SMALL FRUIT UPDATE | WEEK 23 |  

JUN 02, 2021

Bumble bee quads 5-28-21. Photo by Tom Peerbolt

WHAT'S INSIDE
Tom Peerbolt
NORTHWEST BERRY FOUNDATION
INDUSTRY RESOURCES

GROWER RESOURCES
This quick temperature change in the region from cool, close-to-freezing lows last week to four days with
INDUSTRY NEWS
over 90-degree highs this week, presents some major challenges to berry growers. In strawberries that
are just beginning to be harvested, we’re looking at soft and sunburn. For blues with a heavy load of
green fruit, we’ll be seeing fruit sizing slowed down and stressed bushes, and our caneberries will likely
PEST MANAGEMENT be challenged for late pollination and fruit sizing. All crops will be at risk of moisture stress and keeping
soil moisture adequate. Hopefully this four-day stretch will transition into more berry-friendly conditions
and allow for recovering from and minimizing these effects.
SFU SPONSORS
In seven to ten days some fields have gone from needing frost protection to needing sun/heat mitigation.
It's one of those years when infrastructure investments show their value. Now, we just need enough
water available.

Updated as of May 24, 2021: ‘Maximum Pesticide Residue Limits

(MRLs) for USA and Foreign Markets’ for Blueberries, Blackberries, Insecticide efficacy rankings for SWD Control
Subscribe Here Raspberries and Strawberries
From a survey of national entomologists who work with
Compiled by Dani Lightle, Pesticide Registration Research Leader, Oregon
SWD. Below is the PDF to be linked here.
State University
Small Fruit Update is
produced once a week VIEW SHEETS VIEW PDF
during the growing
season and bimonthly
outside the growing
season (Oct - Feb)
Regional Monitoring

May 28, 2021

VIEW FULL REPORT SIGN UP HERE

REGIONAL MONITORING

Welcome to this week's Agragene Regional SWD Report. The story this week is more of the same
continued trend of a steady, low-level, population. This might be sounding fairly redundant at this
point, but this is excellent news! The SWD population hasn't been able to create the new generation
of flies in order to build up their numbers, and each week that goes by is indication we will have
later start to actually seeing SWD pressure on susceptible crops.

Location Total SWD

SAUV I E I S LAND 8

BANK S 0

FORE S T GROVE N/A

CORN E L I US 0

HILL S B O RO 3

YAMH I L L 0

DUND E E 0

MCMI N N V ILLE 0

WILS O N V ILLE 0

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 Blueberry Bud Development

PATR I O T BLUEJAY DUKE DRAP E R TOP S H E LF LIBE R T Y AURO R A LAST C A L L CALY P S O

WEEK 22 5/28/2021
WEEK 21 5/29/20
WEEK 21 5/24/19
WEEK 20 5/25/18

PATR I O T BLUEJAY DUKE DRAP E R TOP S H E LF LIBE R T Y AURO R A LAST C A L L CALY P S O

NWBERRYFOUNDATION.ORG PAGE 03
 Grower Resources

REGIONAL FIELD REPORTS

Western Oregon, Willamette Valley (6/1)From Julie Pond, PCM, Portland, OR
Strawberries: First pick of Tillamooks are currently happening. Sweet Sunrise will be finished harvest by the end of this
week. Fresh market Marys Peak will start Wednesday in the mid-Willamette Valley. A few growers that I've asked about
labor say they are keeping up with picking but certainly don't have enough labor so those growers chose to send more
fruit to processors just to get it out of the field while labor is available. Water is going on crops that normally never get
irrigated (think grass seed fields). Strawberry yields are looking good though.

Western Oregon, Willamette Valley (6/1) From Amanda Stevens, Nottinghamshire Farms, Willamette Valley, OR
Organic Day Neutral Strawberries: We are now in week 3 of strawberry harvest. Last week's rain caused some problems
for us with mold . We have been fighting the slugs this year but this week's heat should see them off for good .
Our field is producing like a champ and we have been through it 3 times and are on round #4. We are seeing less blooms
so It appears the plants are slowing down a bit. We have been picking 200-230 flats a day 6 days a week so a slowdown
might help us catch up on hoeing!

Western Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/30) From Tom Peerbolt, PCM, Portland, OR
Some harvest start time estimates:
Central/Northern Willamette Valley, Duke Blueberries: week of June 21.
Central/Northern Willamette Valley, Processing blackberries: week of June 28

Strawberries: Strawberry harvest is now getting underway in the Willamette Valley. I haven’t heard any progress reports
or labor reports.

Blueberries: We’ll be seeing some days in or near the 90s (32C) this week. A lot of sun. A lot of evapotranspiration. A fair
amount of heat stress coming for the crops. Should be seeing yellowing and some new growth wilting in the blueberries.
Keep soil moisture up as well as using overhead cooling as needed. Be very cautious with the timing of foliars during hot
weather. Economically significant green berry scarring in blueberries from either heat and/or badly timed foliar
applications (during heat) will likely happen at multiple locations in the Valley this week. Bird scare devices are now being
deployed also.

