Blueberry has a high cost of establishment, requiring the incorporation of soil amendments and the use of chemical fertilizer to obtain high fruit yield and quality. Reducing establishment and fertilizer costs in blueberry production without affecting yield and fruit quality is key for blueberry producers. In this project we evaluated the impact of reducing fertilization, using biochar as a soil amendment, and the effect of different pruning techniques on plant nutrient status, plant growth and development, and fruit production and quality. Despite the importance of these cultural practices, there is a lack of research that explores the impact of combining varying fertilization rates, soil amendments, and different pruning techniques in Georgia. To test these three factors an experimental plot was designed in a factorial arrangement with two soil amendments: 1) 33% v/v pine bark and 2) 9% v/v biochar; three fertilization rates: 1) Commercial fertilization (lb/acre): N 90, P 75, K 75; 2) half commercial fertilization N 35, P 35, K 35; and 3) potassium only: N0, P0, K 35, and two pruning treatments: 1) winter hand pruning summer hand - tipping and 2) summer hedge. Each treatment was randomly assigned three replications and four plants per replication. Our results indicated that the highest net income was obtained from the treatment in which the soil was amended with pine bark; plants were treated with half of the fertilizer rate and hedged after harvest. Blueberry plants that were hand-pruned had bigger and heavier berries. Plants that were hedged after the harvest had higher yields and it did not affect plant growth. In addition, reducing the fertilization rate to half did not affect the yield and fruit quality parameters of berries harvested. Furthermore, the treatment in which plants received only potassium fertilizer resulted in notable decreases in berry weight, firmness, and plant growth. The use of biochar as a soil amendment significantly enhanced TSS and anthocyanin content, but the concentration of K, Mg, and Mn in the berries was lower than those of plants in which the soil was amended with pine bark treatment.
