Reference number : GC-2017-Q4-00296, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Carrillo, Juli (The University of British Columbia), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : British Columbia|Colombie-Britannique, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Engage Grants for universities, program name french : Subventions d'engagement partenarial pour les universités, program purpose english : Production of berries is highly dependent on appropriate soil preparation and fertility management. A key_x000D_
component of understanding optimal fertilization practices is determining their impacts on soil microbial_x000D_
communities and overall soil health. This is because soil microbial communities can directly influence crop_x000D_
performance, and their abundance and diversity can vary in response to fertilization treatments. We are_x000D_
requesting research funds for the proposed ENGAGE research project and to support the establishment of a_x000D_
research collaboration with the industry partner, Sky Blue Horticulture Ltd. (SBH). The proposed ENGAGE_x000D_
project will add value to current field-based blueberry fertilization research conducted by SBH by overlaying_x000D_
soil microbial community data on plant performance and crop quality data. The proposed research project will_x000D_
determine the influence of four different alternative fertilization treatments (high phosphorus fertilizer_x000D_
[10-34-0], phosphites, humic acids and marine kelp extract) on soil microbial community composition (total_x000D_
biomass and relative biomass of different taxonomic groups) and relate those metrics to plant performance_x000D_
data. Understanding microbial abundance and diversity in response to these fertility practices will lead to_x000D_
development of applied horticultural recommendations for improved fruit yield and quality. Fostering_x000D_
beneficial soil microbial communities will increase nutrient use efficiency, reducing the need for chemical_x000D_
fertilizer inputs, improving environmental sustainability and decreasing cost of production for growers., program purpose french : Production of berries is highly dependent on appropriate soil preparation and fertility management. A key_x000D_
component of understanding optimal fertilization practices is determining their impacts on soil microbial_x000D_
communities and overall soil health. This is because soil microbial communities can directly influence crop_x000D_
performance, and their abundance and diversity can vary in response to fertilization treatments. We are_x000D_
requesting research funds for the proposed ENGAGE research project and to support the establishment of a_x000D_
research collaboration with the industry partner, Sky Blue Horticulture Ltd. (SBH). The proposed ENGAGE_x000D_
project will add value to current field-based blueberry fertilization research conducted by SBH by overlaying_x000D_
soil microbial community data on plant performance and crop quality data. The proposed research project will_x000D_
determine the influence of four different alternative fertilization treatments (high phosphorus fertilizer_x000D_
[10-34-0], phosphites, humic acids and marine kelp extract) on soil microbial community composition (total_x000D_
biomass and relative biomass of different taxonomic groups) and relate those metrics to plant performance_x000D_
data. Understanding microbial abundance and diversity in response to these fertility practices will lead to_x000D_
development of applied horticultural recommendations for improved fruit yield and quality. Fostering_x000D_
beneficial soil microbial communities will increase nutrient use efficiency, reducing the need for chemical_x000D_
fertilizer inputs, improving environmental sustainability and decreasing cost of production for growers., agreement title english : Effects of soil fertilization practices on soil microbial abundance and diversity in the highbush blueberry production system, agreement title french : Effects of soil fertilization practices on soil microbial abundance and diversity in the highbush blueberry production system, agreement number : EGP, agreement value : 25000.0, agreement start date : 2018-03-07, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019)., additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)., owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada