Maritime Provinces Wild Blueberry Fertilizer Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Field experiments were carried out over a 4-year period (2001–2004) at one commercial site in each of the Maritime Provinces, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The study was designed to determine the effects of applied fertilizer in sprout year only and in both sprout and crop year on leaf and soil concentration, plant development, and yield. Individually, sprout-year applications of fertilizers ammonium sulfate, di-ammonium sulfate, and 17-17-17 and crop-year application of ammonium sulfate did not affect soil and leaf concentrations, plant growth, or yield. When comparing the mean of fertilizer applications to unfertilized plots, levels of soil, P, K, and S were increased and soil pH decreased and leaf tissue concentrations of N, P, K, and S were increased. Stem length, number of live buds, and number of blossoms were increased; however, yield was not affected in the first cropping cycle and was lowered in the second cropping cycle by applications of fertilizers. Crop-year applications of ammonium sulfate provided no benefit to wild blueberry production.