Increasing the Sustainability of Blueberry Production with Cover Crops

Project Overview

LS24-397
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2024: $393,064.00
Projected End Date: 03/31/2027
Grant Recipients: University of Georgia; Southwest Georgia Project
Region: Southern
State: Georgia
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Zilfina Rubio Ames
University of Georgia
Co-Investigators:
Felicia Burke
Southwest Georgia Project
Dr. Mark Czarnota
University of Georgia
Dr. Sharon Kane
University of Georgia
Dr. Anish Malladi
University of Georgia

Commodities

  • Fruits: berries (blueberries)

Practices

  • Crop Production: cover crops

    Proposal abstract:

    The constant use of chemical fertilizer
    reduces soil health and quality, which in turn affects plant
    development, lowers productivity, increases susceptibility to
    pests and diseases, and decreases fruit quality. The goal of this
    project is to implement the use of cover crops in blueberry
    production. Despite the known benefits of cover crops, blueberry
    growers in the southeast have not yet incorporated cover crops
    into their production system. The use of cover crops is limited
    by the low soil pH and lack of knowledge regarding the management
    of cover crops in a warm and humid environment. The benefits of
    cover crops, which include increased soil organic matter, reduced
    erosion, weed suppression, and enhanced nutrient availability,
    are long known; however, their benefits for blueberry production
    in general and for southeastern blueberry production in
    particular remain understudied.
    Our project brings together a
    multidisciplinary team of scientists, extension specialists, and
    community organizations, which allows us to study the impact of
    cover crops from a whole systems perspective. In the first year,
    we will seek growers’ input by establishing a grower advisory
    board to help us identify cover crops that best fit blueberry
    production. We will establish a greenhouse experiment to identify
    the species of cover crops best suited for low pH conditions.
    Then, we will conduct on-farm trials across five locations in
    South Georgia to test the implementation of cover crops. We will
    strategically place this location in each of the largest
    producing counties. We will measure the impact of cover crops on
    soil quality and plant growth, yield, and weed 
    Additionally, production costs will be quantified to develop a
    cost-effective analysis of the use of cover crops. The analysis
    will focus on the financial benefits obtained in terms of
    increased profits and quality of life of farmers in South
    Georgia. The analysis will allow us to identify the environmental
    and economic sustainability of using cover crops. In the third
    year, we will work with the UGA extension and community
    organizations to promote the results of our research and the
    incorporation of cover crops in blueberry systems. We will
    develop workshops, field days, as well as agent and grower
    training materials. We expect that our collaboration with
    community organizations, small and minority grower’s involvement,
    will assure the adoption of cover crops by blueberry growers in
    the state of Georgia. Thus, a large number of blueberry producers
    will implement the use of cover crops, making the blueberry
    production system more sustainable.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    Our overall objective is to incorporate cover crops in blueberry
    production systems. Our specific objectives include:

    Objective 1. Identify suitable cover crops for blueberry
    production system in Georgia.

    Objective 2. Develop the best management practices for the
    incorporation of cover crops in blueberry production system.

    Objective 3. Determine the impact of cover crops in soil
    physicochemical properties.

    Objective 4. Develop educational materials and promote the
    adoption of cover crops.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.