Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

s with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

''Cyanococcus'' within the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

Vaccinium ''Vaccinium'' is a common and widespread genus of shrubs or dwarf shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae). The fruits of many species are eaten by humans and some are of commercial importance, including the cranberry, blueberry, bilberry (whort ...

''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes

cranberries Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species ''Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry m ...

bilberries Bilberries (), or sometimes European blueberries, are a primarily Eurasian species of low-growing shrubs in the genus '' Vaccinium'' (family Ericaceae), bearing edible, dark blue berries. The species most often referred to is ''Vaccinium myrti ...

huckleberries Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in the family Ericaceae, in two closely related genera: ''Vaccinium'' and ''Gaylussacia''. The huckleberry is the state fruit of Idaho. Nomenclature The name 'huckleberry' is a Nort ...

and Madeira blueberries. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush)—are all native to North America. The highbush varieties were introduced into Europe during the 1930s. Blueberries are usually

prostrate Prostrate may refer to:- *Prostration, a position of submission in religion etc. *Prone position, a face-down orientation of the body *Prostrate shrub A prostrate shrub is a woody plant, most of the branches of which lie upon or just above the ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...

s that can vary in size from to in height. In commercial production of blueberries, the species with small, pea-size berries growing on low-level bushes are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), while the species with larger berries growing on taller, cultivated bushes are known as "highbush blueberries". Canada is the leading producer of lowbush blueberries, while the United States produces some 40% of the world supply of highbush blueberries.

Origin and history of cultivation

The genus ''

'' has a mostly

circumpolar distribution A circumpolar distribution is any range of a taxon that occurs over a wide range of longitudes but only at high latitudes; such a range therefore extends all the way around either the North Pole or the South Pole. Taxa that are also found in isola ...

, with species mainly present in North America, Europe, and Asia. Many commercially available species with English

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s including "blueberry" are from North America, particularly

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundla ...

and the

northeastern United States The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...

for wild (lowbush) blueberries, and several US states and

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

for cultivated (highbush) blueberries.

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

peoples of Canada consumed wild blueberries for millennia. Highbush blueberries were first cultivated in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

around the beginning of the 20th century. North American native species of blueberries are grown commercially in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand and South American nations. The Colombian or Andean blueberry, ''

Vaccinium meridionale ''Vaccinium meridionale'', agraz or Andean blueberry, is a species in the section ''Pyxothamnus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium'', in the heath and heather family. It is found in the mountains of Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela and may have been intr ...

'', is wild-harvested and commonly available locally. Several other wild shrubs of the genus ''Vaccinium'' also produce commonly eaten blue berries, such as the predominantly European ''

Vaccinium myrtillus ''Vaccinium myrtillus'' or European blueberry is a holarctic species of shrub with edible fruit of blue color, known by the common names bilberry, blaeberry, wimberry, and whortleberry. It is more precisely called common bilberry or blue whortle ...

'' and other

, which in many languages have a name that translates to "blueberry" in English.

Description

Five species of blueberries grow wild in Canada, including ''Vaccinium myrtilloides'', ''Vaccinium angustifolium'' and ''Vaccinium corymbosum'', which grow on forest floors or near

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s. Wild (lowbush) blueberries are not planted by farmers, but rather are managed on berry fields called "barrens". Wild blueberries reproduce by

cross pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

, with each seed producing a plant with a different genetic composition, causing within the same species differences in growth, productivity, color, leaf characteristics, disease resistance, flavor, and other fruit characteristics. The mother plant develops underground stems called

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ...

s, allowing the plant to form a network of rhizomes creating a large patch (called a ''clone'') which is genetically distinct. Floral and leaf buds develop intermittently along the stems of the plant, with each floral bud giving rise to 5–6 flowers and the eventual fruit. Wild blueberries prefer an acidic soil between 4.2 and 5.2 pH and only moderate amounts of moisture. They have a hardy cold tolerance in their Canadian range and the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and nor ...

