Organic farming does not allow using certain inputs, such
as N, which differ in nutrient release rates and dynamics.
To evaluate the effect of different organic fertilizers on
the vegetative, nutritional, and productive parameters of
blueberries (
Vaccinium corymbosum
L.), a pot experiment
was conducted in three consecutive seasons in a sandy
soil of south-central Chile using ‘Corona’, ‘Legacy’
and ‘Liberty’. The following fertilizers were evaluated:
compost (CM), Purely Grow (PG), Purely Lysine (PL),
Fertil (F), blood meal (BM), lupine meal (LM), along
with a control treatment without fertilization (C) and two
conventional treatments with urea (CF) and sodium nitrate
(S). Results indicate that vegetative growth and leaf N
concentration prior to senescence were different among
cultivars in the three evaluated seasons. The highest leaf
N concentration was recorded in ‘Corona’ followed by
‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’ while levels tended to increase in
the seasons. Quick-release N sources had greater effects
on these parameters but with differences among cultivars.
Fruit yield and weight were higher in ‘Corona’ followed
by ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’. Fruit yield was generally higher
when using LM and F and showed no effect on fruit
weight. Leaf chlorophyll content was higher in ‘Corona’
followed by ‘Legacy’ and ‘Liberty’, which increased when
using CF, LM, BM, and PG. Finally, the organic fertilizer
and blueberry cultivar that obtained the highest values for
most of the evaluated parameters were LM and Corona,
respectively.
