Development of alternate fertilization programs to mitigate nutrient problems found in long-term organic production systems

Overview

In long-lived organic blueberry production systems, nutrient imbalances caused by some fertilization and mulching practices can reduce yield and plant health. The ability to balance nutrient levels and thus improve productivity over time was evaluated in a mature planting of ‘Duke’ and ‘Liberty’ that had previously been used to study different mulching practices and various rates and sources of fertilizer. The prior fertilizer treatments were feather meal and fish emulsion, each applied initially at “low” and “high” rates of nitrogen (N), 29 and 57 kg·ha-1 N in 2007–08 and then increased incrementally as the planting matured to 73 and 140 kg·ha-1 N in 2013–2016. Mulch treatments included sawdust (9-cm deep), yard-debris compost (4-cm) + sawdust (5-cm) and weed mat. In winter 2016-17, existing weed mat was removed from plots where it was present, and new weed mat was installed on top of any existing organic mulches – thus changing the mulch treatments to weed mat (over bare soil), weed mat over sawdust, and weed mat over compost + sawdust from 2017–2020.

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