Abstract
Alnus formosana (Burkill) Makino is an important tree species used in natural protection forest engineering and for returning crop plots to forest in the southern China. Fertilizer application management is important to the implementation of these projects, and rational fertilization is related to their success. Recent studies have shown that late-season fertilization can improve plant quality and field performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of various fertilization treatments on the quality of A. formosana seedlings in the late-seasons. Morphological indices, chlorophyll content, relative membrane permeability, superoxide dismutase activity, and nutritional status were measured. The results showed that P fertilizer promoted the growth and physiological and nutritional status of A. formosana seedlings in the late season. However, excess K application had adverse effects and inhibited the uptake of Mg and Ca ions. N availability was sufficient in the control treatment of A. formosana seedlings, because the root nodules fix N. These results suggest that the amounts of applied K and N should be reduced and that the amounts of applied P should be increased for best late-season results in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China.
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Acknowledgements
This study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 31800530), Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi province (2018GXNSFBA281009), Special project of basic scientific research business expenses of Guangxi Forestry Academy (201801) and Guangxi “Bagui Young Scholar” Special Fund (2019AQ06). We wish to thank Guangxi Forestry Scientific Research Institute for providing Alnus formosana (Burkill) Makino seedlings.
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Huang, J., Ouyang, Z., Zhao, Z. et al. Evaluation of the effects of late-season fertilization on the growth, physiology, and nutritional status of Alnus formosana (Burkill) Makino. Acta Physiol Plant 44, 35 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-022-03375-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-022-03375-w