Abstract:
Five treatments were compared using two half-highbush blueberry cultivars (cv Chippewa and Polaris) transplanted
and grown for their first three growing seasons at a site in Boutiliers Point, N.S., a Gibraltar brown sandy loam
(Ferro-Humic Podzol). The five treatments were as follows: Alfalfa meal + rock P + wood ash; NPK fertilizer;
Municipal Solid Waste (MSWC) compost; Ruminant compost; food waste, manure and yardwaste compost
(FMYC). All amendments were weighed and applied in an amount equivalent to the total N of the recommended
NPK fertilizer for blueberries, assuming 25% N availability from each of the organic amendments. Soil extractable
nutrients, leaf nutrients and fruit yields were measured and compared. The fertility treatments produced few effects
on extractable levels of nutrients in the soil and leaf. ‘Chippewa’ responded more than ‘Polaris’ to the fertility
treatments. The K fertilizing ability of the Ruminant compost was evident in all three growing seasons. ‘Chippewa’
showed consistent soil and leaf P response to Ruminant compost throughout the growing season; however, it failed
to produce a comparative increase in the fruit yield. The NPK fertilizer treatment reduced the soil pH compared to
other soil amendments while the MSW treatment increased the soil pH each year. The yield results showed that
there were no statistical differences between the treatments for either cultivar (one year of data). Thus, the composts
provided equivalent amounts of plant essential nutrients without increasing the trace element concentration in soil
and tissue.
