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

Latest Resources:
- Agro-Thermal Heat Treatment of Grapevines in the Okanagan ValleyBrynn Hughes2022-03-23T08:33:45-07:00
Agro-Thermal Heat Treatment of Grapevines in the Okanagan Valley
- Reflective Tarps to Maintain Blueberry QualityBrynn Hughes2022-04-08T13:58:02-07:00
Reflective Tarps to Maintain Blueberry Quality
- Wildfire Preparedness for ProducersBrynn Hughes2022-04-08T13:28:03-07:00
Wildfire Preparedness for Producers
- Pest and Pollinator Assessment on Vancouver IslandBrynn Hughes2022-04-08T13:27:50-07:00
Pest and Pollinator Assessment on Vancouver Island
- Provincial Weather Monitoring NetworkBrynn Hughes2022-04-08T13:27:45-07:00
Provincial Weather Monitoring Network
- Wine Grape Phenology in the OkanaganBrynn Hughes2022-03-03T12:31:19-08:00
Wine Grape Phenology in the Okanagan
- Extending the Greenhouse Growing Season in the CaribooBrynn Hughes2022-03-03T12:41:29-08:00
Extending the Greenhouse Growing Season in the Cariboo
- Research Template: Use Mulches to Reduce Water Use with On-Farm ResearchBrynn Hughes2022-03-22T10:43:42-07:00
Research Template: Use Mulches to Reduce Water Use with On-Farm Research
- Research Template: Improve Water Infiltration, Soil Health With On-Farm ResearchBrynn Hughes2022-03-22T10:44:44-07:00
Research Template: Improve Water Infiltration, Soil Health With On-Farm Research