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Effects of nitrogen content on growth and hydraulic characteristics of peach (Prunus persica L.) seedlings under different soil moisture conditions

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Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of nitrogen content [N1 (no fertilizer), N2 (0.15 g·kg−1), and N3 (0.3 g·kg−1)] on the growth and the hydraulic characteristics of peach seedlings under different soil moisture conditions (W1, W2 and W3, in which the soil water content was 45% to 55%, 60% to 70%, and 75% to 80% of the field water capacity, respectively) by using a specialized high pressure flow meter with a root chamber and a coupling, which was connected to plant organs. Leaf area and leaf hydraulic conductivity (K L) increased significantly in the seedlings because of increased soil moisture and N content. K L increased with leaf area. A linear correlation was documented between K L and leaf area. K L was higher in the morning and began to decline sharply after 16:00, at which K L declined after an initial increase. Soil moisture and N content enhanced shoot (K s) and root (K r) hydraulic conductivities, thereby improving the low soil moisture condition to a large extent. K s and K r of the seedlings were reduced by 32% and 27% respectively in N1, and by 14.7% and 9.4%, respectively in N2, and both in W1, compared with the control treatment. N3 had no significant effect on K s and K r under similar conditions. Linear negative correlations were observed between K r and the excised root diameter as well as between K s and the shoot stem diameter. The shoot-to-root ratio increased with increase in N content. The shoot-to-root ratio in N3 was increased by 14.37%, compared with N1 in W1 as well as by 12% and 4.39% in W2 and W3, respectively. Knowledge of the effects of soil moisture and N fertilizer on hydraulic characteristics and growth is important. Our results provide basic guidelines for the implementation of water-saving irrigation and fertilization management of nursery stock.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China

    Zhi-liang Zhang & Guo-dong Liu

  2. College of Information and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, Sichuan, 625014, P. R. China

    Zhi-liang Zhang, Fu-cang Zhang, Cai-xia Zheng, Fu-quan Ni, Yin-hong Kang & Yun Zeng

  3. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, P. R. China

    Fu-cang Zhang

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  1. Zhi-liang Zhang
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Correspondence to Guo-dong Liu.

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Project funding: This research was supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Fund (Grant No.50579066, 50879073) and Provincial Education Department Projects (11ZA072).

Corresponding editor: Zhu Hong

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Zhang, Zl., Liu, Gd., Zhang, Fc. et al. Effects of nitrogen content on growth and hydraulic characteristics of peach (Prunus persica L.) seedlings under different soil moisture conditions. Journal of Forestry Research 25, 365–375 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-014-0464-z

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