Effects of deicing salt on lowbush blueberry flowering and yield

Abstract

. 1999. Effects of deicing salt on lowbush blueberry flowering and yield. Can. J. Plant Sci. 79: 125-128. The effects of deicing salt (NaCl) on buds, blossoms and yields of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) were assessed over 3 yr in two commercial fields adjacent to a major Nova Scotia highway. Concentrations of road salt on exposed stems were highest next to the highway, and decreased with distance from the road. Numbers of blossoms, and subsequent fruit yields were low nearest the road, and increased with distance from the highway. Numbers of live blueberry buds and blossoms, and subsequent yields, were inversely related to concentrations of road salt on the stems. Plants under plastic shelters placed near the highway had more live buds and blossoms, as well as higher yields relative to plants exposed to deicing salt. The wild lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) is forced into a biennial production cycle by regular pruning. Vegetative growth and fruit bud formation occur during the first season. Developed fruit buds overwinter on 15-20 cm upright stems. Flowering, fruit development and harvest follow in the second year (Eaton 1988). Lowbush blueberries are tolerant of low winter temperatures (Quamme et al. 1972), except when affected by factors such as insufficient snow cover and winds (Cappiello and Dunham 1994).The lowbush blueberry is susceptible to winter desiccation (Hall et al. 1971). This results from exposure of stem tips above snow cover, and is particularly severe in the Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, area where salt spray frequently drifts off the Bay of Fundy (Hall et al. 1979). Blueberry yields in this region have been substantially reduced after winters with little snow cover.Major Nova Scotia highways are in close proximity to a number of lowbush blueberry fields. Due to heavy winter snowfall and severe winter conditions, deicing road salt (NaCl) is routinely applied in large amounts. Once dissolved in water it often drifts off highways onto nearby vegetation and can cause considerable plant damage (Westing 1969). Desiccation of foliage and stems occurs when water molecules are moved out of cells following deposition of salt onto plants (Smith 1975). Effects of low temperatures are more damaging to plant cells when they are forced to expand as they are after exposure to salt (Leopold and Willing 1984).The objective of this study was to assess the effects of deicing salt from a major highway in Folly Mountain, Nova Scotia, on flowering and yield of lowbush blueberries over a 3-yr period. MATERIALS AND METHODSBlueberry test fields were on opposite sides (east and west) of Highway 104 (Folly Mountain, Nova Scotia, 45°32′N, 60°32′E, elevation 260 m). Frequent large applications of road salt were applied during winter (33 and 40 t km -1 during 1993-1994and 1994-1995 C. A. Audus, Nova Scotia Department of Transport and Communications, personal communication). The east field was cropped in 1992 and 1994, the west field in 1995.During April of each crop year, blueberry stems wer...

Flower Bud Mortality and Salt Levels in Highbush Blueberry Fields Adjacent to Michigan Highways Treated with Deicing Salt

“…Sprays caused similar injury, and also reduced the hardiness and increased cold injury to fl ower buds. Similar salt injury has been reported in lowbush blueberry (V. angustifolium) fi elds adjacent to salted highways (Eaton et al, 1999) or bordering ocean bays (Eaton et al, 2004).…”

“…Although precipitation could rinse residues from twigs, weather data recorded about 10 km away indicated precipitation between these sampling dates was minimal. Rain would be expected to rinse salt from twigs (Eaton et al, 1999), whereas dry snow that did not adhere to the twigs may not. We estimated salt levels (Fig.…”

Increased salinization of fresh water in the northeastern United States

“…These effects include acidification of streams (19), mobilization of toxic metals through ion exchange or impurities in road salt (9,20), changes in mortality and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals (21-23), altered community composition of plants in riparian areas and wetlands (23)(24)(25), facilitation of invasion of saltwater species into previously freshwater ecosystems (17,25), and interference with the natural mixing of lakes (15). At relatively lower concentrations, salt also has been shown to alter the structure of microbial communities (26) and inhibit denitrification (27), a process critical for removing nitrate and maintaining water quality in surface waters.…”

Acute and chronic effects of sodium and potassium on the tropical freshwater cladoceran Pseudosida ramosa

“…ions in solution (Lofgren 2001), by mobilizing toxic metals by means of ionexchange processes (Norrstrom and Bergstedt 2001), interfering with the natural circulation of lakes (Paul and Meyer 2001), mediating the invasion of freshwater ecosystems by brackish or saltwater species (Richburg et al 2001) and changing the rates of mortality and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals (Eaton et al 1999;Strayer and Smith 1992). A rise in salinity can also affect broader ecological processes, such as primary productivity, decomposition, nutrient cycles and the trophic complexity of food webs (Kaushal et al 2005).…”