Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production
Blueberry (<i>Vaccinium</i><i>corymbosum</i> interspecific hybrids) production in soilless substrates is becoming increasingly popular. Soilless substrates have low pH buffering capacity. Blueberry plants preferentially take up ammonium, which acidifies the rhizosphere. Conse...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Horticulturae |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/4/74 |
| _version_ | 1797538558130520064 |
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| author | Michael J. Schreiber Gerardo H. Nunez |
| author_facet | Michael J. Schreiber Gerardo H. Nunez |
| author_sort | Michael J. Schreiber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Blueberry (<i>Vaccinium</i><i>corymbosum</i> interspecific hybrids) production in soilless substrates is becoming increasingly popular. Soilless substrates have low pH buffering capacity. Blueberry plants preferentially take up ammonium, which acidifies the rhizosphere. Consequently, soilless substrates where blueberry plants are grown exhibit a tendency to get acidified over time. Agricultural lime (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) is commonly used to raise soil and substrate pH in other crops, but it is rarely used in blueberry cultivation. We hypothesized that substrate amendment with low rates of agricultural lime increases substrate pH buffering capacity and provides nutritional cations that can benefit blueberry plants. We tested this hypothesis in a greenhouse experiment with ‘Emerald’ southern highbush blueberry plants grown in rhizoboxes filled with a 3:1 mix of coconut coir and perlite. We found that substrate amendment with CaCO<sub>3</sub> did not cause high pH stress. This amendment maintained substrate pH between 5.5 and 6.5 and provided Ca and Mg for plant uptake. When blueberry plants were grown in CaCO<sub>3</sub>-amended substrate and fertigated with low pH nutrient solution (pH 4.5), they exhibited greater biomass accumulation than plants grown in unamended substrates. These results suggest that low rates of CaCO<sub>3</sub> could be useful for blueberry cultivation in soilless substrates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:33:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b41e7e40fe1f455e864dbf474313acc7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:33:07Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-b41e7e40fe1f455e864dbf474313acc72023-11-21T14:31:10ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242021-04-01747410.3390/horticulturae7040074Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry ProductionMichael J. Schreiber0Gerardo H. Nunez1Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USAHorticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USABlueberry (<i>Vaccinium</i><i>corymbosum</i> interspecific hybrids) production in soilless substrates is becoming increasingly popular. Soilless substrates have low pH buffering capacity. Blueberry plants preferentially take up ammonium, which acidifies the rhizosphere. Consequently, soilless substrates where blueberry plants are grown exhibit a tendency to get acidified over time. Agricultural lime (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) is commonly used to raise soil and substrate pH in other crops, but it is rarely used in blueberry cultivation. We hypothesized that substrate amendment with low rates of agricultural lime increases substrate pH buffering capacity and provides nutritional cations that can benefit blueberry plants. We tested this hypothesis in a greenhouse experiment with ‘Emerald’ southern highbush blueberry plants grown in rhizoboxes filled with a 3:1 mix of coconut coir and perlite. We found that substrate amendment with CaCO<sub>3</sub> did not cause high pH stress. This amendment maintained substrate pH between 5.5 and 6.5 and provided Ca and Mg for plant uptake. When blueberry plants were grown in CaCO<sub>3</sub>-amended substrate and fertigated with low pH nutrient solution (pH 4.5), they exhibited greater biomass accumulation than plants grown in unamended substrates. These results suggest that low rates of CaCO<sub>3</sub> could be useful for blueberry cultivation in soilless substrates.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/4/74<i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i>containerammonium uptakesouthern highbush blueberry |
| spellingShingle | Michael J. Schreiber Gerardo H. Nunez Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production Horticulturae <i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i> container ammonium uptake southern highbush blueberry |
| title | Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production |
| title_full | Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production |
| title_fullStr | Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production |
| title_short | Calcium Carbonate Can Be Used to Manage Soilless Substrate pH for Blueberry Production |
| title_sort | calcium carbonate can be used to manage soilless substrate ph for blueberry production |
| topic | <i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i> container ammonium uptake southern highbush blueberry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/7/4/74 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaeljschreiber calciumcarbonatecanbeusedtomanagesoillesssubstratephforblueberryproduction AT gerardohnunez calciumcarbonatecanbeusedtomanagesoillesssubstratephforblueberryproduction |