. Fruit productivity of lowbush blueberries varies by the degree of pollination, genetics of the clone, soil fertility, water availability, insect infestation, plant diseases and local growing conditions. Wild (lowbush) blueberries have an average mature weight of . Highbush (cultivated) blueberries prefer sandy or

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand ( particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

soils, having shallow root systems that benefit from

mulch A mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch include conservation of soil moisture, improving fertility and health of the soil, reducing weed growth and enhancing the visual appeal of the area. A mu ...

and

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

. The

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

of highbush blueberries can be either

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

, ovate to

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflet (bo ...

, and long and broad. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...

in diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally uniformly blue when ripe. They are covered in a protective coating of powdery

epicuticular wax Epicuticular wax is a coating of wax covering the outer surface of the plant cuticle in land plants. It may form a whitish film or bloom on leaves, fruits and other plant organs. Chemically, it consists of hydrophobic organic compounds, mainly st ...

, colloquially known as the "bloom". They generally have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as climate, altitude and

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...

, so the time of harvest in the northern hemisphere can vary from May to August.

Species

Note: habitat and range summaries are from the ''Flora of New Brunswick'', published in 1986 by Harold R. Hinds, and ''Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast'', published in 1994 by Pojar and MacKinnon. *''

Vaccinium angustifolium ''Vaccinium angustifolium'', commonly known as the wild lowbush blueberry, is a species of blueberry native to eastern and central Canada (from Manitoba to Newfoundland) and the northeastern United States, growing as far south as the Great Smoky ...

'' (lowbush blueberry): acidic barrens, bogs and clearings, Manitoba to Labrador, south to Nova Scotia; and in the United States, from Maine westward to Iowa and southward to Virginia *''

Vaccinium boreale ''Vaccinium boreale,'' common name northern blueberry, sweet hurts, or bleuet boréal (in French), is a plant species native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It has been found in Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundla ...

'' (northern blueberry): peaty barrens, Quebec and Labrador (rare in New Brunswick), south to New York and Massachusetts *''

Vaccinium caesariense ''Vaccinium caesariense'' (New Jersey blueberry) is native to the Eastern United States. It is a species in the genus ''Vaccinium'', which includes blueberries, cranberries, huckleberry, and bilberries. Distribution and habitat ''Vaccinium caesa ...

'' (New Jersey blueberry) *''

Vaccinium corymbosum ''Vaccinium corymbosum'', the northern highbush blueberry, is a North American species of blueberry which has become a food crop of significant economic importance. It is native to eastern Canada and the eastern and southern United States, from O ...

'' (northern highbush blueberry) *'' Vaccinium darrowii'' (evergreen blueberry) *'' Vaccinium elliottii'' (Elliott blueberry) *'' Vaccinium formosum'' (southern blueberry) *'' Vaccinium fuscatum'' (black highbush blueberry; syn. ''V. atrococcum'') *'' Vaccinium hirsutum'' (hairy-fruited blueberry) *''

Vaccinium myrsinites ''Vaccinium myrsinites'' is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common name shiny blueberry. It is native to the southeastern United States from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. It may occur as far west as ...

'' (shiny blueberry) *''

Vaccinium myrtilloides ''Vaccinium myrtilloides'' is a shrub with common names including common blueberry, velvetleaf huckleberry, velvetleaf blueberry, Canadian blueberry, and sourtop blueberry. It is common in much of North America, reported from all 10 Canadian provi ...

'' (sour top, velvet leaf, or Canadian blueberry) *''

Vaccinium pallidum ''Vaccinium pallidum'' is a species of flowering plant in the heath family known by the common names hillside blueberry, Blue Ridge blueberry, late lowbush blueberry, and early lowbush blueberry. It is native to central Canada ( Ontario) and the c ...

'' (dryland blueberry) *'' Vaccinium simulatum'' (upland highbush blueberry) *'' Vaccinium tenellum'' (southern blueberry) *''

Vaccinium virgatum ''Vaccinium virgatum'' (commonly known as rabbit-eye blueberry, smallflower blueberry or southern black blueberry ) is a species of blueberry native to the Southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas. De ...

