Abstract
A 2-year study in Nova Scotia examined the effectiveness of thickly applied organic mulches as a method of weed control in highbush blueberries ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.), and assessed weed and mulch impact on crop growth, leaf nutrient concentration, yield, and quality under organic production management. Mulches, applied in-row at 20-cm depth, included pine needles (PN), manure–sawdust compost (MC), and seafood waste compost (SC). Competition from weeds negatively affected crop growth and productivity, reducing canopy volume (16% to 38%), leaf nitrogen concentration and berry yields (up to 92%), number (up to 91%), and specific weight (up to 21%). Among mulches, PN proved to be the most effective in suppressing weed growth with 55% less and 73% less aboveground weed biomass compared with the control in 2005 and 2006, respectively, although PN productivity effects were much more modest. One year after application, PN lost some efficacy at suppressing weeds but was still superior to both composts. Distribution of weed species was substantially altered by mulch treatment. Both composts prevented some weed emergence (i.e., sheep sorrel), but weed seeds germinating in composts, especially SC, experienced prolific growth likely as a result of available nutrients in composts. No detrimental effects on short-term plant productivity were noted despite high C:N ratios of PN and MC (72:1 and 48:1, respectively). Plant vigor and yield were typically higher for compost mulch treatments, especially in weed-free subplots, and composts provided more complete fertilization reflected in increased leaf tissue elemental (NPK) composition. Fruit soluble solid (sugar) content was found to be significantly lower in PN and MC compared with SC, whereas total phenolic content was unaffected by mulches. Mulch application can improve organic highbush blueberry productivity by improving soil properties, nutrient availability, and weed suppression; however, precautions should be taken to avoid excess nutrient loading and weed seed contamination of mulches.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
Weed competition reduced canopy volume by 16% to 38% in highbush blueberry.
- Taxon
- Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosumt0 - Treatment
- Competition from weedse1
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- canopy volumee1
- Direction
- reducinge1
- Value
- 16% to 38%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Competition from weeds negatively affected crop growth and productivity, reducing canopy volume (16% to 38%), leaf nitrogen concentration and berry yields (up to 92%), number (up to 91%), and specific weight (up to 21%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed competition reduced leaf nitrogen concentration in highbush blueberry.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Competition from weedse1
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- leaf nitrogen concentratione1
- Direction
- reducinge1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Competition from weeds negatively affected crop growth and productivity, reducing canopy volume (16% to 38%), leaf nitrogen concentration and berry yields (up to 92%), number (up to 91%), and specific weight (up to 21%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed competition reduced berry yields by up to 92% in highbush blueberry.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Competition from weedse1
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- berry yieldse1
- Direction
- reducinge1
- Value
- up to 92%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Competition from weeds negatively affected crop growth and productivity, reducing canopy volume (16% to 38%), leaf nitrogen concentration and berry yields (up to 92%), number (up to 91%), and specific weight (up to 21%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed competition reduced berry number by up to 91% in highbush blueberry.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Competition from weedse1
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- numbere1
- Direction
- reducinge1
- Value
- up to 91%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Competition from weeds negatively affected crop growth and productivity, reducing canopy volume (16% to 38%), leaf nitrogen concentration and berry yields (up to 92%), number (up to 91%), and specific weight (up to 21%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed competition reduced berry specific weight by up to 21% in highbush blueberry.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Competition from weedse1
- Interactor
- weedse1weed
- Outcome
- specific weighte1
- Direction
- reducinge1
- Value
- up to 21%e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Competition from weeds negatively affected crop growth and productivity, reducing canopy volume (16% to 38%), leaf nitrogen concentration and berry yields (up to 92%), number (up to 91%), and specific weight (up to 21%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Pine needle mulch (PN) reduced aboveground weed biomass by 55% compared with the control in 2005.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- PNe2
- Interactor
- weede2weed
- Outcome
- aboveground weed biomasse2
- Direction
- lesse2
- Value
- 55%e2
- Qualifier
- in 2005e2
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e2“PN proved to be the most effective in suppressing weed growth with 55% less and 73% less aboveground weed biomass compared with the control in 2005 and 2006, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Pine needle mulch (PN) reduced aboveground weed biomass by 73% compared with the control in 2006.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- PNe2
