On 27 October 2026 in Magenta, the University of Milano-Bicocca’s Living Lab Lombardia will host a discussion on blueberry pollination and crop management. Speakers will include Lisa Wasko DeVetter of Washington State University, Marco R. Butera and the Butterfly and ProPollSoil project team. Admission is free and open to everyone.
What role does pollination play in blueberry production, and what decisions can growers make to manage it? These questions will be central to “The Future of Orchards – Perspectives on Pollination and Management”, taking place on Tuesday 27 October 2026, from 18:00 to 19:30, at the “La Fagiana” park centre in Ponte Vecchio, Magenta, in the province of Milan.
The event is organised by the University of Milano-Bicocca’s Living Lab Lombardia within the Butterfly and ProPollSoil projects. According to the organisers’ communication, participation is open to everyone, including growers who are not already part of the Living Lab network. Registration is recommended but is not compulsory.
Connecting research with growers’ questions
The speakers include Lisa Wasko DeVetter, a faculty member and researcher in berry horticulture at Washington State University’s Northwest Washington Research and Extension Center. Her research and extension programme covers productivity, fruit quality and farm efficiency, with attention to the natural resources that support production. Her profile is available on the Washington State University website.
The event will take place in a small room, with a format designed for direct discussion with growers. The stated aim is to encourage dialogue between researchers and farms, extending the discussion beyond the network already involved in the Living Lab.
DeVetter leads a blueberry pollination project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), involving Washington State University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, the University of Florida and Ghent University.
Blueberry pollination and heat during flowering
According to the programme outlined by the organisers, DeVetter will discuss blueberry pollination and the effects of heat during flowering, presenting findings from field trials conducted by her research group.
The University of Milano-Bicocca team will present the first findings from surveys of pollinating insects carried out in Lombardy in 2026. These activities also included blueberry plantings.
Marco R. Butera, an agronomic consultant with BetterBerries, will address blueberry crop management, focusing on farm decisions before and during flowering and their relationship with fruit set, berry size and harvest timing. Butera told Italian Berry that "blueberry pollination is almost always taken for granted, as though it were a weather condition, yet it determines fruit set, berry size and even how many days earlier the crop can be harvested, and growers have far more practical tools at their disposal in this area than they realise."
An open discussion with participants is planned at the end.
How to attend the event on 27 October
- Event: “The Future of Orchards – Perspectives on Pollination and Management”.
- Date and time: Tuesday 27 October 2026, from 18:00 to 19:30.
- Venue: “La Fagiana” park centre, Ponte Vecchio, Magenta, province of Milan. Directions to the venue.
- Parking: Cascina Bullona. Directions to the car park.
- Organisers: Living Lab Lombardia, University of Milano-Bicocca, Butterfly and ProPollSoil projects.
- Speakers: Lisa Wasko DeVetter (Washington State University), Marco R. Butera (BetterBerries), Butterfly and ProPollSoil team.
- Admission: free and open to everyone; registration is recommended but is not compulsory.
Participants can complete the registration form. For information, contact paolo.biella@unimib.it or giulia.brambilla@unimib.it.
Event flyer
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