scholarly journals Grow Tubes Reduce Root and Crown Growth but Not Early Production during Establishment of Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-588
Author(s):  
Bernadine C. Strik ◽  
Gil Buller ◽  
Julie M. Tarara
Keyword(s):  
Sun Exposure ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Wire Mesh ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Plastic Tube ◽  
Tube Removal ◽  
Opaque Plastic

Grow tubes are sometimes used in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) to establish plantings or replace dead plants in older fields. Two experiments were conducted at a commercial farm to evaluate the effect of various grow tubes used during planting establishment of highbush blueberry cultivars. The treatments in the first experiment were cultivar (‘Aurora’, ‘Elliott’, ‘Liberty’) and grow tube treatment (no tube, control; opaque cardboard tube in the first growing season; and opaque plastic tube in the first season or first through the second season). The treatments in the second experiment were cultivar (‘Aurora’, ‘Elliott’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Ozarkblue’) and grow tube treatment (control; translucent plastic; opaque plastic; and wire mesh tube over plants in the first growing season). The presence of a grow tube from spring to fall of the first growing season decreased crown dry weight (DW) by an average of 37% to 50% and root DW by 30% (all except translucent plastic in Expt. 2) and increased the aboveground:belowground DW ratio relative to the control by an average of 34% to 67%, depending on the experiment. Plants grown in tubes were taller, had a narrower canopy, and had fewer whips, likely a response to low light levels inside the tubes; the fewest whips were found in the opaque plastic or cardboard tubes and the most in the translucent plastic tube with an intermediate response in the wire mesh tube. Removal of grow tubes during the summer led to plant damage from sudden sun exposure. The opaque grow tubes (present in Year 1) reduced yield/plant in Year 2 for ‘Elliott’ and ‘Liberty’ (cardboard tube only) but not ‘Aurora’. Pruning plants to allow for limited early fruit production (≈0.6 kg/plant) in Year 2 did not reduce yield in Year 3 (≈2.7 kg/plant). Whereas grow tubes reduced root and crown growth in the first season, there appeared to be no longer-term adverse effect on aboveground plant growth or yield.

scholarly journals Response of Highbush Blueberry to Nitrogen Fertilizer during Field Establishment—II. Plant Nutrient Requirements in Relation to Nitrogen Fertilizer Supply

HortScience ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 917-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Bryla ◽  
Bernadine C. Strik ◽  
M. Pilar Bañados ◽  
Timothy L. Righetti
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
N Fertilizer ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Nutrient Analysis ◽  
Zn Content ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Fruit Harvest

