The influence of weeds on cranberry yield and quality is not well known and cannot be extrapolated from other cropping systems given the unique nature of both cranberry production and the weed species spectrum. The work presented here addresses this need with four common weed species across multiple production seasons and systems in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New Jersey: Carolina redroot, earth loosestrife, bristly dewberry, and polytrichum moss. The objectives were to use these representative species to quantify the impact of weed density, groundcover, and biomass on several cranberry yield components and related interactions with other cranberry pests, and to determine whether these relationships were consistent enough across seasons to be reliably used in weed management decision-making. The relationships between Carolina redroot and bristly dewberry growth measures and marketable cranberry yield were highly significant (P ≤ 0.001 in 12 of 13 regressions) and consistent across growing seasons, but not significant for similar regressions with earth loosestrife. In particular, the strong relationship between Carolina redroot and bristly dewberry visual groundcover observations and cranberry yield suggests a simple way for growers and crop scouts to reliably estimate yield loss. The relationship between polytrichum moss biomass and cranberry yield was also significant in both years, but not consistent between years. Weed competition also affected cranberry quality, in that Carolina redroot density was strongly related to the percentage of insect-damaged fruit and bristly dewberry growth reduced cranberry color development. On a practical level, this information can be used to educate growers, consultants, agrichemical registrants, and regulators about the impacts of weeds on cranberry yield and quality, and to economically prioritize management efforts based on the weed species and extent of infestation.

Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections. Cranberry has been suggested for H. pylori eradication. We aimed to conduct the first meta-analysis to summarise current evidence on effects of cranberry supplementation on H. pylori eradication in H. pylori positive subjects. We searched the online databases up to December 2020. Four randomised clinical trials (RCT) were included with human subjects, investigating the effect of cranberry on H. pylori eradication. The pooled results were expressed as the OR with 95 % CI. Based on five effect sizes with a total sample size of 1935 individuals, we found that according to the OR, there was a positive effect of cranberry supplementation on H. pylori eradication, increasing the chance of H. pylori eradication by 1·27 times, but this relationship was not statistically significant (overall OR: 1·27; 95 % CI 0·63, 2·58). The results also indicated the moderate between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 63·40 %; P = 0·03) of the studies. However, there were no significant differences in some subgroup analyses in the duration of treatment, the duration of follow-up and the Jadad score. Our findings revealed that although cranberry had a positive effect on H. pylori eradication in adults, this effect was not statistically significant. Due to the small number of included studies and moderate heterogeneities, the potential of cranberry supplementation on H. pylori eradication should be validated in large, multicentre and well-designed RCT in the future.

The recent registration of sulfentrazone, a selective, soil-applied, PRE herbicide labeled for control of various weeds in cranberry, expanded the number of modes of action that could be used in the crop. A 2018 preliminary study in Massachusetts showed that high rates of sulfentrazone applied at the cabbage head stage reduced the number of flowering uprights (vertical stems) without impacting the final yield. To clarify the use patterns needed to promote crop safety when using sulfentrazone, six studies were conducted in New Jersey and Massachusetts in 2019 and 2020. Studies compared sulfentrazone applications made at two timings (spring dormant, SD; or cabbage head [CH] stage), two rates (280 and 420 g ai ha−1), and three application volumes simulating either chemigation (3,740 L ha−1) or boom application (190 L ha−1 alone or followed by 0.25 cm water wash-off). Boom application studies in New Jersey in 2018 and 2019 did not show significant long-lasting injury (necrosis or stunting). However, a comprehensive observation of cranberry uprights 8 wk after treatment showed a high rate of terminal bud necrosis, a reduction in the number of reproductive structures, and the development of axillary shoots associated with a high rate of sulfentrazone applied at CH. A mitigation study conducted in 2019 and 2020 confirmed the safety of chemigated sulfentrazone at the high rate with no yield reduction, regardless of crop stage at application. Washing off the herbicide from the cranberry canopy immediately after boom application did prevent the necrosis of terminal bud and the related development of nonproductive secondary shoots. Considering the results of this study, application of sulfentrazone over the top of cranberry vine before scales of the terminal bud start loosening would be prudent practice at this time.

