Reclaimed Water and Biochar in Southern Highbush Blueberry Production: A Review of Root-Zone Chemistry, Growth, and Solute Dynamics

Summary

This narrative review examines the combined use of reclaimed water irrigation and biochar amendment in southern highbush blueberry production in Florida, addressing constraints from freshwater scarcity and rainfall variability. The authors synthesise current knowledge on how reclaimed water chemistry—including elevated sodium, chloride, boron, and alkalinity—interacts with sandy and pine bark-based substrates, and how biochar's physical and chemical properties may mitigate or exacerbate root-zone stress. The review concludes that successful integration requires substrate-specific, constituent-resolved evaluation under Florida production conditions.

Regional applicability

The study is specific to Florida's southern highbush blueberry industry and its water scarcity constraints, which differ from United Kingdom conditions. However, the mechanistic insights on biochar effects on substrate chemistry, water retention, and nutrient cycling are broadly transferable to temperate horticulture; UK growers using alternative water sources or facing pH and salinity drift in containerised systems may find the review's framework applicable, though substrate types and water composition will differ.

Key measures

Salinity, pH, nutrient retention, solute leaching, water retention, cation exchange capacity, sodium, chloride, boron concentrations, alkalinity, substrate properties

Outcomes reported

The review synthesised knowledge on how reclaimed water irrigation and biochar amendment affect root-zone chemistry, water use efficiency, and production outcomes in southern highbush blueberry systems. It examined mechanistic links between reclaimed water chemistry, substrate properties, and processes governing salinity, pH, nutrient retention, and solute leaching.

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