Water requirement of blueberry cultivated in different growth media

Abstract

Water scarcity is of great concern because this natural resource is critical in primary agriculture worldwide. The anticipated rise in temperature due to climate change will increase the water demand of plants, thereby reducing water availability. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of irrigation requirements on blueberry plants cultivated in different growing media. A pot experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design that was replicated five times. The following growing media were used: coir, mushroom compost, peat moss, and zeolite. The growing medium significantly (P<0.05) affected the irrigation water of blueberry plants. The treatment with 100% coir required the most irrigation replenishment compared with the other treatments. The treatment with 80% coir and 20% zeolite required the least water replenishment. Generally, the vegetative parameters were improved with 60% coir and 40% peat moss. The composition of the growing media can potentially reduce the water requirements of plants