TIIE EFFECTS OF SOIL PII ON THE MINERAL COMPOSITION

ANI} GROWTII OF THE LOWBI]STI BI,UEBERRY

IvaN V. fler-r, Lnwrs E. A.qr-nnns, ,rsn Lr.ovo R. Tol't'Nsr:Nn
Resedrch Station, Canad.a Deparw.ent of Agri,c1rlrrye, K.etttoLille , Nrna Scotia
Received Jurre tr4, 1953

ABSTRACT
A greenhouse study of lo'*'bush trlueberries using five clonal iines, four
difterent growth media (soil, soil plus sarvdust, greenhouse potting compostJ
and greenhouse seed compost) and various pH levels (from 4.2 to 6'9) showed
that growth was affected by additions of dolomitic limestone. Optimum
growth occurred at the lowest pFI levels (+.2, 4.9, and 5.0) for tlrrce of the
media and for the seed compost at intermediate ler.els (4.9 and 5'5). Nutrient
uptake, foliar nutrient levels, and pH rvere ciosely associated with growth.
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Although some clones g.re\rr/ more tltan others the pattern of respnrlse to the
appJications of limestone was similar for all clones.

The soil of cornmerci"r ro-ffitflr"u"ffi1',rnfields in the Maritime Provinces

is strongly to very strongly acicl with pH'values ranging from 4.0 to 5.2.
Chandler (6), after applying lime to the surface of lowbush blueberry fields
in Maine, concluded that it increased fruit yields and that up to 18 tons per
acre could be applied without detrimental efTects. No other studies have been
reported on the effect of varying soil pI-I on the growth of the Iowbush blue-
berry. Cain and Galletta (4) rivierved the literaiure on the efiects of mineral
c'omposition and varying soil or nutrient pH on the grorvth of the highbush
blueberry. They cited evidence that the optimum pH for growth of the
highbusli bluebeiry r.vas in the range of 4.5 to i.g. Holrres (s) iimilarly found
For personal use only.

optimum growth at pH 4 to 5. At lorver pFI values growth was improved

by additions of phosphorus and at the higher pH values growth was improved
by the addition of an iron chelate, and chlorosis, u-hich generally occurs at high
pH, was partially alleviated. Oertli (11) also found that the chlorosis which
occuued in the highbush bluebeny at pH 5 could be alleviated by the addition
of chelated iron, but not by the addition of inorganic iron.
Trevett (12) determined the content of N, P, K, Ca, and A{q in lou'bush
blueberry leaves in Maine at weekly intervals throughout the grdwing season.
Lockhart and Langille (9) reported on the mineral composition of lou'bush
blueberry shoots from various sprout and fruidng fields in Nova Scotia. The
present study was undertaken to determine the effects of pH of the growth
media on the mineral composition and grorvth of the lowbush blueberry.
MATERIAI,S AND }IETHODS
Four growth media were made up as follows:
l. (j-in. mesh) taL'en frorn the top 6 in. of N,Iorristorvn clay
Scieened soil
loam (7) at Nofth Alton, Kings County, N.S., upon which lowbush blue-
berries were qrowing.
2. Screened Iandy l-oam from the Southampton Association (1+) at W'est
Brook, Cumberland County, N.S., mixed with slightly decomposed soft-
r,vood sawdust at the rate of 2 vol. soil to I vol. rriudrirt.
3. John Innes potting compost consisting of 7 bu Berwick sandv Ioam 17)
from Kentville, Kings Countyr N.S., 3 bu peat, 2 bu sand, 32 oz dried beef
blood, 6 oz IGSO", and 18 oz superphosphate.
No, I I 44.

-'c*tribotion
Can. J, Plant Sci. Vol. 44 (1964)

+3t
 t)n CANADIAN .JOURNAI, OF PI.AN:I' SCIENCE [Vol; 44

4. John Innes seed compost consisting of I bu screened Thom (5) loam

soil from Cregnish, Inverness County, N.S., 2 bu peat. I hu sand, I lb super-
phosphate, 50 g MgSO..7H,O, and 50 g FeSO..7H,O.
In order to ascertain the quantities of dolomitic limestone required to raise
the pH of the four medja to-predetermined levels, samples of each u'ere in-
cubated with various amounts of limestone. The required qurrltities were
estimated from the curve obtained by plotting pH values against amounts of
limestone added. In all cases the pH levels chosen were increments of one
whole unit above the original pH r,'alue up to a maximum of pH 7. Three
levels were obtained forinedium No. 1,'three fol medium N'o. 2, rwo for
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medium No. 3, and four for medium No. 4.

