Abstract
This study examined the effects of nitrogen fertilization on populations of Rotylenchus robustus, Pratylenchus crenatus, and Paratrichodorus renifer, and indices of free-living nematode community structure, in relation to highbush blueberry production in British Columbia, Canada. The field experiment was established in fall of 2008 with six replicate plots of each of four experimental N fertilization treatments: 0, 100, 150, and 200% of the annual application rate recommended for conventional blueberry production in the region. Nematode populations were quantified annually from 2009 through 2015, and then nematode populations and root biomass were quantified at seven sample dates from 2016 through 2019. Population densities of R. robustus were consistently greater in the 100% treatment than in the 0, 150, and 200% treatments which did not differ from each other. Population densities of P. crenatus were consistently greater in the 150% treatment than in the 0, 100%, and 200% treatments. The nematode structure index and two indices of diversity declined monotonically with N fertilizer rate, indicating broader changes in the soil food web that could have had indirect, feedback effects on population dynamics of the plant-parasitic nematodes.
Highlights
Optimal soil conditions and production practices for highbush blueberry differ from other perennial fruit crops grown in the region: The optimal soil pH for blueberry production, 4.5 to 5.2, is lower than for most other crops
We suggest that the positive influences of N ferti lization on R. robustus and P. crenatus were mediated through enhanced availability of roots, as root biomass increased with N fertilization roughly in parallel with the increased nematode population densities
Populations of R. robustus and P. crenatus both responded positively, relative to unfertilized controls, to N fertilization at rates within the range of rates typically used by blueberry growers in the region
Summary
Optimal soil conditions and production practices for highbush blueberry differ from other perennial fruit crops grown in the region: The optimal soil pH for blueberry production, 4.5 to 5.2, is lower than for most other crops. In 2009, a field experiment was established in BC to assess the multi-year effects of a range of N fertilizer application rates and application methods on blueberry productivity, fruit quality, soil chemical properties, and potential for nitrate leaching (Ehret et al, 2014; Messiga et al, 2018). This experiment presented an opportunity to assess the effects of N fertilization on nematode populations under blueberry. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of N ferti lization on population densities of three species of plant-parasitic nematodes (Rotylenchus robustus, Pratylenchus crenatus, and Paratrichodorus renifer), root biomass, and indices of free-living soil nematode diversity and food web structure, under highbush blueberry
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