Carolyn DeMoranville

Flooding in cranberry to minimize insecticide and fungicide inputs

A traditional flooding practice showed promise for reducing pesticide use in Massachusetts cranberry beds. The 4-week long spring flood, termed “late water,” checked pressure of two of the most prevalent and severe management problems, cranberry fruitworm (CFW) and fungal finit rots (CFR). Fruit rot generally was equal or lower and infestation of fruitworm was consistently lower at the late water beds compared with unflooded beds, even though no fungicides were used for CFR control (standard practice is two or three applications per season) and insecticide applications for CFW were cut by almost 70%. Although there were no significant reductions in yield in two of the years studied, a significant decline (about 25%) occurred on late water beds in one year for unknown reasons.

A survey of several soil physical characteristics of cultivated cranberry bog soils in North America

Abstract Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) historically have been established on peat based soils and, in most cases, are treated every three to five years with a 1–4 cm layer of sand. A total of 46 soil samples from cranberry bogs in five states [Massachusetts (MA), New Jersey (NJ), Oregon (OR), Washington (WA), and Wisconsin (WI)] and one Canadian province [British Columbia (BC)] were collected and analyzed for bulk density, particle density, and percent organic carbon to assess the range of these characteristics which have resulted from management practices. Soil bulk densities ranged from 0.16 to 1.40 Mg/m3, particle densities from 0.71 to 2.45 Mg/m3, and organic carbon from 1.3 to 95. 2%. The wide ranges reflect the differences between non‐sanded and regularly sanded bogs. The low end of density and high end of organic C were found in the non‐sanded bogs, which were located in WA and BC. The bogs from the other areas had higher average bulk and particle density levels, approximately 1 and 1.7 ...

Spatial Scale and Field Management Affect Patterns of Phosphorus Loss in Cranberry Floodwaters

Although cranberries ( Ait.) are indigenous to the northeastern United States, phosphorus (P) fertilizer additions and periodic flooding make commercial cranberry a potential source of P to the regions lakes and streams. In this study, we report values of P export in cranberry floodwaters that range from <0.8 to 4.7 kg P ha, generally reflecting differences in the hydrological, edaphic, and management factors underlying soil P transfer to floodwater. The relatively high P loading rate (4.7 P kg P ha) was associated with harvest flooding of organic-rich soils. Periods of winter flooding and the discharge of harvest floodwater from mineral soils resulted in relatively low P loss (<0.8 kg P ha). Increases in concentrations of total dissolved P (DP) and total particulate P (PP) in floodwater as stage decreased below the surface of the cranberry bed were consistent with the transport of dissolved P in soil porewater and mobilization of particulate P in ditches. Variations in floodwater DP, as well as conservative and reactive tracer concentrations, suggested that the processes by which soil P is released to porewater included desorption of near-surface soil P and anaerobic dissolution of iron-P compounds deeper in the soil profile. At the farm scale, concentrations of DP and PP steadily increased over time, presumably because drainage waters from beds farther upgradient had longer contact times with P-rich sources, such as soil porewater and ditch sediments. Overall, the study illustrates the role that scale-dependent processes impart on patterns of P loss in agricultural production systems.

Seasonal patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in the leaves of the massachusetts cranberry

Abstract Leaf samples from cranberry plants in Wareham, Massachusetts were collected during the 1980–82 growing seasons and analysed for N, P, K, Ca and Mg. The seasonal patterns which emerged allowed the proposal of normal ranges for the elements and optimum times for sampling. The foliar nutrient levels obtained were compared to those for cranberries grown in other areas as well as to those for crops which are grown under similar conditions.

Managing Surface Water Inputs to Reduce Phosphorus Losses from Cranberry Farms

Cranberry ( Ait.) production in Massachusetts represents one-fourth of the US cranberry supply, but water quality concerns, water use, and wetland protection laws challenge the future viability of the states cranberry industry. Pond water used for harvest and winter flooding accounts for up to two-thirds of phosphorus (P) losses in drainage waters. Consequently, use of P sorbing salts to treat pond water holds promise in the mitigation of P losses from cranberry farms. Laboratory evaluation of aluminum (Al)-, iron (Fe)-, and calcium (Ca)-based salts was conducted to determine the application rate required for reducing P in shallow (0.4 m) and deep (3.2 m) water ponds used for cranberry production. Limited P removal (<22%) with calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate was consistent with their relatively low solubility in water. Calcium hydroxide reduced total P up to 49%, but increases in pond water pH (>8) could be detrimental to cranberry production. Ferric sulfate and aluminum sulfate applications of 15 mg L (ppm) resulted in near-complete removal of total P, which decreased from 49 ± 3 to <10 μg P L (ppb). However, ferric sulfate application lowered pH below the recommend range for cranberry soils. Field testing of aluminum sulfate demonstrated that at a dose of 15 mg L (∼1.4 Al mg L), total P in pond water was reduced by 78 to 94%. Laboratory and field experiments support the recommendation of aluminum sulfate as a cost-effective remedial strategy for reducing elevated P in surface water used for cranberry production.

Seasonal dynamics of water and nutrient fluxes in an agricultural peatland

USDA‐ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, One State Bog Rd., East Wareham, Wareham, MA 02538, USA Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA University of Massachusetts Amherst Cranberry Station, One State Bog Rd., East Wareham, Wareham, MA 02538, USA Correspondence Casey D. Kennedy, USDA‐ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, One State Bog Rd., East Wareham, Wareham, MA 02538, USA. Email: casey.kennedy@ars.usda.gov

Fertilizer Regime and Weed Pressure Minimally Influence Leaf Tissue Nutrient Levels during Cranberry Vine Establishment

Cranberry leaf tissue samples were analyzed annually over a 6-year period. Vines received varied nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates and were subjected to low or high weed pressure. With few exceptions, levels of N, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and boron (B) were sufficient during the 6-year period. Calcium and B concentrations in cranberry vines treated with low, medium, or high rates of N were greater in areas with high weed pressure than in areas of low weed pressure. Levels of Zn and Mn were higher and K was lower in tissue collected from high weed areas in 4 out of 6 years. Calcium, Mg, Zn, Mn, B, and Fe levels were negatively correlated with increasing N rate. Overall, application of various N rates did not adversely affect cranberry leaf tissue nutrient content during the first 6 years.