'' (rabbiteye blueberry; syn. ''V. ashei'') Some other blue-fruited species of ''Vaccinium'': *'' Vaccinium koreanum'' (Korean blueberry) *''

'' (

bilberry Bilberries (), or sometimes European blueberries, are a primarily Eurasian species of low-growing shrubs in the genus '' Vaccinium'' (family Ericaceae), bearing edible, dark blue berries. The species most often referred to is ''Vaccinium myrti ...

or European blueberry) *''

Vaccinium uliginosum ''Vaccinium uliginosum'' (bog bilberry, bog blueberry, northern bilberry or western blueberry) is a Eurasian and North American flowering plant in the genus '' Vaccinium'' within the heath family. Distribution ''Vaccinium uliginosum'' is nativ ...

'' (bog bilberry/blueberry, northern bilberry or western blueberry) File:Wild Blueberry in autumn foliage.JPG, Wild blueberry in autumn foliage, Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, in October File:Maturing blueberry.jpg, A maturing 'Polaris' blueberry (''Vaccinium corymbosum'') File:Vaccinium fruits.JPG, A selection of blueberries, showing the typical sizes of the berries. The scale is marked in centimeters. The lowbush varieties are ''V. angustifolium'', ''V. boreale'', ''V. mytilloides'', ''V. pallidum'', and ''V. angustifolium'' × ''V. corymbosum''. They are still grown in a similar manner to pre-Columbian semi-wild cultivation, i.e.

slash and burn Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed veget ...

. The highbush varieties are darrowii and corymbosum. Rabbiteye (''V. ashei''/''V. virgatum'') is considered different from both high- and lowbush.

Identification

Commercially offered blueberries are usually from species that naturally occur only in eastern and north-central North America. Other sections in the genus are native to other parts of the world, including the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...

and southern United States, South America, Europe and Asia. Other wild shrubs in many of these regions produce similar-looking edible berries, such as

and whortleberries (North America) and bilberries (Europe). These species are sometimes called "blueberries" and are sold as blueberry jam or other products. The names of blueberries in languages other than English often translate as "blueberry", e.g. Scots ''blaeberry'' and Norwegian ''blåbær''. ''Blaeberry'', ''blåbær'' and French ''myrtilles'' usually refer to the European native

('' V. myrtillus''), while ''bleuets'' refers to the North American blueberry. Russian ''голубика'' ("blue berry") does not refer to blueberries, which are non-native and nearly unknown in Russia, but rather to their close relatives, bog bilberries (''V. uliginosum''). ''Cyanococcus'' blueberries can be distinguished from the nearly identical-looking bilberries by their flesh color when cut in half. Ripe blueberries have light green flesh, while bilberries, whortleberries and huckleberries are red or purple throughout.

Culinary use

Blueberries are sold fresh or are processed as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit,

purée A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., app ...

, juice, or dried or infused berries. These may then be used in a variety of consumer goods, such as jellies, jams,

pie A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts (pecan pie), brown sugar ( sugar pie), sweete ...

s, muffins, snack foods, pancakes, or as an additive to

breakfast cereals Cereal, formally termed breakfast cereal (and further categorized as cold cereal or warm cereal), is a traditional breakfast food made from processed cereal grains. It is traditionally eaten as part of breakfast, or a snack food, primarily in We ...

. Blueberry jam is made from blueberries, sugar, water, and fruit

pectin Pectin ( grc, πηκτικός ': "congealed" and "curdled") is a heteropolysaccharide, a structural acid contained in the primary lamella, in the middle lamella, and in the cell walls of terrestrial plants. The principal, chemical component of ...

Blueberry sauce Blueberry sauce is a sauce prepared using blueberry, blueberries as a primary ingredient. It is typically prepared as a reduction (cooking), reduction, and can be used as a dessert sauce or savory sauce depending on the preparation. It can also b ...

is a sweet sauce prepared using blueberries as a primary ingredient. Blueberry wine is made from the flesh and skin of the berries, which is fermented and then matured; usually the lowbush variety is used.

Nutrients

Blueberries consist of 14%

carbohydrates In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or may ...

