BLUE FOCUS NEWSLETTER- Spring 2026

Thursday, March 26, 2026

BLUE FOCUS NEWSLETTER- Spring 2026

(Perennia’s Wild Blueberry Production Newsletter)

 

 

Hello everyone,

 

Following a typical Maritime winter in Nova Scotia, it is encouraging to see blueberry fields well covered with snow during the coldest months. This level of snow cover is beneficial during the blueberry dormancy period and supports overall plant health.

As we move through the winter–spring transition, blueberry plants are beginning to break dormancy and prepare for the upcoming growing season. Ahead of the new season, we are pleased to share a series of updates and resources to support your blueberry management efforts, including the new Wild Blueberry Management Tool and upcoming industry events.

Lastly, we wish you all a productive and successful 2026 blueberry season!

 

Hugh Lyu

Wild Blueberry Specialist, Perennia

hlyu@perennia.ca; 902-890-0472.

March 26, 2026

 

Table of Contents: 

Wild Blueberry Management Tool Introduction

Upcoming Events

 

 

Wild Blueberry Management Tool Introduction

 

NEW! Wild Blueberry Management Tool. Check it out! https://www.farmdatatools.perennia.ca/


On March 23, Perennia launched a new wild blueberry management tool as part of the Farm Data Tools platform. This innovative tool is designed to support wild blueberry field management by providing timely, field-specific information to help producers make informed decisions.

 

What features are available in this tool?

 

Four Key Features of the Wild Blueberry Management Tool

The Wild Blueberry Management Tool provides timely in-season and historical field data to support informed decision-making in wild blueberry production. The platform includes four main features:

 

1. Crop-Year Disease Management

The tool integrates disease monitoring models to support proactive disease management during the growing season. Currently, two disease monitoring models are available:

  • Monilinia Blight (Mummy Berry)
  • Botrytis Blossom Blight (Gray Mould)

Monilinia Blight

Botrytis Blight

 

The disease monitoring system is automatically activated when susceptible crop stages are reached. Producers receive email notifications indicating disease infection risk levels, along with a seven-day forecast to assist with timely management decisions.

 

2. Wild Blueberry Crop Stage Monitoring Using Growing Degree Day (GDD) Models

To establish a monitoring field, users select:

  • an on-farm weather station, and
  • a forecast station from the nearest Environment and Climate Change Canada weather station network.

Both stations provide daily air temperature data. The system automatically calculates daily Growing Degree Days (GDD) and cumulative GDD totals (April 1 – October 31), which are displayed in summary tables.

Producers can use cumulative GDD values to track blueberry growth stages based on locally recommended GDD models. Users have access to both forecasted and historical GDD summaries, enabling accurate, up-to-date crop-stage monitoring.

 

3. Field Environmental Condition Monitoring

Once a monitoring field is established, producers can view real-time field weather conditions and monitor the operational status of their weather station—both essential for reliable model calculations.

The Current Conditions table displays updated field weather parameters from the selected on-farm weather station, including:

  • Air temperature
  • Rainfall
  • Wind conditions
  • Relative humidity
  • Station operational status

Users are encouraged to use the Report function if any issues with the monitored station are identified.

 

4. Field Records Management

The platform allows users to download both current and historical field data in Excel format. These records support documentation, seasonal analysis, and long-term field management planning.

 

 

How to Get Started with the Wild Blueberry Management Tool

 

The following step-by-step guide will help you set up your account, business, and monitoring fields so you can begin using the tool effectively.

 

Step 1: Create a MyPerennia Account

To access Farm Data Tools, users must first create a free MyPerennia account.

If you do not already have an account, please follow the instructions provided in the account setup factsheet:

MyPerennia Account Creation Guide:
https://www.perennia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/FDT-Account-CreationREVISEDV4.pdf

 

Step 2: Create Your Business, Farms, and Monitoring Fields

This step allows users to organize their operation by setting up a business profile, adding farms, and creating multiple monitoring fields within each farm.

This is a critical step because you will select:

  • an on-farm weather station, and
  • a forecast station from the nearest Environment and Climate Change Canada weather station network.

Weather data from these stations supports automated calculations, crop-stage monitoring, and disease infection risk estimates generated by the available models.

 

A. Create Your Business

  1. Select the gear icon (Settings) located at the bottom-left of the toolbar.
  2. Click the Create Business icon.
  3. Enter your business address in the dialogue box.

Once your business is created, you can:

  • add members, and
  • create farm locations using the “+” button in the Farm Locations table.

 

B. Add Farms

Within your business profile, you may create multiple farms to represent different production locations.

(Example: One business may include several farms managed under the same operation.)

 

 

C. Create Monitoring Fields

After creating a farm:

  1. Expand the farm by clicking the yellow-highlighted expansion symbol.
  2. Select the “+” icon to add a field (in blue).
  3. Name the field and select:
    • an on-farm weather station, and
    • a forecast station.

Each farm can include multiple monitoring fields, allowing users to track different production areas independently.

 

 

D. Access the Wild Blueberry Management Tool

After completing setup:

  1. Refresh your web page.
  2. Select the Wild Blueberry Management Tool by clicking the blueberry logo located on the left-hand toolbar.

 

Joining an Existing Business

If you are joining an existing operation:

  1. Select “I have a code.”
  2. Enter the access code provided by the business owner within Farm Data Tools.

 

 

Resources for the Tool

 

To help users understand and use the tool effectively, we have developed a dedicated resource page. This page introduces the Wild Blueberry Management Tool, along with supporting materials to help interpret data and inform management decisions. Resources include background information on Growing Degree Days, Monilinia Blight, and Botrytis Blossom Blight. A short YouTube video is also available to provide a quick overview of the tool and its key features.

For additional information, please visit: https://www.docs.perennia.ca/farmDataTools/blueberryManagement.

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

1.      Cavendish Lowbush Blueberry Virtual Meeting, April 1, 2026.

See details below. You need to register to receive the online link. Click here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVP_buWiTwj-WmEHRvlmNlgSkV8CDTSG8DF9kkOMgkMaEh6g/viewform

 

 

 

2.      Maritime Wild Blueberry Conference, April 10- 11, 2026. In- Person, Moncton, NB.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.      Perennia: Wild Blueberries Virtual Grower Meetings 2026.

 

Here is the link to more information about this event and registration:

https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/wild-blueberries-virtual-grower-meetings-2026/edate/2026-04-08/

 

 

 

4.      Perennia Virtual Session: Online Pest Guides Updates. Tentative date: April 21, 12-1 PM (online). 1 Pesticide Point available! More details and registration information will be shared once available. Please mark your calendar if interested.

 

5.      Need more pesticide points? Pesticide Recertification Training Courses.

 


 

6.      WBPANS 2026 Wild Blueberry Field Day, SAVE THE DATE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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