Wpływ sposobu przygotowania gleby na wzrost i owocowanie borówki wysokiej (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) odmiany Bluecrop

In field trials in 2000 - 2007 in central Poland some soil cultivation practices were evaluated fro m the point of view of fruit yield and vegetative growth of highbush blueberry cv. ‘Bluecrop’. Plots were established with 5 rows with the following treatments in one row: (1) No treatment, (2) Soil pH adjusted to 4.5, (3) Incorporation of sawdust into the soil along the row, (4) Incorporation of sawdust into each planting hole, (5) Mulching with a layer of sawdust about 15 cm thick. In the seven - year period there were significant effects of the treatments with respect to yielding and vegetative growth. The additions of organic matter increased vegetative growth, as well as fruit yield and the SPAD index, decreased the soluble solids content in blueberry fruits, but did not affect significantly mean fruit weight. The results reported here strongly suggest that in Polish soil conditions additions of organic matter are required.