Black Raspberry Fruit status 5-28-21. Photo by Tom Peerbolt

Washington (5/24) From Alan Schreiber, Executive Director, Washington Blueberry Commission
Blueberries: Fruit in eastern Washington are pea sized or larger but no first color has been reported. Pollination in
western Washington is nearing completion with only the later varieties still having bloom. Fruit set appears to be very
good leading to concerns whether berries will reach full size in some varieties. First harvest is expected to begin the
week of June 14 with large volumes entering the market the week of June 21. Bear in mind that the large majority of this
early fruit will be for the organic fresh market.

NWBERRYFOUNDATION.ORG PAGE 04
British Columbia, Fraser Valley (6/1) From Chuck Mouritzen, Southwest Crop Consulting, Chilliwack, BC
Blueberries: Our bloom period continues to wind down in the blues with really only the late varieties with bees left to do
their work. It seems to me that the Dukes had a very long flowering period this season and I expect the Duke pick could
be long. There doesn't appear to be a heavy concentrated pick as we normally expect with this variety. We are sure
seeing considerable virus symptoms out there. And unfortunately much of it appears to be scorch. Unhelpfully, the aphid
build up coincides with the late flowering period which makes control nearly impossible until bees are removed. I've
mentioned it before but will say it again, that it's really important to address aphid control as soon as possible after bee
removal and remove positively infected plants. Virus problems appear to be really impacting the late varieties and this
may be due to the flowering period extending into the time frame most conducive to aphid population growth. A real
surge in vegetative growth this past week as well.

Raspberries: All raspberry cultivars are now in flower. Good weather conditions have meant for good bee activity and
early varieties have considerable green fruit development. Vegetative growth has been very good the past week except
for winter injured Meekers which lack the vigor and fruiting laterals of the other cultivars. Mite numbers are staying low
for now and our problems with yellow rust are really not a issue so far.

Industry News

PODCASTS OF THE INDUSTRY

The Business of Blueberries: A podcast from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council hosted by
Kasey Cronquist and Rod Cook.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: VISITING MICHIGAN’S BLUEBERRY COUNTRY

PolliNation: A podcast from Oregon State University Extension Service hosted by Dr. Andony
Melathopoulos.
181 - JIM CANE - POLLINATION OF RASPBERRIES AND OTHER CANEBERRIES

NEWSLETTERS OF THE INDUSTRY

Organic Strawberry Guide READ MORE

USDA Innovations Flyers 5 & 6 READ MORE

NWBERRYFOUNDATION.ORG PAGE 05
FEATURED LINKS
Pest reduction with female killers and sterile males (5/25, Good Fruit Grower) Agragene article

Oregon blueberries at a glance (Oregon Blueberries)

B.C. ‘moving very cautiously’ on minimum wage for farm workers (6/1, Coast Mountain News)

Drought looms in Washington; relief fund dry (5/28, Capital Press)

GENETICS/BREEDING
Organic club raspberry variety performs well in Mexico
READ MORE
(5/28, Fresh Plaza)

IMPORTS
U.S.: Berries drive 8% rise in 1st quarter imports
READ MORE
(5/28, Fresh Fruit Portal)

CHINA
US Blueberries – Fresh and ready for the Chinese Market
READ MORE
(5/31, Produce Report)

NORTH AMERICA

North Carolina could see 20-30% loss in blueberries following hail

READ MORE
(5/27, Agronometrics)

COMPANIES

Hortifrut reports first-quarter earnings

READ MORE
(5/28, The Packer)

STRAWBERRIES

Mexican strawberry exports increased by 24.8% in the first four months of the year
READ MORE
(5/31, Fresh Plaza)

NWBERRYFOUNDATION.ORG PAGE 06
 UKRAINE
Ukraine sees blueberry prices drop below those of raspberries
READ MORE
(5/31, Fresh Plaza)

ORGANIC
Blueberry growers dedicated to organic practices for more than 40 years
READ MORE
(5/26, Fruit Grower news)

Pest and Crop Management

Please note that our Pest and Crop Management section will return in
the near future.

Industry Calendar

JULY 2021
Washington Blueberry Commission Meeting
07
FURTHER DETAILS COMING SOON.

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 THE SMALL FRUIT UPDATE
WEEK 23 | JUNE 02, 2021

This is the sole industry publication, For more information or requests please contact:
gathering grower and producer news, and
regional field reports to unite, stabilize, and Abby Gearing,
strengthen the Northwest berry growing SFU Designer & Editor
region (Canada and US). abby@nwberries.org

Production is independent of government Tom Peerbolt,

and commercial control and made possible NBF Director & Editor
by the following commission & councils. tom@peerbolt.com.