A study was done to determine the macro- and micronutrient requirements of young northern highbush blueberry plants (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Bluecrop’) during the first 2 years of establishment and to examine how these requirements were affected by the amount of nitrogen (N) fertilizer applied. The plants were spaced 1.2 × 3.0 m apart and fertilized with 0, 50, or 100 kg·ha−1 of N, 35 kg·ha−1 of phosphorus (P), and 66 kg·ha−1 of potassium (K) each spring. A light fruit crop was harvested during the second year after planting. Plants were excavated and parts sampled for complete nutrient analysis at six key stages of development, from leaf budbreak after planting to fruit harvest the next year. The concentration of several nutrients in the leaves, including N, P, calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and manganese (Mn), increased with N fertilizer application, whereas leaf boron (B) concentration decreased. In most cases, the concentration of nutrients was within or above the range considered normal for mature blueberry plants, although leaf N was below normal in plants grown without fertilizer in Year 1, and leaf B was below normal in plants fertilized with 50 or 100 kg·ha−1 N in Year 2. Plants fertilized with 50 kg·ha−1 N were largest, producing 22% to 32% more dry weight (DW) the first season and 78% to 90% more DW the second season than unfertilized plants or plants fertilized with 100 kg·ha−1 N. Most DW accumulated in new shoots, leaves, and roots in both years as well as in fruit the second year. New shoot and leaf DW was much greater each year when plants were fertilized with 50 or 100 kg·ha−1 N, whereas root DW was only greater at fruit harvest and only when 50 kg·ha−1 N was applied. Application of 50 kg·ha−1 N also increased DW of woody stems by fruit harvest, but neither 50 nor 100 kg·ha−1 N had a significant effect on crown, flower, or fruit DW. Depending on treatment, plants lost 16% to 29% of total biomass at leaf abscission, 3% to 16% when pruned in winter, and 13% to 32% at fruit harvest. The content of most nutrients in the plant followed the same patterns of accumulation and loss as plant DW. However, unlike DW, magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) content in new shoots and leaves was similar among N treatments the first year, and N fertilizer increased N and S content in woody stems much earlier than it increased biomass of the stems. Likewise, N, P, S, and Zn content in the crown were greater at times when N fertilizer was applied, whereas K and Ca content were sometimes lower. Overall, plants fertilized with 50 kg·ha−1 N produced the most growth and, from planting to first fruit harvest, required 34.8 kg·ha−1 N, 2.3 kg·ha−1 P, 12.5 kg·ha−1 K, 8.4 kg·ha−1 Ca, 3.8 kg·ha−1 Mg, 5.9 kg·ha−1 S, 295 g·ha−1 Fe, 40 g·ha−1 B, 23 g·ha−1 copper (Cu), 1273 g·ha−1 Mn, and 65 g·ha−1 Zn. Thus, of the total amount of fertilizer applied over 2 years, only 21% of the N, 3% of the P, and 9% of the K were used by plants during establishment.

scholarly journals Compost Feedstock and Compost Acidification Affect Growth and Mineral Nutrition in Northern Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1067-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan C. Costello ◽  
Dan M. Sullivan ◽  
David R. Bryla ◽  
Bernadine C. Strik ◽  
James S. Owen
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Mineral Nutrition ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Total N ◽  
Shoot Dry Weight ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry

New markets for organic northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) have stimulated interest in using composts specifically tailored to the plant’s edaphic requirements. Because composts are typically neutral to alkaline in pH (pH 7 to 8), and blueberry requires acidic soil (pH 4.2 to 5.5), we investigated elemental sulfur (S0) addition as a methodology for reducing compost pH. The objectives were to 1) characterize initial compost chemistry, including the pH buffering capacity of compost (acidity required to reduce pH to 5.0), 2) measure changes in compost chemistry accompanying acidification, and 3) evaluate plant growth and mineral nutrition of blueberry in soil amended with an untreated or acidified compost. Ten composts prepared from diverse feedstocks were obtained from municipalities and farms. Addition of finely ground S0 reduced compost pH from 7.2 to 5.3, on average, after 70 d at 22 °C, and increased the solubility of nutrients, including K (from 22 to 36 mmol(+)/L), Ca (from 5 to 19 mmol(+)/L), Mg (from 5 to 20 mmol(+)/L), and Na (from 6 to 9 mmol(+)/L). Sulfate-S, a product of S0 oxidation, also increased from 5 to 45 mmol(−)/L. The composts were incorporated into soil at a high rate (30% v/v) in a greenhouse trial to evaluate their suitability for use in blueberry production. Shoot and root growth were strongly affected by compost chemical characteristics, including pH and electrical conductivity (EC). Potassium in compost was highly variable (2–32 g·kg−1). Concentration of K in the leaves increased positively in response to compost K, whereas shoot dry weight and root growth declined. Leaf Mg also declined in response to compost K, suggesting that elevated K concentrations in compost may cause Mg deficiency. Composts with the highest K were also high in total N, pH, and EC. Compost acidification to pH ≤ 6 improved growth and increased leaf Mg concentration. On the basis of these results, composts derived from animal manures or young plant tissues (e.g., green leaves) appear to be unsuitable for high-rate applications to blueberry because they usually require high amounts of S0 for acidification and are often high in EC and K, whereas those derived from woody materials, such as local yard debris, appear promising based on their C:N ratio, compost acidification requirement, and EC.

