Cane properties, yield, berry quality attributes and leaf nutrient composition of blackberry as affected by different fertilization regimes

Abstract

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. Research was conducted during three consecutive years to evaluate the effects of compound NPK (15-15-15), cattle manure and natural zeolite, commercially named “Agrozel” applied alone or in combination, on cane properties, yield, berry quality attributes and mid-summer leaf mineral status of ‘Thornfree’ blackberry grown on an acidic, shallow, heavy-textured soil in the region of Cacak, Western Serbia.Results revealed that all evaluated traits significantly differed among fertilizer treatments and across years in general. In most cases, all evaluated properties, except leaf nutrient content, were affected by the fertilizer treatment × year interaction. Generally, mixtures of NPK, cattle manure and Agrozel (T3) and NPK and cattle manure (T7), and NPK alone (T1) in most cases had better and similar capacity to improve primocane growth, bearing shoot characteristics, productivity, berry physical properties and levels of some macro- and micronutrients compared to other treatments, whereas the combined applications of Agrozel and manure (T4) and NPK and Agrozel (T5) and especially Agrozel alone (T6) induced the lowest values for most properties. The effect of fertilization treatments on berry soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), juice pH and leaf N, Mg and Zn levels was not significant. The highest values of cane traits, berry external attributes and RI were obtained in 2008, yield, berry acidity, most of leaf nutrients in 2010, and SSC and juice pH were found in 2009, respectively. DOP and ΣDOP indexes revealed that primocane leaf nutrient amounts were within recommended levels, except P, K and B, which were below recommended standards. Three-year fertilization induced a good leaf nutrient balance.