CALCIUM APPLICATION AND ITS EFFECT ON YIELD AND FRUIT QUALITY OF BLUEBERRY, RASPBERRY, AND BLACKBERRY

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0445382
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
• Project End Date: Oct 31, 2025
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
WASHINGTON STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MOUNT VERNON,WA 98273

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

75%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

25%

Applied

75%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
102	1129	1020	100%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;

Subject Of Investigation
1129 - Berries and cane fruits, general/other;

Field Of Science
1020 - Physiology;

Keywords

blueberry

blackberry

raspberry

calcium

fertilizers

nutrient

management

fruit

quality

small

fruit

crops

Goals / Objectives
1. Evaluate different fertilizer methods for increasing fruit calcium (Ca) and assess their effect on yield and fruit quality of blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry.

Project Methods
On-farm trials will be established in commercial raspberry and blueberry fields in Lynden and Prosser, Washington and in commercial blueberry and blackberry fields in Salem, Oregon. One or two cultivars will be used for each crop, including â¿¿Dukeâ¿¿ and â¿¿Draperâ¿¿ or â¿¿Auroraâ¿¿ for blueberry, â¿¿WakeFieldâ¿¿ or â¿¿Meekerâ¿¿ for raspberry, and â¿¿Black Diamondâ¿¿ or â¿¿Columbia Starâ¿¿ for blackberry. Data will be collected weekly from each treatment plot using soil moisture samplers and analyzed for availability of Ca and other nutrients. Soil, fruit, and leaf analysis will be used to identify any relationships between soil conditions and yield, fruit quality, and fruit and leaf nutrients.