, 0.7%

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

, 0.3% fat and 84% water (table). They contain only negligible amounts of

micronutrients Micronutrients are nutrient, essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for exam ...

, with moderate levels (relative to respective

Daily Value The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of health ...

s) (DV) of the essential

dietary mineral In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element required as an essential nutrient by organisms to perform functions necessary for life. However, the four major structural elements in the human body by weight (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon ...

manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

vitamin K Vitamin K refers to structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamers found in foods and marketed as dietary supplements. The human body requires vitamin K for post-synthesis modification of certain proteins that are required for blood coagulation ...

and

dietary fiber Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...

(table). Generally, nutrient contents of blueberries are a low percentage of the DV (table). A 100 gram serving provides a relatively low

caloric value Caloric is a brand of kitchen appliances, which dates back to 1903. History Caloric Corporation began as the Klein Stove Company in Philadelphia in 1890. The Caloric brand was introduced in 1903. It was reorganized in 1946 as the Caloric Stove C ...

of 57

kcal The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of o ...

with a

glycemic load The glycemic load (GL) of food is a number that estimates how much the food will raise a person's blood glucose level after eating it. One unit of glycemic load approximates the effect of eating one gram of glucose. Glycemic load accounts for how ...

of6.

Phytochemicals and research

Blueberries contain

anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical compo ...

s, other

polyphenol Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring organic compounds characterized by multiples of phenol units. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of ...

s and various

phytochemical Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...

s under preliminary research for their potential biological effects. Most polyphenol studies have been conducted using the highbush

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

of blueberries (''V. corymbosum''), while content of polyphenols and anthocyanins in lowbush (wild) blueberries (''V. angustifolium'') exceeds values found in highbush cultivars. File:Vaccinium fruit.JPG, A cut blueberry showing how, having been frozen and then thawed, the

s in the

pericarp Fruit anatomy is the plant anatomy of the internal structure of fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Aggre ...

are able to run into the damaged cells, staining the flesh. File:Anthocyanidine.svg, Structure of

s, the blue pigments in blueberries.

Cultivation

Blueberries may be cultivated, or they may be picked from semiwild or wild bushes. In North America, the most common cultivated species is ''V. corymbosum'', the

northern highbush blueberry Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

. Hybrids of this with other ''Vaccinium'' species adapted to southern U.S. climates are known collectively as southern highbush blueberries. So-called "wild" (lowbush) blueberries, smaller than cultivated highbush ones, have intense color. The

lowbush blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

, ''V. angustifolium'', is found from the

Atlantic provinces Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...

westward to

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

and southward to

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. In some areas, it produces natural "blueberry barrens", where it is the dominant species covering large areas. Several

communities in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

are involved in harvesting wild blueberries. "Wild" has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed native stands of lowbush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or

selectively bred Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

, but they are pruned or burned over every two years, and pests are "managed". Numerous highbush

s of blueberries are available, with diversity among them, each having individual qualities. A blueberry breeding program has been established by the

USDA-ARS The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ex ...

breeding program at

Beltsville, Maryland Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Beltsville includes the unincorporated ...

, and

Chatsworth, New Jersey Chatsworth is an unincorporated community located within Woodland Township in Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Ho ...

. This program began when

Frederick Vernon Coville Frederick Vernon Coville (March 23, 1867 – January 9, 1937) was an American botanist who participated in the Death Valley Expedition (1890-1891), was honorary curator of the United States National Herbarium (1893-1937), worked at then was Chi ...

of the USDA-ARS collaborated with Elizabeth Coleman White of

. In the early part of the 20th century, White offered pineland residents cash for wild blueberry plants with unusually large fruit. After 1910 Coville began to work on blueberry, and was the first to discover the importance of

soil acidity Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...

(blueberries need highly acidic soil), that blueberries do not self-pollinate, and the effects of cold on blueberries and other plants. In 1911, he began a program of research in conjunction with White, daughter of the owner of the extensive cranberry bogs at Whitesbog in the

New Jersey Pine Barrens The New Jersey Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands or simply the Pines, is the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem, stretching across more than seven counties of New Jersey. Two other large, contiguou ...

