CARVER -- There's a new report out on cranberry farming in Massachusetts, and it's enough to make a graying industry see red.

The study by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth says the industry is at a crossroads and in need of new capital, new blood, and new vines to stay competitive.

Nora Ganim Barnes, the center's director, says new hybrid varieties have sharply increased yields. Introducing them to Massachusetts's older bogs, where some vines date to the time of the Pilgrims, would be costly, but for the approximately 500 growers in the state, the majority of them in this area, there may be no better move if they are to succeed or even survive.

Barnes recommends financial and technical assistance to help local growers improve bogs and better compete with the likes of Wisconsin, which surpassed Massachusetts 10 years ago as the nation's top cranberry producer.

Wisconsin growers harvest about 200 barrels of berries per acre, while the Massachusetts average is 100 barrels per acre, according to the Wareham-based Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, established in 1888 to standardize the measure in which cranberries are sold. The group is one of the country's oldest farmers' organizations.

''It is time to reexamine the state of the industry in Massachusetts and find a way to innovate," Barnes says in the center's report. ''The Massachusetts cranberry industry is at a crossroads."

Wisconsin had record cranberry production in 2005, with 3.67 million barrels, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Massachusetts produced 1.7 million barrels, a 6 percent drop from 2004.

The UMass study randomly selected 205 growers, interviewing them by telephone in November 2005. About half of the growers said they would consider renovating their bogs due to poor yield. Most responded favorably to the possibility of securing low- or no-interest loans for various improvements.

The report shows a hearty group of growers and highlights several promising trends, such as increased cranberry exports and new byproducts from the fruit, and research showing that cranberries are rich in antioxidants and other nutrients that might help protect against heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

But stark realities also emerge from the survey. Forty-two of the growers interviewed said they plan to sell or transfer their farm in the next five years. Ten percent of these said they would consider development of their land instead of continued cranberry growing.

The average cranberry grower is 56 years old and has farmed 25 years. Fifty-four growers said they were 65 or older. Four said they were between the ages of 21 and 35. The survey found that 15 percent have farmed fewer than 10 years, while more than 30 percent have farmed 32 years or longer.

It's a worrying demographic picture to some, including the growers. Not only do they need new vines and infusion of new capital, they know they also need newcomers to replenish their graying ranks.

''We're all old, but pretty much committed to staying in the business," said Jack Angley, 66, owner and operator of Flax Pond Cranberry Co. in Carver, with 40 years in the business. ''These families [of longtime growers] will be forced to reckon with that."

John Decas, president and chief executive officer of Wareham-based Decas Cranberry Products Inc., the world's largest independently owned cranberry ingredient company, said he sees fewer young people in the business with each passing year. ''No young person is going to choose cranberry as a career unless they see a future," he said.

Decas remains optimistic about the industry's future, but said it must take whatever steps necessary to ensure that it gets new blood and that growers can realize market opportunities.

There are two groups of growers in Massachusetts, according to Barnes. Some are independent farmers, but many are part of Ocean Spray, an agricultural cooperative -- a handler and processor -- owned by growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, a handful of smaller cranberry-producing states, and parts of Canada. The cooperative also includes more than 100 Florida grapefruit growers.

Barnes recommends creating a mentor network and lease-to-buy options to help young farmers entering the field. A quarter of the growers surveyed for the UMass study said their child or children would take over their farm. Others said they would have someone else take over, but nearly 50 percent said they did not know who it would be. Fourteen percent did not respond to the question.

Jeffrey LaFleur, executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, said a few younger people are responding to the industry calling, for family reasons and the lifestyle. He said there are also grants to help farmers diversify their crops.

Most growers run family-owned farms; 42 percent said they also work off the farm to supplement their income.

Some growers in the area have turned to other crops, such as ornamental plants, or raising fish. Jack Angley and his wife, Dot, grow Christmas trees to supplement the revenue from their farm. They also took a stab at agro-tourism about five years ago, using their turn-of-the-century screening house, where berries are sorted, as an exhibit. The Angleys still run bog tours.

The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association is looking into opening a cranberry visitors center in the Plymouth-Carver area as another tourism and education attraction. Barnes suggested the center could be modeled after the old Ocean Spray ''Cranberry World" exhibit. A venue with a working bog, kitchen, gift store, and interactive exhibits could draw large numbers of visitors, she said.

Information booths along the Massachusetts Turnpike already contain leaflets promoting and celebrating the cranberry industry.

The state's 500 or so growers employ 5,500, and their crop along with other products and services related to the industry contribute more than $200 million in payroll to Massachusetts workers, according to the UMass study. About 70 percent of the growers are small family farms with less than 20 acres of bog.

The study also charts a precipitous drop in prices: The average Massachusetts price per barrel was in the low $70s in 1997, but plummeted to about $15 just after 2000; the average today is about $35.

Many who make their living from the crop believe economic forces beyond their control will continue to force consolidation of farms. Barnes, though, said the number of growers has remained steady in recent years, despite the poll finding that some plan to sell within five years.

''We have very serious, committed growers," she said. ''There's no exodus, as hard as this life is."

Barnes said the farmers, true to their resilient nature, are willing to ride out the tough times. She said that some Massachusetts growers, handlers, and processors are enjoying success today, and that the general mood among them is ''cautiously optimistic."

The UMass report pinpoints some promising trends, such as record cranberry exports, studies showing health benefits of cranberries, and the use of cranberry ingredients in a variety of products from cosmetics to pet foods because the byproducts are so rich in nutrients.

Barnes said Ocean Spray, with its brand name recognition, and others are seeing expanded markets on the international front with traditional products such as juices, jellies, and sauces.

The growers are also adapting to thrive. For example, Decas Cranberry, which has a plant in Carver, late last year introduced a new product of Omega-3 fortified sweetened dried cranberries, hoping to capitalize on the ever-increasing demand for health foods. Interest in the product so far has been strong, notably in the European market, said Decas.

He said his company is talking with candy companies interested in increasing the health benefits of traditional sweets. ''The industry has been repositioning itself," he said. ''It isn't just juice and sauce anymore. It can't be."

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