Applying control measures when carbohydrate levels are low can decrease the likelihood of plant survival, but little is known about the carbohydrate cycles of dewberry (Rubus spp.), a problematic weed group on cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) farms. Weedy Rubus plants were collected from areas adjacent to production beds on commercial cranberry farms in Massachusetts, two locations per year for 2 yr. For each site and year, four entire plants were collected at five phenological stages: budbreak, full leaf expansion, flowering, fruit maturity, and after onset of dormancy. Root sections were analyzed for total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC; starch, sucrose, fructose, and glucose). Overall trends for all sites and years showed TNC were lowest at full leaf expansion or flowering; when sampled at dormancy, TNC concentrations were greater than or equal to those measured at budbreak. Starch, a carbohydrate form associated with long-term storage, had low levels at budbreak, leaf expansion, and/or flowering with a significant increase at fruit maturity and the onset of dormancy, ending at levels higher than those found at budbreak. The concentration of soluble sugars, carbohydrate forms readily usable by plants, was highest at budbreak compared with the other four phenological samplings. Overall, our findings supported the hypothesis that TNC levels within the roots of weedy Rubus plants can be predicted based on different phenological growth stages in Massachusetts. However, recommendations for timing management practices cannot be based on TNC cycles alone; other factors such as temporal proximity to dormancy may also impact Rubus plants recovery, and further research is warranted. Late-season damage should allow less time for plants to replenish carbohydrate reserves (before the onset of dormancy), thereby likely enhancing the effectiveness of weed management tactics over time. Future studies should consider tracking the relationship between environmental conditions, phenological stages, and carbohydrate trends.

Lipid metabolism and inflammation contribute to CVD development. This study investigated whether the consumption of cranberries (CR; Vaccinium macrocarpon) can alter HDL metabolism and prevent inflammation in mice expressing human apo A-I transgene (hApoAITg), which have similar HDL profiles to those of humans. Male hApoAITg mice were fed a modified American Institute of Nutrition-93M high-fat/high-cholesterol diet (16 % fat, 0·25 % cholesterol, w/w; n 15) or the high-fat/high-cholesterol diet containing CR (5 % dried CR powder, w/w, n 16) for 8 weeks. There were no significant differences in body weight between the groups. Serum total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations were significantly lower in the control than CR group with no significant differences in serum HDL-cholesterol and apoA-I. Mice fed CR showed significantly lower serum lecithin–cholesterol acyltransferase activity than the control. Liver weight and steatosis were not significantly different between the groups, but hepatic expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism was significantly lower in the CR group. In the epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), the CR group showed higher weights with decreased expression of genes for lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. The mRNA abundance of F4/80, a macrophage marker and the numbers of crown-like structures were less in the CR group. In the soleus muscle, the CR group also demonstrated higher expression of genes for fatty acid β-oxidation and mitochondrial biogenesis than those of the control. In conclusion, although CR consumption elicited minor effects on HDL metabolism, it prevented obesity-induced inflammation in eWAT with concomitant alterations in soleus muscle energy metabolism.

The interactive effects of nitrogen rate (0, 28, 56, and 112 kg/ha), vine density (0, 1.8, 3.6, and 5.4 t/ha of the cultivar ‘Stevens’), and weed management (preemergence herbicide, postemergence control, inoculation with weed seeds, and untreated) were determined on the recolonization of open spaces caused by localized biomass removal in a newly planted commercial cranberry bed. To assess the effect of the 64 treatment combinations on initial colonization, all cranberry and weed biomass was removed from a randomly selected 930-cm2 area in each plot in Year 1. To quantify recolonization of the disturbed area, the same quadrat was resampled and all plant biomass was collected in Year 2. Cranberry biomass production in the disturbed area increased in a quadratic fashion with increasing N rates for all vine densities except zero. Cranberry biomass in the year after disturbance was positively correlated with cranberry biomass present in the previous year. Weed stem biomass in the year after disturbance was positively correlated with weed stem biomass from Year 1 and negatively correlated with percentage cranberry biomass from Year 1 and Year 2. Less than one-third of the treatment combinations recovered enough to produce at least 200 g/m2 1 yr postdisturbance (a reasonable expectation of biomass production). Growers who have low weed pressure and extensive cranberry cover on their farms can expect that disturbed areas will be recolonized by cranberry vines when they utilize adequate, but not excessive, nitrogen regimes.