For plant material, sofrwood cuttings were taken from five representative
lowbush blueberry clones on August 2, 1962. These were set in flats con-
taining a mixture of 3 parts peat to I part "Perlite"' and were rooted in a mist
chamber having bottom heat. On September 14 they were transplanted into
4-in. pots containing the growth media. For media 7,2, and 3, the five clones
rvere replicated 5 times at each pH level, whereas for medium 4 they
"vere
replicated 6 times. The plants \uer" gro.un in a greenhouse rvith a night
temperature of 65"F and with normal daylight supplemented for 16 hours per
day with 25 rvatts of incandescent light per square foot. The lights were sus-
p.hd.d 2 ft above the foiiage. The pTants'*.16 gtouped first by cione, secondly
by medium, and were randomized within these groups. The pots \4rere rotated
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within each clone-medium combination every week until January 8, 1963,

when the olants rvere harvested. Records were taken of total length of shoot
"the
growth, #eight of tops, extent of root development, and pH of medium
for each pot.
The ieplicates of each clone were composited for each soil medium at each
pH level and the various elements determined in the dried and ashed leaves
from each composite. Total nitrosen was determined bv the micro-Kleldahl
method (1) an& potassium and malgnesium by flame ph<ltometry (10).' The
method of AtlacKay and Delong (10) was modified for calcium determinations
by the addition of phosphoric acid to all standards and unknowns to nullify
the interference of phosphorus. Phosphorus, iron, and rnanganese rvere deter-
mined accordinq to the methods outlined by Ward and Johnston (13).
For soil anilysis each medium was composited at each of the various-pH
levels without rdgard to either clone or replication, making a total of 12
-magnesium,
samples. The.orfanic matter content; exchangeable,calcium, and
potassium; cation exchange capacity; and adsorbed pltrs easily acid-soluble
'phosphoms were determiried in^eactr, sample (2).

For three of the fo.r, *ro-r}l"J.Ttl?u three measures of srowth were

directly related to pH leveliwith the best growth appearing at t6e lowest pH
levels (Table 1). 'In the fourth medium"the gt"rtd.t rveight of shoots ind
length of shoot grorvth occurred at intermediate pH levels suggesting that the
opt'lrnorn pH leiel for growth may have been r^eachcd. H<itieuer,-root de-
vi,lopment showed no sifns of leveliing off. There were significant differences
"signi6cant
betrieen clones but no cldnal interactions.
-'
ryotr"to Perlite Corp., 100 Sugg Road, Bufialo 25, N.Y.
 September 19641 HALL ET .4.L.-LO\4BTTSH BI,UEBERRI

Tesr,B 1. EFrBcr or pH or rHE GRotrrrH MEDTUM oN GRowrE AND LEAF coMPosITIoN oF

LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY

Wt. of Length Root

shoots of shoots rating N f) K Ca tr'Ig Nln Fe
Soil No. pH (g/p1ant) (cmlplant) (t to 5) (%) (11) (%) (%) (%) (p.p.-.Xp.p.'n')
4.9 +.61 60.1 4.0 1.60 0.12 0.51 0.56 0.19 2088 122
5.8 3.48 2.9 r.77 0.11 0.45 0.57 0.26 47 r r29
6.9 1.36 16.1 2.0 1.61 0.08 0.36 0.62 0.35 287 164

+.2 3.,18 54.0 3.9 r.47 0.12 0.59 0.60 4488 135
0.18
5.3 2.09 J -I.J 3.2 1.55 0.11 0.55 0.54 1538 150
0.30
6.8 0.88 12.2 1.9 L.+r 0.07 0.4r 0.690.50 443 217
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5.0 7.20 88.1 3.4 r.62 0.t4 0.79 0.54 0.17 1292 123
6.3 4.38 .53.8 2.6 r.47 0.11 0.69 0.52 0.18 1.45 142

4 4.2 3.62 56.4 3.6 1.19 0.17 0.65 0.70 0.28 +340 237
4.9 3.80 60.2 3.2 t.22 0.1+ 0.54 0.69 0.25 3237 195
5.5 3.85 59.0 3.1 1.21 0.13 0.48 0.68 0.30 r52r r79
6.8 2.42 34.6 2.t 1.08 0.10 0.41 0.66 0.38 329 122

