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BC Blueberry Council For Consumers
  1. About the BC Blueberry Council
  2. Current Research Projects

Current Research Projects

See below an overview of research projects supported by the BC Blueberry Council. Click on the project title for more details.

Key Issue(s)

Project Title

Lead

Organization

Objective(s)

Diseases (Fungal & Bacterial)

Berry Crop Pathology

Dr. Rishi Burlakoti

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Developing a decision support system (DDS) for fruit rot will provide growers with better information based on weather station data and predictive models of disease life cycles; isolating and characterizing bacterial blight will be used to develop better screening protocols for the breeding program so that resistant cultivars can be bred for BC and to facilitate evaluation of alternatives to copper-based products to diversify field-management options.

Diseases (Nematodes)

Development of Molecular Diagnostics for Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in BC

Dr. Tom Forge

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Developing a lab method for detecting nematodes in soil and root samples, filling a gap at BC Agri in diagnostic capacity for the industry.

Diseases (Viruses)

Evaluation of Spray-Induced Gene Silencing of Blueberry Scorch and Shock Viruses

Dr. Jim Mattsson

Simon Fraser University

Designing a biopesticide that can be used to prevent the spread of economically important blueberry viruses.

Diseases (Viruses)

Development of PCR Based Methods to Reliably Distinguish Shock or Scorch Virus

Dr. Jim Mattsson

Simon Fraser University

Determining strain variation for blueberry shock and scorch viruses to improve reliability of diagnostic tools available to the industry.

Genetics & Fruit Quality

Assessing Harvest and Postharvest Fruit Quality in Blueberry

Dr. Simone Castellarin

University of British Columbia

Assessing fruit quality of current cultivars and breeding selections at harvest and at various times postharvest during cooler storage to determine biochemical constituents of fruit quality and direct the development of new cultivars; and evaluating postharvest treatments and advanced packaging materials to improve shelf-life of standard cultivars.

Genetics & Fruit Quality

Canadian Berry Trial Network 

Dr. Eric Gerbrandt

Sky Blue Horticulture Ltd.

Evaluating new cultivars and advanced selections under commercial conditions through on-farm grower trials, linking to similar work in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia as the first Canadian Berry Trial Network.

Genetics & Cultivars

Berry Germplasm Development and Evaluation for the Fraser Valley

Dr. Michael Dossett

BC Blueberry Council

Characterizing germplasm to obtain new genetic sources of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, improved fruit quality and novel traits of interest; developing molecular and phenotypic selection tools; and moving the gene pool forward through annual crosses and recurrent selection on each generation of seedlings.

Genetics & Cultivars

Berry Cultivar Development for the Fraser Valley

Dr. Michael Dossett

BC Blueberry Council

Implementing unreplicated observation trials; conducting replicated evaluation trials; and propagating virus-free plant material of breeding selections for advancement toward cultivar release.

Horticultural Management

Berry Crop Enhancement

Dr. Eric Gerbrandt

Sky Blue Horticulture Ltd.

Enhancing crop establishment, yield, and fruit quality through evaluating alternative crop inputs and mitigating cultivar-specific challenges related to adaptation to local climatic conditions for novel blueberry cultivars.

Horticultural Management

Controlling Blueberry Fruit Development using Plant Growth Regulators

Dr. Charitha Jayasinghege

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Using plant growth regulators to de-blossom new plantings as well as delay the ripening for various blueberry cultivars to shift the harvest window.

Pests (SWD)

Ecological Pest Management for Spotted Wing Drosophila

Dr. Juli Carrillo

University of British Columbia

Developing alternative methods of SWD control to reduce regional pressure and reliance on chemical tools, including evaluation of intercropping options to repel SWD, developing better attractants for lures and traps, and establishing effective biological control species in the region.

Pests (SWD)

Evaluating Mass Trapping as a Tool for Non-chemical Spotted Wing Drosophila Management

Jen McFarlane

ES Cropconsult Ltd.

Evaluating mass trapping as an option for reducing SWD pressure in conventional and organic settings. 

Pests (Various)

Implementing Integrated Pest Management Practices on Small-Scale Farms

Marjolaine Dessureault

ES Cropconsult Ltd.

Developing IPM training materials for small-scale fruit and vegetable growers to handle shifts in pest pressure due to climate change and to improve region control.

Pests (Weevils)

Minor Use Screening Trials for Weevils

Arlan Benn

E.S. Cropconsult Ltd.

Assessing new potential chemical controls for root weevils against standard products to deliver additional tools for field management.

Pests (Various) & Genetics

Berry Crop Entomology

Dr. Michelle Franklin

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Providing the breeding program with information on the relative susceptibility or resistance of advanced selections to key arthropod pests to inform decisions about release and management of new cultivars.

Pests (Voles)

Non-Chemical Vole Control in Berry Fields

Sofi Hindmarch

Fraser Valley Conservancy

Assessing effectiveness of a non-chemical option for killing voles (i.e., a commercial trap that has a self-resetting, bolt-action kill mechanism) as compared to rodenticides. 

Pollination & Bees

Determining Optimal Wildflower Patch Arrangements to Minimize Pollination Deficits

Dr. Rebecca Tyson

University of British Columbia

Developing mathematical models of bee behaviour within blueberry fields to determine optimal placement of wildflower patches to foster native bumblebee populations.

Pollination & Bees

Effects of Host, Pathogen, and Environmental Factors on Increased Incidence of European Foulbrood in Honey Bee

Dr. Sarah Wood

University of Saskatchewan

Determining effects of common pesticides on bee susceptibility to European foulbrood disease and assessing ways to improve bee nutrition and health.

 

Other Research Initiatives

 

Key Issue(s)

Project Title

Lead

Organization

Objective(s)

 

Communication

 

Knowledge and Technology Transfer

 

Sandy Dunn

 

LMHIA

 

  1. Extend applied research results to growers to advance the business sustainability of BC’s Agri-food sector;
  2. Increase awareness of new products, practices, processes and technologies that will increase the competitiveness and sustainability of BC’s Agri-food sector;
  3. Accelerate the adoption of promising new products, practices, processes, and technologies that will increase the competitiveness and sustainability of BC’s Agri-food sector; and
  4. Provide information and tools to support improved decision making

Programs

Research

Breeding Program
Crop Management
Bird Management and Audible Bird Scare Devices

Current Research Projects

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Pollination

About BC Blueberry Council

The mission of the British Columbia Blueberry Council is to enhance the viability and strategic development of the blueberry industry through promotion, research, industry education and relationship building.

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