. His work doubled the size of some strains' fruit, and by 1916, he had succeeded in cultivating blueberries, making them a valuable crop in the Northeastern United States. For this work he received the George Roberts White Medal of Honor from the

Massachusetts Horticultural Society The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest formally organized horticultural institution in the United States. In its m ...

. The rabbiteye blueberry (''Vaccinium virgatum'' syn. ''V. ashei'') is a southern type of blueberry produced from

the Carolinas The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east. Combining Nort ...

to the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...

states. Production of rabbiteye blueberries was a focus in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the early 21st century. Other important species in North America include ''V. pallidum'', the hillside or dryland blueberry. It is native to the eastern U.S., and common in the

Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

and the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

of the Southeast. Sparkleberry, ''V. arboreum'', is a common wild species on sandy soils in the Southeast. Successful blueberry cultivation requires attention to

soil pH Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...

(

acidity In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

) measurements in the acidic range. Blueberry bushes often require supplemental fertilization, but over-fertilization with nitrogen can damage plant health, as evidenced by nitrogen-burn visible on the leaves. File:Blueberry harvester.jpg, Blueberry harvester in

File:Making Blueberry Jam 2.jpg, Making blueberry jam

Growing regions

Significant production of highbush blueberries occurs in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Western Oregon Western Oregon is a geographical term that is generally taken to mean the part of the U.S. state of Oregon within of the Oregon Coast, on the west side of the crest of the Cascade Range. The term is applied somewhat loosely, however, and is somet ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. The production of southern highbush varieties occurs in California, as varieties originating from

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

and

have been introduced.

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

, Spain, and Mexico also have significant production, as of 2018 (see Production).

United States

In 2018,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

produced the most cultivated blueberries, recording , an amount slightly exceeding the production by

. In descending order of production volume for 2017, other major producers were

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, California, and

Hammonton, New Jersey Hammonton is a town in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, that has been referred to as the "Blueberry Capital of the World". As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town's population was 14,711, a decline of 80 from the 2010 census coun ...

, claims to be the "Blueberry Capital of the World", with over 80% of New Jersey's cultivated blueberries coming from this town. Every year the town hosts a large festival which draws thousands of people to celebrate the fruit.

is known for its wild blueberries, but the state's lowbush (wild) and highbush blueberries combined account for 10% of all blueberries grown in North America. Some are farmed, but only half this acreage is harvested each year due to variations in pruning practices. The wild blueberry is the official fruit of Maine.

Canada

Wild blueberry fields in the fall near Parrsboro (1)

Canadian production of wild and cultivated blueberries in 2015 was 166,000 tonnes valued at $262 million, the largest fruit crop produced nationally accounting for 29% of all fruit value.

was the largest Canadian producer of cultivated blueberries, yielding 70,000 tonnes in 2015, the world's largest production of blueberries by region.

contributes approximately half of the total North American wild/lowbush annual production with

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

having the largest in 2015, an amount expanding in 2016.

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Prince Edward Island and

Québec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

are also major producers. Nova Scotia recognizes the wild blueberry as its official provincial berry, with the town of

Oxford, Nova Scotia Oxford is a town in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is east of Amherst. The town is directly serviced by Routes 104, 204, 301, and 321. Despite its small size and demographic, Oxford is the world's largest processor and distributor ...

known as the Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada. Québec is a major producer of wild blueberries, especially in the regions of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (where a popular name for inhabitants of the regions is ''bleuets'', or "blueberries") and

Côte-Nord Côte-Nord (, ; ; land area ) is the second-largest administrative region by land area in Quebec, Canada, after Nord-du-Québec. It covers much of the northern shore of the Saint Lawrence River estuary and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence past Tadous ...

