This coordinated agricultural project addresses an increasingly urgent challenge facing the U.S. Blueberry industry: how to sustainably harvest fresh-market blueberries amid sharply rising labor…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Oregon State University $6.958 million on July 1, 2026, under the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (Assistance Listing 10.309) to advance mechanical harvesting technologies for fresh-market blueberries.

The project addresses labor-cost escalation and farm-labor shortages in the U.S. blueberry industry by developing improved machine-harvesting systems. Current mechanical harvesting causes fruit bruising, softening, and substantial yield loss, which limit retail acceptance and restrict market channels. The coordinated agricultural project brings together engineers, horticulturists, computer scientists, economists, and extension specialists to improve harvesting technologies and reduce quality losses to make mechanical harvesting commercially viable for fresh-market blueberries.

Performance of work occurs in Corvallis, Oregon. The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. Oregon State University is the recipient and prime performer on this grant.

This coordinated agricultural project addresses an increasingly urgent challenge facing the U.S. Blueberry industry: how to sustainably harvest fresh-market blueberries amid sharply rising labor costs, farm labor shortages, and intensifying market competition. Blueberries are among the fastest-growing fruit crops in the united states, driven by strong consumer demand for healthy, fresh foods and expanding domestic and export markets. At the same time, the industry remains heavily dependent on hand labor for harvesting fresh-market quality fruits, which is one of the most labor-intensive and costly operations in blueberry production. Escalating wage rates, reduced availability of reliable farm labor, uncertainty in guest worker programs, and growing competition for workers across agricultural sectors are placing unprecedented pressure on blueberry growers, particularly small- and mid-sized operations.machine harvesting offers a critical pathway toward long-term resilience, yet current technologies are not fully suited for harvesting fresh-market blueberries. Current machine harvesting often causes fruit bruising and softening, along with substantial fruit loss, which reduce shelf life, limit retail acceptance, and decrease overall yield. These quality losses translate into restricted market channels and lost revenue across the supply chain for the blueberry industry. As retailers and consumers place increasing emphasis on consistent quality, food safety, and sustainability, the GAP between current machine-harvested fruit and fresh-market standards has become a major bottleneck to industry-wide adoption. Without harvesting innovation, the U.S. Blueberry industry risks declining market competitiveness, loss of farm profits, reduction in blueberry farm operations, and increased reliance on imports.to address this pivotal challenge, ourproject brings together engineers, horticulturists, computer scientists, economists, and extension specialists to improve the entire blueberry harvesting and postharvest system from farming practices to consumer outcomes. On-farm trials will evaluate redesigned machine harvestersincorporating novel catching surfaces, improved fruit-catching systems, and artificial intelligence tools that dynamically adjust harvester settings in real time based on plant architecture, fruit load, and operating conditions. These adaptive technologies are especially timely given increasing variability in field conditions due to changing production practices such as new genetics and variable pruning practices.complementary field and postharvest studies will examine how cultivar traits, canopy management, fruit maturity, temperature, and handling influence bruise development, decay, and shelf life under commercial conditions. New sensing and imaging technologies will be tested to improve fruit bruise detection and fruit sorting in packing facilities, enabling higher-value fruit segregation and reduced downstream waste. Sanitation and food SAF, ETY research will address industry concerns associated with new materials, surfaces, and automated systems, ensuring compliance with modern food safety requirements.economicanalyses will quantify the labor savings, cost structures, adoption barriers, and return on investment across different blueberry production systems, while continuous feedback from growers, packing houses, and industry partners will ensure practical relevance and rapid technology transfer. Extension activities will focus on translating results into actionable recommendations, decision-support tools, and best management practices that can be implemented across different blueberry growing regions.ultimately, this project seeks to enable widespread, economically viable adoption of machine harvesting for fresh-market blueberries. By reducing labor dependence, minimizing fruit loss, and improving fruit quality consistency, this project will strengthen farm profitability, supply chain stability, and production sustainability. Its success would represent a transformative step for the U.S. Blueberry industry to supportlong-term domestic production, maintainglobal competitiveness, and ensurethat consumers continue to receive high-quality blueberries produced through more efficient and resilient blueberry production systems.