Marco R. Butera

Marco R. Butera is an international agronomic consultant and founder of Better Berries, a specialized advisory company focused on advanced berry production systems. With over 10 years of experience, he works with growers across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, providing technical guidance on cultivation, fertigation, and postharvest management to improve productivity, fruit quality, and shelf life.

Lecture topic: Control and precision in fertilization and irrigation = fruit quality

Blueberry quality cannot increase after harvest; it can only be preserved. Shelf life therefore functions like a chain in which every link must be strong—cultivar, harvest method, postharvest handling, plant nutrition, climatic conditions, irrigation, and pest management. Among these, plant mineral nutrition and fertigation are often underweighted, despite growing evidence that they shape fruit firmness, water relations, and physiology that govern storability. When neglected, this link can weaken the entire chain, limiting shelf life even when other practices are optimal.

This presentation synthesizes current research and field experience on targeted fertigation and fertilization strategies—including N, K, Ca management and irrigation regimes—that optimize nutrient uptake and fruit physiology to help maintain firmness and reduce postharvest water loss and decay risk. We also highlight cultivar- and context-specific responses and the variable efficacy reported for some interventions (e.g., preharvest Ca), clarifying when and why outcomes differ. Through this holistic, evidence-based approach, growers can improve the probability of delivering firmer fruit with better nutritional quality and longer marketable life, reinforcing the integrity of the shelf-life chain from field to consumer