ABSTRACT
Effect of substrate and irrigation water acidification on the nutrition, growth, and yield of rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade).

Raúl Ferreyra E.1, José Peralta C., Angélica Sadzawka R., Carlos Muñoz S. y Jorge Valenzuela B.
 

The central zone of Chile meets the climatic conditions to produce rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei Reade), nevertheless, there are restrictions imposed by soil pH, porosity and irrigation water quality. An experiment was carried out at La Platina Research Center of the National Institute of Agricultural Research, Santiago, to determine the effect of the use of a mix of soil-sawdust and irrigation water with pH 2, 4, 5 and 7.8 (control) to plant rabbiteye blueberries in 1990. The growth and production was evaluated for three seasons (1990 - 1993). The foliar analysis showed that only the Mn concentration was lower than the control treatment. The plants irrigated with water pH 2 did not develop chlorosis, and had better growth and production, making possible economic production under these climatic conditions.

Keywords: soil-water acidification, water quality, dip irrigation, plant nutrition.
1 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Centro Regional de Investigación La Platina, Casilla 439, Correo 3, Código postal 7083150, Santiago, Chile.E-mail: rferreyr@inia.cl.