Effects of Mulching Blueberry Plants with Cranberry Fruits and Leaves on Yield, Nutrients and Weeds
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Compost Science & Utilization, (2008), Vol. 16, No- 4,220-227 Effects of Mulching Blueberry Plants With Cranberry Fruits and Leaves On Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Weed Suppression U. Krogmann , B.F. Rogers , and S. Kumudini 2, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, Neiv Brunswick, New jersey 2. Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky Integration of local organic wastes as mulches into farm production can provide waste management op- tions and an alternative to landfilling. In 2000, cranberry growers needed ways to dispose of excess cran- berries caused by overproduction and a federal regulation limiting the fruit's marketable production. This study examined the use of excess cranberry fruits and leaves as mulches on established blueberry plants. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of these novel mulches on established blueberry plant nutrient uptake, fruit yield, selected soil chemical properties and weed suppression. A randomized block design was set up and maintained for two years with four different mulch treatments (no mulch, 5.1- cm cranberry fruit, 10.2-cm cranberry fruit and 10.2-cm cranberry leaves). Leaf tissue nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, S, B, Al), fruit yield and average fruit size, selected soil properties, weed biomass and number of weed types were determined. In the second year, the fruit yield in the mulched treatments was lower than in the control (P<0.05), but not the fruit size. One possible reason is a significant decrease in leaf nitrogen uptake observed in some mulch plots. Weed biomass was significantly reduced along with species diversity. This study shows that novel mulches need to be carefully evaluated before being used due to their potential environmental and plant impacts. Introduction An overproduction of cranberries and a dramatic decrease in cranberry prices in 1999 in the United Identifying beneficial uses of organic wastes can States resulted in a federal regulation to limit mar- provide farmers, food processors and municipalities ketable production of cranberry fruit in 2000 (USDA with much-needed organic waste management op- 2000). The nahire of perennial crop production meant tions. Organic wastes have been used as mulches with that producers did not have any means of limiting pro- positive effects on plant productivity, soil physical duction of their crop, but were forced to find ways of and chemical properties and weed growth inhibition. disposing of the crop produced that was in excess of Typically, studies have shown mulches decrease tem- their federally regulated limit. Cranberry growers perature fluctuation, increase water retention in soil throughout the United States urgently needed ways to (Bristow 1988, Mbagwu 1991, Monks ct al. 1997, Pick- manage and dispose of excess cranberry fruit harvest ering et al. 1998, Pinamonti 1998, Movahedi Naeini in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner. and Cook 2000) and suppress weed growth (Monks ct In New Jersey, cranberry production is in proximity to al. 1997, Ashworth and Harrison 1983). While increas- blueberry acreage. Since blueberry plants require a soil es in available nitrogen and organic matter are often pH in the range of 4.8 to 5.5 (Eck 1988) and the cran- recorded in mulched soils (Pinamonti 1998, Movahedi berry fruit is Wghly acidic, investigators proposed the Naeini and Cook 2000), son:\e studies with organic use of cranberry fruit waste as a mulch in blueberry mulches, typically with high C/N ratios, have shown fields to integrate a locally produced organic waste nitrogen immobilization and little change in soil or- with the agricultural market. The close proximity of ganic matter after mulch application (Pickering and the cranberry fruit waste to the blueberry plants places Shepherd 2000, Lloyd et al. 2002). These variations in the organic mulch source close to its end use, keeping nutrient availability are often dependent on soil type hauling costs relatively low. and type of organic mulch applied. Therefore, it is im- Many studies have found that mulches can be ben- portant to identify the organic mulch characteristics in eficial to blueberry plant growth and yield. However, order to understand the potential effects the mulch most of these studies only tested the effects of mulch will have on soil and plants. on newly planted blueberry bushes and mainly looked 220 Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2008 Effects of Mulching Blueberry Plants with Cranberry Fruits and Leaves On Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Weed Suppressiott at sawdust and pine bark nuggets as mulch sources stockpiled before being applied. The cranberry leaves (Townsend 1973, Haynes and Swift 1986, Magee and were waste of the 1999 cranberry harvest at the Rut- Spiers 1995, Goulart et al. 1997, Spiers 1998). Few stud- gers