Effects of the growing systems on growth and yield of high-bush blueberries (V. corymbosum L.)
Sabri Braha
, Endrit Kullaj
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to present the impact of growing system of high-bush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) on growth and yield. In recent years, new approaches to intensive blueberry production have become necessary, especially in terms of planting systems. These systems are designed to avoid various difficulties related to the specific requirements that blueberries have regarding soil pH. Considering the grower’s interest in potting and raised beds planting methods, our study focused on four blueberry cultivars at five years of age, 'Duke', 'Huron', 'Blue Ribbon' and 'Draper' planted in pots and raised beds. Plant growth on pots was significantly lower for 'Duke' (147.5 dm3) compared to that on the raised bed (235 dm3) and 'Blue Ribbon' (150.1 dm3) compared to that on the raised bed (176.2 dm3). While the other two cultivars 'Huron' and 'Draper' were the opposite. The yield of 'Duke' was higher in pots (3370 g/plant) compared to that on the raised bed (3132 g/plant) but in 'Blue Ribbon' the yield was higher in the raised bed (3086 g/plant) compared to planting in pots (2969 g/plant). Moreover, even in 'Draper' the yield was higher (3895 g/plant) in the pot compared to the raised bed (3010 g/plant), while in 'Huron' the yield was also higher in the pot (2729 g/plant) compared to the raised bed (2451 g/plant). These data indicate that potting can be a useful method for blueberry cultivation.
Keywords: blueberry; plant volume; pots; raised bed; substrate; yield
Citation: Braha, S. & Kullaj, E. (2024). Effects of the growing systems on growth and yield of high-bush blueberries (V. corymbosum L.). Bulg. J. Agic. Sci., 30(3), 445–450
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| Date published: 2024-06-25
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