Jianping Pan^1,2

1 Yongjia Zhongyuan Jiaoye Blueberry Professional Cooperative, Yongjia, 325114, Zhejiang, China
2 Zhejiang Agronomist College, Hangzhou, 310021, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Horticulture, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 5   doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0024
Received: 17 Jul., 2026    Accepted: 22 Aug., 2026    Published: 12 Sep., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Pan J.P., 2026, Effects of calcium and boron nutrition on fruit firmness and storage quality of blueberry, International Journal of Horticulture, 16(5): 282-297 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2026.16.0024)

Blueberry fruits are prone to softening, water loss, and decay after harvest, and fruit firmness and storage quality have become important factors affecting their commercial value. This study reviews the effects of calcium and boron nutrition on blueberry fruit firmness, storage performance, and quality formation, and analyzes the underlying mechanisms, synergistic effects, and production application strategies of these two nutrients. The results indicate that calcium improves fruit firmness and delays postharvest quality deterioration by promoting pectin cross-linking, enhancing cell wall stability, and reducing the activities of softening-related enzymes. Boron mainly influences fruit development and structural stability through its involvement in RG-II cross-linking, pollen germination, and cell expansion. Combined calcium and boron supply has the potential to synergistically improve fruit quality; however, its effectiveness is influenced by cultivar characteristics, application timing, nutrient transport efficiency, and environmental conditions. Future blueberry nutrient management should integrate nutrient diagnosis, phenological stages, and rhizosphere environment regulation to establish a precision calcium-boron management system, providing a theoretical basis for improving blueberry fruit quality and extending storage life.

Blueberry; Calcium nutrition; Boron nutrition; Fruit firmness; Storage quality; Precision nutrient management