, which together provide 40% of Québec's total provincial production. This wild blueberry commerce benefits from

vertical integration In microeconomics, management and international political economy, vertical integration is a term that describes the arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is integrated and owned by that company. Usually each member of the suppl ...

of growing, processing, frozen storage, marketing and transportation within relatively small regions of the province. On average, 80% of Québec wild blueberries are harvested on farms (), the remaining 20% being harvested from public forests (). Some 95% of the wild blueberry crop in Québec is frozen for export out of the province. Agraz

Europe

Highbush blueberries were first introduced to Germany, Sweden and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in the 1930s, and have since been spread to numerous other countries of Europe. ''V. corymbosum'' only began to be cultivated in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

in a few years leading up to 2018 and rapidly increased in production and sales in that time (as with berries in general). it remains relatively unmolested by pests and diseases (see

Diseases A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that ar ...

below). ref.15

Southern Hemisphere

In the Southern Hemisphere, Brazil, Chile,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

grow blueberries commercially. In Brazil, blueberries are produced in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo and Minas Gerais. Blueberries were first introduced to Australia in the 1950s, but the effort was unsuccessful. In the early 1970s, the Victorian Department of Agriculture imported seed from the U.S. and a selection trial was started. This work was continued into the mid-1970s when the Australian Blueberry Growers' Association was formed. In the 21st century, the industry grew in

: "Argentine blueberry production has increased over the last three years with planted area up to 400 percent," according to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Argentine blueberry production has thrived in four different regions: the province of Entre Rios in northeastern Argentina, the province of Tucuman, the province of Buenos Aires and the southern Patagonian valleys", according to the report. In the

Bureau of International Labor Affairs The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is an operating unit of the United States Department of Labor which manages the department's international responsibilities. According to its mission statement: ''“The Bureau of International La ...

report A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and purpose. Although summaries of reports may be delivered orally, complete reports are almost always in the form of written documents. Usage In ...

of 2014 on

child labor Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such e ...

and

forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...

, blueberries were listed among the goods produced in such working conditions in Argentina.

Pests and diseases

Diseases

''V. corymbosum'' remains relatively unmolested by pests and diseases in Romania, with ''

Phytophthora cinnamomi ''Phytophthora cinnamomi'' is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants variously called " root rot", "dieback", or (in certain ''Castanea'' species), "ink disease". The plant pathogen is one of the wo ...

'', ''

Monilinia ''Monilinia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Sclerotiniaceae. Monilinia fungi are pathogens to Rosaceae and Ericaceae and often cause major losses to crops. The genus is sometimes divided into two sections based on whether they possess disju ...

vaccinii-corymbosi'', ''

Botryosphaeria ''Botryosphaeria'' is a genus of pathogenic fungi in the family Botryosphaeriaceae. There are 193 species, many of which are important disease-causing agents of various important agricultural crops. Species *'' Botryosphaeria abietina'' *'' Bot ...

corticis'', ''

Godronia ''Godronia'' is a genus of fungi in the family Helotiaceae. The genus contains 27 species. The genus name of ''Godronia'' is in honour of Dominique Alexandre Godron Dominique Alexandre Godron (25 March 1807 - 16 August 1880) was a French physic ...

cassandrae'', ''

Phomopsis ''Phomopsis'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi in the family Valsaceae. Species Species include: * '' Phomopsis arnoldiae'' * '' Phomopsis asparagi'' * '' Phomopsis asparagicola'' * '' Phomopsis azadirachtae'' * '' Phomopsis cannabina'' * '' Phomo ...

'' sp., ''

Botrytis cinerea ''Botrytis cinerea'' is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" or ...

'', ''

Naohidemyces vaccinii ''Naohidemyces vaccinii'' is a plant pathogen that affects members of the ''Vaccinium'' and ''Tsuga'' genera, causing leaf rust on lingonberries, blueberries, and cranberries, and early needle cast on hemlocks. ''Naohidemyces vaccinii'' is found ...

'', ''Microsphaera penicillata'' var. ''vaccinii'', and various viruses being the most common.

