Evaluation of Vegetative Growth and Cropping Potential of Selected Rabbiteye Blueberry Cultivars Grown On Old Crop Versus Pasture Land Soils

Three-year-old ‘Austin’ and ‘Climax’ rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium  ashei) grown on two soil types in Columbia, AL (lat. 31¢ª 15’ N, long. -85¢ª 9’ E; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 8A) were studied during 2009-2010 to evaluate the effect of the soil quality based on land’s prior use on blueberry vegetative growth, yield, and fruit quality.  The soil previously used for peanut crop production had 2% organic matter, a high soil pH, and a high phosphorus level, while the soil previously left to pasture had twice as much organic matter, lower pH, and lower phosphorus.  Foliar analysis revealed similar levels of elemental content of the leaves from plants grown on old crop land versus plants grown on pasture land.   Both blueberry cultivars had greater fruit set when grown on pasture land in comparison with the same cultivars grown on old crop land. Cultivars ‘Austin’ and ‘Climax’ grown on pasture land produced as much as three times greater yields than the same cultivars grown on old crop land.  Plants grown on pasture land were also noticeably more vigorous in comparison with the plants grown on old crop land.  Higher plant vigor and yields may be a result of the alleviation of establishment stress provided by the higher organic content found on the pasture land type of soil. Proper soil amendment prior to planting may serve to alleviate some of the differences in rabbiteye blueberry plant performance.