Abstract
A long-term trial was established in Oct. 2006 in western Oregon to identify organic production systems for maximum yield and quality in highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.). The planting was transitional during the first year after planting and was certified organic during fruit production (2008–16). Treatments included planting method (on raised beds or flat ground), fertilizer source (granular feather meal or fish solubles), and rate (“low” and “high” rates of 29 and 57 kg·ha −1 N during establishment, increased incrementally as the planting matured to 73 and 140 kg·ha −1 N, respectively), mulch [sawdust, yard debris compost topped with sawdust (compost + sawdust), or black, woven polyethylene groundcover (weed mat)], and cultivar (‘Duke’ and ‘Liberty’). Mulches were replenished, as needed, and weeds were controlled throughout the study. Raised beds resulted in greater yield than flat ground during the establishment years but had less effect on yield once the plants were mature. After 9 years, cumulative yield was 22% greater on raised beds than on flat ground in ‘Liberty’ but was unaffected by planting method in ‘Duke’. Cumulative yield was also 10% greater with feather meal than with fish solubles, on average, and 4% greater with the low rate than with the high rate of fertilizer. ‘Duke’ was particularly sensitive to fertilizer source and produced 35% less yield overall with fish solubles than with feather meal. By contrast, there was relatively little effect of fertilizer source or rate on yield in ‘Liberty’. In five of 9 years, yield was 8% to 20% greater with weed mat than with sawdust or compost + sawdust. Mulch type had no effect on cumulative yield of ‘Duke’, but cumulative yield of ‘Liberty’ was 11% greater with weed mat than with sawdust or compost + sawdust. Soil temperature was warmer under weed mat than under sawdust, and plants on raised beds covered with weed mat required more irrigation than those grown on flat ground mulched with sawdust. ‘Duke’ produced heavier, larger, and firmer berries with lower total soluble solids (TSS) than ‘Liberty’. However, other treatment effects on berry quality were relatively small and inconsistent. For example, berry weight was greater on raised beds than on flat ground, on average, but only by 3% (0.06 g/berry). Plants on raised beds also produced berries with slightly lower TSS than those on flat ground (15.2% and 15.7%, respectively, in ‘Liberty’, and 13.1% and 13.3%, respectively in ‘Duke’). There was no effect of fertilizer source or rate on TSS in ‘Liberty’ (15.5% on average), whereas in ‘Duke’, TSS was highest when fertilized at the high (13.7%) or low (13.4%) rate of fish, and was lower when using feather meal (12.9% and 13.1% for low and high rate, respectively). Plants fertilized with fish produced firmer fruit than with feather meal in five of the 7 years in which the measurements were taken. Also, fertilization with the higher rate of either product increased berry firmness compared with the low rate in six of the 7 years. The impact of mulch was inconsistent through the study period. On average, ‘Duke’ berries were softest when fertilized with the low (173 g·mm −1 deflection) and high (176 g·mm −1 ) rates of feather meal and were the firmest with the high rate of fish (182 g·mm −1 ). In ‘Liberty’, the low rate of feather meal produced softer fruit (157 g·mm −1 ) than the other fertilizer treatments (162 g·mm −1 on average). When this study was initiated in 2006, the most common organic production system in this region was raised beds with sawdust mulch and fertilizing with a high rate of fish solubles. For this production system, yield for mature plants in our study (2014−16) was the equivalent of 8.9−12.3 t·ha −1 in ‘Duke’ and 11.8−23.7 t·ha −1 in ‘Liberty’. However, when plants were grown on raised beds with weed mat and fertilized with the high rate of feather meal, yield increased to 10.2−19.3 t·ha −1 , depending on year, in ‘Duke’. By contrast, there was little effect of production system on yield of mature ‘Liberty’ plants. These yields, particularly for the best-performing treatment combination in ‘Duke’, are similar to what are observed in commercial conventional fields or organic farms using similar management practices. Our results showed that choice of organic production system can have significant impact on yield and economic costs and returns.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Raised beds gave greater yield than flat ground during the establishment years but had less effect on yield once plants matured.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosumt0 - Treatment
- Raised bedse1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Qualifier
- during the establishment yearse1
- Comparator
- flat grounde1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Raised beds resulted in greater yield than flat ground during the establishment years but had less effect on yield once the plants were mature”
Claim · model-written summary
After 9 years, cumulative yield was 22% greater on raised beds than on flat ground in Liberty.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Libertye1
- Treatment
- raised bedse1
- Outcome
- cumulative yielde1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 22%e1
- Comparator
- flat grounde1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“After 9 years, cumulative yield was 22% greater on raised beds than on flat ground in ‘Liberty’”
Claim · model-written summary
Cumulative yield of Duke after 9 years was unaffected by planting method.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Treatment
- planting methode1
- Outcome
- cumulative yielde1
- Direction
- unaffectede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“After 9 years, cumulative yield was 22% greater on raised beds than on flat ground in ‘Liberty’ but was unaffected by planting method in ‘Duke’”
Claim · model-written summary
Cumulative yield was on average 10% greater with feather meal than with fish solubles.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- feather meale1
- Outcome
- Cumulative yielde1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 10%e1
- Qualifier
- on averagee1
- Comparator
- fish solublese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Cumulative yield was also 10% greater with feather meal than with fish solubles, on average”
Claim · model-written summary
Cumulative yield was 4% greater with the low fertilizer rate than with the high rate.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- the low ratee1
- Outcome
- Cumulative yielde1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 4%e1
- Comparator
- the high ratee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Cumulative yield was also 10% greater with feather meal than with fish solubles, on average, and 4% greater with the low rate than with the high rate of fertilizer”
Claim · model-written summary
Duke produced 35% less yield overall with fish solubles than with feather meal.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Treatment
- fish solublese1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- lesse1
