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Effects of contrasting fertilization and moisture regimes on biomass, nutrients, and water relations of container grown red pine seedlings

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Abstract

Red pine seedlings were grown for 16 weeks under contrasting fertilizat (conventional, exponential) and moisture (wet, moist, dry) regimes to assess preconditioning effects of treatments on biomass production, nutrient uptake and allocation, and water relations. Growth, nutrient status, and water relations were affected more by moisture availability than by fertilization regime. Exponential fertilization under limited irrigation lowered shoot/root mass ratio, increased root nutrient reserves, and enhanced drought avoidance compared to conventional fertilization regimes. Drought treatments decreased nutrient uptake in the shoots of both fertilization regimes by 24%, but increased nutrient accumulation in the roots by 39% in the exponential regime compared to 17% in the conventional. These results may explain improved outplanting performance noted for exponentially fertilized container stock.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B3

    V. R. Timmer & B. D. Miller

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  1. V. R. Timmer
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  2. B. D. Miller
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Timmer, V.R., Miller, B.D. Effects of contrasting fertilization and moisture regimes on biomass, nutrients, and water relations of container grown red pine seedlings. New Forest 5, 335–348 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118861

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118861

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