Commercial production in Florida By Jeff Williamson ommercial blueberry production from the ability to harvest and market been possible because of the develop- has received a lot of attention in fresh during a lucrative ment and release of improved, low- CFlorida in recent years. Accord- April/May marketing window before chill southern highbush blueberry ing to the U.S. Department of Agricul- other production regions in the United cultivars from the University of ture’s National Agricultural Statistics States begin harvesting. Florida-IFAS breeding program,

Service, between 2007 and 2012, Many successful Florida blueberry continued research and Extension All Rights Reserved Inc. ©2014 ProPlus Products, Florida blueberry acreage and produc- enterprises have been established and efforts from UF-IFAS and other tion increased by 73 percent and 132 continue to evolve, beginning with institutions, as well as grower skill, percent, respectively. While produc- rapid expansion in the late 1990s and determination and ingenuity. tion is up worldwide, the incentive continuing to the present day. The To be sure, growing early-season and high interest level in Florida stems growth of the Florida industry has blueberries in Florida’s humid, sub-tropical climate is not without its challenges. While the mild winters and early spring seasons allow for early production, the Florida climate also poses significant challenges — mainly inadequate winter chill accu- mulation and killing freezes during and after bloom. ™ WINTER CHILLING Ag Gro Winter chilling can vary dramati- Select cally from one year to the next, and this can have pronounced effects on bloom, pollination, fruit set and yield, and efficacy of hydrogen cyanamide applications. Inadequate chilling is more common in central and south- central Florida, where accumulated winter chilling has been far below optimum some years. Even with It’s About Balance. low-chill southern highbush cultivars, once the plants enter dormancy, winter It’s About Basic Nutrition. chill accumulation is needed to resume normal growth the following spring. It’s About More Oranges. Without adequate amounts of winter chilling, dormant plants will exhibit delayed flowering and poor leafing, which can negatively impact polli- www.moreoranges.com nation and fruit set, berry yield and (866) 375-2487 quality, and can delay harvest. Photo by Jeff Williamson by Jeff Photo

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Southern highbush blueberries are often grown in bark-amended beds with drip irrigation and ground cover. TO GROWER 22 CITRUS INDUSTRY • August 2014 Photo by Kovaleski Al Photo One strategy to mitigate the nega- tive effects of inadequate chilling is Farm Safety to prevent plants from entering winter dormancy. This system is sometimes is Job #1 used in the southern-most production regions and is referred to as the “ever-green” or “non-dormant” When accidents happen they can production system. While the “ever- cost you time and money. A few green” production system helps deal simple shop safety tips can help with some of the problems of low-chill ensure you and your employees accumulation, it also introduces its return home safely every day. own set of challenges, such as main- • Keep work areas clean taining healthy foliage and controlling • Use proper lifting techniques leaf diseases for longer periods of time, extended bloom and harvest • Wear protective equipment periods with some fruit ripening • Have a safety plan earlier and some later than desired, • Be aware of surroundings and re-evalua-ting cultivars’ perfor- Overhead irrigation is the primary when moving equipment mance under this production system freeze-protection method during bloom vs. the traditional system. To date, the and early fruit development, and may Your AGCO Parts dealer majority of Florida blueberry acreage be needed multiple times per year. has the Workshop Products uses the traditional dormant produc- tion system, and cultivar selection and and lower the soil pH. Soil tests should to help make every day safer dormancy-breaking chemicals are used be taken several months ahead of and more productive. as strategies to deal with low winter planting to determine if or how soils chill accumulation. can be made suitable for blueberry production. Maintaining proper soil FREEZES conditions (including organic matter Late winter and early spring content and pH control) is an ongoing freezes are a common occurrence in process throughout the life of the the southeastern , and planting. In many cases, irrigation Florida is no exception. Essentially all water must be acidified because of southern highbush growers in Florida high carbonate content which would must be prepared to protect against otherwise increase soil pH to unac- freezes during or after bloom, usually ceptable levels over time. multiple times per year. Overhead irrigation is by far the most common CULTIVAR SELECTION method currently employed by Florida Cultivar selection is another impor- growers. Volume, distribution and tim- tant decision that is made early in the ing of water application are critical for life of the planting and has lasting successful protection of flowers and effects. Each cultivar has unique attri- young fruit. Recently, some growers butes and deficiencies. Since there are have been experimenting with using no “perfect” cultivars, most growers wind machines for frost protection. spread their risks by planting several. Wind machines can reduce the chance Moreover, cross-pollination between of bloom damage during spring frosts, or among cultivars is important for Clewiston, FL particularly in the more southern areas yield, berry size and earliness. While it 801 E. Sugarland Hwy. may be tempting to plant heavily with (863) 983-8177 of the state. However, it is important to note that Florida can often experience a new cultivar, this is generally not the Fort Myers, FL extreme cold fronts that still would best course of action. New cultivars’ 9651 Kelly Tractor Dr. strengths and weaknesses are usually (239) 693-9233 require an overhead irrigation system to protect plants and flowers. not fully known until they have been Miami, FL released and grown commercially for 8255 NW 58th Street SITE SELECTION several years. For this reason, most (305) 592-5360 As with other perennial fruit crops, new releases are recommended only West Palm Beach, FL site selection is an important deci- for trial plantings in specific regions 5460 Okeechobee Blvd. sion that is made early in the life of until more is known about their (561) 683-1231 the planting, but has lasting effects. performance. Further information on www.kellytractor.com Most Florida soils are not suited for blueberry cultivars for Florida is avail- blueberry production in their natural able at the University of Florida EDIS state. Blueberries require well-drained website (edis.ifas.ufl.edu) and county soils that are high in organic matter Extension offices. and have low pH (4.5–5.5). These AGCO Parts, the AGCO Parts conditions are not common in Florida HARVESTING LABOR logo, AGCO and the AGCO logo are trademarks of AGCO and most growers find it necessary to Labor shortages have been a major Corporation. © 2014 concern for blueberry growers in 10898_KT3 increase the soil organic matter (preplant applications of pine bark) Florida and elsewhere during recent 24 CITRUS INDUSTRY • August 2014

