Author
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Black, Brent |
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ZIMMERMAN, RICHARD - RETIRED |
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Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 4/21/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Highbush blueberry plants require low-pH, well-drained sandy soils. To increase the range of sites available for highbush blueberry production, by-products were tested as constituents in soilless media and as soil amendments. By-products including coal ash, municipal biosolid compost, leaf compost and acid peat, were combined in different proportions and compared to Berryland sand (alone) and Manor clay loam (alone and compost amended) for a total of 10 media treatments. The pH of all treatment media was adjusted to 4.5 with sulfur. One year old tissue-cultured plants of Bluecrop'(BC) and Sierra' (SI) were planted in 15-L pots containing the pH-adjusted treatment media in 1997, producing their first substantial crop in 1999. For the 1999 crop, ripe fruit were harvested at weekly intervals over 5 weeks. ANOVA for yield indicated a significant cultivar x media intraction. BC appeared more sensitive to media treatment as yields on Manor clay loam were 80% less than on Berryland sand. Yields of BC on coal ash-compost mixes were similar to that of Berryland sand, and 1:1 coal ash:compost mixes produced significantly higher yields than did the 3:1 mixes. Yield of SI on Manor clay loam was 41% less than on Berryland sand, and plants growing on soilless mixes yielded 17 to 58% more than those on Berryland sand. BC fruit size was greatest for Berryland sand, but did not differ significantly among coal ash-compost mixes. For all media treatments, SI fruit size was inversely correlated with yield. Fruit from BC plants on coal ash-compost mixes ripened slightly earlier than on Berryland sand, but ripening date of SI did not vary significantly with soil treatment. |