Abstract Detail

Horticulture

Boulanger Pelletier, Jade [1], Lapointe, Line [2], Rochefort, Line [3], Quenum, Mathieu [4].

Mineral fertilization stimulates root and leaf growth of cloudberry planted in harvested peatlands.

Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) is a berry species that occurs naturally in ombrotrophic peatlands. Its cultivation in industrial peatlands after horticultural peat extraction has ceased could maintain economic activities on these sites. However, cloudberry cultivation presents some difficulties. Rhizome segments collected in natural populations are the typical transplantation unit, but their low root density might explain the slow growth and high mortality observed during the first growing seasons. Mineral fertilization at planting could enhance early rooting of the bare rhizomes and contribute to the positive effect of fertilization we observed on plant growth the following years. Three doses of NPK fertilizers were applied at planting of bare rhizomes, in 2013 and 2014. Transplants (rhizomes, roots and leaves when present) were harvested at the end of each growing season and two more times during the growing season of 2014. Rhizomes and roots were scanned and analyzed with WinRhizo to estimate their total length. Leaves were measured, dried, and analyzed for their nutrient content. Fertilized plants produced roots two to four times longer than those of control plants after one complete growing season, but fertilization did not lead to an early rooting. At first harvest July 9), 80% of sprouting rhizomes had no roots. Fertilization increased leaf area and nutrient concentrations (N, P and K). The enhanced foliar nutrient concentrations in fertilized plants appeared before any increment in root length. These results suggest that the rhizome can absorb nutrients, at least when roots are absent. Absorption of more nitrogen in early summer may have increased photosynthetic rates, which in turn could have provided more carbon to supply plant sinks such as developing leaves and roots. Fertilization trials set up ten year ago in the same site continue to show positive effects of a single fertilization applied at planting. We conclude that fertilization applied at planting can improve cloudberry establishment and future growth eventually leading to improved plant cover and fruit yield.

1 - Université Laval, Biologie, 1045 avenue de la médecine local 3047-E, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
2 - Universite Laval, Dept De Biologie, Pavillon Vachon, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
3 - Universite Laval, Phytologie, pavillon Paul-Comtois, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
4 - Institut de recherche sur les zones côtières, Tourbe et tourbières, 232B avenue de l'église, Shippagan, NB, E8S 1J2, Canada

Keywords:
Rubus chamaemorus
mineral fertilization
root growth
foliar nutrients.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 14
Location: Salon 19/20/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 2:30 PM
Number: 14005
Abstract ID:136
Candidate for Awards:CSPB President's Award for Best Student Presentation