scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in Leaf Nutrient Concentration of Northern Highbush Blueberry Cultivars Grown in Conventional and Organic Production Systems

HortScience ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 1453-1466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadine C. Strik ◽  
Amanda J. Vance
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Sampling Time ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Organic Mulch ◽  
Leaf Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Leaf Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Leaf N

Northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars were evaluated for leaf and fruit nutrient concentration at two production sites in 2013–14. The treatments included cultivar (Duke, Bluecrop, Draper, Legacy, Liberty, and Aurora), site [“conventional” (conventionally managed, grower-collaborator site) and “organic” (certified organic research site)], and amendment–mulch [at the organic site only; “organic mulch” (included preplant amendment and a surface mulch of yard debris compost and sawdust); and “weed mat” (no preplant amendments but with a sawdust mulch topped with weed mat)]. Leaf samples were collected every 2 weeks in all treatment plots from late April through early October of each year. Ripe fruit were subsampled from the second harvest for each cultivar. Fruiting season varied from 22 June to 19 Sept. and the highest yielding cultivar, Legacy, had 114% to 330% greater yield than the lowest, Duke, depending on year and site. Cultivar had a significant effect on all fruit nutrients except for phosphorus (P) at the conventional site. Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) accounted for the largest proportion of nutrient content in the fruit, with 10 to 52 kg·ha–1 and 7 to 34 kg·ha–1 removed in the harvested fruit, respectively, depending on cultivar and site. Fruit carbon concentration ranged from 32% to 44% dry weight with 0.5 to 3.2 t·ha–1 removed in harvested fruit. There were significant year, site, and cultivar effects on leaf nutrient concentrations on many sample dates throughout the season. Despite relatively large differences in management between sites and yield and fruiting season among cultivars, the pattern in leaf nutrient concentration over sampling time was relatively similar between sites and years. Leaf manganese (Mn) and aluminum (Al) concentrations were higher when plants were grown with weed mat as compared with the organic mulch treatment, because soil pH was lower under weed mat than in the organic mulch treatment. ‘Liberty’ had the highest leaf N throughout much of the season at the conventional site. There were relatively large differences among cultivars in leaf magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and K when sampling from mid-July to autumn at both sites. ‘Duke’ and ‘Bluecrop’ tended to have the highest leaf K during this period, whereas ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’ had the lowest. There were greater differences in leaf Ca among cultivars at the conventional site than at the organic site. ‘Draper’ and ‘Legacy’ had higher leaf Ca than ‘Duke’. Leaf nutrient concentrations were within the current published sufficiency levels on many sample dates throughout the season for P, Mg, sulfur (S), Mn, and zinc (Zn), on many dates in midseason for K and Ca, and from mid- to late-season for boron (B) and iron (Fe). However, only when sampled in late July to early August, the current recommended sampling time, was leaf N within sufficiency range. Moreover, there was an effect of cultivar on the concentration of most leaf nutrients at both sites when sampled in late July to early August. The recommended sampling time to determine plant nutrient status in northern highbush blueberry should remain at late July to mid-August, regardless of cultivar, when most nutrients are relatively stable. We recommend lowering the leaf sufficiency range for P and copper (Cu) based on our findings.

scholarly journals Individual and Combined Use of Sawdust and Weed Mat Mulch in a New Planting of Northern Highbush Blueberry. II. Nutrient Uptake and Allocation

HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1614-1621
Author(s):  
Bernadine C. Strik ◽  
Amanda J. Davis ◽  
David R. Bryla
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Leaf N Concentration ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry

