Automated berry processing systems often damage the fruit, which results in lower profitability for growers and marketers. To counter this, a University of Georgia-led research team is developing an advanced sensor system to help harvest and process fresh-market highbush blueberries at high-speed and with low yield loss. The second-generation berry impact recording device (BIRD) is one part of a multi-faceted effort being funded NIFA. In addition to BIRD, researchers are using a $2.4 million Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant to develop high throughput phenotyping technology and a semi-mechanical harvest-aid system.

NIFA originally published this impact in the NIFA 2015 Annual Report. Want to read about more impacts like this? Check out Fresh from the Field, a weekly bulletin showcasing transformative impacts made by grantees funded by NIFA.