Using rootstocks to increase blueberry farming sustainability in the South East

View the project final report

Commodities

• Fruits: berries (blueberries)

Practices

• Crop Production: grafting

There are over 28,000 acres of blueberry farms in the southeast. Something all these farms have in common is the extensive use of soil inputs. Growers use pine bark, large amounts of fertilizers, and large volumes of irrigation water to support agricultural production. These inputs increase blueberry establishment and production costs, reducing farm profitability and limiting who can grow blueberries in the southeast. Soil inputs also increase the likelihood of soil degradation, nutrient percolation, and water pollution. Reducing or eliminating the need for soil inputs is a critical step to increase the sustainability of blueberry farming systems in the southeast. Grafting blueberry on resilient rootstocks is an avenue to reduce the need for soil inputs, reduce establishment and production costs in blueberry farms, and broaden participation of underrepresented farmers in blueberry production. Previously, we have shown that commercial blueberry production targets can be attained with blueberry grafted on sparkleberry rootstocks. This project investigated creating a reduced input blueberry production system that leverages the strengths of sparkleberry rootstocks to reduce water, pine bark, and fertilizer use in blueberry farms in the southeast. We documented that sparkleberry rootstocks have deep root systems that allow grafted blueberry plants to grown in minimally amended soils and withstand drought periods longer than a week. The deep root systems might also help grafted plants access leached nitrogen. We used this information in combination with growers' knowledge, experiences, and perspectives to design a reduced input blueberry production system adapted to the farming practices in Florida and Gorgia. We identified adoption gaps and information interests among growers. This  informed the design and delivery of educational materials and activities including multi-media products (social media posts, videos, and magazine articles), hands-on learning (field days for growers), and train-the-trainer workshops (regional workshop for growers and extension agents). Ultimately, this project has moved blueberry farming systems towards systems towards environmental, economic, and social sustainability by 1) identifying resilient rootstocks that can reduce reliance on practices that compromise soil health and water quality, 2) developing grafting methods that can reduce establishment and production costs in blueberry farms, and 3) remove barriers for the participation of underrepresented groups in blueberry farming. 

Our overall goal is to increase the sustainability of blueberry farming systems in the southeastern United States by leveraging the resilience of grafted blueberry plants. Specific goals include:

Objective 1: Develop input reduction thresholds for blueberry production

Objective 2: Design a reduced input production system that uses grafted blueberry plants

Objective 3: Evaluate reduced input blueberry production using agronomic productivity, environmental, and economic sustainability metrics

Objective 4: Increase adoption of the reduced input blueberry production system