Articles
Influence of organic fertilizers on container-grown highbush blueberries in high tunnels
Article number
1428_6
Pages
43 – 50
Language
English
Abstract
Canada ranks as the world’s second-largest blueberry producer, with an increasing demand for organic blueberries largely driven by greater awareness of their health benefits, such as high antioxidants concentration.
To enhance growth, yield, and fruit quality while promoting sustainability and effective nitrogen management, alternative production systems should be considered.
Consequently, a split-plot design was established over two growing seasons at a commercial berry farm to compare four different fertilizer treatments: 1) poultry pellets + feather meal, 2) soy protein hydrolysate + rock phosphate, 3) bone meal + feather meal + crustaceous meal + alfalfa meal + seaweed extract, and 4) an inorganic nutritive solution control.
Northern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Reka’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Bluecrop’) were potted in 25-L containers filled with an organic peat-based growing medium supplied by Berger (Berger, Saint-Modeste, QC), irrigated through a drip system, and grown under high tunnels.
The study observed a trend of higher soil microbial activity under organic management, although not significantly different from the inorganic control.
Productivity varied across cultivars and fertilizer sources. ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Liberty’ produced similar yield under both organic and conventional fertilizers, except for ‘Liberty’ when using animal-based fertilizers.
For ‘Reka’, yields were higher with conventional fertilizers than with organic alternatives.
In 2021, fruit qualities, such as polyphenol concentration, were higher in blueberries fertilized with animal-based, plant-based or mixed organic fertilizers compared to conventional fertilizers.
To enhance growth, yield, and fruit quality while promoting sustainability and effective nitrogen management, alternative production systems should be considered.
Consequently, a split-plot design was established over two growing seasons at a commercial berry farm to compare four different fertilizer treatments: 1) poultry pellets + feather meal, 2) soy protein hydrolysate + rock phosphate, 3) bone meal + feather meal + crustaceous meal + alfalfa meal + seaweed extract, and 4) an inorganic nutritive solution control.
Northern highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Reka’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Bluecrop’) were potted in 25-L containers filled with an organic peat-based growing medium supplied by Berger (Berger, Saint-Modeste, QC), irrigated through a drip system, and grown under high tunnels.
The study observed a trend of higher soil microbial activity under organic management, although not significantly different from the inorganic control.
Productivity varied across cultivars and fertilizer sources. ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Liberty’ produced similar yield under both organic and conventional fertilizers, except for ‘Liberty’ when using animal-based fertilizers.
For ‘Reka’, yields were higher with conventional fertilizers than with organic alternatives.
In 2021, fruit qualities, such as polyphenol concentration, were higher in blueberries fertilized with animal-based, plant-based or mixed organic fertilizers compared to conventional fertilizers.
Authors
È.-M. Boudreau-Forgues, L. Gaudreau, T.T.A. Nguyen, A. Gosselin, L. Thériault, A. Brégard, M. Dorais
Keywords
Vaccinium corymbosum, organic production, production systems, controlled environment, anthocyanins, polyphenols
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