Preliminary results of leaf and soil fertilizers application on highbush blueberry cv Lateblue to improve fruit quality

Highbush blueberry is the most valued berry fruit in Italy. To maintain the produce to a high quality standard, in order to satisfy the market demand, the relationships between fertilization and the evolution of the quality during cold storage play an important role. This preliminary study was conducted during the year 2007 at the Extension Farm in Boves (Cuneo, Northern Italy) to evaluate the relationships between the application of two Ca-based fertilizers and the evolution of the post-harvest quality of highbush bluberry cv Lateblue. A leaf calcium fertilizer was sprayed 60, 45, 30 and 15 days before harvest and a soil fertilizer was distributed at bud break and some days after flowering. Samples of berries were picked up and cold stored in normal atmosphere (N.A.) for 5 weeks. At the harvest and once a week during the storage, the following parameters were measured: total soluble solids content (T.S.S.), titratable acidity (T.A.), pH, weight loss and aspect. Results were compared with the fruits harvested on a no-treated plots. Some positive effect on the measured parameters have been observed.