Abstract
Excess salinity is becoming a prevalent problem for production of highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium L. section Cyanococcus Gray), but information on how and when it affects the plants is needed. Two experiments, including one on the northern highbush ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivar, Bluecrop, and another on the southern highbush ( V. corymbosum interspecific hybrid) cultivar, Springhigh, were conducted to investigate their response to salinity and assess whether any suppression in growth was ion specific or due primarily to osmotic stress. In both cases, the plants were grown in soilless media (calcined clay) and fertigated using a complete nutrient solution containing four levels of salinity [none (control), low (0.7–1.3 mmol·d −1 ), medium (1.4–3.4 mmol·d −1 ), and high (2.8–6.7 mmol·d −1 )] from either NaCl or CaCl 2 . Drainage was minimized in each treatment except for periodic determination of electrical conductivity (EC) using the pour-through method, which, depending on the experiment, reached levels as high as 3.2 to 6.3 dS·m −1 with NaCl and 7.8 to 9.5 dS·m −1 with CaCl 2 . Total dry weight of the plants was negatively correlated to EC and, depending on source and duration of the salinity treatment, decreased linearly at a rate of 1.6 to 7.4 g·dS −1 ·m −1 in ‘Bluecrop’ and 0.4 to 12.5 g·dS −1 ·m −1 in ‘Springhigh’. Reductions in total dry weight were initially similar between the two salinity sources; however, by the end of the study, which occurred at 125 days in ‘Bluecrop’ and at 111 days in ‘Springhigh’, dry weight declined more so with NaCl than with CaCl 2 in each part of the plant, including in the leaves, stems, and roots. The percentage of root length colonized by mycorrhizal fungi also declined with increasing levels of salinity in Bluecrop and was lower in both cultivars when the plants were treated with NaCl than with CaCl 2 . However, leaf damage, which included tip burn and marginal necrosis, was greater with CaCl 2 than with NaCl. In general, CaCl 2 had no effect on uptake or concentration of Na in the plant tissues, whereas NaCl reduced Ca uptake in both cultivars and reduced the concentration of Ca in the leaves and stems of Bluecrop and in each part of the plant in Springhigh. Salinity from NaCl also resulted in higher concentrations of Cl and lower concentrations of K in the plant tissues than CaCl 2 in both cultivars. The concentration of other nutrients in the plants, including N, P, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, was also affected by salinity, but in most cases, the response was similar between the two salts. These results point to ion-specific effects of different salts on the plants and indicate that source is an important consideration when managing salinity in highbush blueberry.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
NaCl drainage EC reached 3.2 to 6.3 dS per metre.
Not reportedTaxonOutcome
Verbatim
e0“reached levels as high as 3.2 to 6.3 dS·m −1 with NaCl and 7.8 to 9.5 dS·m −1 with CaCl 2 .”
Claim · model-written summary
CaCl2 drainage EC reached 7.8 to 9.5 dS per metre.
Not reportedTaxonOutcome
Verbatim
e0“reached levels as high as 3.2 to 6.3 dS·m −1 with NaCl and 7.8 to 9.5 dS·m −1 with CaCl 2 .”
Claim · model-written summary
Bluecrop dry weight decreased with EC at 1.6 to 7.4 g per EC unit.
