These resources provide information about the benefits and use of reflective tarps to help maintain the quality of harvested blueberries during periods of high temperatures. The Reflective Tarps Maintain Fruit Quality fact sheet outlines the benefits of using reflective tarps and includes results from a demonstration project with blueberry growers in the Fraser Valley during the 2020 growing season. Tarp use reduced berry weight loss, and the fact sheet shows how to estimate return on investment for tarp use for fresh berries. The How to Use Reflective Tarps and Slip-on Covers fact sheet provides guidance on how to use reflective tarps to protect harvested fruit, including during picking and transport, and includes food safety compliance information. The report provides details about demonstrations of reflective tarp use with 25+ growers in the Fraser Valley, with information about usage scenarios that were tested, including:
- Hand lugs during hand picking
- Stacks of hand lugs in fields or grower yards
- At a direct sales stand
- On a machine harvester during picking
- On a truck or trailer during transport
Resources & Downloads:
Project Report – Managing Extreme Heat with Reflective Tarps in the Blueberry Industry – 2021
Fact Sheet 1 – Reflective Tarps Maintain Fruit Quality – 2021
Fact Sheet 2 – How To Use Reflective Tarps and Slip-On Covers – 2021
Presentation by ACARN: Innovation in berry production for climate change adaptation – YouTube