A 2-year trial was established in Oct. 2016 in western Oregon to evaluate the effects of various in-row mulch treatments on establishment of northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Duke’). The treatments included douglas fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] sawdust, black weed mat (woven polypropylene groundcover), green weed mat, and sawdust covered with black or green weed mat. For the most part, plant nutrient concentration and content were unaffected by the color of the weed mat. In both years, mulching with weed mat over sawdust reduced soil NO3-N compared with weed mat alone. The only other soil nutrient affected by mulch was K, which was highest with sawdust mulch and intermediate with black weed mat alone in year 2. There were inconsistent effects of mulch on leaf nutrient concentration during the study. In 2018, leaf N concentration was lowest with black weed mat over sawdust. There were few mulch effects on nutrient concentrations in senescent leaves in both years and in harvested fruit in year 2. Mulch had greater effect on nutrient concentration in dormant plant parts after the second growing season than after the first, with the addition of sawdust under weed mat leading to significant differences for many nutrients in various plant parts compared with weed mat alone. Total uptake of N ranged from 12 kg·ha−1 (black weed mat) to 17 kg·ha−1 (black weed mat over sawdust) in year 1 and averaged 33 kg·ha−1 in year 2, with no effect of mulch. Fertilizer use efficiency for N was 8% to 12% in year 1 and 42% in year 2. Uptake of other nutrients was unaffected by mulch and, depending on the year, ranged from 1.3 to 4.3 kg·ha−1 P, 4.0 to 8.0 kg·ha−1 K, 2.1 to 4.9 kg·ha−1 Ca, and 1.0 to 1.5 kg·ha−1 Mg. Each of these other nutrients was derived from the soil or decomposing roots.

scholarly journals Growth and Fruit Production of Highbush Blueberry Fertilized with Ammonium Sulfate and Urea Applied by Fertigation or as Granular Fertilizer

HortScience ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 479-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar L. Vargas ◽  
David R. Bryla
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Leaf N Concentration ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry ◽  
N Rates ◽  
Leaf N

Fertigation with liquid sources of nitrogen (N) fertilizers, including ammonium sulfate and urea, were compared with granular applications of the fertilizers in northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Bluecrop’) during the first 5 years of fruit production (2008–12). The planting was established in Apr. 2006 at a field site located in western Oregon. The plants were grown on raised beds and mulched every 2 years with sawdust. Liquid fertilizers were injected through a drip system in equal weekly applications from mid-April to early August. Granular fertilizers were applied on each side of the plants, in three split applications from mid-April to mid-June, and washed into the soil using microsprinklers. Each fertilizer was applied at three N rates, which were increased each year as the plants matured (63 to 93, 133 to 187, and 200 to 280 kg·ha−1 N) and compared with non-fertilized treatments (0 kg·ha−1 N). Canopy cover, which was measured in 2008 only, and fresh pruning weight were greater with fertigation than with granular fertilizer and often increased with N rate when the plants were fertigated but decreased at the highest rate when granular fertilizer was applied. Yield also increased with N fertilizer and was 12% to 40% greater with fertigation than with granular fertilizer each year as well as 17% greater with ammonium sulfate than with urea in 2011. The response of berry weight to the treatments was variable but decreased with higher N rates during the first 3 years of fruit production. Leaf N concentration was greater with fertigation in 4 of 5 years and averaged 1.68% with fertigation and 1.61% with granular fertilizer. Leaf N was also often greater with ammonium sulfate than with urea and increased as more N was applied. Soil pH declined with increasing N rates and was lower with granular fertilizer than with fertigation during the first 3 years of fruit production and lower with ammonium sulfate than with urea in every year but 2010. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) was less than 1 dS·m−1 in each treatment but was an average of two to three times greater with granular fertilizer than with fertigation and 1.4 to 1.8 times greater with ammonium sulfate than with urea. Overall, total yield averaged 32 to 63 t·ha−1 in each treatment over the first 5 years of fruit production and was greatest when plants were fertigated with ammonium sulfate or urea at rates of at least 63 to 93 kg·ha−1 N per year.

scholarly journals Vitamin C and lutein content of northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) juice processed using freezing and thawing

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2521-2528
Author(s):  
Rafał Nadulski ◽  
Andrzej Masłowski ◽  
Artur Mazurek ◽  
Paweł Sobczak ◽  
Marek Szmigielski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin C ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Freezing And Thawing ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Lutein Content

scholarly journals Effects of Machine-Harvest Interval on Fruit Quality of Fresh Market Northern Highbush Blueberry

