January 2024 - 25

BERRIES
It can take 10 years or more to
produce a viable new variety by
propagating it in different areas to
get the purity to ensure it doesn't
get infected with any systemic
diseases, he said.
" Usually, five years from
identification to release is
reasonable. We're getting a lot
better at it, " he said. " We've got
tissue culture techniques out there
that can really multiply the plants.
And different micropropagation
methods where you can take a
single cutting and get a lot more
plants than you could from one
five-inch cutting (are being used). "
Mechanical harvesting
" They are so incredibly tasty,
large and firm, " Oudemans said.
" They're amendable to mechanical
harvesting, which is a huge factor for
blueberry. With hand labor declining,
mechanical harvesting is becoming
more essential. "
From 1920 until about 1993,
production of blueberries increased
about 25 pounds per acre, per year,
Oudemans said.
" In 1993, something happened, " he
said. " It went to 250 pounds per acre,
per year. Our increase in production
went up ten-fold every year. "
Gary Pavlis, right, Rutgers Agriculture & Natural Resources County Agent,
visited with participants on the North American Strawberry Growers
Association's Summer Tour. The stop was at Stoney Creek Blueberries in
Hammonton, New Jersey.
The increase took place when the
Duke variety was introduced and was
planted in more acres.
" That kind of correlates with that
production change. We topped out
somewhere around 7,500 pounds per
acre, per year. "
Technology advancements led
to significant shifts in blueberry
production levels - but not an
increase. Instead, around 2016,
yields began dropping by about 350
pounds per acre each year. The
dramatic change can be traced to the
increase in mechanical harvesting.
" Each of those large, ride-on
mechanical harvesters are pretty
pricey, " Oudemans said. " People
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January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2024

Editor's Letter
GLEXPO: Distinguished service awards
GLEXPO: Michigan apple cider contest
GLEXPO: Michigan Apple Queen
GLEXPO: 2023 Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 awards
IFTA Tour: Ciderhuset savors cider tradition in Norway's fjords
Cover Story: Eight decades of Pennsylvania apples
Berries: Harvest stars
Plant & Soil Health: Watermelon pressures
Farm Market & Agritourism: Effective pricing methods for produce
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
January 2024 - 1
January 2024 - 2
January 2024 - 3
January 2024 - Editor's Letter
January 2024 - 5
January 2024 - GLEXPO: Distinguished service awards
January 2024 - 7
January 2024 - GLEXPO: Michigan apple cider contest
January 2024 - 9
January 2024 - GLEXPO: Michigan Apple Queen
January 2024 - 11
January 2024 - GLEXPO: 2023 Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 awards
January 2024 - 13
January 2024 - IFTA Tour: Ciderhuset savors cider tradition in Norway's fjords
January 2024 - 15
January 2024 - 16
January 2024 - 17
January 2024 - Cover Story: Eight decades of Pennsylvania apples
January 2024 - 19
January 2024 - 20
January 2024 - 21
January 2024 - 22
January 2024 - 23
January 2024 - Berries: Harvest stars
January 2024 - 25
January 2024 - 26
January 2024 - 27
January 2024 - Plant & Soil Health: Watermelon pressures
January 2024 - 29
January 2024 - 30
January 2024 - 31
January 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism: Effective pricing methods for produce
January 2024 - 33
January 2024 - Classifieds
January 2024 - Advertiser Index
January 2024 - 36
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