Blueberry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the "American" blueberry. For the "European" blueberry, see
Bilberry.
Blueberries are
perennial flowering plants with indigo-colored berries from the
section Cyanococcus within the
genus Vaccinium (a genus that also includes
cranberries and
bilberries).
Species in the section
Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as "blueberries" and are native to
North America (commercially cultivated highbush blueberries were not introduced into Europe until the 1930s).
Blueberries are usually erect.
Prostrate shrubs
can vary in size from 10 centimeters (3.9 in) to 4 meters (13 ft) in
height. In the commercial production of blueberries, the smaller species
are known as "low-bush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), while the
larger species are known as "high-bush blueberries".
The
leaves can be either
deciduous or
evergreen,
ovate to
lanceolate, and 1–8 cm (0.39–3.15 in) long and 0.5–3.5 cm (0.20–1.38 in) broad. The
flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The
fruit is a
berry
5–16 millimeters (0.20–0.63 in) in diameter with a flared crown at the
end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally
dark purple when ripe. They are covered in a protective coating of
powdery
epicuticular wax, colloquially known as the "bloom". They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry
bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season:
fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and
latitude, so the height of the crop can vary from May to August
depending upon these conditions.
Origins
The genus
Vaccinium has a mostly circumpolar distribution with species in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Many commercially sold species with English
common names including "blueberry" are currently classified in section
Cyanococcus of the genus
Vaccinium
and come predominantly from North America. Many North American native
species of blueberries are grown commercially in the Southern Hemisphere
in Australia, New Zealand and South American nations.
Several other wild shrubs of the genus
Vaccinium also produce commonly eaten blue berries, such as the predominantly European
Vaccinium myrtillus and other
bilberries, that in many languages have a name that translates "blueberry" in English. See the
Identification section for more information.
Species
Note: habitat and range summaries are from the
Flora of New Brunswick, published in 1986 by Harold R. Hinds and
Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast, published in 1994 by Pojar and MacKinnon
Some other blue-fruited species of
Vaccinium:
 |
| Wild blueberry in autumn foliage, Pilot Mtn., NC, 10-30-2008 |
Identification
Commercially offered blueberries are usually from species that
naturally occur only in eastern and north-central North America. Other
sections in the genus, native to other parts of the world, including the
Pacific Northwest and southern United States, South America, Europe, and Asia, include other wild shrubs producing similar-looking edible berries, such as
huckleberries and
whortleberries
(North America) and bilberries (Europe). These species are sometimes
called "blueberries" and sold as blueberry jam or other products.
The names of blueberries in languages other than English often translate as "blueberry",
e.g.,
Scots blaeberry and Norwegian
blåbær.
Blaeberry,
blåbær and French
myrtilles usually refer to the European native
bilberry (
V. myrtillus), while
bleuets refers to the North American blueberry. Russian
голубика
("blue berry") does not refer to blueberries, which are non-native and
nearly unknown in Russia, but rather to their close relatives,
bog bilberries (
V. uliginosum).
Cyanococcus blueberries can be distinguished from the nearly
identical-looking bilberries by their flesh color when cut in half. Ripe
blueberries have light green flesh, while bilberries, whortleberries
and huckleberries are red or purple throughout.
Cultivation
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| Blueberry flowers |
Blueberries may be cultivated, or they may be picked from semiwild or
wild bushes. In North America, the most common cultivated species is
V. corymbosum, the
northern highbush blueberry. Hybrids of this with other
Vaccinium species adapted to southern U.S. climates are known collectively as southern highbush blueberries.
So-called "wild" (lowbush) blueberries, smaller than cultivated highbush ones, are prized for their intense color. The
lowbush blueberry,
V. angustifolium, is found from the
Atlantic provinces westward to
Quebec and southward to
Michigan and
West Virginia. In some areas, it produces natural "blueberry barrens", where it is the dominant species covering large areas. Several
First Nations communities in
Ontario are involved in harvesting wild blueberries.
"Wild" has been adopted as a marketing term for harvests of managed
native stands of lowbush blueberries. The bushes are not planted or
genetically manipulated, but they are pruned or burned over every two
years, and pests are "managed".
Numerous highbush
cultivars
of blueberries are available, with diversity among them, each having a
unique flavor. The most important blueberry breeding program has been
the
USDA-ARS breeding program based at Beltsville, Maryland, and Chatsworth, New Jersey. This program began when
Frederick Coville of the USDA-ARS collaborated with
Elizabeth Coleman White of
New Jersey. In the early part of the 20th century, White offered pineland residents
cash for wild blueberry plants with unusually large fruit.
The
rabbiteye blueberry (
Vaccinium virgatum syn.
