Innovations in Blueberry Science: Breeding, Stress Resilience, and Sustainable Production

Dear Colleagues,

Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are highly favored by consumers for their rich antioxidant content and health benefits, particularly due to anthocyanins. As the demand for healthy foods increases, the cultivation area and yield of blueberries continue to expand. However, the blueberry industry still faces numerous challenges, including high production costs, unstable yield and quality, difficulty in pest and disease control, poor environmental stress resistance, and challenges in fruit preservation, etc. Environmental pressures such as extreme weather, drought, high temperatures, frost, and soil salinization pose serious threats to blueberry growth, leading to fluctuations in yield and quality. Breeding for drought, cold, and salt-alkali tolerance varieties is still lagging behind and requires accelerated research and technology application. Additionally, pest and disease management, especially in the context of reducing chemical pesticide use, remains a significant issue, with the need for innovative solutions to effectively control pests and ensure fruit quality. Furthermore, high production costs and limited cultivation management experience have put pressure on the sustainable development of the industry. As market demand grows, the challenges related to fruit preservation and transportation have led to an imbalance between supply and demand.

In recent years, advancements in molecular biology and genomics have deepened our understanding of blueberry fruit development, quality formation, and environmental stress mechanisms. New breeding technologies such as gene editing and molecular marker-assisted selection offer new directions for blueberry breeding. This Special Issue aims to gather the latest research findings on the study of blueberries, covering topics including, but not limited to, blueberry genomics, breeding new varieties, cultivation management, fruit development and quality regulation, environmental adaptation mechanisms, pest and disease defense, and post-harvest preservation technology innovations. We look forward to innovative contributions from global researchers to collectively promote the sustainable development of the blueberry industry.

Prof. Dr. Lingyun Zhang
Dr. Yibo Cao
Guest Editors

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• blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
• fruit development
• fruit quality
• breeding
• environmental stress resistance
• pest and disease management
• molecular mechanisms
• genomics analysis
• post-harvest preservation