Horticulturae ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 245
Author(s):  
Yixin Cai ◽  
Fumiomi Takeda ◽  
Brian Foote ◽  
Lisa Wasko DeVetter
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Titratable Acidity ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Harvest Intervals ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry

Machine harvesting blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) alleviates labor costs and shortages but can reduce fruit quality. Installation of softer catching surfaces inside modified over-the-row harvesters (modified OTR) and adjusting harvest intervals may improve fruit quality and packout. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of harvest interval on fruit quality of fresh market northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) harvested using a modified OTR. ‘Liberty’ blueberry bushes were harvested by hand or using a modified OTR at 3-, 10-, and 14-day intervals in 2019 and at 7-, 11-, and 14-day intervals in 2020. Hand-harvested ‘Liberty’ had greater packout and firmness than machine-harvested fruit. Machine harvesting at the 3-day interval in 2019, and the 14-day interval in 2020 reduced packout from 70–80% to 60% and 54%, respectively. In 2019, machine harvesting at a 3-day interval overall resulted in fruit with greater firmness, higher titratable acidity (TA), and lower total soluble solids (TSS) and SS/TA, compared to other harvest intervals. In 2020, the 7-day machine-harvest interval had a greater TA and lower TSS/TA, compared to the 11- and 14-day intervals. Overall, modified OTR machine-harvest intervals can be extended to 10–11 days for fresh market northern highbush cultivars such as ‘Liberty’ grown in northwest Washington.

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 An Energy Balance Model for Predicting Berry Temperature and Scheduling Sprinklers for Cooling in Northern Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Fan-Hsuan Yang ◽  
David R. Bryla ◽  
R. Troy Peters
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Size ◽  
Weather Forecast ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Cooling Efficiency ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry

Heat-related fruit damage is a prevalent issue in northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in various growing regions, including the northwestern United States. To help address the issue, we developed a simple climatological model to predict blueberry fruit temperatures based on local weather data and to simulate the effects of using over-canopy sprinklers for cooling the fruit. Predictions of fruit temperature on sunny days correlated strongly with the actual values (R2 = 0.91) and had a root mean-square error of ≈2 °C. Among the parameters tested, ambient air temperature and light intensity had the greatest impact on fruit temperature, whereas wind speed and fruit size had less impact, and relative humidity had no impact. Cooling efficiency was estimated successfully under different sprinkler cooling intervals by incorporating a water application factor that was calculated based on the amount of water applied and the time required for water to evaporate from the fruit surface between the intervals. The results indicate that water temperature and nozzle flow rate affected the extent to which cooling with sprinklers reduced fruit temperature. However, prolonging the runtime of the sprinklers did not guarantee lower temperatures during cooling, because cooling efficiency declined as the temperature of the fruit approached the temperature of the irrigation water. Users could incorporate the model into weather forecast programs to predict the incidence of heat damage and could use it to make cooling decisions in commercial blueberry fields.

scholarly journals Optimizing Nitrogen Fertigation Rates for Young Southern Highbush Blueberry

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 389
Author(s):  
Yang Fang ◽  
Jeffrey Williamson ◽  
Rebecca Darnell ◽  
Yuncong Li ◽  
Guodong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Fruit Yield ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Southern Highbush ◽  
N Rates

