HARNESSING BLUEBERRY FLOWER CHEMISTRY AND MORPHOLOGY TO BOOST POLLINATION AND BEE HEALTH

The long-term goal of this proposal is to find sustainable solutions to pollination in blueberry that meet farmers needs for stable and competitive yields and the public demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. We have set short- and mid-term goals to help us to reach our long-term goal. Our primary short-term goal is the organization of a Planning Meeting which will bring together a interdisciplinary team of experts in the field of flower chemistry, genetics, pollination, AI, economy and extension to write a successful SCRI-SREP proposal. During the meeting, our team of experts will brainstorm about methods and strategies to find solution to blueberry pollination. Our mid-term goals, which will be further solidified during the planning meeting, include: identification of the chemical traits of pollinator preferences and their underlying genetics; determine the morphological traits promoting animal-mediated pollination and their molecular determinants; improving techniques of pollinator tracking; identify ways to improve breeding to improve animal-mediated pollination. Concurrently, we aim at rising awareness on the need for animal-mediated pollination in blueberry and other crops.