45 but density is similar on laterals and leaf petioles. Josh noted high vigor and commented that primocane management would have to be worked out to attain maximum yield. Karen found Prime-Ark® Horizon to be one of the more vigorous varieties in her trial. — By John R. Clark, University of Arkansas

  • What Consumers Like about Fresh-Market Blackberries

    At the University of Arkansas System (UA System) Division of Agriculture, 80 consumers looked at and tasted fresh-market blackberries to help us determine attributes they liked. The consumers looked at individual blackberries and preferred oblong, large blackberries as opposed to round or small (see the figure below).

    Consumers also looked at blackberries in clamshells and preferred to purchase clamshells containing larger blackberries or clamshells without blackberries with red drupelet reversion (see the Figure below).

    Percent of consumers (n=81) that ranked clamshells of blackberries as most preferred for different size berries (A)z and different amounts of red drupelet reversion (B)y.
    z Clamshell ‘735’ had about 22 10-g to 12-g berries, and ‘916’ had about 50 4-g to 5-g berries.
    y Clamshell ‘942’ had 0% of the blackberries with red drupelet reversion, ‘516’ had about 25%, and ‘378’ had 65%.

    Consumers then tasted six UA system cultivars (Caddo, Natchez, Osage, Ouachita, Ponca, and Prime-Ark®Traveler) and liked Ponca, Osage, Caddo, and Natchez the most. Ponca (10% soluble solids and 0.8% titratable acidity) was highly rated for sweetness, overall flavor, and overall impression. Understanding what consumers like about fresh-market blackberries provides blackberry breeders and blackberry growers with information to advance retail sale. — By Renee Threlfall, Research Scientist, Dept of Food Science, University of Arkansas

  • How Berry Growers Put Dairies’ Plentiful Waste Products to Use

    Dairy farmers generate nutrients in the form of cattle manure. Neighboring raspberry and blueberry farmers import nutrients in the form of fertilizer to maximize production.

    To improve the nutrient loop, Washington State University assembled a team of scientists to study how berry growers can put dairies’ plentiful waste product to a use in their fields. “We want to connect those industries,” said Chris Benedict, a WSU Extension specialist.“If it works, then that will lower the risk of nutrients entering into the environment, encourage farmers in different industries to work together closely, and hopefully help everyone economically.”

    The project required scientists who are familiar with fertilizers, as well as food scientists, economists, and small fruit specialists. WSU has experts in every field, and the team came together to do the work. The results of the project can be found on WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR) web site.

    The main concern about using biofertilizers on food crops is the potential of introducing foodborne pathogens. Dairy manure is a good source of nutrients for crops, but could potentially carry foodborne pathogens. To prevent illness, dairy manure is subjected to different treatments prior to field application to reduce pathogen levels and meet safety standards.

    “There has to be zero risk for berry farmers,” Benedict said. “We were pretty sure the process is safe, but we needed to prove that. So working with food scientists was key. And we had to make sure the cost/benefit worked out, since farmers are running businesses.”

    Meijun Zhu, professor in the WSU School of Food Science, performed food safety testing, while Joe Cook, associate professor in the WSU School of Economic Sciences, examined economic feasibility.

    Benedict works with small fruit producers and has collaborated with dairy farmers on projects focused on anaerobic digestion, as well as nutrient recovery technologies that generate biofertilizers derived from dairy manure. The combined processes have shown a significant reduction in foodborne pathogens in previous research.

    Considering the Economic Impact

    Biofertilizers are a relatively new product, so there isn’t much market research available, Cook said. The economics team designed a survey for local berry farmers to find out who would use them and how much they would be willing to pay.

    “Not surprisingly, cost was a major factor, the less the cost the more likely farmers were to switch,” Cook said. “The survey also instructed growers to assume the product is safe for food crops in the hypothetical, but they still commented on that aspect repeatedly. Clearly people are very concerned about that aspect of the project.”

    Keeping People Safe

    To ensure human safety, researchers had to test the biofertilizers in the field. Benedict collaborated with local small fruit farmers who donated parts of their fields for testing plots. The team applied multiple different biofertilizers to raspberries and blueberries. “We’re lucky, we have really great collaborators who were willing to sacrifice a full season of crops in several fields,” Benedict said.