The commercial blueberry industry in Florida has expanded significantly in both acreage and value in the past several years. The southern highbush blueberry (SHB, Vaccinium corymbosum L. interspecific hybrid) is the major blueberry type grown in Florida. The nitrogen (N) demand of young SHB differs from the northern highbush blueberry (NHB, V. corymbosum L.) and from mature blueberry plants. The objective of this study was to optimize fertigated N rates for the growth and yield of young SHB plants. One-year-old ‘Emerald’ and ‘Farthing’ plants were fertilized with 32N-0P-0K through drip irrigation at annual rates of 0, 42, 84, 168, and 336 kg N ha−1. Soil nitrate levels at multiple depths were measured along with leaf nutrient concentration, percent canopy ground cover, fruit yield and fruit quality. The results indicated that N rates had no significant effect on leaf nutrient concentrations. Greater N rates advanced bloom and harvest, increased percentage of ground cover (an indicator of canopy size), fruit yield and berry numbers per plant, but decreased mean berry diameter and weight. The soil nitrate results from both ‘Emerald’ and ‘Farthing’ revealed that the 336 kg N ha−1 treatment had a significantly greater risk for nitrate leaching than the lower N treatments in spring. The effect of N rates on fruit quality varied with cultivar and harvest season. The linear plateau regression of fruit yield and N rates indicated that the maximum yield reached at the annual N fertigation rate of 222 kg ha−1 for ‘Emerald’ and 206 kg ha−1 for ‘Farthing’.

EFFECTS OF FREQUENCY OF IRRIGATION ON NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF APPLE TREES

1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. NEILSEN ◽  
D. S. STEVENSON
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Malus Domestica ◽  
Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Irrigation Frequency ◽  
Apple Trees ◽  
N Nutrition ◽  
Malus Domestica Borkh ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Leaf Nutrient Concentration ◽  
Leaf N

Throughout the 1980–1983 growing seasons, ’Summerland Red McIntosh’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) on M.26 rootstock growing outdoors in large buried pots with a range of N nutrition were irrigated daily or twice weekly with the same quantity of water (equivalent to 5.9 mm∙day−1) Irrigation frequency affected leaf nutrient concentration; leaf Mn and Zn increased in 3 of 4 yr, leaf Ca and Mg in 2 yr and leaf N in 1 yr at the daily irrigation frequency.Key words: Irrigation frequency, McIntosh apple trees, leaf N, leaf Ca, leaf Mg, leaf Zn, leaf Mn

scholarly journals Potential of Deficit Irrigation, Irrigation Cutoffs, and Crop Thinning to Maintain Yield and Fruit Quality with Less Water in Northern Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid F. Almutairi ◽  
David R. Bryla ◽  
Bernadine C. Strik
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Fruit Quality ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Stem Water Potential ◽  
Full Irrigation ◽  
Northern Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Stem Water

Drought and mandatory water restrictions are limiting the availability of irrigation water in many important blueberry growing regions, such as Oregon, Washington, and California. New strategies are needed to maintain yield and fruit quality with less water. To address the issue, three potential options for reducing water use, including deficit irrigation, irrigation cutoffs, and crop thinning, were evaluated for 2 years in a mature planting of northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Elliott’). Treatments consisted of no thinning and 50% crop removal in combination with either full irrigation at 100% of estimated crop evapotranspiration (ETc), deficit irrigation at 50% ETc (applied for the entire growing season), or full irrigation with irrigation cutoff for 4–6 weeks during early (early- to late-green fruit) or late (fruit coloring to harvest) stages of fruit development. Stem water potential was similar with full and deficit irrigation but, regardless of crop thinning, declined by 0.5–0.6 MPa when irrigation was cutoff early and by >2.0 MPa when irrigation was cutoff late. In one or both years, the fruiting season was advanced with either deficit irrigation or late cutoff, whereas cutting off irrigation early delayed the season. Yield was unaffected by deficit irrigation in plants with a full crop load but was reduced by an average of 35% when irrigation was cutoff late each year. Cutting off irrigation early likewise reduced yield, but only in the 2nd year when the plants were not thinned; however, early cutoff also reduced fruit soluble solids and berry weight by 7% to 24% compared with full irrigation. Cutting off irrigation late produced the smallest and firmest fruit with the highest soluble solids and total acidity among the treatments, as well as the slowest rate of fruit loss in cold storage. Deficit irrigation had the least effect on fruit quality and, based on these results, appears to be the most viable option for maintaining yield with less water in northern highbush blueberry. Relative to full irrigation, the practice reduced water use by 2.5 ML·ha−1 per season.

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