Sand stockpiles, located near commercial cranberry beds in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, and Wisconsin, were sampled quarterly over a 2-yr period. Samples were collected from the surface and the interior of the piles. Utilizing a simple greenhouse germination bioassay, 74 plant species representing 23 plant families were identified across all locations and samples. Plant density varied by region and by sampling depth; species richness varied by region only. More seedlings germinated from samples taken from the surface of the stockpile compared with interior samples. Almost half of all species detected in either surface or interior samples were represented by only one seedling. Fifty-nine percent of the plant species from Massachusetts and New Jersey samples, and 79% and 96% of the plant species from Wisconsin and Washington, respectively, were considered to be weeds in cranberry production. Only one-third of the identified species had wind-blown seeds; seed dispersal was by other mechanisms in almost half of the species. This survey documented the weed management implications of spreading stockpiled sand on cranberry bogs for horticultural or pest management purposes. To minimize the introduction of additional weed problems, growers and integrated pest management consultants should evaluate the seedbank potential of a stockpile prior to application of the sand to the production area.

Elevated circulating concentrations of oxidized LDL (OxLDL) and cell adhesion molecules are considered to be relevant markers of oxidative stress and endothelial activation which are implicated in the development of CVD. On the other hand, it has been suggested that dietary flavonoid consumption may be cardioprotective through possible favourable impacts on LDL particle oxidation and endothelial activation. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of the daily consumption of low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail on plasma OxLDL, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin concentrations in men. Thirty men (mean age 51 (sd 10) years) were recruited and asked to consume increasing daily doses of cranberry juice cocktail (125, 250 and 500 ml/d) over three successive periods of 4 weeks. Plasma OxLDL and adhesion molecule concentrations were measured by ELISA before and after each phase. We noted a significant decrease in plasma OxLDL concentrations following the intervention (P < 0·0001). We also found that plasma ICAM-1 (P < 0·0001) and VCAM-1 (P < 0·05) concentrations decreased significantly during the course of the study. In summary, the present results show that daily cranberry juice cocktail consumption is associated with decreases in plasma OxLDL, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations in men.

A low HDL-cholesterol concentration is an independent risk factor for CVD. Studies have suggested that flavonoid consumption may be cardioprotective, and a favourable impact on circulating HDL-cholesterol concentrations has been suggested to partially explain this association. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of consuming increasing daily doses of low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail (CJC) on the plasma lipid profile of abdominally obese men. For that purpose, thirty men (mean age 51 (SD 10) years) consumed increasing doses of CJC during three successive periods of 4 weeks (125ml/d, 250ml/d, 500ml/d). Before the study and after each phase, we measured changes in physical and metabolic variables. We noted a significant increase in plasma HDL-cholesterol concentration after the consumption of 250ml CJC/d (+8·6±14·0% v. 0ml CJC/d; P<0·01), an effect that plateaued during the last phase of the study (500ml CJC/d: +8·1±10·0% v. 0ml CJC/d; P<0·0001). Multivariate analyses revealed that changes in plasma apo A-I (IR2=48%, P<0·0001) and triacylglycerol (R2=16%, P<0·005) concentrations were the only variables significantly contributing to the variation in plasma HDL-cholesterol concentration noted in response to the intervention. No variation was observed in total as well as in LDL and VLDL cholesterol. The present results show that daily CJC consumption is associated with an increase in plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in abdominally obese men. We hypothesise that polyphenolic compounds from cranberries may be responsible for this effect, supporting the notion that the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods can be cardioprotective.

A traditional flooding practice showed promise for reducing pesticide use in Massachusetts cranberry beds. The 4-week long spring flood, termed “late water,” checked pressure of two of the most prevalent and severe management problems, cranberry fruitworm (CFW) and fungal finit rots (CFR). Fruit rot generally was equal or lower and infestation of fruitworm was consistently lower at the late water beds compared with unflooded beds, even though no fungicides were used for CFR control (standard practice is two or three applications per season) and insecticide applications for CFW were cut by almost 70%. Although there were no significant reductions in yield in two of the years studied, a significant decline (about 25%) occurred on late water beds in one year for unknown reasons.