L.S.D. (P : .01) 0.59 0.5 0.13 0.03 0.06 0.07 0.06 720 49
L.S.D. (P : .001) 0.76 9.4 0.6 0.18 0.03 0.08 0.10 0.08 955 65

The levels of in the foliage de-

phosphor-us, potassium, and mansanese
creased consistently as the pH^ increased, u,hereas"the level of magiesium
generally increased'(Table I j. Calcium remained fairly constant irrelpective
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6f oH. i"hil. iron increased rvith pH in three soils and decreased in the iourth.
The nitrogen values were highest at intermediate pH levels.
In nearly all cases the total uptake of mineral nutrients reflected directly
the amount .if gro*th produced orl the plants (Table 2).
The exchanqeable calcium and magnesium in the growth medium reflected
the amounts of dolo-itic limestone"added (Table-3). The exchanseable

Tesr,B 2. Torer- uprarn (nc/rr,Lwr) oF cERTAIN MINERAT. NUTRTENTS

BY LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY LEAVES

Dry
Growth media wt. of
leaves
pH (mg/plant) Mg Mn

4.9 1016 16.4 1.20 5.2 5.6 1.92 2.12

5.6 776 t3.6 0.84 3.6 4.4 2 .00 0.37
6.9 404 o.4 0.32 1.6 2.4 |.40 0.t2
4.2 780 tl .6 0.92 4.8 4.8 t.+0 3.50
5.3 396 6.0 0.4+ 2.0 | .20 0.61
6.8 208 2.8 0. 16 0.8 1.6 1 .04 0 .92

5.0 1404 22.8 I .96 tI .2 /-o 2 .40 1 .81

6.3 832 0.92 5.6 4.4 |.48 0.r2
IJJ 8.7 1.23 +.1 5.0 2.07 3.18
4.9
5.5 ;"
lvJ 9.7 1 .03 {t .') . .t 2.37 | .21
6.8 J.I J 5./ 0 .50 2.0 J,J t.97 0.t7
 436 cANAuAN JouRNAL oF pLANT scrENcE [Vol, 44

Trnr-r 3. Crrnrrcl:- ,{.\Ar-vsrs oF coMpostrED sArrpLES oF GRo\vrH MEDrA

cation $,*?*i't"
( )ro exch. acid-soluble
Nledia lnatter Ca lvig K capacity phosphorus
No. pI-{ \ /c ) (meq/100 g) (meq/l00 g) (meq/100 g) (meq/100 g) (P) (p.p.m.)
4.9 10.2 2.63 0.90 026 21.10 16
5.8 9.2 5 .89 3 .00 029 21 .28
6.9 9 .7 938 s .33 0.24 22.25 20

+.2 8.1 3 .00 1 .80 0.21 r7.t2 8

5.3
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5.3 4.75 2.16 0.21 17.38 8

6.8 7 .5 9.04 132 0.19 16.63 12

5.0 6.0 5 .8S 1.17 0 .1+ 12.7+ 189

6.3 5.8 7 .46 2 .14 0.73 L2.58 195

4.2 1,0.7 4.90 |.2r 0. 13 18.2A 104

4.9 10.9 o.5J 1 .93 0.14 19.00 2t2
5.5 t2 .0 8 .44 J.ZJ 0. 15 2r.00 11i
6.8 9.r 11.10 +.ll 0. 16 18.58 21,6

'fe,sle 4. Ernocr oF FoLIAR NUTRTENT LEvEL AliD GRowrH ueore pH oN THE srEM GRowrH
OF LO\\iBTTSE BLUEBERRY PLANTS AS MEASURED BY CORRELATION COEFFICIENTS

Correlarion cocfficit nt between stem growth and

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Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium N,P,K pH

Nledia No. ( partial ) (partial) (partial) (multiple) (simple)

I
,) +.196 + .465 +.739*x +.959tn - .923+4
-.206 -L )116, +.420 + .893**
r - .968*x

+ .761**
+ .710 - .203 o14+*
- .979*4
.755*r
4 +.858** -
Pooled +.234 + .099 +.371* +.790+* - .966+*

*Significantly different fron zero at p : ,05 level.

