Abstract
Although northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fields are often fertigated using soluble or liquid fertilizers, recommendations for applying most nutrients to the crop, including K, are based on the use of granular fertilizers. The objective of the present study was to compare fertigation to granular application of K in a mature planting of Duke, a popular early season blueberry cultivar that ripens from June through July in Oregon and Washington. The plants were grown on raised beds and irrigated using two lines of drip tubing per row. Treatments were initiated in 2016 and included no K fertilizer, a single application of granular potassium sulfate (K 2 SO 4 ) in April, and fertigation once a week from April to August with soluble K 2 SO 4 or liquid potassium thiosulfate (K 2 S 2 O 3 ). Each treatment was applied for 2 years at a total rate of 70 kg·ha −1 K per year. The plants were also fertigated with 168 and 224 kg·ha −1 N in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and 30 kg·ha −1 P per year. Although extractable soil K was initially low at the site (144 mg·kg −1 ), the treatments had no effect on plant dry weight, yield, fruit quality, or the concentration of K in recently expanded leaves. However, during the first year of the study, K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3 reduced soil pH and increased the concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , and SO 4 2− in the soil solution under the drip emitters compared with no K or granular K 2 SO 4 , whereas granular application of K 2 SO 4 resulted in higher concentrations of K + between the emitters than any other treatment. Fertigation also affected the concentration of K in the fruit during the first year, although in this case, the concentration was lower with K fertigation than with no K or granular applications of K 2 SO 4 . During the second year, fertigation and granular K continued to result in higher concentrations of K + in soil solution under and between the drip emitters, respectively, but at this point, extractable soil K was higher with each of the K fertilizers than with no K. Consequently, the concentration of K in leaves sampled from entire plants in late September that year was higher with any of the K fertilizers than with no K. Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown. In many cases, concentrations of these nutrients were higher with one or more of the K fertilizers than with no K. Thus, regardless of the application method, K 2 SO 4 and K 2 S 2 O 3 appear to be good sources for increasing availability of K and other nutrients in the plants and soil. However, the amount of K in the plants was sufficient at the site, and therefore, none of the fertilizers provided a short-term benefit to growth or fruit production in the present study.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium treatments did not affect blueberry dry weight, yield, fruit quality or K in young leaves.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosume1 - Treatment
- treatmentse0
- Outcome
- plant dry weight, yield, fruit qualitye0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the treatments had no effect on plant dry weight, yield, fruit quality, or the concentration of K in recently expanded leaves.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium treatments did not affect K concentration in young blueberry leaves.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- treatmentse0
- Outcome
- concentration of K in recently expanded leavese0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the treatments had no effect on plant dry weight, yield, fruit quality, or the concentration of K in recently expanded leaves.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
First year K fertigation with K2SO4 reduced soil pH beneath emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- K fertigation with K 2 SO 4e0
- Outcome
- soil pHe0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- under the drip emitterse0
- Comparator
- no K or granular K 2 SO 4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3 reduced soil pH and increased the concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , and SO 4 2− in the soil solution under the drip emitters compared with no K or granular K 2 SO 4”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
First year K fertigation with K2S2O3 reduced soil pH beneath emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- K 2 S 2 O 3e0
- Outcome
- soil pHe0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- no K or granular K 2 SO 4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3 reduced soil pH and increased the concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , and SO 4 2− in the soil solution under the drip emitters compared with no K or granular K 2 SO 4”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
First year K2SO4 fertigation increased K, Ca and Mn in soil solution beneath emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- K fertigation with K 2 SO 4e0
- Outcome
- concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- no K or granular K 2 SO 4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3 reduced soil pH and increased the concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , and SO 4 2− in the soil solution under the drip emitters compared with no K or granular K 2 SO 4”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
First year K2S2O3 fertigation increased K, Ca and Mn in soil solution beneath emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- K 2 S 2 O 3e0
- Outcome
- concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+e0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- no K or granular K 2 SO 4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3 reduced soil pH and increased the concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , and SO 4 2− in the soil solution under the drip emitters compared with no K or granular K 2 SO 4”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertigation raised sulfate concentration in soil solution beneath emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3e0
- Outcome
- SO 4 2− in the soil solutione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- no K or granular K 2 SO 4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“K fertigation with K 2 SO 4 or K 2 S 2 O 3 reduced soil pH and increased the concentrations of K + , Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , and SO 4 2− in the soil solution under the drip emitters compared with no K or granular K 2 SO 4”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Granular K2SO4 increased soil solution K between emitters compared with all other treatments.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- granular application of K 2 SO 4e0
- Outcome
- concentrations of K + between the emitterse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- any other treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“granular application of K 2 SO 4 resulted in higher concentrations of K + between the emitters than any other treatment.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
First year K fertigation lowered K concentration in fruit compared with no K or granular K2SO4.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume2
- Treatment
- K fertigatione0
- Outcome
- concentration of K in the fruite1
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- no K or granular applications of K 2 SO 4e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the concentration was lower with K fertigation than with no K or granular applications of K 2 SO 4 .”