- Value
- 35%e1
- Qualifier
- overalle1
- Comparator
- feather meale1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“‘Duke’ was particularly sensitive to fertilizer source and produced 35% less yield overall with fish solubles than with feather meal”
Claim · model-written summary
Fertilizer source or rate had relatively little effect on yield of Liberty.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Libertye1
- Treatment
- fertilizer source or ratee1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- little effecte1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“By contrast, there was relatively little effect of fertilizer source or rate on yield in ‘Liberty’”
Claim · model-written summary
In five of 9 years, yield was 8% to 20% greater with weed mat than with sawdust or compost plus sawdust.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- weed mate1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 8% to 20%e1
- Qualifier
- In five of 9 yearse1
- Comparator
- sawdust or compost + sawduste1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“In five of 9 years, yield was 8% to 20% greater with weed mat than with sawdust or compost + sawdust”
Claim · model-written summary
Cumulative yield of Liberty was 11% greater with weed mat than with sawdust or compost plus sawdust.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Libertye1
- Treatment
- weed mate1
- Outcome
- cumulative yielde1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 11%e1
- Comparator
- sawdust or compost + sawduste1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“but cumulative yield of ‘Liberty’ was 11% greater with weed mat than with sawdust or compost + sawdust”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch type had no effect on cumulative yield of Duke.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Treatment
- Mulch typee1
- Outcome
- cumulative yielde1
- Direction
- no effecte1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Mulch type had no effect on cumulative yield of ‘Duke’”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil temperature was warmer under weed mat than under sawdust.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- weed mate1
- Outcome
- Soil temperaturee1
- Direction
- warmere1
- Comparator
- sawduste1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Soil temperature was warmer under weed mat than under sawdust”
Claim · model-written summary
Plants on raised beds covered with weed mat required more irrigation than plants on flat ground mulched with sawdust.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- raised beds covered with weed mate1
- Outcome
- irrigatione1
- Direction
- moree1
- Comparator
- flat ground mulched with sawduste1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“plants on raised beds covered with weed mat required more irrigation than those grown on flat ground mulched with sawdust”
Claim · model-written summary
Duke produced heavier, larger and firmer berries than Liberty.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Outcome
- berriese1
- Direction
- heavier, larger, and firmere1
- Comparator
- Libertye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“‘Duke’ produced heavier, larger, and firmer berries with lower total soluble solids (TSS) than ‘Liberty’”
Claim · model-written summary
Duke berries had lower total soluble solids than Liberty berries.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Outcome
- total soluble solids (TSS)e1
- Direction
- lowere1
- Comparator
- Libertye1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“‘Duke’ produced heavier, larger, and firmer berries with lower total soluble solids (TSS) than ‘Liberty’”
Claim · model-written summary
Berry weight was greater on raised beds than on flat ground, but only by 3% (0.06 g/berry).
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- raised bedse1
- Outcome
- berry weighte1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 3% (0.06 g/berry)e1
- Comparator
- flat grounde1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“berry weight was greater on raised beds than on flat ground, on average, but only by 3% (0.06 g/berry)”
Claim · model-written summary
Berries on raised beds had slightly lower TSS than on flat ground in Liberty (15.2% and 15.7%).
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Libertye1
- Treatment
- raised bedse1
- Outcome
- TSSe1
- Direction
- lowere1
- Value
- 15.2% and 15.7%e1
- Qualifier
- 13.1% and 13.3%, respectively in ‘Duke’e1
- Comparator
- flat grounde1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Plants on raised beds also produced berries with slightly lower TSS than those on flat ground (15.2% and 15.7%, respectively, in ‘Liberty’, and 13.1% and 13.3%, respectively in ‘Duke’)”
Claim · model-written summary
In Duke, TSS was highest when fertilized with fish than with feather meal.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Treatment
- fishe1
- Outcome
- TSSe1
- Direction
- higheste1
- Comparator
- feather meale1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“In ‘Duke’, TSS was highest when fertilized at the high (13.7%) or low (13.4%) rate of fish, and was lower when using feather meal (12.9% and 13.1% for low and high rate, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
Plants fertilized with fish produced firmer fruit than with feather meal in five of the 7 years.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- fishe1
- Outcome
- fruite1
- Direction
- firmere1
- Qualifier
- in five of the 7 years in which the measurements were takene1
- Comparator
- feather meale1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“Plants fertilized with fish produced firmer fruit than with feather meal in five of the 7 years in which the measurements were taken”
Claim · model-written summary
The higher fertilizer rate increased berry firmness compared with the low rate in six of the 7 years.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- higher rate of either producte1
- Outcome
- berry firmnesse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Qualifier
- in six of the 7 yearse1
- Comparator
- the low ratee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“fertilization with the higher rate of either product increased berry firmness compared with the low rate in six of the 7 years”
Claim · model-written summary
In Duke on raised beds with weed mat and the high rate of feather meal, yield increased to 10.2-19.3 t/ha depending on year.
- Taxon
- Northern Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Dukee1
- Treatment
- raised beds with weed mat and fertilized with the high rate of feather meale1
- Outcome
- yielde1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 10.2−19.3 t·ha −1e1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Northern Highbush Blueberry”
e1“when plants were grown on raised beds with weed mat and fertilized with the high rate of feather meal, yield increased to 10.2−19.3 t·ha −1 , depending on year, in ‘Duke’”
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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.