Response of 'Tifblue' and 'Delite' rabbiteye blueberry plants to varying soil pH.

摘要

Two-year-old plants of the rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) cultivars Delite and Tifblue were planted 3 X 1.8 m apart into plots of Greenville sandy-clay loam at different pH during Feb. 1981 at Plains, Georgia. In 1982, there were 3 plots at pH 5.4, and 2 each at pH 5.6 and 6.5. After 7 years of annual fertilizer application (N:P:K of 49:7:27 kg/ha, respectively) and cropping, soil pH in all plots had fallen to 4.4-4.8. Only one of the original pH 6.5 plots had a final pH (4.8) significantlyhigher than any other plot; this plot also contained significantly more soil Ca and Mg, and leaf P, than other plots. The second original pH 6.5 plot contained similar Zn and Cu to the first pH 6.5 plot and significantly more than plots with a lower original pH. At soil pH 4.5-5.0, yields of Delite and Tifblue were 1281 and 1964 g/plant, respectively, marketable yield was 53 and 78%, respectively, and average fruit weight was 1.53 and 1.10 g, respectively. Marketable yield of Delite fell off at soil pH>4.8. Fruit weight in Tifblue rose at soil pH >4.9.