- Interactor
- weede2weed
- Outcome
- aboveground weed biomasse2
- Direction
- lesse2
- Value
- 73%e2
- Qualifier
- in 2005 and 2006, respectivelye2
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e2“PN proved to be the most effective in suppressing weed growth with 55% less and 73% less aboveground weed biomass compared with the control in 2005 and 2006, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch treatment substantially altered the distribution of weed species.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- mulch treatmente3
- Outcome
- Distribution of weed speciese3
- Direction
- alterede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e3“Distribution of weed species was substantially altered by mulch treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Both composts prevented some weed emergence, including sheep sorrel.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- compostse4
- Interactor
- sheep sorrel
Rumex acetosellae4weed - Outcome
- weed emergencee4
- Direction
- preventede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e4“Both composts prevented some weed emergence (i.e., sheep sorrel)”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed seeds germinating in composts, especially SC, likely grew prolifically because of available nutrients in the composts.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- compostse5
- Interactor
- weed seedse5weed
- Outcome
- prolific growthe5
- Qualifier
- available nutrients in compostse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e5“weed seeds germinating in composts, especially SC, experienced prolific growth likely as a result of available nutrients in composts”
Claim · model-written summary
No detrimental effect on short-term plant productivity of highbush blueberry was noted under mulches with high C:N ratios.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Outcome
- short-term plant productivitye6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e6“No detrimental effects on short-term plant productivity were noted despite high C:N ratios of PN and MC (72:1 and 48:1, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant vigor and yield were higher under compost mulch treatments, especially in weed-free subplots.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- compost mulch treatmentse7
- Outcome
- Plant vigor and yielde7
- Direction
- highere7
- Qualifier
- especially in weed-free subplotse7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e7“Plant vigor and yield were typically higher for compost mulch treatments, especially in weed-free subplots”
Claim · model-written summary
Composts increased leaf tissue elemental (NPK) composition in highbush blueberry.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- compostse1
- Outcome
- leaf tissue elemental (NPK) compositione1
- Direction
- increasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e1“composts provided more complete fertilization reflected in increased leaf tissue elemental (NPK) composition”
Claim · model-written summary
Fruit soluble solid (sugar) content was significantly lower under pine needle and manure-sawdust compost mulches than under seafood waste compost.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- PN and MCe2
- Outcome
- Fruit soluble solid (sugar) contente2
- Direction
- lowere2
- Comparator
- SCe2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e2“Fruit soluble solid (sugar) content was found to be significantly lower in PN and MC compared with SC”
Claim · model-written summary
Total phenolic content of highbush blueberry was unaffected by mulches.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- mulchese3
- Outcome
- total phenolic contente3
- Direction
- unaffectede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e3“whereas total phenolic content was unaffected by mulches”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch application is recommended to improve organic highbush blueberry productivity through soil properties, nutrient availability and weed suppression.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Mulch applicatione4
- Outcome
- organic highbush blueberry productivitye4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e4“Mulch application can improve organic highbush blueberry productivity by improving soil properties, nutrient availability, and weed suppression”
Claim · model-written summary
Precautions are recommended to avoid excess nutrient loading and weed seed contamination of mulches.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Outcome
- excess nutrient loading and weed seed contaminatione5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
e5“precautions should be taken to avoid excess nutrient loading and weed seed contamination of mulches”
The same questions in other papers
mulching · yield · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Results differ
7 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
5 papers more in this group
See all 9 papers →fertilization · quality: general · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
mulching · quality: phytochemicals · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
fertilization · molecular: metabolites · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
3 papers more in this group
See all 7 papers →fertilization · yield · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
21 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- negative
20 papers more in this group
See all 24 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.