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Rhizomes of wild lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) extend horizontally, creating spatial dependency when fertilization trials are performed. Knowing this spatial dependency would help researchers to better design field studies. Here, we used labelled nitrogen (N) fertilizer (15N-(NH4)2SO4) to measure N translocation among blueberry stems for one old (56 year) and one younger (15 year) commercial field. Leaf 15N concentrations at the tip-dieback stage were used to monitor N acquisition. No difference between sites suggests no field age effect on N translocation. Spatial dependency and independency were reached for distances of ≤0.75 and ≥1.75 m from the fertilizer application point, respectively.

Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference red-edge index (NDRE) are vegetation indices commonly used in agriculture to provide information on crop’s growth and health. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of both indices to management practices in lowbush blueberry fields. Images of the experimental plots were collected with a multispectral camera installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Both NDVI and NDRE values were significantly higher in fertilized plots than in controls (0.88 ± 0.03 vs. 0.79 ± 0.03 for NDVI, and 0.37 ± 0.01 vs. 0.33 ± 0.01 for NDRE) due to fertilization effect on vegetative growth. The increase was higher under mineral than organic fertilization during the two first phases of the cropping system (by ∼0.3 and ∼0.2 for NDVI and NDRE, respectively). NDRE was not affected by thermal pruning and fungicide application but was negatively correlated with Septoria infection level. NDVI was more strongly correlated with stem length than NDRE, but unlike NDRE, NDVI was not impacted by the development of reproductive shoots during the harvest phases. Overall, the results indicate that although both index values are correlated, their sensitivity to changes in canopy characteristics differs depending on the cropping phase. Further research must be conducted to relate these indices to blueberry’s nutrient status. RÉSUMÉ Les indices de végétation NDVI et NDRE sont couramment utilisés en agriculture pour fournir des informations sur la croissance et la santé des cultures. Le but de cette étude était d'étudier la sensibilité de ces deux indices aux pratiques culturales dans les champs de bleuets nains. Des parcelles expérimentales ont été imagées à l'aide d'une caméra multispectrale installée sur un véhicule aérien sans pilote (UAV). L'application d'engrais a amélioré le NDVI et le NDRE par rapport aux témoins (0.88 ± 0.03 contre 0.79 ± 0.03 pour le NDVI, et 0.37 ± 0.01 contre 0.33 ± 0.01 pour le NDRE) en raison de l’impac

Optimizing agricultural practices is an effective way to increase fruit productivity in commercial wild lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton; Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx) fields, but results from northern Quebec (Canada) are scarce. In this study, we assessed the effect of the main crop management practices, namely pruning method (mechanical and thermal), fungicide (with and without), and fertilization (mineral, organic, and without) on key vegetative and reproductive plant traits of both wild blueberry species. The experiment was conducted from fall 2016 to fall 2018, when the combination of pruning, fungicide, and fertilizing was applied. Results show that fertilizer application was the main management practice affecting vegetative and reproductive plant traits followed by fungicide application effects during pruning years only. Mineral fertilizer improved plant traits to a greater extent than organic fertilizer during the pruning phase only, and no significant differences in the second year after application (harvesting phase) suggest a delayed but similar final effect of organic fertilizer. Results also showed that V. myrtilloides produces taller stems with more leaves compared to V. angustifolium, whereas V. angustifolium produces more flower buds, a key reproductive plant trait. Results also highlight the fact that V. angustifolium needs both fertilizer and fungicide to keep leaves on the stem during late summer, whereas V. myrtilloides needs either fertilizers or fungicides. This study also shows that pruning method has no significant effect on any of the measured plant traits. However, we believe that long-term studies are still needed to assess the impact of pruning method over time. Résumé: Optimiser les pratiques agricoles est une bonne façon d’accroître le rendement fruitier des bleuetières commerciales de bleuet à feuilles étroites (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton, Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx). Malheureusement, on possède peu de ré

