The pheromone chemistry for these pests of cranberry were recently identified by Cornell scientists. New York has a fledgling cranberry industry. The money will be used to fund research on production and post-harvest issues. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oswego County established two research plots in 1996, and some of the research is expected to take place on those experiment plantings. Researchers and staff from Cornell and the Experiment Station are likely participants in this effort to provide research-based knowledge to the New York State cranberry industry.
Cranberries are a native American wetland fruit.
The more than 500 cranberry growers in Massachusetts produce more than 38 percent of the nation's supply. In so doing, they preserve more than 61,000 acres of open space, of which approximately 13,000 acres are the actual cranberry production beds themselves. During harvest, many growers flood their bogs causing cranberries, which have small air pockets in the center, to rise. They then use water-reel harvesting machines to loosen cranberries from the vines causing them to float on top of the water. About 10 percent of the cranberries grown in Massachusetts are dry harvested and sold as fresh fruit.