UNIVERSITY OF MAINE WILD BLUEBERRY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
Through the Advisory Committee, we have supported University of Maine research since 1945, and continue to do so through strategic investment and partnership.
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Scroll down to learn about the University of Maine research and Extension faculty who continually help us to improve wild blueberry production in Maine.
Dr. Jonathan Malacarne
Dr. Malacarne is an Agricultural Economist in the School of Economics. His work with wild blueberries focuses on helping growers, and the wild blueberry industry as a whole, better manage economic and environmental risk. This includes studying the roles of irrigation and insurance in managing drought risk, creating guidance for sustainable levels of capital investment, and providing information on agricultural markets and marketing strategies
Dr. Bashir Khoda
Dr. Bashir Khoda is an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maine, where he works closely with growers, Extension, and industry partners to advance science-based innovations for the wild blueberry industry. His research focuses on understanding the physics of mechanical harvesting and developing practical, low-cost technologies such as AI-assisted harvest guidance and sensing systems to reduce fruit loss and improve berry quality. Through field trials, modeling, and on-harvester testing, his work aims to translate fundamental research into actionable tools for farmers. A central goal of his research is to support precision agriculture, automation, and workforce training across Maine’s wild blueberry ecosystems.
Andrew Weston
Andrew is a Project Manager at the University of Maine's Advanced Manufacturing Center, supporting Maine manufacturers through engineering services and Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) work. He is a licensed Professional Engineer with expertise in refrigeration and automation.
Tyler Kirkmann
Tyler is Food & Ag Project Manager at the University of Maine's Advanced Manufacturing Center, with extensive experience in food systems, agricultural engineering, and innovation strategy. He also serves as Vice President of Poseidon Innovations, focusing on food and water tech solutions.
DR. DAVID YARBOROUGH
Dr. David Yarborough served as the wild blueberry specialist with the Cooperative Extension for over 3 decades and is now Professor Emeritus. Some of his key research includes studies on yield (1), (2), competition with weeds (3), soil pH management (4), (5), organic wild blueberry production (6), Maine wild blueberry systems (7),(8), Irrigation (9), economic thresholds (10), growing season effects, (11) and a pocket guide to IPM scouting (12).
DR. FRANCIS DRUMMOND
Dr. Drummond served as the wild blueberry entomologist for 30+ years and is now Professor Emeritus. Dr. Drummond has published over 200 research articles on topics including climate change (1), pollination (2),(3),(4),(5), integrated pest management (6),(7), (8), (9), and a variety of other topics (10),(11).