Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 291-303 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 296 balance between vegetative growth and reproductive development while avoiding excessive late-season nutrient supply. 4.2 Pruning and canopy management A well-structured canopy improves orchard ventilation and light penetration, increases effective light exposure of fruiting branches, enhances leaf photosynthetic efficiency, and optimizes the leaf-to-fruit balance, thereby creating a favorable microenvironment for the accumulation of anthocyanins, phenolics, and other bioactive compounds. In contrast, overly dense canopies reduce the exposure of fruit to blue light and UV-B radiation, limiting anthocyanin formation. However, excessive pruning or an overly open canopy may expose fruit to excessive heat and strong radiation, increasing the risk of sunburn, water loss, and quality deterioration. Canopy management strategies should be adjusted according to cultivation systems. In protected cultivation, canopy structure should be combined with appropriate covering materials, supplemental lighting, and shading management to optimize the light environment and avoid reduced light availability caused by greenhouse coverings. In open-field orchards, winter pruning, renewal of fruiting branches, and removal of overly dense shoots can improve internal canopy light conditions and maintain productive fruiting wood. Proper canopy management not only improves fruit coloration and appearance uniformity but also promotes the accumulation of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, thereby enhancing fruit flavor, nutritional quality, and commercial value. 4.3 Mulching management Mulching improves blueberry growth and fruit quality mainly by regulating root-zone temperature, soil moisture, and weed competition. Because blueberry has a shallow root system with limited root hairs, most roots are distributed in the surface soil layer and are highly sensitive to high temperature, drought, and rapid changes in soil moisture. Organic mulches such as pine bark and wood chips can reduce soil water evaporation and gradually increase soil organic matter during decomposition, while geotextile mulch provides effective weed control and has a longer service life. However, the effects of different mulching materials vary depending on soil properties, climatic conditions, irrigation management, and cultivar characteristics. Retamal-Salgado et al. (2022) compared the effects of no mulch, pine bark mulch, and geotextile mulch in a commercial blueberry orchard in Chile using rabbiteye blueberry ‘Ochlockonee’ (Vaccinium virgatum Aiton) and highbush blueberry ‘Legacy’ (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) over two growing seasons. Both pine bark and geotextile mulches reduced daily soil temperature fluctuations, maintained a more suitable root-zone temperature, and improved afternoon photosystem II photochemical efficiency. In ‘Legacy’, fruit firmness under pine bark and geotextile mulch reached 73 and 75 gf·mm⁻¹, respectively, compared with 67 gf·mm⁻¹ in the non-mulched treatment. Both mulching treatments also increased yield in this cultivar, whereas the yield response was not significant in ‘Ochlockonee’. These results indicate that mulching can improve root-zone conditions and fruit quality, but its effects are strongly dependent on cultivar characteristics and production environments. 4.4 Harvest maturity and postharvest management Although complete fruit coloration is commonly considered an important indicator of blueberry maturity, biochemical changes continue after the peel turns blue. During this stage, blueberries continue to accumulate sugars, anthocyanins, and other bioactive compounds. Early harvesting improves transportability and storage performance but reduces fruit flavor and nutritional value. Extending fruit development on the plant can increase anthocyanin accumulation, improve sugar–acid balance, and enhance commercial quality. Therefore, high-quality fresh blueberry production often adopts selective harvesting to ensure that fruits at different maturity stages reach optimal harvest quality. After harvest, blueberry fruit maintains high respiration and metabolic activity. Improper control of temperature, humidity, or transportation conditions can lead to water loss, softening, and degradation of nutritional compounds, resulting in reductions in anthocyanins, phenolics, and vitamin C content and shortening shelf life. Rapid precooling, continuous cold-chain transportation, and suitable storage conditions have therefore become essential components of commercial blueberry production. These practices help preserve the quality formed during orchard production and maintain fruit market value during distribution.
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