V. ashei) is a southern type of blueberry produced from
the Carolinas to the
Gulf Coast states. Other important species in North America include
V. pallidum, the hillside or dryland blueberry. It is native to the eastern U.S., and common in the
Appalachians and the
Piedmont of the Southeast. Sparkleberry,
V. arboreum, is a common wild species on sandy soils in the Southeast.
 |
| Worldwide highbush blueberry yield |
Growing areas
Significant production of highbush blueberries occurs in
British Columbia,
Maryland,
Western Oregon,
Michigan,
New Jersey,
North Carolina, and
Washington. The production of southern highbush varieties in
California is rapidly increasing, as varieties originating from
University of Florida,
Connecticut,
New Hampshire,
North Carolina State University and
Maine have been introduced. Southern highbush berries are now also cultivated in the Mediterranean regions of Europe,
Southern Hemisphere countries and China.
 |
| A blueberry |
United States
Georgia has the longest harvest season in the U.S. lasting from late April through the end of July. In a little more than 10 years, Georgia has become a major player in
the global blueberry market. Georgia is the fourth- or fifth-highest
producer of cultivated blueberries in the U.S., with almost 10 percent
of production. In 2012, Georgia produced 77 million pounds of blueberries from nearly 15,000 acres of orchards.
Maine produces 25% of all lowbush blueberries in North America with 24,291 hectares (60,020 acres) (FAO figures)
[full citation needed] under cultivation.
[citation needed] Wild blueberry is the official fruit of Maine. But
Hammonton, NJ claims to be the "Blueberry Capital of the World, with over 80% of New Jersey's blueberries coming from this town. Every year the town hosts a large festival that draws thousands of people to celebrate the fruit.
Michigan is the leader in highbush production. In 1998, Michigan farms produced 220,000 tonnes (490,000,000 lb) of
blueberries, accounting for 32% of those eaten in the United States.
Commercial acreages of highbush blueberries are cultivated in the states of New Jersey,
Florida,
Georgia and North Carolina.
Canada
Canadian exports of blueberries in 2007 were C$756 million, the
largest fruit crop produced nationally, occupying more than half of all
Canadian fruit acreage.
British Columbia is the largest Canadian producer of highbush
blueberries, yielding 40 million kilograms in 2009, the world's largest
production by region.
Atlantic Canada contributes approximately half of the total North American wild/lowbush annual production of 68,000 t (150,000,000 lb).
Nova Scotia, the biggest producer of wild blueberries in Canada, recognizes the blueberry as its official provincial berry. The town of
Oxford, Nova Scotia is known as the Wild Blueberry Capital of Canada.
New Brunswick and
Prince Edward Island are other Atlantic provinces with major wild blueberry farming.
Quebec is a major producer of wild blueberries, especially in the regions of
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (where a popular name for inhabitants of the regions is
bleuets, or "blueberries") and
Côte-Nord, which together provide 40% of
Quebec's total provincial production.
Europe
 |
When cut and observed under
a microscope, compounds in
blueberries may fluoresce. With
blue excitation light, green
emission results (40× magnification
of a blueberry seed). |
 |
| A maturing 'Polaris' blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) |
Highbush blueberries were first introduced to
Germany,
Sweden and the
Netherlands
in the 1930s, and have since been spread to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia,
Romania, Poland, Italy, Hungary and other countries of Europe.
Asia
The northeastern part of
Turkey is one of the main sources of Caucasian whortleberry (
V. arctostaphylos),
bilberry (
V. myrtillus) and bog blueberry, bog whortleberry or bog bilberry (
V. uliginosum).
This region from Artvin to Kırklareli, as well as parts of Bursa
(including Rize, Trabzon, Ordu, Giresun, Samsun, Sinop, Kastamonu,
Zonguldak, İstanbul, İzmit and Adapazari) have rainy, humid growing
periods and naturally acidic soils suitable for blueberries (Çelik,
2005, 2006 and 2007).
Native
Vaccinium species and open-pollinated types have been
grown for over a hundred years around the Black Sea region of Turkey.
These native blueberries are eaten locally as jelly or dried or fresh
fruit (Çelik, 2005). Highbush blueberry cultivation started around the year 2000. The first
commercial blueberry orchard was established by Osman Nuri Yildiz and
supervised by Dr. Huseyin Celik, the founder of Turkish blueberry
cultivation.
Southern Hemisphere
In the Southern Hemisphere,
Chile,
Argentina,
Uruguay, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia now export blueberries.
