INFLUENCE OF THE PLANTING SUBSTRATE ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SOME NEW BLUEBERRY CVS RELEASED IN ROMANIA

  • Irina ANCU Research and Development Institute for Fruit Tree, Pitesti – Maracineni,
  • Mihai IANCU Research and Development Institute for Fruit Tree, Pitesti – Maracineni,
  • Paulina MLADIN Research and Development Institute for Fruit Tree, Pitesti – Maracineni,
  • Sergiu ANCU Research and Development Institute for Fruit Tree, Pitesti – Maracineni,
  • Gh. MLADIN Research and Development Institute for Fruit Tree, Pitesti – Maracineni,
  • Viorica CHITU Research and Development Institute for Fruit Tree, Pitesti – Maracineni,
Keywords: cultivar, yield, bush vigor, substrates

Abstract

The highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) in temperate zone needs more special conditions for its growth and fruiting. So, the soil should have a high organic matter content, a good permeability to water and a low pH ranging between 4.8-5.5. In Romania, such soil types are found on limmited areas. That is why, for extending this culture on other soil types with rather different properties than those above mentioned, it is absolutely necessary to apply some organic matters at planting and few years after, some amendments for pH adjusting.( Mladin P, 2007; Botez et al. 1986). During 2005-2007, some studies were conducted at RIFG Pitesti-Romania, to see the effects of some organic matter and sulphur aplications on the growth and fruiting of the newly bred blueberry cultivars. The experiment was located on a flat land, on the 3rd terrace of the ‛Raul Doamnei’ river. The blueberry was planted in the fall of 2004 at a planting distance of 2.8m x 1m according to the following experimental scheme: A factor: cultivars: Simultan; Delicia; Lax; Compact; Augusta; Azur; Blueray; B factor. Substrate applied at planting, with various combinations: 5 kg peat + 5 kg manure; 10 kg coniferous litter ; 5 kg peat+5 kg manure +40g powder sulphur. It was a field bifactorial experiment with 7x3 treatments as blocking design in 3 replications. The indicators for plant growth is the average value per 3 years (2005-2007) and those for fruiting, the average value per 2 years (2006-2007). The data were statistically calculated according to variance analysis method. On average, over the 3 years period (2005-2007), Simultan cv. versus the other cvs. on the 3 planting substrates showed a significantly higher annual growth/bush (156-270%) and a greater number of shoots/bush (156-277%), respectively. The same cultivar, Simultan versus the other 6 cvs. studied, on the same 3 planting substrates recorded a greater number of flower buds/bush (160-210%), of flower clusters/bush (131-249%) and of berries/bush (145-265%) over two year period (2006-2007). On the contrary, the average fruit weight of Simultan and Compact cvs. was significantly lower versus the other 5 cvs. studied, except to Azur cv., the fruit yield of Simultan cv. versus the other 5 cvs. was significantly greather by 143-265%. Over the 3 year period, the 7 blueberry cvs. showed a significant increase in all indicators on growth and fruiting in case of b1 and b3 planting substrate versus b2.