Pest management

=Pesticides

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

began to be used in blueberry soon after its discovery in 1939, and a few years later in the mid-1940s research began into its use in North America. Because "wild" is a marketing term generally used for all low-bush blueberries, it is not an indication that such blueberries are free from pesticides. Insecticide

modes of action A mode of action (MoA) describes a functional or anatomical change, resulting from the exposure of a living organism to a substance. In comparison, a mechanism of action (MOA) describes such changes at the molecular level. A mode of action is impor ...

must be varied to avoid encouraging resistance in the invasive pest ''

Drosophila suzukii ''Drosophila suzukii'', commonly called the spotted wing drosophila or SWD, is a fruit fly. ''D. suzukii'', originally from southeast Asia, is becoming a major pest species in America and Europe, because it infests fruit early during the ripening ...

''. Some

insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...

s can be counterproductive, harming

natural enemies ''Natural Enemies'' is a 1979 American drama film directed by Jeff Kanew based on the 1975 novel Natural Enemies written by Julius Horwitz. The film stars Hal Holbrook and Louise Fletcher as a married couple whose relationship is strained and thre ...

of pests as well. For example, treatment for '' Illinoia pepperi'' can reduce populations of its

predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

Kaolin clay Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedra ...

for '' Rhagoletis mendax'' also reduced effectiveness of '' Diachasma alloeum'', its

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

. The pest predator '' Harpalus erraticus'' maintains greater abundance with selective insecticides rather than broad-spectrum MoAs.

=Integrated pest management

= Blueberries are naturally relatively unmolested by

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

pests. Nonetheless, there are 24 insect taxa known to be

pest (organism) A pest is any animal or plant harmful to humans or human concerns. The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops, livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in their homes. Humans have modified the environ ...

s in North America, the worst in New Jersey,

, and Eastern Canada being '' Rhagoletis mendax''. Secondary but still important are '' Acrobasis vaccinii'', ''

Grapholita ''Grapholita'' is a large genus of tortrix moths (family Tortricidae). It belongs to subfamily Olethreutinae, and therein to the tribe Grapholitini, of which it is the type genus.Baixeras et al. (2009a) Taxonomy and systematics Georg Friedrich T ...

packardi'', and '' Conotrachelus nenuphar''. These four are the most common targets for development of IPM practices. Recently () IPM research has also taken an interest in ''

'' and arthropods like

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

s (that vector diseases such as scorch virus and shoestring virus) and

cicadellid A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and a ...

s (vectoring the

phytoplasma Phytoplasmas are obligate intracellular parasites of plant phloem tissue and of the insect vectors that are involved in their plant-to-plant transmission. Phytoplasmas were discovered in 1967 by Japanese scientists who termed them mycoplasma-lik ...

that causes blueberry stunt). Managing pests down to the cosmetic level is necessary in this fruit because they are a premium type product. Changes in locale and environment – to new geographies, and into

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...

s – has required new pest management regimes, including innovative IPM. Conversely, importing foreign potential enemies into North America may yield good results: ''

Operophtera brumata :''In North America, "winter moth" usually denotes the invasive species ''Operophtera brumata'', but may also mean refer to a native species, '' Erannis tiliaria'' (linden looper) or '' Operophtera bruceata'' (bruce spanworm).'' The winter moth ( ...

'' is a pest of blueberries and

birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...

es which is successfully parasitized by ''

Cyzenis albicans ''Cyzenis albicans'' is a species of fly in the family Tachinidae. A parasitoid, it lays its eggs on leaves of oak, maple, birch and other trees, so that when the leaves are consumed by the larvae of the host winter moth, the eggs hatch inside ...

'' despite the lack of historical, natural contact between the two. The same results were obtained with ''

Scirtothrips ''Scirtothrips'' is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae. Species * '' Scirtothrips abditus'' Mound & Marullo, 1996 * '' Scirtothrips aceri'' Moulton, 1926 * '' Scirtothrips acus'' Wang, 1994 * '' Scirtothrips admangiferaffinis'' Johansen ...

citri'' and ''

Beauveria bassiana ''Beauveria bassiana'' is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and acts as a parasite on various arthropod species, causing white muscardine disease; it thus belongs to the entomopathogenic fungi. It is used as a biological ...

