2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Fifteen rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei Reade) cultivars were planted in 2009 on land previously used for row crop farming. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the performance of cultivars grown in marginally high-pH soil for blueberry cultivation. The soil pH ranged from 6.0 – 6.4 within the site prior to planting, and was blocked accordingly. The % organic matter was 0.7 throughout the field. Raised beds were prepared with a strip of milled pine bark incorporated in the row middles, and plants were mulched with coarse pine bark after planting. No sulfur or other amendments were incorporated to lower the soil pH. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five 4-plant replications per cultivar. Soil pH, plant growth, harvest dates, and yield data were collected annually. The soil pH remained high for blueberry cultivation for the first few years, but became more acidic over time. ‘Austin’, ‘Powderblue’, and ‘Premier’ were among the lowest yielding cultivars over the 5 years that yield were collected. ‘Ira’, ‘Onslow’, and ‘Montgomery’ were among the highest yielding cultivars.