scholarly journals Flower Bud Density Affects Vegetative and Fruit Development in Field-grown Southern Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.E. Maust ◽  
J.G. Williamson ◽  
R.L. Darnell
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Fruit Development ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Flower Buds ◽  
Flower Bud ◽  
Southern Highbush

Floral budbreak and fruit set in many southern highbush blueberry (SHB) cultivars (hybrids of Vaccinium corymbosum L. with other species of Vaccinium) begin prior to vegetative budbreak. Experiments were conducted with two SHB cultivars, `Misty' and `Sharpblue', to test the hypothesis that initial flower bud density (flower buds/m cane length) affects vegetative budbreak and shoot development, which in turn affect fruit development. Flower bud density of field-grown plants was adjusted in two nonconsecutive years by removing none, one-third, or two-thirds of the flower buds during dormancy. Vegetative budbreak, new shoot dry weight, leaf area, and leaf area: fruit ratios decreased with increasing flower bud density in both cultivars. Average fruit fresh weight and fruit soluble solids decreased in both cultivars, and fruit ripening was delayed in `Misty' as leaf area: fruit ratios decreased. This study indicates that because of the inverse relationship between flower bud density and canopy establishment, decreasing the density of flower buds in SHB will increase fruit size and quality and hasten ripening.

Assessing Organic Nitrogen Acquisition of Ericoid Mycorrhizae in Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) Plants by Using an 15N Tracer

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 467e-467
Author(s):  
Wei Qiang Yang ◽  
Barbara L. Goulart ◽  
K. Demchak
Keyword(s):  
Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
15N Tracer ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Canopy Volume

The ability of mycorrhizal highbush blueberry plants to acquire soil organic nitrogen under different organic amendment regimes was investigated in a field experiment by using an 15N tracer. Plants inoculated with an ericoid mycorrhizal isolate from the genus Oidiodendron had lower leaf 15N enrichment than uninoculated plants, indicating mycorrhizal (M) plants absorbed more unlabeled soil nitrogen than nonmycorrhizal (NM) plants. The unlabeled nitrogen was presumably from soil organic N sources which might be less available to NM plants. M plants produced more plant dry weight and larger canopy volume, presumably as a result of improved N acquisition ability. In the study, the effect of pre-plant organic amendments on the growth of highbush blueberry plants was clearly demonstrated. The forest litter amendment produced higher dry mass than either the rotted sawdust amendment or no amendment. The rotted sawdust amendment produced the smallest plants. These results suggested that organic amendments with different C:N ratios might have affected soil N availability by affecting the N mineralization process. The implication of these findings in the production of highbush blueberry in mineral soils will be discussed.

scholarly journals Cultivar and seasonal variation in bioactive compounds of highbush blueberry fruits (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Łata ◽  
Marzena Wińska-Krysiak
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Chlorogenic Acid ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Seasonal Effect ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Glutathione System ◽  
Huge Impact

Abstract Seasonal and cultivar variations of the phenolic, thiol, and ascorbate compound contents as well as the antioxidative enzyme activity in six cultivars of highbush blueberry were investigated. Berries of the ‘Earlyblue’, ‘Patriot’, ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Duke’, ‘Darrow’ and ‘Lateblue’ cultivars were sampled in 2005 and 2006. Chlorogenic acid, (-)-epicatechins, and ascorbate contents and CAT activity were found to be at the lowest degree affected by growing season conditions. ‘Seasonal effect’ had, however, a huge impact on the GR activity, as well as L-cysteine and glutathione content, suggesting that the glutathione system was highly influenced through growing factors in blueberry fruit. Berries of ‘Earlyblue’ were the richest source of antioxidants, at the same time revealing their quite stable quantity over the examined years. The second highest in bioactive stability was ‘Duke’, classified as medium with respect to antioxidant content.

