University of Georgia

A website from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium

Small Fruit News

The Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium posts articles and sends the SMALL FRUIT NEWS to subscribers four times annually.
 

  • Blueberry Quality Following Postharvest Cold Storage

    Picking blueberries from the bush

    This article, Postharvest Keeping Quality of Southern Highbush, Rabbiteye, and Northern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars in Cold Storage: Taste Traits and Health Benefits, is the second in a series on work comparing fruit quality traits of major commercial cultivars in southern highbush (SHB), rabbiteye (RE), and northern highbush (NHB) cultivars.

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  • Meet Annie Vogel: Fruit Specialist at UTK

    Annie Vogel, Fruit Extension Specialist at University of Tennessee, Knoxville

    Meet Annie Vogel, Fruit Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). She joined UTK as an assistant professor on January 1. 2025.

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  • Neopestalotiopsis Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot Disease

    Colony morphology of Neopestalotiopsis sp. on artificial media after 14 days of incubation at 25°C

    Strawberry production in the southeastern United States has faced significant challenges in recent years. Among these, Neopestalotiopsis leaf spot and fruit rot has become one of the most pressing issues.

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  • Mississippi Blueberry Workshops in 2025

    Fresh blueberries spilling from a wooden bucket

    The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host two blueberry workshops — an in-person workshop on January 29th and a virtual seminar on February 7th. Both events are free.

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  • 2025 Mid-Atlantic Strawberry Programs, Feb. 24-25

    Fresh strawberries in a clear plastic container

    The 2025 Mid-Atlantic Strawberry Programs will be held in Virginia Beach, VA, on February 24 and 25, 2025. All programs are offered at no cost to the growers.

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  • Visit Hawaii for North American Berry Conference 2025

    Mixtures of strawberries, blackberries and raspberries

    The North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association (NARBA) is teaming up with the North American Strawberry Growers Association (NASGA) to host their joint 2025 annual meetings and conference on February 3-6, 2025 in Kona, Hawaii.

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  • Neopestalotiopsis Crown, Leaf and Fruit Disease on Strawberry

    Leaf spots caused by Neopestalotiopsis

    Neopestalotiopsis crown, leaf and fruit disease is an important emerging disease of strawberry that can affect every part of the plant (crown, roots, leaves, fruit). The symptoms were first widely known in the US on strawberry in 2018, following an outbreak in Florida in annual plasticulture fields.

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  • Introducing Congliang Zhou: Precision Ag and AI at LSU

    Meet Congliang Zhou, assistant professor in the School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences at Louisiana State University (LSU), specializing in precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and robotics. He joined the LSU Agricultural Center on July 1, 2024.

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  • Minimal impact from biostimulant product use on strawberry crop yield and postharvest strawberry quality

    Biostimulants consist of beneficial microorganisms or compounds that can improve crop yields by strengthening plants’ immune systems and enhancing their tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stresses.

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  • SE Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference, January 9-11

    Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetables Conference attendees

    Registration is now open for the 2025 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (SE Regional), the South’s premier specialty crop educational conference and trade show for growers, packers, and shippers. The conference will be held January 9-11 in Savannah, Ga.

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