Growing Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) in Cut-over Peatlands

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Bussières, Julie Boudreau, Stéphanie Clément-Mathieu, Guillaume Dansereau, Blanche Rochefort, Line
Copyright Year	2008
Abstract	This project was established to evaluate the feasibility of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Ell.) culture on Canadian cut-over peatlands and to define its appropriate production practices. We tested the effects of different fertilizer rates, application methods, and mulches on the vegetative development and berry production of seedlings over a 6-year period (2000 to 2006). Fertilization was essential for survival of the plants. A low fertilizer rate (131 g/plant of 1.7N-4.1P-12K) ensured adequate vegetative development for good establishment. Applying such a rate for 2 consecutive years proved to be more beneficial than a single dose of fertilizer for increasing plant height, crown width, and height growth. However, fruit yield was best when fertilized with the highest dose tested (550 g/plant of 3.4N-8.3P-24.2K). Black plastic mulch had a positive effect on height, width, and growth of the plants. More weeds were observed when the fertilizer was applied to the surface as compared with soil incorporation. However, this study revealed that black chokeberry is tolerant of weeds. Based on these results, black chokeberry is a promising plant for the management of cut-over peatlands for both vegetative growth and fruit production. In Eastern Canada, peatlands are mined for the horticultural properties of peat. When peat mining ends, the natural revegetation of the site is usually slow and scarce (Poulin et al., 2005). Generally, ecological restora- tion of cut-over peatlands follows peat har- vesting with respect to the ''no net loss'' policy for the management of wetlands in North America (Lynch-Stewart, 1992). Plant- ing small fruit plants on cut-over peatlands could be considered a complement to eco- logical restoration (Rochefort et al., 2003) or as a reclamation option. Berry plantations in restoration projects could increase landscape heterogeneity and facilitate the return of typical peatland bird species. As a reclama- tion option, added value could be gained from formerly abandoned sites. Among small fruits native to North Amer- ica, black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) is a promising candidate for use in cut-over peatlands. This species produces black edible fruits, readily eaten by birds, and is known for its low maintenance requirements; slight pruning is required and low occurrence of pests and diseases has been observed (Finn, 1999; McKay, 2001; Richer et al., 1997; Strik et al., 2003). Fruits also have antimutagenic properties resulting from their high antho- cyanin content (Gasiorowski et al., 1997). Black chokeberry is already commercially grown, especially in Europe, where its fruits are used in several juices, alcoholic or ener- gizing drinks, and in food colorant. Very little research on small fruit culture on cut-over peatlands has been done because large-scale industrial peat harvesting is rela- tively recent. The first small fruit plantings on industrial cut-over sites were done in Europe in the mid-1970s (Paal, 1992). Most plantings are found in Estonia, where blueberry (Vac- cinium angustifolium Ait.) and cranberry (V. oxycoccos L.) are also successfully grown on cut-over peatlands (Noormets, 2006; Noormets et al., 2004; Paal, 1992; Paal and Paal, 2002). A few small fruit trials have been done on Canadian cut-over peatlands, but
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.21273/hortsci.43.2.494
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://journals.ashs.org/downloadpdf/journals/hortsci/43/2/article-p494.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.43.2.494
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article