*xSignificantly different from zero at f : .01 level.

potassium, cation exchange capacity, adsorbed plus eesily acid-soluble phos-

irhorur, and content of oiganii matier did not viry greatiy with pH within a
given grorvth medium, bui there were differences b;tween media.
The correlations betrn'een length of stem growth and, pH, and the multiple
correlation of stem gro$'th on per cenr nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassiurr\
were calculated r,vithin media (Table 4). There was a very high negative
coffelation betrveen stem growth and pH level. A sirnilarly high positive
multiple correlation between growth and percentage N, P, and K indicated
that a large part of the effect of pH on growth was reflected in changes of
foliar levels of N. P. and K.
DISCUSSION

-Varying
the pH_in a given I,rowth medium would be expected. to
Ievel_
produce changes both in the growth of plants and the chemical composition
of the foliage. This effect is evident from our data (Table 1). Whether
grorvth is d-etermined by pH through changes in foliar nutrient levels, or
rvhether the latter is determined by pH through changes in plant growth
 September 19641 HALI- ET AL.-LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY 4t7

cannot be established. One u'ould expect these tv'o to be mutually deter-

mined by environmental factors such as liqht, temperature, moisrure l6vel, and
availabiliqy of the various mineral elemenis.
I{ineral composition of the foliage is an important aid in determining the
cause of differedces in plant growtfi. The c6mposition of our plants- was
very similar to those of i corimercial field in Miine (12) with the possible
exception of the Ca levels, which were slightly higher. Our data showed
slighdy lower ievels of N, sligl-itly higher levels of Ca and A'Ig, and considerably
higher levels of Fe than those found bv Lockhart and Langille (9).
" Our Mn levels varied tremendouily with pFI, and, f5r any one medium,
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r,vere almost 10 times greater at the lowest pH levels than at the hiqhest.
Surprisingly at the lowist pH levels the Mn .bntent also exceeded the F. It
rvould appear that the lou,busl-r blueberry is peculiar in being able to withstand
very high levels of Mn rvithorrt dctrimental effects, and, as pointed out by
Lockhait and Langille (9). can gro\v verv well with a low level of P.
Our lesults indicate that the lou bush blucberry, like the highbush, grows
best in the pH -range of 4 to 5, and that the effect of pH is much more striking
in some media than in others. This is cleally shou'n by the fact that the effect
of pH was much less pronounced in mediurir 4 than in medium 2 even though
the extreme range of pH was the same (+.2-6.8). Bailey (3) found that addi-
tions of peat partially aileviated the effects of lime in producing chlorosis of
the highbush blueberry. In our erperiment no chlorosis was evident in any
treatment and it r,vas impossible to determine rvhether the less striking effects
For personal use only.

of pH in some media u'ere due to peat ol other factors.

^
In contrast to our high negative correlation between stem length and soil
pH, Trevetr (12) found -no si{nificant correlation between these -two factors
in .o*-et.ial fields of eastern-Jiaine. He found however a significant posi-
tive correlation betlveen soil organic matter- (which he consideled indicative
of soil nitrogen) and stem length", but no significant correlation between either
available phosphor-us or available potassium and stem length. This discrepancy
^to
is partly d.re the fact that oui plants r'vere replicatei clonal lines gr6win'g
und"r greenhouse conditions. rvhereas the planti in his srudy were-randori
seedtinfis qrorving under field conditions. \Ve would also be bxpected to find
rrong& c-orrelati'ons rvherc a serjcs of, pH- levels were deliberateiy set up than
undei the limited range occurring under field conditions.
The partial correlation coemcients between stem g-rowth and each of the
three rnaior nutrients indicated that the relationshii between growth and
nutrient levels v'as not a simple one, but in fact varied with the particular
growth media being used.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank W. A, Delong and R. F. Bishop for suggestions and
advice during the course of this investigation.

1. Assocnno* o. o*rcrer- o"-,"'tt"*TEJ*:."t3. tnrr. Atlethods of analysis. 7th ed.

Washington, D.C.
2. Arrrxsox, H. J., G. R. Grlos, A. J. MecLurN, and J. R. Wnrcr:r. 1958. Chemical
methods of soil analysis. Can. Dept. Agr., Chem. Div., Contrib. 169 (rev.).
3. Berr-nv, J. S. 1941. The effect of Iime applications on the growth of cultivated blue-
berry plants. Proc. Am. Soc. F{ort. Sci. 38, 465467.
 438 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE [Vol. 44

+. CarN, J. C., and G. J. Ganrrre. 195,1, Blueberry and cranberry. ln Frtit nuuition,
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Island, Nova Scotia. Rept. No. 12, Nova Scotia Soil Survey, Tluro, N.S.
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Hort.'Sci. 36, 477.
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growing area. Can. Dept. Agr. Publ. 752.
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Soil Sci. 90, i7+379.
o Locxnenr, C. L., and 44. Lencrr-re. 1962. -the mineral content of the lo'"vbush
blueberry. Can. Plant Disease Survey, 3, 12+-128.
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cu-racy and precision of photometric merhods for cation analysis. Can. J. Agr. Sci.
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Expt. Sta. Bull. 605.
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