Progress 09/05/06 to 09/30/09
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Determine foliar iron levels and confirm Fe deficiency in the fields with high soil pH. 2. Develop solutions to overcome leaf chlorosis due to iron deficiency in blueberries. Approach (from AD-416) We will select five blueberry fields exhibiting Fe deficiencies and having high soil pHs in the North Willamette Valley. Leaf samples will be taking after bloom from newly developed shoots and whips (if present). Treatments will be arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. Subsequent leaf sampling will be taken every 4 weeks after applying treatment. All leaf samples will be analyzed for Fe and chlorophyll. Plant leaf color, growth, and leaf photosynthesis will be determined in corresponding to leaf sampling throughout the growing season. Documents Grant with Oregon State University Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations Two mature fields of �Duke� blueberries exhibiting signs of severe Fe deficiency (i.e., leaf chlorosis and reduced shoot growth) were identified near Silverton and Salem, Oregon. Synthetic Fe chelate, FeEDDHA, found previously to correct Fe deficiency in the greenhouse, was applied at each site at four concentrations, including 0, 0.5, 2.5, and 5. 0 ppm. Leaf samples were collected and dried and will be analyzed for total Fe. Plant height, shoot length, and canopy size were also measured and will continue to be measured for the next two growing seasons. So far, we found no differences in plant growth among the treatments. We hypothesize that the FeEDDHA treatments will not affect growth because elemental sulfur was applied by the growers at each site in an attempt to reduce soil pH and increase Fe availability. Thus, a greenhouse study was established this year using potted �Duke� blueberries to examine interactions between soil pH and FeEDDHA application. Treatments include three soil pH levels (5, 6, and 6.5) and three rates of FeEDDHA (0, 2.0, and 5.0 ppm). Plant growth and leaf Fe concentrations will be measured. Methods of ADODR monitoring included meetings, e-mail, phone calls and site visits.
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Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Determine foliar iron levels and confirm Fe deficiency in the fields with high soil pH. 2. Develop solutions to overcome leaf chlorosis due to iron deficiency in blueberries. Approach (from AD-416) We will select five blueberry fields exhibiting Fe deficiencies and having high soil pHs in the North Willamette Valley. Leaf samples will be taking after bloom from newly developed shoots and whips (if present). Treatments will be arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. Subsequent leaf sampling will be taken every 4 weeks after applying treatment. All leaf samples will be analyzed for Fe and chlorophyll. Plant leaf color, growth, and leaf photosynthesis will be determined in corresponding to leaf sampling throughout the growing season. Documents Grant with Oregon State University. Formerly 5358-21000- 036-19G (7/08). Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations Two commercial blueberry fields (one in Silverton, Location 1 and one in Salem, Location 2) were selected to use FeEDDHA application to correct Fe deficiency symptoms in 2007. Four FeEDDHA treatment concentrations, 0 (being the control), 0.5, 2.5, and 5.0 ppm FeEDDHA were applied on the soil surface at 20 ml per square feet around plant crown area. Such treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications for the two experimental locations. Soil pH concentrations were also obtained for each of the treatment. Leaf samples were taken before and after a month of application of the FeEDDHA for foliar Fe analysis. Thus far, we have determined the growth parameters of treated plants in both locations and no significant effect of FeEDDHA on plant growth were observed. In our pot study started in late spring 2008, we have found soil applied FeEDDHA have potential to increase yield and overcome iron chlorosis in �Duke� blueberries. The soil pH for Location 1 for the four treatments ranged from 4.70 to 5. 11 while it ranged from 4.99 to 5.34 in Location 2 (Table 1). Leaf samples were taken before and after a month of application of the FeEDDHA. These leaf samples were dried and will be analyzed to find out the percentage of iron intake of the blueberry plants. Moreover, morphological observations were also noted and morphological parameters such as plant height, plant width, shoot length, canopy growth index and canopy density were taken from each blueberry plants. The average plant height from the 4 FeEDDHA treatments ranged from 17-19 inches for Location 1 and 22-24 inches for Location 2; canopy growth index was from 249-318 inches in Location 1 and 323-435 inches in Location 2; and the average shoot length ranged from 18-20 cm. for Location 1 and 18-22 cm. in Location 2. These parameters will be continually monitored during the growing season of 2008. But we will not expecting the FeEDDHA application will affecting plant growth in these two grower fields because sulfur was applied by the grower in an attempt to reduce soil pH which will likely make soil Fe more available. Additional application of FeEDDHA may be confounded due to this commercial practice. A pot study was established in late spring of 2008 using the blueberry cultivar �Duke�. Because the pH of growing media (6.0) was not in the experimental range to apply FeEDDHA treatment, lime and elemental sulfur was used to raise or lower the growing media pH to less than 5, 5.5, and more than 6. In 2009 growing season, the pot pHs have reached to expected levels. As indicated in Table 2, yield per plant was reduced when media pH was more than 5.0, while soil application of FeEDDHA seemed to increase plant leaf color and improve yield. Methods of ADODR monitoring included meetings, e-mail, phone calls and site visits.
