Abstract
Soil amendment, mulching, and fertilization practices are key components of blueberry production, yet grower practices range widely and long-term impacts are not commonly studied. ‘Elliott’ northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) was evaluated from establishment to maturity (2003–18) to investigate the impacts of pre-plant sawdust incorporation (with or without 141 m 3 ·ha −1 sawdust incorporated into the bed area), sawdust mulch (with or without an 8-cm-deep layer on soil surface), and N fertilizer rate (low, medium, and high, increased incrementally from 22, 67, and 112 kg·ha −1 in 2004, respectively, to 56, 168, and 269 kg·ha −1 of N from 2010 to 2018). Soil with sawdust incorporated had 4.3% soil organic matter at the end of the study in 2018 compared with 3.4% for nonincorporated soil. Soil pH was higher with sawdust incorporation and mulch when plants were young, but by 2011 these treatments were similar. High rates of N fertilization decreased soil pH by 0.3 to 0.4 throughout the study compared with the low rate, but all treatments were within or above the recommended pH range (4.5–5.5) throughout the study. Low levels of N fertilization were associated with higher soil pH and lower leaf N in most years, but higher leaf Ca and often any impacts of the low N rate were mitigated when sawdust was incorporated. Soil and leaf Ca increased when sawdust was incorporated and used as a mulch and when fertilizing with the low rate of N, but fruit Ca concentration only increased with mulch and the low N rate, whereas levels decreased with incorporation. When sawdust was not incorporated before planting, N fertilization rate affected leaf N, Ca, S, and Mn concentration, whereas this was not found when soil was amended with sawdust. Unmulched plants generally had higher leaf N, K, Fe, and Al but lower leaf Ca compared with mulched. Sawdust incorporation increased yield 4% and produced fruit with higher total soluble solids (TSS), but similar firmness, on average (2008–13), than for unamended soil. There was no main effect of mulch on yield or berry traits; however, plants grown with sawdust incorporated and no mulch had 7% greater yield per plant (averaged over 2006–13) compared with incorporated with mulch or nonincorporated with or without mulch. Nitrogen fertilization rate had no effect on yield, but berry weight was greater with low or medium N rates, particularly when sawdust was not incorporated. Net returns from higher yield with sawdust incorporation more than compensated for the materials and labor costs. Berry firmness and TSS were similar among incorporation, mulch, and fertilizer treatments for most years. Incorporating sawdust before planting resulted in an estimated $7680/ha greater net profit from fruit sales during the study period, more than compensating for the initial materials and application cost ($3150/ha). Use of the low rate of N from 2004 to 2018 saved $2680/ha and $5152/ha compared with the medium and high rates, respectively.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation raised final soil organic matter to 4.3%, compared with 3.4% without incorporation.
- Taxon
- Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosumt0 - Treatment
- sawdust incorporatede0
- Outcome
- soil organic mattere0
- Direction
- higherinferrede0
- Value
- 4.3%e0
- Qualifier
- 3.4%e0
- Comparator
- nonincorporated soile0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil with sawdust incorporated had 4.3% soil organic matter at the end of the study in 2018 compared with 3.4% for nonincorporated soil.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation and mulch increased soil pH while plants were young, but treatment levels were similar by 2011.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- sawdust incorporation and mulche0
- Outcome
- Soil pHe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- when plants were young, but by 2011 these treatments were similare0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil pH was higher with sawdust incorporation and mulch when plants were young, but by 2011 these treatments were similar.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
High nitrogen fertilizer rates decreased soil pH by 0.3 to 0.4 relative to the low rate.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- High rates of N fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- soil pHe0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 0.3 to 0.4e0
- Comparator
- the low ratee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“High rates of N fertilization decreased soil pH by 0.3 to 0.4 throughout the study compared with the low rate”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
The low nitrogen rate was associated with higher soil pH and lower leaf nitrogen in most years.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Low levels of N fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- higher soil pH and lower leaf Ne0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- in most yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Low levels of N fertilization were associated with higher soil pH and lower leaf N in most years”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation and mulch increased soil and leaf calcium.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- sawdust was incorporated and used as a mulche0
- Outcome
- Soil and leaf Cae0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil and leaf Ca increased when sawdust was incorporated and used as a mulch”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
The low nitrogen fertilizer rate increased soil and leaf calcium.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- fertilizing with the low rate of Ne0
- Outcome
- Soil and leaf Cae0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil and leaf Ca increased when sawdust was incorporated and used as a mulch and when fertilizing with the low rate of N”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch and low nitrogen fertilizer increased fruit calcium concentration.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- mulch and the low N ratee0
- Outcome
- fruit Ca concentratione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fruit Ca concentration only increased with mulch and the low N rate”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation decreased fruit calcium concentration.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- incorporatione0
- Outcome
- levelse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“levels decreased with incorporation”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Without sawdust incorporation, nitrogen rate affected leaf nitrogen, calcium and sulfur concentrations.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- N fertilization ratee0