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years. Plant breeders and other scien- Citrus tists are researching ways to increase Industry mechanization of blueberry harvestmagazine ad with hopes of reducing labor require- ments during harvest. Increasing Full page harvest mechanization while main- 8.625x11.25 taining the high quality needed for fresh fruit presents a number of 4c Looking for an ag banker who’s significant challenges. Because of the long-term nature of this research, and the emphasis on fresh fruit, Florida knowledgable in your field? will likely remain a predominately hand-harvested industry for the fore- seeable future, provided harvest labor remains available. Peace River August ad.qxp:Peace River.qxp 1/7/09 8:39 AM Page 1 Any agricultural enterprise has inherent risks and blueberries are no exception. Weather, diseases and pests can all affect production and profitabil- Our Mission: ity. The most successful growers are generally those who are well informed To produce the highest quality on the issues, up to date on the technol- ogy and have a sound business plan. citrus products, market them at Blueberry production has been prof- itable for many growers in Florida, but competitive prices, provide superior the establishment costs are higher than for most crops. Information on blue- customer service, and maximize berry production is available through returns to Florida Citrus Growers. your county Extension office and the UF-IFAS website (edis.ifas.ufl.edu). For information, contact: Many growers and prospective growers Fran Becker, Fruit Procurement Director have found it helpful to become mem- bers of the Florida Blueberry Growers’ Association (floridablueberrygrowers. 863-494-0440 com). This grower-oriented associa- 4104 NW Hwy. 72 • Arcadia, FL 34265 tion partners with UF-IFAS to provide educational programs on growing 863-533-0551 blueberries in Florida. 2020 U.S. Hwy. 17 S. • Bartow, FL 33830 Jeff Williamson is an Extension specialist in the University of Florida-IFAS Horti- cultural Sciences Department. We will visit you on site and get to know your ag business needs WHAT’S SHAKIN’ Our ag bankers have a long history of working with ag-related businesses, and their commitment to the citrus Oxbo, International, building industry goes deep. Every farm operation and agribusiness has different financial needs and objectives. We are on the Korvan brand, developed a committed to getting to know you and providing options to help you reach your business financial goals. top-loading harvester, model 7420, that can harvest fresh market-quality blueberries, blackberries or IQF (indi- Put Wells Fargo to work for your agribusiness. Contact your local Wells Fargo banker. vidually quick frozen) raspberries. The 7420 offers a selection of Lester Clark, Jr. Tom Robinson Paul Hayman three different picking heads and fully Fort Myers, FL Naples, FL Lakeland, FL configurable upper and lower clean- Phone: 239-896-1821 Phone: 239-591-7914 Phone: 863-688-4264 ing systems. With a 60-inch picking [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] tunnel, it can accommodate even large, mature plants. The 7420 has a Brown Eddy Rodriguez Lee Brown cleaning system that blows air from Vero Beach, FL Boca Raton, FL West Palm Beach, FL the bottom and sucks air out the top, Phone: 772-778-6132 Phone: 561-568-7391 Phone: 561-802-4674 leaving clean whole fruit. Watch the 7420 model harvesting [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] blueberries and raspberries on the YouTube video (www..com/ watch?v=3iXJFDoKEvI). This video is also available at the citrusMH.ifas. ufl.edu website. wellsfargo.com 26 CITRUS INDUSTRY • August 2014 © 2014 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. ECG-1202162

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