Blueberries were first introduced to Australia in the 1950s, but the
effort was unsuccessful. In the early 1970s, David Jones from the
Victorian Department of Agriculture imported seed from the U.S. and a
selection trial was started. This work was continued by Ridley Bell, who
imported more American varieties. In the mid-1970s, the Australian
Blueberry Growers' Association was formed.
By the early 1980s, the blueberry industry was started in New Zealand and is still growing.
South Africa exports blueberries to Europe.
Commercial blueberry production in Argentina was 400 hectares (990
acres) in 2001 and 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) in 2004. Production in
Argentina is increasing. "Argentine blueberry production has thrived in four different regions:
the province[s] of Entre Rios in northeastern Argentina, [...] Tucuman,
Buenos Aires [...], and the southern Patagonian valleys", according to
the report.
Chile is the biggest producer in South America and the largest
exporter to the Northern Hemisphere, with an estimated area of 12,400
hectares (31,000 acres) in 2012 (ODEPA/CIREN). Introduction of the first
plants started in the early 1980s, and production started in the late
80s in the southern part of the country. Today, production ranges from
Copiapó in the north to
Puerto Montt
in the south, which allows the country to offer blueberries from
October through late March. The main production area today is the
Biobío Region.
Production has evolved rapidly in the last decade, becoming the fourth
most important fruit exported in value terms. Blueberries are exported
mainly to North America (80%), followed by Europe (18%). Most of the production comes from the highbush type, but several rabbiteye blueberries are grown in the country, as well.
In
Peru,
there are several private initiatives for the development of the crop.
Also, the government through its agency Sierra Exportadora, has launched
the program "
Peru Berries" to take advantage of the existence of the ideal soil and climate required by the blueberry.
Harvesting
Harvest seasons
The blueberry harvest in North America varies. It can start as early
as May and usually ends in late summer. The principal areas of
production in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, Chile, New Zealand and
Argentina) have long periods of harvest. In Australia, for example, due
to the geographic spread of blueberry farms and the development of new
cultivation techniques, the industry is able to provide fresh
blueberries for 10 months of the year – from July through to April. Similar to other fruits and vegetables, climate-controlled storage
allows growers to preserve picked blueberries. Harvest in the UK is from
June to August.
Harvest methods
For many years, blueberries were hand picked. In modern times,
traditional hand picking is still quite common especially for the more
delicate varieties. More commonly, farmers will use harvesters that will
shake the fruit off the bush. The fruit is then brought to a
cleaning/packaging facility where it is cleaned, packaged, then sold.
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| Making blueberry jam at home |
Uses
Blueberries are sold fresh or processed as individually quick frozen (IQF) fruit,
purée, juice, or dried or infused berries, which in turn may be used in a variety of consumer goods, such as
jellies,
jams,
blueberry pies,
muffins, snack foods and
cereals.
Blueberry jam is made from blueberries,
sugar, water, and fruit
pectin.
Blueberry wine is made from the flesh and skin of the berry, which is
fermented and then matured; usually the lowbush variety is used.
Nutrients, phytochemicals and research
Blueberries have a diverse range of
micronutrients, with moderate levels (relative to respective
Dietary Reference Intakes) of the essential
dietary mineral manganese,
vitamin C,
vitamin K and
dietary fiber (table).
[31] One serving provides a relatively low
glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day.
[citation needed]
Blueberries contain
anthocyanins, other
pigments and various
phytochemicals, which are under preliminary research for their potential role in reducing risks of diseases such as
inflammation and
cancer.
[32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Similar to red
grape, blueberries may contain
resveratrol.
Most
polyphenol studies have been conducted using the highbush
cultivar of blueberries (
V. corymbosum), while content of polyphenols and anthocyanins in lowbush (wild) blueberries (
V. angustifolium) exceeds values found in highbush cultivars.
In preliminary research, feeding blueberries to rats reduced
brain damage in experimental
stroke and may cause increased production of vascular
nitric oxide that influences blood pressure regulation. Additional research showed that blueberry consumption in rats altered
glycosaminoglycans that are
vascular cell components affecting control of
blood pressure.
Other preliminary studies found blueberry consumption lowered
cholesterol and total blood
lipid levels, possibly affecting symptoms of
heart disease. Wild South American varieties may contain higher levels of polyphenols,
but this finding remains unconfirmed and uncertain of its significance.
Other preliminary research showed that supplementation of diets with wild blueberry juice may benefit the brain, improve
memory and learning in older adults, while possibly reducing
blood sugar and symptoms of
depression.
Pesticides
The application of pesticides is common in large-scale blueberry monoculture in Maine. Because "wild" is a marketing term generally used for all low-bush
blueberries, it is not an indication that such blueberries are free from
pesticides.
The
Environmental Working Group, referencing the USDA, rates blueberries as a "significant concern".
