D3106: Determining if current pollination is sufficient for New Jersey blueberry production

New Jersey blueberries are grown on 9,300 acres with $85 million in annual revenue. Blueberry bushes have low self-compatibility and need pollination to produce adequate fruit. Commercial honeybee hives arrive after pollinating almonds in California and blueberry growers have limited control on when they are delivered. We sought to identify if a desynchronization between honeybee arrival and onset of bloom occurred in spring of 2023 and if native bee populations are sufficient to overcome potential pollination deficits. Pollination efficiency was assessed by analyzing the presence and composition of bee species. At eight sites, honeybee and native bee foraging events were recorded for one minute and the number of blooms, buds, and spent flowers per bush were recorded three times during bloom for ten plants. At onset of fruit maturity, berry count and weight with seed count for a sample of thirty berries per bush will be taken. Initial results of flower counts and foraging data indicate that bloom period and bee species composition varied between sites. The average proportion of blooms ranged from 45%-80% within 3 days of hive arrival on-farm, and pollinator visitations ranged from 0-2 per 10,000 blooms, with lower visitation frequencies occurring at higher bloom proportions. Visual surveys indicated bee species composition varied between the sites. There is potential for negative impacts to blueberry pollination with shifting bloom periods and a gap between honeybee arrival and bloom onset. Further examination of fruit set and quality as well as determining long-term patterns is needed.