Each step of the crop’s development is critical since wild blueberries provide $250 million in economic benefits in Maine.
Last year’s crop was the second largest on record at 104 million pounds. The largest crop was in 2000 at 110.6 million pounds of blueberries.
David Yarborough, wild blueberry specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension said pollination was delayed a week or two in northern coastal Maine because of the low temperatures. Bees do not like the cold or high winds.
Another — though not significant — issue, is the appearance of botrytis, or gray mold, on some plants.
What growers do worry about is mummy berry, a more serious fungus that causes the fruit to drop from the plant and shrivel.
Yarborough said conditions were minimal for mummy berry with fewer and shorter infection periods.
In years when pollination is not optimal, he said, Mother Nature often steps in. The berries that are produced tend to be larger and healthier because they don’t have as much competition from other growing fruit.
