With $1 million in support from the Weston Family Foundation as part of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, an interdisciplinary team of Simon Fraser University (SFU) researchers led by SFU Biological Sciences professor Jim Mattsson, is working to develop new plant varieties and precision indoor growing techniques for producing fresh, local blueberries during the off-season.

Canada imports nearly half a billion dollars of blueberries each year from countries such as Mexico and Peru. These berries have a higher carbon footprint than local berries and are typically four to five weeks old by the time they reach Canadian grocery stores. Mattsson’s team is exploring how biotechnology, advanced physiological methods and precision indoor growing techniques will help maximize plant productivity while minimizing GHGs, fertilizer use, water and energy consumption. Read the full story

Sprouted blueberry seeds. Photo: Erin Brown-John/SFU