title: The effects of long-term management on patterns of carbon storage in a northern highbush blueberry production system.
abstract: Perennial crops potentially provide a sink for atmospheric carbon. However, there is a poor understanding of how perennial crops differ in their carbon allocation patterns, and few studies have tested how agronomic practices such as fertilization influence long-term patterns of carbon allocation in actual production systems. In this study, we report results of a long-term field experiment that tested the individual and combined effects of organic matter incorporation and nitrogen fertilization on carbon allocation. The mature (nine-year-old) blueberry plants in this study had an average standing carbon stock of 1147gCm-2and average annual Net Primary Production (NPP) of 523gCm-2yr-1, values that are similar to those reported for other woody crops. Forty-four percent of blueberry annual NPP was sequestered in persistent biomass, 19% was exported as harvested fruit, and 37% entered the detrital pathway. Nitrogen applied at rates typical for blueberry production throughout the span of the study had no significant effect on total plant or soil C. However, pre-planting organic matter incorporation and periodic mulching with sawdust significantly increased both soil organic matter and soil C. Pre-planting organic matter incorporation also increased total standing plant C nine years later at maturity. At the field scale, we estimate that fields receiving pre-planting organic matter incorporation would have 4.8% (4.5Mgha-1) more standing C relative to non-amended fields, although the difference is within the range of uncertainty of the estimated values. These results suggest that blueberry production can provide a valuable medium-term carbon store that is comparable in magnitude to that of temperate tree crops, but overall carbon budgets are influenced by management practices over the first decade after planting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, 4017 Agriculture and Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, OR 97331-7304, USA. Electronic address: deniseanemeth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nemeth
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, 4017 Agriculture and Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, OR 97331-7304, USA. Electronic address: John.Lambrinos@oregonstate.edu.
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lambrinos
authors.affiliation: Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, 4017 Agriculture and Life Sciences Building, Corvallis, OR 97331-7304, USA. Electronic address: Bernadine.Strik@oregonstate.edu.
authors.forename: Bernadine C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Strik
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D018533:Biomass; D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000502:physiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Carbon sequestration; Long-term; Mulch; Nitrogen fertilization; Pre-planting soil amendment; Vaccinium corymbosum