Effect of fertilization on growth of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea l.)

Today, most of the global berry crop of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. is obtained from wild berries. In recent years, however, their cultivation has become slightly more widespread, especially as demand has increased. As the commercial production of lingonberries is a completely new fruit-growing sector in Latvia, research on mineral nutrition, development of the crop production system and proper fertilizer management is critically important. The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of different fertilizer rates on the nutrient status of lingonberry plant tissues and plant growth performance. Field experiments with the lingonberry variety ‘Runo Bielawskie’ were carried out during the 2019 and 2020 cropping season. Experimental plantations were established on an excavated peat bog in Latvia. Lingonberry plants received 4 different levels of complex and foliar fertilizers. Leaf analyses and soil (peat) testing were used as diagnostics tools to reveal nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B), soil pH and EC status. In general, plant growth characteristics were significantly affected by different levels of fertilizer. The results showed that the highest fertilizer rates resulted in a larger shrub diameter, the highest total number of rhizomes and shoots of a mother plant.