Summary
Four-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) saplings planted in pots with a sand and peat mix (1∶1) were fertilized at the rate of 200 kg N/ha of (15NH2)2CO (U-15),15NH4NO3 (A-15) and NH4 15NO3(An-15). They were placed in a shadehouse and watered regularly to maintain soil moisture at field capacity over periods of one and two years. Quantity of15N in foliage generally increased from old to current growth, irrespective of the nitrogen source. Utilization of15N fertilizers by saplings after the first and second growing seasons following fertilization was greatest with nitrate labelled ammonium nitrate AN-15, and nearly equal for urea U-15 and ammonium labelled ammonium nitrate A-15. The soil immobilized more fertilizer nitrogen-15 from U-15 and A-15 than from AN-15. Data from the present study, in which leaching losses of fertilizer were minimized, demonstrated that in terms of nitrogen uptake by the saplings the nitrate fertilizer was superior to ammonium fertilizer.
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Pang, P.C.K. Distribution and recovery of15N after fertilization of Douglas-fir saplings with different nitrogen sources. Plant Soil 84, 167–174 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02143180
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02143180