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Effects of N, NP, and NPKS fertilizers applied to four-year old hybrid poplar plantations

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Abstract

Mineral fertilizers were applied to adjacent plantations of 2, 4-year old, hybrid poplars: clone 27 (Northwest, P. deltoides × P. balsamifera) and 794 (Brooks, P. deltoides × P. × petrowskyana), in north eastern Alberta. Fertilization was done in May 2003 to see whether growth rates could be increased and rotations shortened. Three fertilizers (N, NP and NPKS + Cu + Zn) were applied at each of three rates (supplying N at 0, 100 and 200 kg ha−1) in a factorial randomized block design to the two separate plantations. Fertilization with 200 kg ha−1 N and 100 kg ha−1 P increased volume growth of clone 27 by 1 m3 ha−1 year−1 over 2 years. Clone 794 showed no volume response to fertilization, but produced 8.7 m3 ha−1 more than clone 27. Leaf area, dry mass and nutrient concentrations of both clones increased in the first year after fertilization, showing that fertilizer uptake occurred. Decrease in leaf size between 2003 and 2004 was affected by fertilizer level in clone 794. There were differences between some nutrient concentrations in the soils occupied by the two clones, and clone 794 had higher leaf concentrations of N, K, Ca, S, Mn, Zn, B and Mo than clone 27. Fertilization of 4-year old plantations of either clone was unwarranted, and planting clone 794 would be likely to provide greater yield than planting and fertilizing clone 27.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., Box 8000, Boyle, Alta, T0A 0M0, Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Forest Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3020, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3N5

    R. van den Driessche

  2. New Dendrology Inc., 2361 Queenswood Drive, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8N 1X4

    R. van den Driessche

  3. Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., P. O. Box 8000, Boyle, AB, Canada, T0A 0M0

    Barbara R. Thomas & David P. Kamelchuk

  4. Genstat Consulting, Lansdowne Postal Outlet, P. O. Box 45086, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6H-5Y1

    Barbara R. Thomas

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  1. R. van den Driessche
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  2. Barbara R. Thomas
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  3. David P. Kamelchuk
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Correspondence to R. van den Driessche.

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van den Driessche, R., Thomas, B.R. & Kamelchuk, D.P. Effects of N, NP, and NPKS fertilizers applied to four-year old hybrid poplar plantations. New Forests 35, 221–233 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-007-9073-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-007-9073-4

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