Pilot project on the effectiveness of methods of protecting against fruit frost in cultivated wild blueberries

Description

Most of Quebec's wild blueberry production is frozen. This allows large volumes of fruit to be harvested in a short period of time and sold throughout the year. Fresh blueberries are in a more precarious situation where the harvest period determines when they will be on the shelves of food chains. Ripening occurs at a time when the risk of frost increases. Increasing the consumption of fresh Quebec wild blueberries and improving the predictability of supply from one season to the next are priorities for the sector. To achieve this, harvests need to be spread out over a longer period of time to prevent an early frost event from sabotaging the crop. The risk of frost can be mitigated with different protection methods that have proven their worth for other crops. However, the feasibility, cost, risks and framework for successful adoption of this practice remain to be detailed for blueberries.

Objective(s)

• Test passive and active methods of protecting fruit from frost that are adapted to the production of cultivated wild blueberries.
• Identify and detail the economic, agronomic and environmental risks of adopting each of the methods under study.
• Determine the costs of adoption, depending on the method.
• Quantify the impact of adopting this practice on reducing the risk of early frost during the desired harvest period.
• Improve understanding of the weather conditions that promote high risk of frost.
• Recommend a framework for use of the practice, depending on the method.