scholarly journals Implications of Irrigation Method and Amount of Water Application on Phytophthora and Pythium Infection and Severity of Root Rot in Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1463-1467 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Bryla ◽  
Robert G. Linderman
Keyword(s):  
Root Rot ◽  
Phytophthora Cinnamomi ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Water Application ◽  
Irrigation Method ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry

A 2-year study was done in Oregon to determine the effects of irrigation method and level of water application on the development of root rot in northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Duke’). Plants were grown on mulched, raised beds and irrigated by overhead sprinklers, microsprays, or drip at 50%, 100%, and 150% of the estimated crop evapotranspiration requirement. Soil at the site was a silty clay loam. By the end of the first season, plants were largest with drip, intermediate-sized with microsprays and smallest with sprinklers; however, this was not the case the next season. By the end of year 2, plants irrigated by drip had less canopy cover, fewer new canes, lower pruning weights, and only half the shoot and root dry weight as plants irrigated by sprinklers or microsprays. Destructive sampling revealed that the field was infested by root rot. Less growth with drip was association with higher levels of infection by the root pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi. Phytophthora infection increased with water application, regardless of irrigation method, but averaged 14% with drip and only 7% with sprinklers and microsprays. Roots were also infected by Pythium spp. Pythium infection likewise increased with the total amount of water applied but, unlike P. cinnamomi, was similar among irrigation methods. Overall, drip irrigation maintained higher soil water content near the base of the plants than sprinklers and microsprays, resulting in conditions more favorable to root rot. Sprinklers and microsprays may be better alternatives than drip at sites prone to problems with the disease.

scholarly journals Ion-specific Limitations of Sodium Chloride and Calcium Chloride on Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Mycorrhizal Colonization in Northern and Southern Highbush Blueberry

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
David R. Bryla ◽  
Carolyn F. Scagel ◽  
Scott B. Lukas ◽  
Dan M. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Leaf Damage ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Salinity Treatment ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Total Dry Weight ◽  
Southern Highbush

Excess salinity is becoming a prevalent problem for production of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium L. section Cyanococcus Gray), but information on how and when it affects the plants is needed. Two experiments, including one on the northern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivar, Bluecrop, and another on the southern highbush (V. corymbosum interspecific hybrid) cultivar, Springhigh, were conducted to investigate their response to salinity and assess whether any suppression in growth was ion specific or due primarily to osmotic stress. In both cases, the plants were grown in soilless media (calcined clay) and fertigated using a complete nutrient solution containing four levels of salinity [none (control), low (0.7–1.3 mmol·d−1), medium (1.4–3.4 mmol·d−1), and high (2.8–6.7 mmol·d−1)] from either NaCl or CaCl2. Drainage was minimized in each treatment except for periodic determination of electrical conductivity (EC) using the pour-through method, which, depending on the experiment, reached levels as high as 3.2 to 6.3 dS·m−1 with NaCl and 7.8 to 9.5 dS·m−1 with CaCl2. Total dry weight of the plants was negatively correlated to EC and, depending on source and duration of the salinity treatment, decreased linearly at a rate of 1.6 to 7.4 g·dS−1·m−1 in ‘Bluecrop’ and 0.4 to 12.5 g·dS−1·m−1 in ‘Springhigh’. Reductions in total dry weight were initially similar between the two salinity sources; however, by the end of the study, which occurred at 125 days in ‘Bluecrop’ and at 111 days in ‘Springhigh’, dry weight declined more so with NaCl than with CaCl2 in each part of the plant, including in the leaves, stems, and roots. The percentage of root length colonized by mycorrhizal fungi also declined with increasing levels of salinity in Bluecrop and was lower in both cultivars when the plants were treated with NaCl than with CaCl2. However, leaf damage, which included tip burn and marginal necrosis, was greater with CaCl2 than with NaCl. In general, CaCl2 had no effect on uptake or concentration of Na in the plant tissues, whereas NaCl reduced Ca uptake in both cultivars and reduced the concentration of Ca in the leaves and stems of Bluecrop and in each part of the plant in Springhigh. Salinity from NaCl also resulted in higher concentrations of Cl and lower concentrations of K in the plant tissues than CaCl2 in both cultivars. The concentration of other nutrients in the plants, including N, P, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, was also affected by salinity, but in most cases, the response was similar between the two salts. These results point to ion-specific effects of different salts on the plants and indicate that source is an important consideration when managing salinity in highbush blueberry.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Uptake and Allocation at Different Growth Stages of Young Southern Highbush Blueberry Plants

