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72 results found for Blueberries

News from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Rachel Itle and Ty Torrance CAES News
40 Under 40
Two faculty members in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension were named to the Fruit and Vegetable 40 under 40 Class of 2023. The award ceremony will be held during the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Georgia is well-known as the Peach State, but since 1949 plant breeders at the University of Georgia have been on a blue streak, bringing more than 50 blueberry varieties to market. CAES News
Blueberry Breeding
Georgia has long been referred to as the Peach State, yet the fleshy fruit that adorns souvenirs and license plates isn’t counted among the state’s top 10 commodities. Blueberries join that list. University of Georgia blueberry breeder Scott NeSmith, professor emeritus in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department of Horticulture, has released more than 40 varieties during his career at the university.
While blueberries are known to be susceptible to postharvest injuries, resulting in fruit softening or splitting during harvest, handling and storage, UGA researchers are trying to figure out why some crops experience greater losses. CAES News
Blueberry Quality
A multidisciplinary team of University of Georgia agriculture experts are working to determine causes and solutions to postharvest quality problems that have hit Georgia’s blueberry growers hard in recent seasons. Funded by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Office of Research and UGA Cooperative Extension, the project will address “major issues” with fruit quality, particularly in rabbiteye blueberries.
Ganaspis brasiliensis CAES News
SWD Biocontrol
In a quiet field of abandoned blueberries and shrubby brush in south Georgia, Cera Jones released hundreds of tiny parasitoid wasps into the thicket and watched them fly away, following their natural instinct in search of a host to incubate their predatory progeny.
On the campus in Griffin, Georgia, UGA blueberry researcher Scott NeSmith typically breeds new varieties to meet growers' needs. Now, he's released some ornamental blueberries that are perfect for growing in home landscapes and will help home gardeners grow their own fresh fruit. CAES News
National Academy of Inventors
University of Georgia professors Scott NeSmith, Anumantha Kanthasamy and S. Edward Law have been elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Including these three new fellows, 12 UGA faculty have received this honor, all of them since 2013.
CAES Dean and Director Nick Place (left) and UGA blueberry entomologist Ashfaq Sial ceremonially plant the first blueberry bush in the new research orchard at UGA's Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia. CAES News
Blueberry Research
Native to North America, blueberries are the most-recently commercially domesticated fruit in the U.S. Just a little over a century ago researchers began studying this wild berry with an intent to develop improved varieties for commercial cultivation.
Postharvest blueberries were tested under blue light to determine whether the light affected fruit quality or disease development. CAES News
Blue Light and Blueberries
The COVID-19 crisis has put supply chain issues at the forefront of food production and packaging concerns. Researchers at the University of Georgia investigated a potential solution for extending the shelf life of blueberries by exposing blueberries to blue light during storage.
Freshly picked blueberries sit in baskets at the University of Georgia horticulture farm in Athens, Ga. CAES News
Essential Oil Grant
Organic fruit and vegetable growers want to meet the recent uptick in national consumer demand, but they need additional tools to battle pests and diseases that often accompany organic crop growth.
"Mummy berry" disease is easily recognized when the fruit begins to ripen, as infected berries become dry, shrivel and drop prematurely. (UGA Plant Pathology/Bugwood.org) CAES News
Blueberry Fungus
Blueberries are one of the most popular backyard fruits for Georgia because they are relatively low maintenance compared to other fruit species. However, there is one particular disease issue known as “mummy berry” that can be problematic for blueberry growers.
Georgia's peach crop is having a resurgence this year thanks to the lack of late freezes and sufficient chilling hours during the winter. CAES News
Backyard Fruits Webinar
Home gardeners who want to expand their edible backyard bounty to include fruits are invited to participate in the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Backyard Fruits webinar series that runs through June 5.