The Effect of Spent Organic Mushroom Substrate (SOMS) on Soil Nutrient Bioavailability, Fruit Firmness, and Yield in Organic Highbush Blueberry

This document outlines a fully automated, pre-experimental research protocol to investigate the efficacy of Spent Organic Mushroom Substrate (SOMS) as a novel, vegan soil amendment for organic highbush blueberry production. The study addresses a critical knowledge gap concerning the trade-off between maximizing yield and enhancing berry firmness in certified organic systems. The central hypothesis is that SOMS will increase the bioavailability of essential cell-wall stabilizing nutrients, specifically Calcium (Ca2+) and Boron (B), leading to statistically significant increases in both fruit firmness and cumulative yield compared to a standard aged sawdust control. The IMRaD structure is used to present the rigorous hypothesis formulation, detailed operational definitions, a complete Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), and a comprehensive statistical analysis plan, ensuring the scientific rigor and falsifiability of the research prior to execution. All materials and methods adhere strictly to organic, vegan, and "Do No Harm" principles.