Researchers Developing Blueberry Trees

Researchers Developing Blueberry Trees CROPS Miscellaneous What if blueberries grew on trees instead of bushes? Dr Wei Qiang Yang at Oregon State University says we may be just a few years away from seeing blueberry trees in gardening catalogs     “The main advantage of trees is that they would make berries easier to pick and would reduce machine harvesting losses ” Yang says Today 10 to 25 percent losses are common in commercial operations he says     Another advantage is that the rootstock for blueberry trees could adapt to soils that aren’t as acidic as blueberry bushes require     Yang credits a hobbyist in eastern Texas for grafting a rabbiteye blueberry variety on a wild native blueberry called a sparkleberry which grows up to 14 ft on a single tree-like stem     Collaborating with researchers at other universities Yang has helped develop the process working with the sparkleberry seeds and proven blueberry varieties Trees are planted 3 ft apart with 10 ft between rows as they would be in an orchard     Yang’s favorite blueberry varieties are Duke Liberty and Brigitta Blue Aurora and Draper varieties have also yielded well — equal to their bush counterparts Oregon is Zone 8 so more research would have to be done to see if the blueberry trees could survive in colder zones     Besides trying different varieties on 3 types of rootstock Yang says he is experimenting with the best pruning method Mechanically picked trees would likely be trimmed to 8-ft tall or less for efficient harvest     The researcher says he has been pleased with the results and that in 3 or 4 years home gardeners may be able to buy blueberry trees     “I think it’s important scientifically ” he adds “Because we can change a plant from a bush to a tree there might be other possibilities ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Wei Qiang Yang North Willamette Research and Extension Center 15210 NE Miley Road Aurora Ore 97002 ph 503 678-1264; www oregonstate edu/dept/NWREC