Wild Blueberry Newsletter, October 21, 2025

October 21, 2025

Dear Wild Blueberry Community,

Meeting Cancelled

The Mulching and Irrigating Wild Blueberry Fields Organized by UMaine Extension meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 22, 2025 in Hope has been cancelled due to weather and lack of NRCS staff. We will cover mulching and irrigation in depth at the UMaine Wild Blueberry Conference to be held in late February in Ellsworth. The conference date is currently being confirmed.

What Are We Doing at the University This Time of Year?

Installing Mesonet Weather Stations.  

Last week we installed the first two Mesonet weather stations as pictured above. One is at Blueberry Hill Farm and the other is at Highmoor Farm. We aim to set one more up on-campus in Orono this fall and the rest next season. Both of these are 10m tall towers that measure soil moisture sensors at three depths, leaf wetness, air temp and relative humidity at 2 heights, wind speed and direction at two heights, solar radiation, snow depth, rain and snow accumulation. They are powered by a solar panel, and data will be publicly available soon. A total of 24 stations will be installed across the state with funding from a Congressionally Delegated Spending Request, thanks to Senators Angus King and Susan Collins.

Writing Grants and Grant Reports.

The AMC and Dr. Calderwood recently submitted a grant proposal to the USDA titled “Improving Maine Wild Blueberry Harvester Efficiency”.

The overarching goal of this project is to continue our efforts to reduce the amount of fruit lost during harvest by improving wild blueberry harvester efficiency. The budget cap of $650,000 and the grower’s immediate needs determined the scope of this project. Further funding efforts around harvesters will continue to work on the new prototype tested in 2025 and on wild blueberry processing facilities. The objectives of the recently submitted project, if funded, are to:

a) Mechanically improve the DH harvester head debris removal system and fruit bin exchange mechanisms to boost berry quality and food safety compliance; 

b) Test and validate these mechanical improvements for in-field viability; 

c) Develop and disseminate an American-sourced parts database, harvester trouble-shooting listserv, and share research findings with Maine producers through diverse Extension channels.

Attending Meetings.  

Dr. Calderwood and grad students of Dr. Annis, Dr. Fanning, and Dr. Schattman are attending Wild BREW (Wild Blueberry Researchers and Extension Workers Conference) in Quebec City on October 28-29^th. Dr. Calderwood will also be presenting at the New Brunswick Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Fredericton on December 4-5^th.

Analyzing Data.  

We are all busy cleaning data and compiling details from the busy summer season, and will then analyze the data collected for research reports and presentations to be shared with you this winter.

Writing Factsheets and Website Updates.  

Leala is busy updating fact sheets, webpages, and making videos. She has been a champion of our social media account! Follow us on Instagram @umainewildblueberry.

Field Data Collection.  

We will be applying fall herbicides to our research study in Jonesboro in the coming weeks. Leala and Patrice are heading out this week to collect pre-application weed data. This field is located across from Blueberry Hill Farm, and there is clearly a lot of fine leaf sheep fescue. In early November, we will conduct bud counts at prune phenology sites.

Sincerely,

Lily 

Dr. Lily Calderwood
Extension Wild Blueberry Specialist
Associate Professor of Horticulture