Improving Cranberry Fruit Quality by Understanding the Microclimate of the Bog

Fruit quality has been identified as the most critical and urgent horticultural challenge facing the cranberry growers of Massachusetts. A major deterrent to fruit quality is cranberry fruit rot, a persistent challenge in north eastern cranberry cultivation from season to season, if left uncontrolled, crop losses in excess of 50% may result. Fruit rot, unlike the majority of plant diseases, is a disease complex associated with more than a dozen taxonomically diverse fungi.The University of Massachusetts at Amherst & the UMass Cranberry Station in Wareham will lead the scientific components of the project, deriving the study sites, monitoring, recording & correlating the information collected. The researchers will develop a correlation between weather, growing practices & fruit quality which will become the basis for understanding how to improve fruit quality. This research will be able to be easily understood & implemented by cranberry growers, helping them make better informed decisions. The result is expected to be an increase in fruit quality, more refined growing strategies & reduced chemical inputs, that they can use to better manage their crops.