Thermal pruning was a common pruning method in the past but has progressively been replaced by mechanical pruning for economic reasons. Both practices are known to enhance and maintain high yields; however, thermal pruning was documented to have an additional sanitation effect by reducing weeds and fungal diseases outbreaks. Nevertheless, there is no clear consensus on the optimal fire intensity required to observe these outcomes. Furthermore, fire is known to alter the soil microbiome as it impacts the soil organic layer and chemistry. Thus far, no study has investigated into the effect of thermal pruning intensity on the wild blueberry microbiome in agricultural settings. This project aimed to document the effects of four gradual thermal pruning intensities on the wild blueberry performance, weeds, diseases, as well as the rhizosphere fungal and bacterial communities. A field trial was conducted using a block design where agronomic variables were documented throughout the 2-year growing period. MiSeq amplicon sequencing was used to determine the diversity as well as the structure of the bacterial and fungal communities. Overall, yield, fruit ripeness, and several other agronomical variables were not significantly impacted by the burning treatments. Soil phosphorus was the only parameter with a significant albeit temporary change (1 month after thermal pruning) for soil chemistry. Our results also showed that bacterial and fungal communities did not significantly change between burning treatments. The fungal community was dominated by ericoid mycorrhizal fungi, while the bacterial community was mainly composed of Acidobacteriales, Isosphaerales, Frankiales, and Rhizobiales. However, burning at high intensities temporarily reduced Septoria leaf spot disease in the season following thermal pruning. According to our study, thermal pruning has a limited short-term influence on the wild blueberry ecosystem but may have a potential impact on pests (notably Septoria infec

Background Physical impairments cause an important functional decline in patient with cancer and survivor. Despite a profound need for physical therapy, many people are unable to access the required services due, in part, to the limited availability of cancer physical therapy programs. The model of community-based rehabilitation presents an opportunity to increase access to outpatient physiotherapy services in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a 10-weeks physical therapy program for cancer patients and survivor in the local community. Method A pre-post study was conducted using Bowen’s framework to measure the feasibility of a 10-weeks personalized physical therapy program. Feasibility outcomes focused on demand, acceptability, implementation, practicality and limited-efficacity. Limited efficacity testing was done intra-group from paired comparisons of pre- and postintervention by calculating mean differences and 95% confidence intervals for normally distributed data or mean and sum of ranks for non-normally distributed data. Results Over 19 months, thirty-one people were contacted and eighteen people completed the program [Mean age 54.54 (SD 12.16)]. The most frequent reasons to explain demand for our program were low muscle endurance, weak muscles, range of motion restrictions, reduced functional capacity, poor sleep quality and pain. Participant attended 94.3% of scheduled appointments. Existing equipment of the not-forprofit physiotherapy clinic of University of Quebec in Chicoutimi were used to run the program in the community setting. Participants reported high satisfaction and there were no major adverse events. Main barriers to project included COVID-19 restrictions and participants motivation. Participants made gains in pain, functionalca pacity, muscle strength and walk distance. Conclusions A 10-weeks personalized physical therapy program in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean community is feasible and safe to improve the

Agroecosystem conditions limit the productivity of lowbush blueberry. Our objectives were to investigate the effects on berry yield of agroecosystem and crop management variables, then to develop a recommendation system to adjust nutrient and soil management of lowbush blueberry to given local meteorological conditions. We collected 1504 observations from N-P-K fertilizer trials conducted in Quebec, Canada. The data set, that comprised soil, tissue, and meteorological data, was processed by Bayesian mixed models, machine learning, compositional data analysis, and Markov chains. Our investigative statistical models showed that meteorological indices had the greatest impact on yield. High mean temperature at flower bud opening and after fruit maturation, and total precipitation at flowering stage showed positive effects. Low mean temperature and low total precipitation before bud opening, at flowering, and by fruit maturity, as well as number of freezing days (<−5 °C) before flower bud opening, showed negative effects. Soil and tissue tests, and N-P-K fertilization showed smaller effects. Gaussian processes predicted yields from historical weather data, soil test, fertilizer dosage, and tissue test with a root-mean-square-error of 1447 kg ha−1. An in-house Markov chain algorithm optimized yields modelled by Gaussian processes from tissue test, soil test, and fertilizer dosage as conditioned to specified historical meteorological features, potentially increasing yield by a median factor of 1.5. Machine learning, compositional data analysis, and Markov chains allowed customizing nutrient management of lowbush blueberry at local scale.