Canada's Organic Science Cluster

Activity F.2: Weed management for organic wild blueberry production

Objectives:

Weeds are the predominant yield inhibitor in lowbush blueberry fields.  Conventional weed management practices rely almost exclusively on herbicide applications for weed control.  The perennial nature and growth habit of the crop make it difficult to apply many organic weed management techniques adopted by other horticultural industries.  The inability to manage weeds organically in lowbush fields is the main issue limiting the expansion of the industry.  Consequently, the overall objective of this research is to develop viable weed management options for organic lowbush blueberry fields. 

Specific objectives include:

1. Measure the impact of field sanitation and pH manipulation on weed growth, development, and reproduction and blueberry growth and development.
2. Measure the impact of field sanitation on weed seed viability
3. Measure the impact of pH manipulation on soil activity and mycorrhizal populations
4. Determine timing of weed clipping that optimizes blueberry yields and reduces fitness of perennial species

Learn More:

• Activity Summary
• Background and Supporting Documents
• Activity Researchers

Interesting Results to Date:

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