    Then the berries in each test plot were carefully harvested and sent to Zhu’s lab in Pullman. “This was a big project and teamwork was very important,” Zhu said. “Everything had to be coordinated, so we talked with Chris Benedict’s team about how to properly and randomly collect samples in multiple berry fields.”

    Pathogens can spread unevenly in a single field, so truly random sampling is required to make sure the data is correct, she said.

    Zhu’s team didn’t find any pathogens harmful to humans in their testing. The processed biofertilizers are safe to apply to food crops, hopefully leading to a closing of that nutrient loop in Whatcom County and benefitting farmers and consumers around the country.

    In addition to Benedict, Zhu, and Cook, the WSU team also consisted of Betsy Schacht, Karen Hills, Chad Kruger, Georgine Yorgey, Lina Sheng, and Xiaoye Shen. This project was funded by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Innovation Grants program, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. – By Scott Weybright, Washington State University College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences

    Check out a video explaining the research on YouTube

  • U.S. Blueberry Farmers Testify to ITC of Import Harm

    Members of the American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA), a group representing U.S. domestic blueberry farmers, today provided information to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) during a hearing on the impact of rising imports during the U.S. growing and harvest seasons. American blueberry growers across the country – mostly small, family-run farms – have been devastated by an influx in blueberry imports by 75 percent in the past five years, according to U.S. import data.

    “Because of booming domestic demand, we should be enjoying a market in which there is room for both domestic and foreign growers to profit,” said Jerome Crosby, Chairman of the ABGA Board of Directors and owner of Pineneedle Farms in Willacoochee, Georgia. “However, foreign government policies targeting the United States market and large corporate import interests have combined to bring massive volumes of blueberries into our market, increasingly during periods that in the past provided growers with the bulk of their revenues and often all of their profits for the year.”

    “The massive increase in Mexican imports during our harvesting season has crippled the Florida blueberry industry and threatens its very existence,” said Brittany Lee, Executive Director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association and owner of Florida Blue Farms. “Over the period 2009 to 2019, we saw imports from Mexico increase by 2,111 percent. We have experienced a significant decline in price per pound for fresh blueberries in Florida, and a huge loss of market share.”

    Farmers said the U.S. blueberry industry has made extensive marketing efforts over many years to educate purchasers and consumers about blueberries, which has increased demand. “Foreign producers are taking the benefit of those efforts, in some instances by creating industries out of nothing and exploiting cheap labor and poor environmental regulation overseas,” said Rex Schultz of Heritage Blueberries in Bangor, Michigan and President of the Michigan Blueberry Advisory Committee. “Producers in foreign countries are totally dependent on our market, and they have every incentive to keep shipping more and more product here. This is not a sustainable situation for the American blueberry farmer.”

    Imports have also had a devastating effect on blueberry farmers in Western states. “Ten years ago, imports filled an important role by ensuring supply of fresh berries in the few months is no longer the case,” said Jayson Scarborough, a blueberry farmer in Central California. “Imports from Mexico and Peru, in particular, now enter our market throughout our harvesting period in California. Prices for these imported berries are extremely low, which means that when we begin to sell our harvests, the price point has already deteriorated significantly due to the presence of large volumes of imported fruit in the market.”

    Farmers said that massive amounts of fresh blueberries coming in from Mexico and South America often arrive without a buyer. “Peruvian product can arrive in massive shipments, with hundreds of thousands and even millions of pounds of perishable fresh blueberries on one ocean-going vessel that has been in transit at least two weeks before being unloaded at U.S. ports,” said Shelly Hartmann, owner of True Blue Farms in Grand Junction, Michigan. “When these blueberries are released all at once onto the fresh market, they cause prices to crater. This pushes domestic production of blueberries grown for the fresh market into the frozen market.”

    In addition, several members of Congress also testified before the ITC in support of American blueberry growers, including Reps. Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.), Gregory Steube (R-Fla.) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.).

    The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is conducting a global safeguard investigation into imported fresh, chilled or frozen blueberries under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974. The ITC will determine if the dramatic increase of foreign berries is “a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat thereof” to American blueberry growers.

    About American Blueberry Growers Alliance

    American Blueberry Growers Alliance (ABGA) is a national association representing blueberry growers and farmers in the United States. ABGA provides a unified voice for blueberry growers in states across the country, including California, Florida, Georgia and Michigan, advocating on behalf of their interests and for the long-term viability of the domestic blueberry industry. For more information, visit: americanblueberrygrowers.com.