For over a decade, Marco R. Butera has worked as a consultant specializing in the cultivation and technical management of berries, particularly blueberries, in international production contexts. His work spans from the Mediterranean basin to the Balkans, Asia, and the Middle East. His activity focuses on providing technical and strategic support to agricultural and business ventures interested in developing projects with high agronomic and managerial value. In 2025, he founded BetterBerries, a brand dedicated to advanced consulting in the berry sector, designed as a global support platform for growers, investors, and international groups. The project combines solid technical expertise with a constant focus on varietal innovation, sustainability, and production system efficiency.
Marco R. Butera (photo courtesy of Marco R. Butera)
"In Europe, the most significant opportunities for blueberry expansion are found in France, the Balkans, Romania, and especially Georgia, where major investments are being made in logistics, technology, and agronomic services. Italy also shows growing potential, driven by increasing domestic consumption and the growing interest of large-scale retail in high-quality national production. Companies investing in modern varieties and advanced agronomic management now enjoy promising margins, also thanks to improvements in organizational and commercial capacities along the supply chain," Butera states.
At the global level, following Peru's expansion, the most dynamic regions are Asia and Africa, where demand for high-quality fresh fruit is growing faster than local production. "The introduction of high-performing Southern Highbush cultivars through genetic and marketing programs aimed at producing and marketing high-quality blueberries, such as Sekoya, OZblu, MBO, and Driscoll's, has enabled cultivation even in climatically challenging areas, while maintaining high production and post-harvest standards," the consultant emphasizes.
A notable example is the Republic of Georgia, where, thanks to government support and the USAID program, the sector has evolved from a pioneering phase into a structured industry with over 3,000 hectares planted. "Since 2021, my colleague Jorge Duarte has initiated a technical development path in the country, and since 2023, I've also been involved, supporting the leading local producers. Our work has focused both on agronomic assistance and ongoing technical training through producer courses where we've served as instructors and brought in other international experts, helping raise production standards and build the skills needed to export to Europe, the Middle East, and potentially China. In collaboration with the Georgian Blueberry Growers Association, we've organized numerous thematic courses covering all production phases."
Moreover, it will be crucial to closely monitor the evolution of the Chinese market, according to Butera. "With over 70,000 hectares planted in recent years and rapidly growing domestic demand, China is gradually approaching self-sufficiency, which may impact the export balance of producing countries such as Peru and Chile. The challenge for the next decade will be to combine quality, sustainability, and competitiveness on a global scale."
Blueberry crops in Georgia (photo courtesy of Marco R. Butera)
The Duke cultivar
Duke is a Northern Highbush cultivar released in 1987 through the joint USDA-ARS / New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station program. It derives from a cross between the Ivanhoe and Earliblue genetic lines, made by Arlen Draper in 1972. "Despite its age, it is still widely planted due to its earliness and production reliability. In many mid-chill and high-chill European areas, it remains the reference variety for starting the harvest season," explains Butera. "One of its distinctive traits is its ability to bloom late in the calendar, yet it is among the first to be harvested (about 60 days from flowering to picking). This makes Duke less sensitive to late frosts than other early cultivars, including some Southern Highbush types."
"I've followed the Duke cultivar in six European countries, both in Western and Eastern Europe. The variety has proven very adaptable to different climatic conditions (oceanic, continental, alpine, Mediterranean) and to different cultivation systems - whether in soil or soilless, in tunnels or open field. However, its performance is closely tied to the grower's agronomic expertise, particularly in irrigation, nutrition, and pruning management," Butera continues. "The main limitation of Duke is its high chill requirement (at least 800 hours). In areas where this threshold is reached only marginally or sporadically, irregular flowering and poor vegetative bud break are observed, resulting in vegetative-reproductive imbalance and quality losses. According to climate projections, many Mediterranean areas may no longer guarantee these 800 hours by 2040-2050, especially below 600-800 meters above sea level."
Although Duke is still cultivated in single-variety orchards, especially in the Balkans, the past 20-30 years have seen the emergence of varieties offering clear improvements in fruit quality, shelf life, and productivity. "American, Australian, and New Zealand breeding programs have introduced improved Northern Highbush (NHB) cultivars for Central and Northern Europe, but especially Southern Highbush (SHB) varieties with excellent performance in mild climates, including Mediterranean, subtropical, and desert contexts. Many of these SHB varieties can produce over 3 kg/plant in soilless systems as early as the second year, while traditional NHBs tend to yield 1-2 kg. The latest club varieties, such as those from the Sekoya program, are currently the only option for growers in high-chill and mid-chill areas to reach quality standards comparable to new SHBs, though they require technical expertise and access regulated by variety club agreements," explains Butera.
Butera has produced and shared numerous technical materials on professional and scientific platforms, covering topics such as soilless fertigation, crop adaptation to arid climates, and the design of plantations based on pedoclimatic context. He is also co-author of a chapter on berry fertigation published in an international volume edited by IntechOpen. Butera collaborates with leading European companies and has followed the sector's development in emerging countries like France and Georgia, providing direct support to producers and industry associations to meet international technical and commercial standards. He also regularly participates as a speaker at trade fairs, conferences, and technical panels, helping foster dialogue among fruit and vegetable sector experts.
What are the most frequent requests from professional growers? How important is it today for a berry grower to rely on a specialized technician?
