Exciting news for blueberry growers and the environment

Early research results suggest blueberries could be grown with far less nitrogen fertiliser without affecting plant growth or fruit production.

That's good news for farmers - and for the environment!

The latest Clean Coastal Catchments (CCC) research into fertigated blueberry crops grown in substrate has shown some exciting results for farmers and for the environment.

Data collected so far suggests a rate of 120 mg of nitrogen per litre (N/L), commonly used in fertigation for blueberries, may be excessive and could be reduced to 100 mg N/L without reducing plant growth or fruit production. Fertigation is the delivery of fertiliser nutrients in irrigation water.

The research, headed by Dr Sophie Parks, aims to find the ideal amount of nitrogen for blueberry fertigation. In trials at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute on the NSW north coast, even plants given just 40 mg N/L showed no significant difference in total fruit production (an average of 1.4 kg per plant) compared to plants receiving 100 mg N/L.

However, there was a reduction in the average fresh weight of individual berries from 2.41 g for the 100 mg N/L treatment compared to 2.17 g for the 40 mg N/L treatment.

And why does this matter?

It’s obviously a cost to farmers if they are adding more fertiliser nutrients than they need.

It’s also a cost to the environment if excess nitrogen ends up polluting water quality in creeks, rivers and ocean estuaries, and nitrogen-based fertilisers are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Click here to find out more about CCC blueberry fertigation research delivered by the Clean Coastal Catchments Research team from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The CCC Research project is funded by the NSW Government under the Marine Estate Management Strategy. The ten-year Strategy was developed by the NSW Marine Estate Management Authority to coordinate the management of the marine estate.