Cold weather benefits blueberry crops in the United States

18/01/2018

This winter, sub-zero temperatures are a good sign for fruit crops in Mississippi, according to Eric Thomas Staphne of Mississippi State University. The climate will not be negative for blueberry farmers. Last year, unusually warm winter paused the state's fruit crops, including the largest crop: blueberries.

This is because this fruit needs a certain amount of "chill hours", temperatures ranging from 0 to 7 degrees Celsius, to maintain its dormant state before flowering and producing. Blueberries need 400 to 600 hours of cold.

Msbusiness.com discovered, that in the last decade, the production had varied from 1,8 million kg in 2008 to a maximum of 4,7 million kg in 2011.

Source: FreshPlaza.es