Effects of Soil Properties and Microbiome on Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Growth
and Zed Rengel 2,3Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Authors: Thank you for your interesting research.
My comments are:
Comment 1: bibliographic citations are not governed by agronomy format.
Comment 2: Patten et al., 1989; does not conclude that: EC is 1.5-2.0 dS/m is optimal for blueberries. Blueberries decrease productivity over 1.0 dS/m (DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1017.49).
Comment 3: The physical properties of the soil are indicated in the objective, indicate where they are incorporated in the text for analysis.
Comment 4: Authors point out: that they characterize "the environmental factors that limited the normal growth of blueberries". Unclear goal.
Comment 4: point out the variety used in the study.
Comment 5: How did you define normal or abnormal growth? this is not explained in the text.
Comment 6: Figure 2, provides interesting results, the results of macro and micronutrients in the root versus Stems/Leaves are not discussed.
Author Response
Comment 1: bibliographic citations are not governed by agronomy format.
Thank you for your suggestion. We have modified them.
Comment 2: Patten et al., 1989; does not conclude that: EC is 1.5-2.0 dS/m is optimal for blueberries. Blueberries decrease productivity over 1.0 dS/m (DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1017.49).
Thank you for your suggestion and we have improved it.
Studies have shown that blueberry plants grow best when soil pHwater is 4.2-5.5 [5] and decrease productivity over 1.5 dS/m [6].
[6] Machado, R.M.A.; Bryla, D.R.; Vargas, O. Effects of salinity induced by ammonium sulfate fertilizer on root and shoot growth of highbush blueberry. Acta Horticulturae. 2014, 1017, 407-414. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1017.49.
Comment 3: The physical properties of the soil are indicated in the objective, indicate where they are incorporated in the text for analysis.
Thank you for your suggestion.
This paper mainly studied the effects of soil pH, EC, enzyme activities and microbiome on the growth of blueberry.
In this study, we collected soil and the normal and limited growth blueberry plants to determine the underlying causes of poor growth by mainly characterizing soil chemical properties, soil microbiome and root metabolites.
In the present study, by analyzing and comparing the soil factors (pH, EC, enzyme activities and microbiome, etc.) and root metabolome of normally growing and growth-limited blueberry plants, we characterized the interactions between plants and their rhizosphere soil, and thus the soil factors that limited the normal growth of blueberries, the factors related to blueberry pathogens were put forward in order to better plant blueberry.
Comment 4: Authors point out: that they characterize "the environmental factors that limited the normal growth of blueberries". Unclear goal.
Thank you for your suggestion and we have also improved it.
In the present study, by analyzing and comparing the soil factors (pH, EC, enzyme activities and microbiome, etc.) and root metabolome of normally growing and growth-limited blueberry plants, we characterized the interactions between plants and their rhizosphere soil, and thus the soil factors that limited the growth of blueberries, the factors related to blueberry pathogens were put forward in order to better plant blueberry.
Comment 4: point out the variety used in the study.
Thank you for your suggestion and we have added the information in the text.
The blueberry variety we selected was southern highbush blueberry.
Comment 5: How did you define normal or abnormal growth? this is not explained in the text.
Thank you for your suggestion and we have improved it.
In mid-July 2020, we randomly selected 30 blueberry plants with normal growth (no obvious yellowing in plant leaves) and 30 plants with limited growth (the yellowing of plant leaves exceeded 60%) in the part of the plantation with southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.).
Comment 6: Figure 2, provides interesting results, the results of macro and micronutrients in the root versus Stems/Leaves are not discussed.
Thank you for your suggestion and we have also improved it.
Plant nutrition is the necessary chemical elements and compounds for plant normal growth [22]. The concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, P, S and Zn in leaves of normally growing blueberries were significantly higher than those in the limited-growth blueberries, which might lead to yellowing or other symptoms. There was no significant difference for Mn between roots and stems, but the Mn content in leaves of normal-growth blueberry was significantly higher than that of limited-growth blueberry, which could lead to brown spots and leaf necrosis [23] .
[22] Tiffin, L.O. Mineral Nutrition of Plants: Principles and Perspectives. Soil Science Society of America Jurnal, 1972, 36(4), 78-78. DOI: 10.2136/sssaj1972.03615995003600040012x.
[23] Schmidt, S. B.; Husted, S. The biochemical properties of manganese in plants. Plants, 2019, 8(10), 381-381. DOI: 10.3390/plants8100381.
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript entitled "Effects of soil properties and microbiome on highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) growth" its a very well presented manuscript and very useful.
I have only two comments:
At line 41.... At soil with pH close to 4 there is Aluminium toxicity. Please explain how that effects on microbiome
At line 181
Why the authors does not measure and NITROGEN at plant tissue.
Author Response
I have only two comments:
At line 41.... At soil with pH close to 4 there is Aluminium toxicity. Please explain how that effects on microbiome
Thank you for your suggestion.
This paper did not focus on the impact of aluminum toxicity. We will pay more attention to it in the further studies.
At line 181
Why the authors does not measure and NITROGEN at plant tissue.
Thank you for your suggestion.
This paper mainly focused on the effects of soil factors (pH, EC, enzyme activities and microbiome, etc.) and soil metabolome on the growth of blueberries. We will pay more attention to nitrogen in plant tissue in the further studies.
