While optical sorting and packing technology can ensure fruit quality post-harvest, quality measurements like brix, soluble solids, firmness and color are oftentimes pre-determined in a plant’s genetics. This session will involve a discussion about blueberry genetics, the future of breeding programs (both private and public) and how this influences the application of technologies and the consumer experience - or is it vice versa? How is the consumer experience driving change in genetics and breeding programs as well as the technologies we require?