Articles
Optimizing biostimulant strategies for enhanced container-grown highbush blueberry cultivation in a changing climate
Article number
1440_73
Pages
533 – 542
Language
English
Abstract
The use of biostimulant in modern agriculture is attracting more interest than ever, particularly under climate changes that are affecting the growing conditions of various horticultural crops.
In the recent years, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been identified as microorganisms that can colonize plant roots and considerably increase growth and yield under stressful conditions by various mechanisms such as increasing the root system and nutrient uptake.
Furthermore, plant scientists recorded a large number of beneficial effects of silicon (Si), a mineral element, on plant resistance to various abiotic and biotic stresses such as salinity, drought, flooding, freezing and mineral deficiency.
Northern highbush blueberries grown in containers in a controlled environment are an innovative system that can result in higher yield and improved fruit quality as well as enabling high planting density and reducing nutrient leaching that can be particularly problematic within this crop.
Nonetheless, blueberries cultivated in containers encounter challenges related to ensuring sufficient nutrient absorption, stabilizing pH levels, and restricting salinity issues.
To address these challenges, a split-plot design over one growing season was developed to compare in a greenhouse two type of biostimulants strategies: 1) PGPR (B. pumilus LBUM494, B. velezensis LBUM279, P. synxantha LBUM223), 2) PGPR + potassium silicate (18% Si02, 50% K) at a rate of 1.7 mM added through the irrigation water, and 3) a control without biostimulants.
Ten northern highbush blueberries cultivars were potted in 25-L containers filled with an organic peat-based growing media provided by Berger (Berger, Saint-Modeste, QC, Canada), irrigated through a drip system.
Our results showed that the soil pH was lower, and the potassium content was higher under the PGPR + Si treatment.
Productivity varied across cultivars, although biostimulants application did not influence yield.
In the recent years, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been identified as microorganisms that can colonize plant roots and considerably increase growth and yield under stressful conditions by various mechanisms such as increasing the root system and nutrient uptake.
Furthermore, plant scientists recorded a large number of beneficial effects of silicon (Si), a mineral element, on plant resistance to various abiotic and biotic stresses such as salinity, drought, flooding, freezing and mineral deficiency.
Northern highbush blueberries grown in containers in a controlled environment are an innovative system that can result in higher yield and improved fruit quality as well as enabling high planting density and reducing nutrient leaching that can be particularly problematic within this crop.
Nonetheless, blueberries cultivated in containers encounter challenges related to ensuring sufficient nutrient absorption, stabilizing pH levels, and restricting salinity issues.
To address these challenges, a split-plot design over one growing season was developed to compare in a greenhouse two type of biostimulants strategies: 1) PGPR (B. pumilus LBUM494, B. velezensis LBUM279, P. synxantha LBUM223), 2) PGPR + potassium silicate (18% Si02, 50% K) at a rate of 1.7 mM added through the irrigation water, and 3) a control without biostimulants.
Ten northern highbush blueberries cultivars were potted in 25-L containers filled with an organic peat-based growing media provided by Berger (Berger, Saint-Modeste, QC, Canada), irrigated through a drip system.
Our results showed that the soil pH was lower, and the potassium content was higher under the PGPR + Si treatment.
Productivity varied across cultivars, although biostimulants application did not influence yield.
Publication
Authors
E.M. Boudreau-Forgues, L. Gaudreau, T.T.A. Nguyen, A. Gosselin, L. Thériault, A. Brégard, M. Fillion, M. Dorais
Keywords
plant growth, rhizobacteria, silica, Vaccinium corymbosum, greenhouse
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