University experimental station and were stored ies have examined the effect of mulches on established and aged in a stockpile on-site. Prior to application, highbush blueberry plants that grow in sandy acid both, the cranberry fruit and leaves, were Üioroughly soils. Blueberry plants have fibrous, shallow roots that mixed with a front end loader to reduce the variabili- lack root hairs, making them poor competitors with ty of the organic materials. weeds for nutrients and water (Pritts and Hancock In December 2000, the mulch was applied at the 1992). Mulching blueberry plants has the potential to designated depths starting at the hase of the blue- release nutrients slowly, conserve water in sandy soil berry plants and ending at the edges of the raised and suppress weed growth (Krewer 2001). row. The mulch depth was re-measured in Decem- By mulching established blueberry plants with ber 2001 and additional mulch was added to adjust excess cranberry leaves and fruit, growers may ben- the depth. In 2001, the same mulch was applied as in efit from the waste product and have an alternative 2000 because the mulch had visibly not changed in disposal solution for the over-production of cran- the stockpiles. berries. However, the novel mulch needs to be Eor the mulch analysis, two to three composite properly managed and its effect on the blueberry samples of each of the stockpiled wastes were collect- plant and soil needs to be determined. The objective ed by thoroughly mixing several grab samples in De- of this study was to quantify the effects of four cember 2000 and November 2001. To evaluate changes mulch treatments (no mulch, 5.1 cm and 10.2 cm in the land applied mulches, samples were also taken cranberry fruit, and 10.2 cm cranberry leaves) on a) from the plots in October 2001 and November 2002. selected soil chemical properties, b) plant nutrient Standard methods for the examination of water uptake, c) fruit yield and d) weed suppression. and wastewater were used for the analysis of the wastes for moisture content, NO -N and electrical Materials and Methods conductivity (APHA, 1985). United States Environ- mental Protection Agency standard methods for Experimental Design chemical analysis of water and wastes were used to determine total Kjeldahl N (TKN), NH -N and pH The research was conducted at the Phillip E. (USEPA 1979). The waste samples were air-dried, Marucci Center for Cranberry and Blueberry Research ground, and analyzed for P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Na, Ee, Al, in Chatsworth, New Jersey from December 2000 to No- Mn, Cu and 2n using the USEPA SW-846 methods for vember 2002. The field site contained four 1.22-m wide evaluating solid waste (USEPA,1986). In addition, se- raised rows of highbush blueberry plants, cultivar lected waste samples were analyzed for total carhon 'Bluecrop'ÍVoccmítmi corymbosumL.) spaced 2.75 m using a dry combustion automated system LECO- apart that were established in 1982 on approximately CNS-2000 (LECO Corp., St. Joseph, Minnesota). 0.405 ha of Lakehurst sand (mesic, coated Aquodic Quarzipsamments). The highbush blueberry plants, Blueberry Production Vacciniutn corymbosum L. cv Bluecrop, were planted 1.22 m apart in the row and bordered by the highbush Throughout the study, the plants received uni- blueberry cultivar, Vaccinium corymbosum cv 11-104. form recommended split application of 10-10-10 fertil- The experiment was set up in a randomized complete izer in May and June (Chamberlain & Barclay, Cran- block design with four treatments and six replications. bury, NJ) supplying 67 kg N/ha per year. In 2002, The four treatments were (i) control (no mulch), and fertilizer was applied at 50% above the recommended three different mulch treatments, (ii) 5.1-cm and (iii) amounts because of the lower than recommended leaf 10.2-cm cranberry fruit and (iv) 10.2-cm cranberry tissue N levels (below 1.7% leaf nitrogen) measured in leaves. Each treatment consisted of three experimental 2001 (Pritts and Hancock 1992). Overhead sprinklers plants with two border plants separating each treat- applied irrigation water as needed. Insect control and ment (plot size: 1.22 m x 6.11 m). pruning were conducted according to current prac- tices (Pritts and Hancock 1992). Mulch Plant nutrient uptake was determined by leaf analysis the first week of July in 2001 and the last week The cranberry fruit used as mulch for the experi- of July in 2002 (Pritts and Hancock 1992). Thirty leaves ment, Vaccinium macrocarpon cv 'Stevens', was har- per treatment replicate were randomly collected from vested in October 2000 by a local cranberry farmer and the middle shoot. The leaves were gently washed in Compost Science & Utilization Autumn 2008 221 ti. Krogmann, B. F. Rogers, and S. Kumudini tap water to rinse off soil or spray residues and air away errors due to plant-to-plant variability in cane dried until brittle. Total nitrogen was determined us- number, normalizing the treatment means (Sokai and ing a dry combustion automated system Carlo Erba Rohlf 1981).