Scholarly record
AGROCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF EXTRACTED PEAT BOGS IN LATVIA FOR CLOUDBERRY (RUBUS CHAMAEMORUS L.) CULTIVATION
Abstract
Peat is one of the most important natural resources in Latvia. Peat extraction in Latvia occurs mainly from raised bogs (high bogs) and represents an important economic sector, mainly focused on horticulture. Of the total affected area, which exceeds 50 thousand hectares, approximately 18 thousand hectares are no longer actively exploited and require management, renaturalization or recultivation. Since the main tool for preventing rapid degradation of cutover peat soils is vegetation restoration, one of the scenarios for sustainable post-use of peat extraction sites is berry production. Among the small fruits native to Latvia, cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) could be a promising candidate for use in cutover peat bogs. This study aimed to (a) assess the nutrient characteristics of cutover peatlands in Latvia and (b) evaluate their potential for cloudberry cultivation, considering the mineral nutrition traits of wild cloudberry. In total, 30 peat samples from various extraction sites throughout Latvia were analysed between 2023 and 2025 on plant available nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B), pHKCl and electrical conductivity. All the harvested sites were former high bogs and the remaining peat profile included raised bog layers. The results of the study showed that the agrochemical characteristics of the cutover bog peat meet the main requirements for establishing cloudberry plantations. Remaining fibric peat was acidic, low in nutrients, and high in organic matter. Such characteristics are not only typical of the wild cloudberry growing environment in Latvia, but are also put forward as the main prerequisites for the selection of an appropriate cultivation site on cutover peatlands in Norway and Canada. Because cutover peatlands are initially free of weeds and soil-borne pathogens and have not been previously fertilized, they offer favourable conditions for the development of both conventional and organic cloudberry production systems. During plantation establishment, fertilization can promote shoot and root development, leading to improved plant cover. In recultivated peat bogs, establishment success is likely driven by fine-scale nutrient optimization rather than blanket fertilization, underscoring the importance of site-specific nutrient balancing in future research.
Publication details
References15
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