ISHS Acta Horticulturae 564: IV International Symposium on Mineral Nutrition of Deciduous Fruit Crops
OPTIMIZING NUTRIENT DELIVERY IN VARIABLE SOILS FOR SUSTAINABLE HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION |
| Author: | D. McArthur |
| Keywords: | controlled-release, fertilizer, peat, phosphorus, aluminum, boron, Vaccinium corymbosum L. |
| Abstract:
Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plants are grown both in native peat soils, and also upland, mineral soils. In the latter, soil management is more problematic, and optimal growth is typically more difficult to obtain. In this study, a peat soil-amendment, different P fertilizer levels, and a temperature-responsive-controlled-release (TRCR) fertilizer (PolyonTM) were applied to a silt-loam soil to determine if the growth and yield of ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Brigitta’ and ‘Spartan’ could be managed more effectively. The addition of peat at the transplant stage in 1998 had a soil acidifying effect, and a substantial benefit on plant establishment and flowering in 1999 and 2000. Berry size and yield in 2000 also benefited. High P supply was associated with a lower soil pH, and marginally higher foliar Mg and Mn concentrations. TRCR fertilizer improved yield 15% over soluble, granular fertilizer in 2000; however, with ‘Brigitta’, ripening was delayed and this shifted the majority of the yield to the latter half of the harvest season. Plants with the soil peat-amendment had generally lower levels of nutrients likely due to a substantial growth promotion and "dilution effect". Plants grown with TRCR fertilizer had a significantly higher foliar B level, but marginally lower K and Zn levels. ‘Brigitta’ was observed to be more productive and as well more efficient at nutrient absorption and accumulation than ‘Bluecrop’. ‘Spartan’ generally performed poorly in this study. Foliar Al and Mn appeared to be only moderately high, and no direct evidence was found to suggest that either Al or Mn had an impact on plant productivity. However, a possible relation between higher foliar B and yield in response to TRCR fertilizer may indicate that Al was restricting B uptake and yield. | |
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