Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 9.10
Different stages
of floral development on
individual blueberry stems
require the presence of
pollinating insects over an
extended flowering period.
equally importantly, detailed extension advice should be given to growers who tend
to apply standard irrigation protocols to all varieties despite the obvious differences
in water use efficiency, for example depending on whether the cultivars are early,
mid or late in maturity.
Another major issue for the coming decades, as with many other fruit crops,
is the cost and availability of hand labour, which for blueberry already represents
50-60 % of the annual costs of production). An important and increasing challenge
that faces growers each year is the availability of skilled labour for harvesting who
each year become scarcer and more expensive at the time they are needed (Takeda
et al.
2008
). There is still a need for gentler machine harvesters, together with new
cultivars appropriate firmness, resistance to bruising, round fruit, easy pedicel re-
moval and skin thickness (Ehlenfeldt
2005
).
As with all crop species there is a continuing struggle to control pests and diseases,
a problem that is emerging more significantly now for blueberries, due to their more
recent domestication. These emerging biotic stresses need to be viewed against the
background of climate change and hence the potential for a new spectrum of pests
and diseases to appear in the blueberry growing areas.
The consumption of blueberries is still increasing on a world basis and thus the
market is still expanding. More emphasis will likely be placed on the quality and
functionality of the blueberry in human diets, and this can be enhanced through
breeding, selection and appropriate production management.
Conclusions
Consumption and public interest is increasing across all the crops highlighted in
this review, as new cropping areas, systems and products are identified and devel-
oped. In most instances, the production industries have evolved into highly efficient
operations regarding crop yield and quality, profitability and reduction of waste,