e1“Fertigation also affected the concentration of K in the fruit during the first year”
e2“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Second year fertigation raised soil solution K beneath drip emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- fertigatione0
- Outcome
- concentrations of K + in soil solutione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- under and between the drip emitterse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fertigation and granular K continued to result in higher concentrations of K + in soil solution under and between the drip emitters, respectively”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Second year granular K raised soil solution K between drip emitters.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- granular Ke0
- Outcome
- concentrations of K + in soil solutione0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fertigation and granular K continued to result in higher concentrations of K + in soil solution under and between the drip emitters, respectively”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Each K fertilizer increased extractable soil K over no K in year two.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- each of the K fertilizerse0
- Outcome
- extractable soil Ke0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- no Ke0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“extractable soil K was higher with each of the K fertilizers than with no K.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Each K fertilizer raised late September leaf K compared with no K.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- any of the K fertilizerse0
- Outcome
- concentration of K in leavese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- late Septembere0
- Comparator
- no Ke0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the concentration of K in leaves sampled from entire plants in late September that year was higher with any of the K fertilizers than with no K.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertilization altered Mg, S and B in blueberry leaves.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- Potassium fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- Mg, S, Be0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertilization altered Cu and Mn in blueberry leaves.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- Potassium fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- Cu, and Mne0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertilization altered Ca, Mg and B in blueberry fruit.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Organ / stage
- fruite0
- Treatment
- Potassium fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- Ca, Mg, and Be0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertilization altered Mn and Zn in blueberry woody canes.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Organ / stage
- woody canese0
- Treatment
- Potassium fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- Mn and Zne0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertilization altered P, Mg and S in blueberry crowns.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Organ / stage
- crowne0
- Treatment
- Potassium fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- P, Mg, Se0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
K fertilization altered Mn in blueberry crowns.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Organ / stage
- crowne0
- Treatment
- Potassium fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- Mne0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Potassium fertilization also altered concentrations of other nutrients in the plants, including Mg, S, B, Cu, and Mn in the leaves; Ca, Mg, and B in the fruit; Mn and Zn in the woody canes; and P, Mg, S, and Mn in the crown.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors conclude K2SO4 and K2S2O3 are useful to increase K and other nutrient availability in blueberry and soil.
- Taxon
- northern highbush blueberryVaccinium corymbosume1
- Treatment
- K 2 SO 4 and K 2 S 2 O 3e0
- Outcome
- increasing availability of K and other nutrientse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“regardless of the application method, K 2 SO 4 and K 2 S 2 O 3 appear to be good sources for increasing availability of K and other nutrients in the plants and soil.”
e1“northern highbush blueberry ( Vaccinium corymbosum L.)”
The same questions in other papers
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- positive
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- negative
- negative
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See all 13 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.