- Taxon
- Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosumt0 - Material
- Bluecrope0
- Treatment
- salinity treatmente0
- Outcome
- Total dry weighte0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 1.6 to 7.4 g·dS −1 ·m −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total dry weight of the plants was negatively correlated to EC and, depending on source and duration of the salinity treatment, decreased linearly at a rate of 1.6 to 7.4 g·dS −1 ·m −1 in ‘Bluecrop’ and 0.4 to 12.5 g·dS −1 ·m −1 in ‘Springhigh’.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Springhigh dry weight decreased with EC at 0.4 to 12.5 g per EC unit.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Springhighe0
- Treatment
- salinity treatmente0
- Outcome
- Total dry weighte0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 0.4 to 12.5 g·dS −1 ·m −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total dry weight of the plants was negatively correlated to EC and, depending on source and duration of the salinity treatment, decreased linearly at a rate of 1.6 to 7.4 g·dS −1 ·m −1 in ‘Bluecrop’ and 0.4 to 12.5 g·dS −1 ·m −1 in ‘Springhigh’.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Dry weight reductions initially were similar between salt sources, but NaCl caused larger declines by the study end in leaves, stems and roots.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Organ / stage
- leaves, stems, and rootse0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- dry weighte0
- Direction
- declined moree0
- Qualifier
- initially similar between the two salinity sourcese0
- Comparator
- CaCl 2e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Reductions in total dry weight were initially similar between the two salinity sources; however, by the end of the study, which occurred at 125 days in ‘Bluecrop’ and at 111 days in ‘Springhigh’, dry weight declined more so with NaCl than with CaCl 2 in each part of the plant, including in the leaves, stems, and roots.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Bluecrop mycorrhizal colonization declined with salinity.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Bluecrope0
- Treatment
- increasing levels of salinitye0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizal fungie0symbiont
- Outcome
- percentage of root length colonized by mycorrhizal fungie0
- Direction
- declinede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The percentage of root length colonized by mycorrhizal fungi also declined with increasing levels of salinity in Bluecrop and was lower in both cultivars when the plants were treated with NaCl than with CaCl 2 .”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Mycorrhizal colonization was lower with NaCl than CaCl2 in both cultivars.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizal fungie0symbiont
- Outcome
- percentage of root length colonized by mycorrhizal fungie0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- CaCl 2e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The percentage of root length colonized by mycorrhizal fungi also declined with increasing levels of salinity in Bluecrop and was lower in both cultivars when the plants were treated with NaCl than with CaCl 2 .”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
CaCl2 caused greater leaf damage than NaCl.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- CaCl 2e0
- Outcome
- leaf damagee0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- tip burn and marginal necrosise0
- Comparator
- NaCle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“However, leaf damage, which included tip burn and marginal necrosis, was greater with CaCl 2 than with NaCl.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
CaCl2 had no effect on tissue sodium uptake or concentration.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- CaCl 2e0
- Outcome
- uptake or concentration of Nae0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In general, CaCl 2 had no effect on uptake or concentration of Na in the plant tissues”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
NaCl reduced calcium uptake in both cultivars.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- Ca uptakee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl reduced Ca uptake in both cultivars and reduced the concentration of Ca in the leaves and stems of Bluecrop and in each part of the plant in Springhigh.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
NaCl reduced calcium concentration in Bluecrop leaves and stems.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Bluecrope0
- Organ / stage
- leaves and stemse0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- concentration of Cae0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl reduced Ca uptake in both cultivars and reduced the concentration of Ca in the leaves and stems of Bluecrop and in each part of the plant in Springhigh.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
NaCl reduced calcium concentration throughout Springhigh plants.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Material
- Springhighe0
- Organ / stage
- each part of the plante0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- concentration of Cae0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“NaCl reduced Ca uptake in both cultivars and reduced the concentration of Ca in the leaves and stems of Bluecrop and in each part of the plant in Springhigh.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
NaCl yielded higher tissue chlorine concentrations than CaCl2.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- concentrations of Cle0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- CaCl 2e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Salinity from NaCl also resulted in higher concentrations of Cl and lower concentrations of K in the plant tissues than CaCl 2 in both cultivars.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
NaCl yielded lower tissue potassium concentrations than CaCl2.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- NaCle0
- Outcome
- concentrations of Ke0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- CaCl 2e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Salinity from NaCl also resulted in higher concentrations of Cl and lower concentrations of K in the plant tissues than CaCl 2 in both cultivars.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity affected N, P and Mg concentrations, generally similarly between salts.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- N, P, Mge0
- Qualifier
- in most cases, the response was similar between the two saltse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The concentration of other nutrients in the plants, including N, P, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, was also affected by salinity, but in most cases, the response was similar between the two salts.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity affected S, B and Cu concentrations, generally similarly between salts.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- S, B, Cue0
- Qualifier
- in most cases, the response was similar between the two saltse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The concentration of other nutrients in the plants, including N, P, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, was also affected by salinity, but in most cases, the response was similar between the two salts.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity affected Fe, Mn and Zn concentrations, generally similarly between salts.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- salinitye0
- Outcome
- Fe, Mn, and Zne0
- Qualifier
- in most cases, the response was similar between the two saltse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The concentration of other nutrients in the plants, including N, P, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, was also affected by salinity, but in most cases, the response was similar between the two salts.”
t0“Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt source should be considered when managing highbush blueberry salinity.
- Taxon
- highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume0
- Outcome
- source is an important consideration when managing salinitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These results point to ion-specific effects of different salts on the plants and indicate that source is an important consideration when managing salinity in highbush blueberry.”
The same questions in other papers
salinity · growth · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- positive
- negative
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.