In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Ph.D., associate professor for small fruits at Washington State University’s (WSU) Mount Vernon Research Center. Since joining WSU in 2014, Devetter has developed a diverse research and extension program, with an emphasis on maximizing productivity, fruit quality and on-farm efficiencies. Her primary research areas include optimizing pollination services in small-fruit crops, improved end-of-life management of agricultural plastics used in small-fruit crop production, machine harvesting technologies and nutrient management. 

“Many growers have probably and unfortunately experienced episodes where they've had poor pollination and it means reduced fruit set, berry size and yields. So, taking a step back, what pollination is, is it's a precursor for fruit development in blueberries. We also see this relationship that the better pollination we receive the improvement in berry size as well, to a threshold, to a point. Larger berry size is really critical, not just for quality, but also for growers to try to meet their yield potential.” - Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Ph.D. 

You can also tune into DeVetter’s first appearance on “The Business of Blueberries” in episode 104, where she discusses the extreme weather events impacting blueberry crop in the Northwest. 

 Topics covered include: 

• An exploration of the significance and importance of pollination, specifically in fruit production.
• The factors that influence and impact pollination practices and successes.
• The ongoing research underway related to blueberry pollination efforts, and what the future may hold.  

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on October 26, 2023.