''. Results are available for ''

Choristoneura rosaceana ''Choristoneura rosaceana'', the oblique banded leaf roller or rosaceous leaf roller, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. It is native to North America, but has been accidentally introduced into other parts of the world. The wingspan is 7.5– ...

'' and overwhelming numbers of ''

Trichogramma ''Trichogramma'' is a genus of minute polyphagous wasps that are endoparasitoids of insect eggs. ''Trichogramma'' is one of around 80 genera from the family Trichogrammatidae, with over 200 species worldwide.Consoli FL, Parra JRP, Zucchi RA (201 ...

minutum'', and ''

Cyclocephala longula ''Cyclocephala longula'' is a species of rhinoceros beetle in the family Scarabaeidae The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The cl ...

'' overwhelmed by ''

Steinernema Steinernema is a genus of nematodes in the family of Steinernematidae. The genus ''Steinernema'' is named after the nematologist Gotthold Steiner. Life cycle Species form symbiotic relationships with ''Xenorhabdus'' and '' Photorhabdus'' ba ...

scarabaei''. This has also been attempted with flower thrips and potential predators but with inconclusive results.

=International quarantine

= ''Rhagoletis mendax'' is a quarantine pest in phytosanitary regimes of some countries around the world.

=Resistant cultivars

= Insect resistance was not a priority in

breeding program A breeding program is the planned breeding of a group of animals or plants, usually involving at least several individuals and extending over several generations. There are a couple of breeding methods, such as artificial (which is man made) and ...

s until about the year 2000, and is still not a high priority. However it may become more common as it becomes easier, especially using marker-assisted breeding. ''V. ashei'' is naturally more resistant than ''V. corymbosum'' to '' Scaphytopius magdalensis''. On the other hand ''V. ashei'' is less resistant than ''V. darrowii'' to '' Prodiplosis

vaccinia ''Vaccinia virus'' (VACV or VV) is a large, complex, enveloped virus belonging to the poxvirus family. It has a linear, double-stranded DNA genome approximately 190 kbp in length, which encodes approximately 250 genes. The dimensions of the ...

''. There is variation between cultivars of ''V. ashei'' in resistance to '' Oberea myops''. There is variation in resistance among cultivars of ''V. corymbosum'' to '' Acrobasis vaccinii'' and ''

Popillia japonica The Japanese beetle (''Popillia japonica'') is a species of scarab beetle. The adult measures in length and in width, has iridescent copper-colored elytra and a green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan (where it is control ...

''. Wild ''V.'' spp. have greater resistance than highbush cultivars to ''I. pepperi''. There is significant variation between highbush cultivars in abundance of various

Tephritidae The Tephritidae are one of two fly families referred to as fruit flies, the other family being the Drosophilidae. The family Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus ''Drosophila'' (in the family Drosophilidae), w ...

thrips Thrips ( order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

, and ''Homalodisca vitripennis''.

Production

In 2020, world production of blueberries (lowbush and highbush combined) was 850,886

tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...

s, led by the United States with 35% of global production and

with 21%. In 2019, Canada was the largest producer of wild blueberries, mainly in

and the

, but Canadian production of wild blueberries decreased since 2017 by transitioning to the more profitable cultivated highbush blueberries.

produced 93% of the Canadian highbush blueberry crop in 2019.

Regulations

Canada

Canada No. 1 blueberries are all similar in size, shape, weight, and color—the total product can be no more than ten percent off-color and three percent otherwise defective.

References

External links

Wild Blueberry Culture in Maine, by David E. Yarborough, University of Maine, February 2015

''The Blueberry Bulletin''
{{Authority control Berries Crops originating from North America Flora of North America Fruits originating in North America Plants used in Native American cuisine Shrubs Symbols of New Jersey Vaccinium Crops originating from indigenous Americans

Origin and history of cultivation

Description

Species

Identification

Culinary use

Nutrients

Phytochemicals and research

Cultivation

Growing regions

United States

Canada

Europe

Southern Hemisphere

Pests and diseases

Diseases

Pest management

=Pesticides

=Integrated pest management

=International quarantine

=Resistant cultivars

Production

Regulations

Canada

See also

References

Further reading

External links