In-season blueberries are a fleeting summer treat. But with the help of high tunnels—structures that shelter plants from the elements—a Mississippi State University researcher hopes to make Mississippi-grown blueberries available for longer periods of time.
A longer season would allow producers to use the high-selling products to supplement cash flow, according to Guihong Bi, plant and soil sciences research professor the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
“Because local blueberries aren’t available year-round, it will allow producers to tap into a niche market when they have early or late blueberries. People are willing to pay premium prices for crops that are locally grown and out-of-season,” Bi said.
By combining high tunnels, which provide protection against cold temperatures, insects and disease, with early producing cultivars, Bi and her colleague Tongyin Li have grown ripe blueberries ready to harvest as early as the beginning of April, with peak production occurring from mid-April to mid-May. For comparison, the usual blueberry season is harvested in mid-May through to July.
source: msstate.edu
