Abstract
Coconut coir is widely used as a substrate component for southern highbush blueberry [(SHB) Vaccinium corymbosum L. interspecific hybrids] cultivation in containers. Coconut coir-based substrates can exhibit high potassium (K), sodium (Na), and chlorine (Cl) concentrations. Sodium in the substrate is particularly problematic because it can cause salinity stress and nutritional imbalances in young blueberry plants. Thus, Na removal is important to ensure transplant success. We hypothesized that preplant fertilization with large volumes of nutrient solution can reduce substrate salinity, replace Na with nutritional cations, and enhance blueberry establishment. We tested this hypothesis in a greenhouse experiment with ‘Snowchaser’ SHB grown in rhizoboxes filled with a 7:3 mix of coconut coir and perlite. Four different treatments were delivered every 24 hours starting 72 hours before transplant. Treatments included 1.75 g⋅L –1 calcium nitrate (CN), 2.38 g⋅L –1 monoammonium phosphate (MAP), deionized water, and well water. One rooted cutting was transplanted to each rhizobox. Rhizoboxes were fertigated during the 7-week cultivation period. We found that preplant fertilization increased nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) concentrations in the substrate without replacing Na. Thus, preplant fertilization increased substrate salinity. Preplant fertilization also promoted microbial respiration in the substrate at the start of the experiment. Treatments did not affect SHB root architecture, leaf area index, leaf greenness, or biomass accumulation, likely because nutrients delivered by the fertigation solution provided the plants with homogeneous optimal conditions. These findings suggest that preplant fertilization with large volumes of nutrient solution does not enhance blueberry establishment in coconut coir-based substrates.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Preplant fertilization increased substrate nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium concentrations.
- Taxon
- blueberrye1
- Treatment
- preplant fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) concentrations in the substratee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“preplant fertilization increased nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) concentrations in the substrate”
e1“young blueberry plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Preplant fertilization did not replace substrate sodium.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“without replacing Na”
e1“preplant fertilization increased nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca) concentrations in the substrate without replacing Na”
e2“young blueberry plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Preplant fertilization increased substrate salinity.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“preplant fertilization increased substrate salinity”
e1“young blueberry plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Preplant fertilization promoted microbial respiration in the substrate at the start.
- Taxon
- blueberrye1
- Treatment
- Preplant fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- microbial respiration in the substratee0
- Direction
- promotede0
- Qualifier
- at the start of the experimente0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Preplant fertilization also promoted microbial respiration in the substrate at the start of the experiment.”
e1“young blueberry plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Treatments did not affect blueberry root architecture, leaf area index or leaf greenness.
- Taxon
- blueberrye1
- Treatment
- Treatmentse0
- Outcome
- SHB root architecture, leaf area index, leaf greennesse0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Treatments did not affect SHB root architecture, leaf area index, leaf greenness, or biomass accumulation”
e1“young blueberry plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Treatments did not affect blueberry biomass accumulation.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Treatments did not affect SHB root architecture, leaf area index, leaf greenness, or biomass accumulation”
e1“young blueberry plants”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest preplant fertilization does not enhance blueberry establishment in coconut coir substrate.
Verbatim
e0“preplant fertilization with large volumes of nutrient solution does not enhance blueberry establishment in coconut coir-based substrates”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · nutrient: content · VacciniumPositive and negative results
9 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
13 papers more in this group
See all 17 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.