"The most frequent requests concern plantation design, the selection of varieties suited to business goals and growing conditions, fertigation management, and optimization of production, harvest, and postharvest processes to improve fruit quality and shelf life. A significant part of my consulting work focuses on identifying and resolving technical issues that prevent operational farms from reaching their full potential. Training agronomic and operational staff is another key pillar: today, technical support is no longer optional, but a necessity. Competitiveness margins hinge on increasingly refined details, and the role of the consultant has evolved from problem solver to strategic guide for the company."
Right: Sekoya Grande ready for harvest in Italy (photo courtesy of Marco R. Butera)
Recently, Butera led a technical tour across several blueberry farms in Veneto and Emilia-Romagna for French growers from the French National Blueberry Growers Association (APMF).
"In Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, where soils are rich in bicarbonates, blueberry cultivation is feasible almost exclusively in soilless systems. This has pushed producers to develop strong expertise in agronomic management, particularly regarding fertigation, drainage control, pruning, and pollination. The farms visited with the support of Simone Pergher (SanLucar), often growing both open (e.g., Duke, Draper, Blue Ribbon, Cargo, Valor) and club varieties (e.g., Sekoya), show how production success depends more on the quality of technical management than on the cultivar itself. Even in similar contexts, performance can vary drastically based on the agronomic choices made. This underscores the importance of competent and ongoing technical support, especially in soilless systems where errors escalate quickly."
"The blueberry sector in France is relatively young but rapidly growing, thanks also to the excellent work of APMF, which provides technical support, promotion, and training. Producers consistently benefit from technical training organized by the association. I was also one of the instructors invited to teach fertigation in both soil and soilless systems. This has generated strong momentum in the French supply chain, leading to the proliferation of modern, technically advanced farms producing high-quality fruit for a domestic market that prefers French-grown produce," explains Butera. "In Italy, the lack of a national reference association makes the sector more fragmented and, in my view, weaker in facing technical and market challenges. Only growers involved in cooperatives or structured groups with technical support can achieve high production and commercial standards. In both countries, there's growing pressure to automate processes and simplify management, also in response to labor shortages."
Speaking of advanced agronomic management, what strategies do you suggest to ensure effective pollination and good fruit set in case of late frosts or abiotic stress?
"In case of late frosts, it's crucial to act preventively, monitoring weather forecasts at least 2-3 days in advance, applying specific priming biostimulants at least 48 hours before the frost event (when possible), and preparing active frost protection systems (if available). Interventions vary depending on the flower's phenological stage, as cold sensitivity increases as flowering progresses. Active strategies include overhead frost irrigation using micro-sprinklers, wind machines for air mixing, and localized heat sources (burners, anti-frost candles)."
"After a critical event, targeted application of biostimulants can support cell recovery and tissue regeneration, though, of course, it cannot restore what was lost. For other abiotic stresses (thermal, water), targeted use of seaweed-, amino acid-, or microorganism-based biostimulants has proven effective in various contexts, especially in Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Additionally, for pollination, it's essential to ensure the presence of pollinating insects (bees, bumblebees, mason bees), and, if possible, to avoid closing anti-hail nets during flowering, as they reduce pollination activity," Butera explains.
Blueberry crops in Romania (photo courtesy of Marco R. Butera)
In some of your field visits, yoùve noticed the presence of ants around the roots. How can these interactions be managed sustainably without compromising soil microbiology?
"The presence of ants in soilless substrates is a growing issue in several regions, especially in pots where insects can establish permanent nests. This leads to voids in the substrate, active root damage by ants, and reduced efficiency in water and nutrient absorption. Moreover, ants promote the spread of aphids and other sap-sucking pests, increasing honeydew production and pest pressure," the consultant highlights. "Sustainable management is based on three pillars: mechanical interventions (physical nest removal in autumn/winter), low-impact selective baits placed in closed traps, and constant monitoring. In the absence of specific plant protection products authorized for use in productive settings, it's essential to act early and with precision."
What protocols do you recommend for the preventive management of Botrytis cinerea in humid environments or when harvest is extended?
"Preventive management of Botrytis cinerea relies on three main pillars: microclimate, nutrition, and phytosanitary effectiveness. It's essential to promote good air circulation through winter pruning and proper management of plant density. Excess nitrogen should be avoided, favoring a balanced supply of calcium and potassium to strengthen plant tissues," Butera continues. "On the phytosanitary front, it's advisable to alternate authorized active ingredients with different modes of action to avoid resistance, and possibly integrate products based on antagonistic microorganisms (e.g., Bacillus spp.) or authorized resistance inducers. In the case of extended, staggered harvests, preventive treatments should be applied during pre-veraison, avoiding applications during high humidity or just before rainfall."
Cultivars for the IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) Supply Chain: What characteristics must fruits have for this channel, and what are the agronomic challenges?
Fruits intended for the IQF market must have several key traits: medium-small size, firm skin, a sealed stem scar, stable sugar content (8-10 °Brix), and flesh that retains aroma and structure after freezing. Uniform ripening and resistance to mechanical damage are essential to optimize mechanical harvesting. "From an agronomic perspective, the main challenges include the need for a low-cost production system, extremely precise irrigation management, and the adoption of mechanical pruning techniques. Additionally, varietal choice should focus on high-yielding cultivars that tolerate stress and are compatible with mechanical harvesting," Butera concludes.
Frontpage photo courtesy of Marco R. Butera
For more information:
Marco R. Butera - Global Berry Specialist
BetterBerries
[email protected]
betterberries.it
LinkedIn: marco-butera