The blueberry industry of China: the past 10 years and the future

The planting area of blueberries in China increased from 681 to 31,210 ha, and the total production increased from 342 to 42,344 t between 2006 and 2015, respectively. Greenhouse and tunnel production area in northern China increased from 17 to 560 ha, and 9 to 1165 ha from 2006 to 2015, respectively. At present, 27 provinces have begun blueberry commercial cultivation in China, ranging over a very large area. The main cultivars are 'Duke', 'Bluecrop', 'Northland', and 'Bluegold' in the north production area, and 'O'Neal', 'Misty', 'Legacy', 'Brightwell', and 'Baldwin' in the south. Fresh fruit is harvested from mid-March to mid-September from the range of production regions and production systems. More than two-thirds of the fruit is used fresh in the Chinese domestic market where, as a healthy fruit, blueberry has become increasingly popular. The challenges and future development for blueberry production in China are also presented.