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Fang ◽  
Jeffrey Williamson ◽  
Rebecca Darnell ◽  
Yuncong Li ◽  
Guodong Liu
Keyword(s):  
N Uptake ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
First Year ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Chase Period ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
N Demand

Southern highbush blueberry (SHB, Vaccinium corymbosum L. interspecific hybrid) is the major species planted in Florida because of the low-chilling requirement and early ripening. The growth pattern and nitrogen (N) demand of SHB may differ from those of northern highbush blueberry (NHB, V. corymbosum L.). Thus, the effect of plant growth stage on N uptake and allocation was studied with containerized 1-year-old SHB grown in pine-bark amended soil. Five ‘Emerald’ plants were each treated with 6 g 10% 15N labeled (NH4)2SO4 at each of 12 dates over 2 years. In the first year, plants were treated once in late winter, four times during the growing season, and once in the fall. In the second year, treatment dates were based on phenological stages. After a 14-day chase period following each 15N treatment, plants were destructively harvested for dry weight (DW) measurements, atom% of 15N, and N content of each of the plant tissues. Total DW increased continuously from mid-May 2015 to Oct. 2015 and from Mar. 2016 to late Sept. 2016. From August to October of both years, external N demand was the greatest and plants absorbed more N during the 2-week chase period, about 0.53 g/plant in year 1 and 0.67 g/plant in year 2, than in chase periods earlier in the season. During March and April, N uptake was as low as 0.03 g/plant/2 weeks in year 1 and 0.21 g/plant/2 weeks in year 2. Nitrogen allocation to each of the tissues varied throughout the season. About half of the N derived from the applied fertilizer was allocated to leaves at all labeling times except the early bloom stage in 2016. These results suggest that young SHB plants absorb greater amounts of N during summer and early fall than in spring.

scholarly journals Content of Mobile Elements in the Soil and their Accumulation in the Shoots and Fruits of Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) and Bogbillberry (V. uliginosum)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 3270-3277
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Chemical Analyses ◽  
American Continent ◽  
Vaccinium Uliginosum ◽  
Absorption Spectrophotometry ◽  
Western Ukraine

Vaccinium uliginosum L. is aboriginal plant species in Ukraine, and Vaccinium corymbosum L. is from the American continent but is widely cultivated in Europe and Ukraine for fruit production. The vegetative part of these plants is practically not used, and their chemical composition has not been studied in detail, although the native Europeans and Americans used the plants for medicinal purposes. Contents of selected elements were determined in samples of forest V. uliginosum L. shoots and fruits harvested in Western Ukraine and cultivated V. corymbosum L. (three cultivars) fruits and shoots. The atomic absorption spectrophotometry with sample aspiration in air-acetylene flame was used to analyze the metal concentration. Chemical analyses of shoots showed significantly greater content for essential elements (Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, Cr) than in fruits of both investigated species. In the fruits of V. corymbosum is much more Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn (2.13-3.17; 3.58-8.84; 0.74-1.18; 3.36-6.52 mgkg-1 DW) compare to V. uliginosum ones. V. corymbosum varieties differ significantly in content elements in the shoots and fruits (especially Co, Cr, Cu, Cd). Correlation between the concentrations of elements in shoots and fruits of V. corymbosum cultivars as well as in shoots and fruits of V. uliginosum and the mobile metal concentrations in soil of their growth were calculated, but direct connections were not found. The element composition of Vaccinium corymbosum shoots and fruits has proven to be promising tools.

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