Articles
Fertilization and nutrient physiology of small fruit crops
Article number
1432_1
Pages
1 – 14
Language
English
Abstract
Global production of small fruits, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, is on the rise.
This review summarizes recent research on fertilization of each of these important crops and provides insight into how fruit quality is affected by deficiency or excess of commonly applied nutrients.
Until recently, most commercial blueberry fields were fertilized using granular fertilizers.
However, many new fields are irrigated by drip and fertigated using liquid fertilizers.
Fertigation with N is less efficient initially, but it results in less salt damage and promotes more growth and higher yields than granular fertilizer when optimal rates of N are applied.
Other nutrients, including P, K, Ca, and B, can also be applied by fertigation but should only be used when leaf concentrations are below the range recommended for blueberry.
Excess K, for example, causes salt damage to the leaves and results in deficiencies of other nutrients, including Ca and Mg.
In blackberries and raspberries, which are perennial plants with biennial shoots, nutrient uptake begins very early in the season in second year fruiting canes called floricanes and continues a few weeks later in new canes called primocanes.
Therefore, N and other nutrients are usually applied by fertigation or by split applications of granular fertilizer, with the first half applied about a week before the primocanes emerge and the second half applied about a month before the beginning of fruit harvest.
Because the plants are very efficient at reallocating nutrients, source and method of fertilizer application appears to be less important in blackberries and raspberries as it is blueberries.
This review summarizes recent research on fertilization of each of these important crops and provides insight into how fruit quality is affected by deficiency or excess of commonly applied nutrients.
Until recently, most commercial blueberry fields were fertilized using granular fertilizers.
However, many new fields are irrigated by drip and fertigated using liquid fertilizers.
Fertigation with N is less efficient initially, but it results in less salt damage and promotes more growth and higher yields than granular fertilizer when optimal rates of N are applied.
Other nutrients, including P, K, Ca, and B, can also be applied by fertigation but should only be used when leaf concentrations are below the range recommended for blueberry.
Excess K, for example, causes salt damage to the leaves and results in deficiencies of other nutrients, including Ca and Mg.
In blackberries and raspberries, which are perennial plants with biennial shoots, nutrient uptake begins very early in the season in second year fruiting canes called floricanes and continues a few weeks later in new canes called primocanes.
Therefore, N and other nutrients are usually applied by fertigation or by split applications of granular fertilizer, with the first half applied about a week before the primocanes emerge and the second half applied about a month before the beginning of fruit harvest.
Because the plants are very efficient at reallocating nutrients, source and method of fertilizer application appears to be less important in blackberries and raspberries as it is blueberries.
Authors
D.R. Bryla
Keywords
fertigation, foliar fertilizers, mineral nutrition, Rubus sp., Vaccinium sp
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