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416) 1. Determine foliar iron levels and confirm Fe deficiency in the fields with high soil pH. 2. Develop solutions to overcome leaf chlorosis due to iron deficiency in blueberries. Approach (from AD-416) We will select five blueberry fields exhibiting Fe deficiencies and having high soil pHs in the North Willamette Valley. Leaf samples will be taking after bloom from newly developed shoots and whips (if present). Treatments will be arranged in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. Subsequent leaf sampling will be taken every 4 weeks after applying treatment. All leaf samples will be analyzed for Fe and chlorophyll. Plant leaf color, growth, and leaf photosynthesis will be determined in corresponding to leaf sampling throughout the growing season. Documents Grant with Oregon State University Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations This report serves to document research conducted under a grant agreement between ARS and Oregon State University. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project 5358-21000-036-00D, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Genetic Improvement of Small Fruit Crops. Dr. Yang and collaborators conducted the following research towards the agreements objectives: Iron deficiency is a common problem in blueberry plants in soil with pH exceeding 5.5. Foliar iron application has been used to correct this problem, but the application of synthetic Fe-chelates (ferric ethylenediamine di (ohydroxyphenylacetic) acid (FeEDDHA) has recently been found to be a very effective way to correct Fe deficiency in greenhouse plants grown at high soil pH. This finding has led us to conduct an experiment to test the effectiveness of FeEDDHA as a soil applied Fe fertilizer in blueberry fields. Two blueberry fields planted with northern highbush blueberry (�Duke�) exhibiting iron deficiency were identified. One was located in Silverton, Oregon (Location 1) and the other in Salem, Oregon (Location 2). Four treatment concentrations, 0, 0.5, 2.5, and 5.0 ppm FeEDDHA were applied on the soil surface around the plant crown at a rate of 20 ml/ ft2. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications for each of the two experimental locations. Soil pH concentrations were also obtained for each of the treatments. The soil pH for the four treatments ranged from 4.7 to 5.1 at Location 1 and 5.0 to 5. 3 at Location 2. Leaf samples were taken before and after one month of FeEDDHA application. These leaf samples were dried and will be analyzed to determine percentage of Fe uptake. Morphological features were measured on each plant. The average plant height for the four treatments ranged from 17-19 in at Location 1 and 22-24 in at Location 2; canopy growth index was 249-318 in at Location 1 and 323-435 in at Location 2; and the average shoot length was 7-8 in at Location 1 and 7-9 in at Location 2. These measurements will continue in 2007-2008. In addition to the field experiment, a similar experiment will be established in the greenhouse in the fall of 2007 using �Duke�. Findings in both experiments could aid in establishment of new plants and in improving the productivity of existing blueberry fields with Fe deficiency and high pH. Results will be disseminated to blueberry industry via newsletters and presentations in various scientific meetings. We expect to submit an abstract to the 2008 ISHS Vaccinium Symposium in November 2007. ADODR Statement: The ADODR met with the cooperating PI and project personnel at meetings during the year and discussed results through phone calls, e-mail, and in person.
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