Blueberry

Develop management programs for emerging and invasive pests
- Blueberry Stem Gall Wasp, Spotted Wing Drosophila, nematodes, thrips
- Fungal and viral pathogens that affect blueberry bush health and fruit quality (e.g. anthracnose, fruit rot, stem blights and viral diseases)
- Weeds, especially milkweed, horse nettle, hemp dogbane and perennial vines, timing of post emergence herbicides in fall for perennial weeds
- Study effects of field applied sanitizers, skin thickeners, and feeding stimulants on fruit quality, disease control and insect control
- Surfactants/adjuvants, best application practices with herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and plant growth regulators
- Development of non-chemical approaches (e.g. biologicals)

Enhance blueberry yields and quality
- Best practices for removal of low yielding fields, site preparation strategies and field establishment techniques
- Better understanding of methods to increase fruit set, fruit size, and fruit quality including planting design, pollination, pruning, nutrition and water management, soil and foliar applied bio-stimulants
  - Management systems that reduce labor inputs, especially harvest labor
- Breeding program to enhance selection for both plant hardiness and fruit quality
  - Growth regulator uses to increase quality and yields and de-fruiting young plantings
- Irrigation efficiency research
- Post-harvest efficiency

Variety Testing for Michigan viability
- Hardiness
- Size/quality/yield
- Insect resistance
- Disease resistance

Improving Farm Resiliency and Sustainability
- Climate Change
- Precision Agriculture
- Crop production Inputs
- Water use efficiency
- Alternate production strategies and management systems
Food Safety
- Production and Harvest Practices
- FSMA and GAP education to grower

Updated October 2024

AgBioResearch