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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • MARCH 2018 New varieties key to industry’s future


Blueberry researchers focus on machine-harvestable varieties by PETER MITHAM ABBOTSFORD – Blueberry variety development


research focuses on developing machine- harvestable berries characterized, in order of importance, by firmness and solid yields, berry breeder Michael Dossett of BC Berry Cultivar Development Inc. told growers attending the Pacific Agriculture Show in January. Dossett said some nice, firm varieties are coming but that once the berries reach the firmness of Duke, bruising may be a greater consideration. Splitting is also a concern with some of the


selections. Dossett said 6,000 seedlings have been assessed to date for splitting tendencies to determine if certain parents should be avoided or if a certain gene can be screened out. “The heritability of this trait is moderately high,”


he said. A case in point is Bluecrop, whose offspring have


a pronounced tendency to split. Indeed, eight of 11 selections exhibited the trait in trials. “Bluecrop is a terrible parent for splitting,” Dossett


said.


Dossett reviewed several selections that he’s readying for grower trials.


These included BC 12-6-35, which he described


as an “exciting” selection with a growth pattern similar to Draper. It features good flower-bud initiation and yields a medium-large berry with good flavour. A variety with good fruit set yielding medium-


sized berries ready at mid-season is 14-40-158, while 14-42-1 is a selection that has potential for the processing market. Chilliwack-based crop consultant Eric Gerbrandt followed Dossett, presenting the preliminary results


of work with plant material received from elsewhere. He emphasized that individual grower experience would vary from his observations. Gerbrandt focused on five varieties: Last Call,


Cargo and Top Shelf, plus two that have drawn underwhelming industry interest to date, Clockwork and Blue Ribbon. Last Call, a cross of Elliott and Ozarkblue, is a late- season selection that exhibits better flavour than Elliott. Its firmness suggests it might be suitable for


FILE PHOTO


machine harvesting for the fresh market. The big unknown right now is whether or not it will stand up in field conditions, or whether issues such as splitting will pose problems. While it has loose clusters that make it suitable for machine harvesting, it ripens unevenly. Cargo, a cross of Bluegold and Ozarkblue, offers


good flavour, good firmness and berries that can be as large as Duke. However, it needs heavy pruning to avoid overbearing. It is also susceptible to shock. It ripens uniformly, and harvests well. Top Shelf, a cross of Magnolia and Draper, has


good flavour and excellent storage capacity. Its growth habit is similar to Draper, but it ripens slightly earlier. Its susceptibility to cane diseases is a drawback. In addition, Gerbrandt discussed Calypso, which


shows potential as a replacement for Bluecrop. Calypso has an acceptable flavour but a flatter shape than other berries. While it ripens later in the season than Bluecrop, it does so in a more concentrated window. Its large fruit shows potential for machine harvesting. Berries in storage retained their initial firmness after three weeks. Gerbrandt looks forward to further results, not


only from the selections described but the BC breeding program. He intends to pay closer attention to Cargo, Last Call and Calypso in his future work. The trademarked variety Valor is also of interest and grower trials are in progress. Selections from the University of Arkansas will take place this year, with evaluation planned for 2020. “There is no magic bullet right now,” Gerbrandt


said regarding selections to replace existing varieties. “We’re moving forward as quickly as possible to get varieties that will work for the long term.”


Farm tours proven to build trust


Consumers are bombarded with many messages about their food, from how unhealthy it is to how poorly it is produced. Most are disconnected from animal agriculture and don’t know about the passion and heart that goes into caring for animals.


What do consumers think after they’ve toured a farm?


A new US based study found that farm tours held in Michigan, Ohio and Vermont were highly effective in increasing consumer trust. Responses from exit interviews with event attendees found that in general, 95% of consumers leave the event with a positive or very positive impression about how the animals are housed. In addition, 91-96% of attendees reported having high or very high trust that dairy farmers will do the right thing to care for their animals.


Most significantly, researchers conducted pre-event interviews with first-time visitors and compared it with their post- event interview answers. While only 35% of first-time visitors reported that they felt positively about animal housing before the event, 76% of first-time visitors reported positive or very-positive impressions of animal housing after the event. In terms of trusting that dairy farmers will do the right thing in animal care, first-time visitors who reported high or very-high trust shifted from 61- 65% pre-event to 91-96% post-event.


You can change consumer trust.


Researchers attribute the change in public trust to the opportunity for the consumer to experience a dairy farm for themselves. Participants on a farm tour learn about the care given to animals including balanced rations, health care and how professional nutritionists and


veterinarians are involved on farms. This all makes a difference in how that individual shops in the grocery store or speaks about farming. These shifts in impressions and trust speak well of the educational farm tour approach


to helping consumers better understand how their food is produced and to the farmers who graciously open their doors to provide a transparent look at modern agriculture. To learn more, visit


the source link below. Source: Farms.com (https://goo.gl/NCiu4j)


Building consumer trust is a long-term, generational journey and commitment to continuous improvement.


BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) is leading an industry collaboration to bridge information gaps, understand and address concerns, and build trust between B.C.’s aqua/agri-food community and it’s residents. To learn more, visit: www.bcac.ca


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