- Outcome
- leaf N, Ca, Se0
- Qualifier
- When sawdust was not incorporated before plantinge0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When sawdust was not incorporated before planting, N fertilization rate affected leaf N, Ca, S, and Mn concentration”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Without sawdust incorporation, nitrogen rate affected leaf manganese concentration.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- N fertilization ratee0
- Outcome
- Mn concentratione0
- Qualifier
- When sawdust was not incorporated before plantinge0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When sawdust was not incorporated before planting, N fertilization rate affected leaf N, Ca, S, and Mn concentration”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Unmulched plants generally had higher leaf nitrogen, potassium and iron than mulched plants.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Unmulchede0
- Outcome
- leaf N, K, Fee0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- mulchede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Unmulched plants generally had higher leaf N, K, Fe, and Al but lower leaf Ca compared with mulched.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Unmulched plants generally had higher leaf aluminum than mulched plants.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Unmulchede0
- Outcome
- Ale0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- mulchede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Unmulched plants generally had higher leaf N, K, Fe, and Al but lower leaf Ca compared with mulched.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Unmulched plants generally had lower leaf calcium than mulched plants.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Unmulchede0
- Outcome
- leaf Cae0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- mulchede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Unmulched plants generally had higher leaf N, K, Fe, and Al but lower leaf Ca compared with mulched.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation increased blueberry yield by 4%.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Sawdust incorporatione0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 4%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sawdust incorporation increased yield 4%”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation produced fruit with higher total soluble solids.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Sawdust incorporatione0
- Outcome
- total soluble solids (TSS)e0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sawdust incorporation increased yield 4% and produced fruit with higher total soluble solids (TSS)”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Plants with sawdust incorporated but no mulch yielded 7% more per plant than the other incorporation and mulch combinations.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- sawdust incorporated and no mulche0
- Outcome
- yield per plante0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 7%e0
- Comparator
- incorporated with mulch or nonincorporated with or without mulche0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“plants grown with sawdust incorporated and no mulch had 7% greater yield per plant (averaged over 2006–13) compared with incorporated with mulch or nonincorporated with or without mulch”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Berry weight was greater with low or medium nitrogen rates, particularly without sawdust incorporation.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- low or medium N ratese0
- Outcome
- berry weighte0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- particularly when sawdust was not incorporatede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“berry weight was greater with low or medium N rates, particularly when sawdust was not incorporated”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Sawdust incorporation increased estimated net profit from fruit sales by $7680/ha.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- Incorporating sawdust before plantinge0
- Outcome
- net profit from fruit salese0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- $7680/hae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Incorporating sawdust before planting resulted in an estimated $7680/ha greater net profit from fruit sales”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen rate saved $2680/ha relative to the medium rate.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- the low rate of Ne0
- Outcome
- savede0
- Direction
- savede0
- Value
- $2680/hae0
- Comparator
- mediume0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Use of the low rate of N from 2004 to 2018 saved $2680/ha and $5152/ha compared with the medium and high rates, respectively.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
Claim · model-written summary
Low nitrogen rate saved $5152/ha relative to the high rate.
- Taxon
- Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumt0
- Treatment
- the low rate of Ne0
- Outcome
- savede0
- Direction
- savede0
- Value
- $5152/hae0
- Comparator
- highe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Use of the low rate of N from 2004 to 2018 saved $2680/ha and $5152/ha compared with the medium and high rates, respectively.”
t0“‘Elliott’ Highbush Blueberry”
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 →growing medium · nutrient: content · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- negative
nitrogen · nutrient: content · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- positive
2 papers more in this group
See all 6 papers →growing medium · yield · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
8 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- positive
7 papers more in this group
See all 11 papers →fertilization · nutrient: content · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
7 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- no effect
9 papers more in this group
See all 13 papers →nitrogen · yield · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Positive and negative results
10 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction
- positive
- no effect
- no effect
10 papers more in this group
See all 14 papers →fertilization · soil: chemistry · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- negative
growing medium · quality: sugar starch · Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.