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Nitrogen, irrigation, and alley management affects raspberry crop response and soil nitrogen and root‐lesion nematode dynamics
Author(s) -
Kuchta Shawn,
Neilsen Denise,
Zebarth Bernie J.,
Forge Tom,
Nichol Craig
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.1002/saj2.20190
Subject(s) - agronomy , irrigation , environmental science , drip irrigation , perennial plant , population , biology , demography , sociology
Abstract There is a need to improve raspberry crop nitrogen (N) management practices, particularly when grown over aquifers vulnerable to nitrate (NO 3 ) leaching. This study quantified the effects of N, irrigation and alley management strategies on berry yield, indices of crop vigor and N status, growing season soil N dynamics, and root‐lesion nematode (RLN) population dynamics under red raspberry production in British Columbia, Canada. Conventional management (100 kg N ha −1 surface broadcast on the row, clean cultivation of alleys, and drip irrigation for a fixed duration regardless of evapotranspiration [ET]) was compared with different mineral fertilizer N rates, application of N as manure, seeding the alley to either a perennial forage grass (perennial ryegrass [ Lolium perenne L.] and ‘Bridgeport II’ chewings fescue [ Festuca rubra subsp. commutate]) or an autumn‐seeded spring barley crop, or ET‐scheduled irrigation. In addition, the combination of ET‐scheduled irrigation plus fertigation of a reduced rate of N was compared with conventional practices at a reduced N rate. There was little or no crop response to N source and rate, a finding attributed primarily to high nonmanaged N inputs, and possibly also to RLNs present at population densities (grand mean = 4 per cm 3 soil) expected to suppress raspberry growth. ET‐scheduled irrigation reduced water use ∼50% compared with fixed‐duration irrigation without compromising crop performance. The perennial forage grass in the alley reduced soil mineral N but not yield. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that more environmentally sustainable raspberry production can be achieved through integrated management systems even in soils vulnerable to NO 3 leaching.