Soil and leaf tissue nutrient status relationships of Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) cultivars in Nova Scotia, Canada

• Published in: Scientia horticulturae Vol. 303; p. 111196
• Main Authors: Iheshiulo, Ekene Mark-Anthony, Abbey, Lord, Hammermeister, Andrew M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 20.09.2022
• Subjects: Haskap cultivars; Indigo Gem; Lonicera caerulea; Nutrient status; Soil–plant interaction; Lonicera caerulea; Soil–plant interaction; Indigo Gem; Nutrient status; Haskap cultivars
• ISSN: 0304-4238; 1879-1018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2022.111196

•Haskap plant establishment, growth, and productivity vary widely among orchards in Nova Scotia due to growers’ management practices, and environmental and edaphic factors.•Haskap cv. Indigo gem had low leaf tissue P and K, but high Ca compared to the other cultivars.•Haskap cvs indigo gem and Tundra have similar nutrient uptake pattern.•Evidence of an antagonistic association among haskap leaf N, Mg, and K, and a synergistic association between haskap leaf K and Mg. Haskap (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a rapidly emerging and promising berry crop and gaining popularity in Nova Scotia (NS). The establishment and productivity of haskap varies widely in NS and it is largely dependent on soil-plant interactions. A multi-locational field survey was carried out to evaluate and determine the relationship between soil and leaf nutrient concentrations of haskap cultivars grown in Nova Scotia. Soil samples were collected in mid-May, and leaf samples were collected starting from late June to early July in both years at the stage where 50% of the berries had turned color from green to blue. Among the studied cultivars, 44% were adequate in leaf N, 33% were adequate in leaf P, 45% had adequate leaf K, 52% adequate in Ca, and 74% adequate in leaf Mg. However, 26% had excessive leaf P and Mg content, while 47% was deficient in leaf K. Indigo Gem and Tundra cultivars had similar nutrient uptake response, while correlation analysis revealed significant negative relationships between leaf Mg versus leaf N and K. The relative comparison of Indigo Gem with other haskap cultivars revealed that Aurora had 48% more leaf P content, and Borealis had 39% more leaf Mn content than Indigo Gem. However, in most cases all cultivars were within 40% of the Indigo Gem value, and in many cases within 20%. It could be concluded that Indigo Gem can be used as a reference cultivar when assessing nutritional levels of Tundra and Borealis cultivars.