Greenhouse Plant Production Journal
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Effects of Urea-N Concentration on Growth, Physiological Traits, Nutrient Status, and Fruit Quality of Container-Grown Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Jewel) in soilless culture

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Razieh Manoochehri 1
Jamal-Ali Olfati 2
Yousef Hamidoghli 1
Mohammad Adibian 3
Maryam Navabian 4

1 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan

3 Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Saravan, Saravan, Iran

4 Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

https://doi.org/10.66224/gppj.3.3.51
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different urea concentrations on vegetative growth, leaf physiological traits, biochemical characteristics, and fruit quality of container-grown blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Jewel). The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with four concentrations of added urea (5, 4, 3, and 2 mmol L⁻¹) supplied in a basal nutrient solution containing 1 mmol L⁻¹ KNO₃- Analysis of variance revealed that urea concentration significantly affected SPAD value, leaf nitrogen content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids at p < 0.01, while total fruit fresh weight and antioxidant activity (%DPPH) were significant at p < 0.05. Although urea concentration significantly influenced flower number per bush, fruit number per inflorescence, total fruit weight, fruit number per bush, and yield per bush, the responses were not uniform across all reproductive traits and urea levels. These results indicate that blueberry responses to urea were expressed mainly through changes in leaf nitrogen status, pigment accumulation, and antioxidant capacity rather than through major alterations in plant architecture or basic fruit composition. Overall, the findings suggest that moderate variation in urea concentration can effectively influence physiological and biochemical performance in blueberry without adversely affecting fruit quality. Under the conditions of this experiment, added urea concentration affected growth, physiological traits, nutrient status, reproductive performance, and fruit-quality attributes of container-grown highbush blueberry cv. ‘Jewel’.

Keywords

Fruit Quality
Greenhouse
Nitrogen
Soilless Culture
Vegetative Growth
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Greenhouse Plant Production Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 September 2026

  • Receive Date 02 June 2026
  • Revise Date 01 July 2026
  • Accept Date 15 August 2026
  • First Publish Date 15 August 2026
  • Publish Date 30 September 2026

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