<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The low availability of soils with an appropriate pH value (4.2-5.2) is a factor limiting an increase in highbush blueberry acreage. The experiments examined the influence of a physiologically acidic urea phosphate fertilizer on the pH change of the soil and the mineral content in the soil, leaves, and fruit as well as polyphenols in the fruit of two highbush blueberry cultivars – ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Brigitta Blue’. The fertilizer, at doses of 30 and 60 kg of nitrogen per hectare, was used in the experiments in each of the three years of the study.After using 60 kg N ha−1, urea phosphate caused a reduction in soil pH. It also significantly influenced the total soil nitrogen content – the average for the cultivars was 7.40 mg in 2015, while in the control plots – 1.85 mg 100 g−1. These quantities are above the optimum recommended for highbush blueberry. At the same time, low amounts of this ingredient were found in the leaves (‘Sunrise’ – 1.83 mg; ‘Brigitta Blue’ – 1.77 mg 100 g−1).Even after the application of 30 kg of fertilizer in the second year, the phosphorus content in the soil was at a high level (> 4 mg 100 g−1). The amount of phosphorus also increased in the leaves and fruit. Despite considerable quantities of available magnesium in the soil after urea phosphate application, a significant reduction of this component was observed in the leaves and fruit compared to the unfertilized control bushes. The applied fertilizer reduced the amount of polyphenols in the fruit of the tested cultivars.</abstract>

The low availability of soils with an appropriate pH value (4.2-5.2) is a factor limiting an increase in highbush blueberry acreage. The experiments examined the influence of a physiologically acidic urea phosphate fertilizer on the pH change of the soil and the mineral content in the soil, leaves, and fruit as well as polyphenols in the fruit of two highbush blueberry cultivars – ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Brigitta Blue’. The fertilizer, at doses of 30 and 60 kg of nitrogen per hectare, was used in the experiments in each of the three years of the study.After using 60 kg N ha−1, urea phosphate caused a reduction in soil pH. It also significantly influenced the total soil nitrogen content – the average for the cultivars was 7.40 mg in 2015, while in the control plots – 1.85 mg 100 g−1. These quantities are above the optimum recommended for highbush blueberry. At the same time, low amounts of this ingredient were found in the leaves (‘Sunrise’ – 1.83 mg; ‘Brigitta Blue’ – 1.77 mg 100 g−1).Even after the application of 30 kg of fertilizer in the second year, the phosphorus content in the soil was at a high level (> 4 mg 100 g−1). The amount of phosphorus also increased in the leaves and fruit. Despite considerable quantities of available magnesium in the soil after urea phosphate application, a significant reduction of this component was observed in the leaves and fruit compared to the unfertilized control bushes. The applied fertilizer reduced the amount of polyphenols in the fruit of the tested cultivars.

Soil and highbush blueberry responses to fertilization with urea phosphate

Department of Horticulture West Pomeranian

Department of Fruit and Vegetable Processing

Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science

Department of Cereal Crop Production National Research Institute

Folia Horticulturae

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Soil and highbush blueberry responses to fertilization with urea phosphate"}

The low availability of soils with an appropriate pH value (4.2-5.2) is a factor limiting an increase in highbush blueberry acreage. The experiments examined...

Soil and highbush blueberry responses to fertilization with urea phosphate

Published Online: Dec 14, 2018

Page range: 295 - 305

Received: Jun 06, 2017

Accepted: Apr 06, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2018-0025

Keywords
macroelements, phenolics, soil pH,

© 2018 Ireneusz Ochmian et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Soil and highbush blueberry responses to fertilization with urea phosphate

Published Online: Dec 14, 2018

Page range: 295 - 305

Received: Jun 06, 2017

Accepted: Apr 06, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2018-0025

Keywordsmacroelements, phenolics, soil pH,

© 2018 Ireneusz Ochmian et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
macroelements, phenolics, soil pH,