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Managing irrigation to reduce nutrient leaching in containerized white spruce seedling production

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Abstract

Increasing irrigation efficiency and reducing groundwater contamination from agricultural and nursery runoff are important components in environmentally compatible plant production practices. The objectives of this study were to quantify mineral leaching from containerized (2+0) white spruce seedlings grown under three different irrigation regimes (30, 40 and 55% V/V) and to determine the effect of irrigation regime on growth, nutritional status, and gas exchange. To negate the effect of environmental variables, a completely randomized block experiment was installed in a normal production run of air-slit containerized white spruce seedlings grown under an unheated polyethylene tunnel. Whereas substrate water content was monitored daily, biweekly measurements of tissue and substrate fertility and seedling morphophysiological variables were made over the course of the growing season. Leaching of mineral nutrients was continuously monitored throughout the experimental period. Reducing volumetric substrate water content from 55 to 30% did not have a significant effect on seedling growth, carbon allocation, tissue nitrogen content, or end-of-season morphology. This irrigation strategy also resulted in a 20% reduction in water usage and, more importantly, reduced the total leachate volume by 65% and the quantity of N leached by 52%. Maintaining rhizosphere water content of (2+0) white spruce seedlings at 40% V/V compromises neither plant growth nor physiological processes. This strategy limits leaching of water and mineral nutrients, and reduces the risk of groundwater contamination, thus enabling growers to meet both quality and environmental standards for seedlings grown in northern forest nurseries.

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Acknowledgments

The participants in this network project included the forest ecophysiology group at Université Laval, Pampev Inc. (Saint Louis de Blandford, Québec), le Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune (MRNF) du Québec and Laurentian Forestry Centre (Canadian Forest Service). The authors thank Denis Lavallée, Mario Renaud, Claude Fortin, Sabrina Morrissette, Onil Bergeron, Louise Labbé, Jean François Drouin and Josiane Blanchet. Special thanks are also extended to the staff of Laboratoire de chimie organique et inorganique (MRNF) for performing the analysis of the leachate samples. Financial support to Dr. Hank Margolis for this project was provided by Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies (FQRNT) (projects: 2001-FF-79130 and 2004-FO-103181) and to Dr. Mohammed Lamhamedi by the MRNF (projects: 3071 and 3076).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’étude de la forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, Université Laval, 2405 rue de la Terrasse, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Debra C. Stowe, Sylvie Carles & Hank A. Margolis

  2. Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, 2700 rue Einstein, Quebec, QC, G1P 3W8, Canada

    Mohammed S. Lamhamedi & Mario Renaud

  3. Pampev Inc., 662 rang St.-François, St.-Louis-de-Blandford, QC, G0Z 1B0, Canada

    Bertrand Fecteau

  4. Laurentian Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, 1055 du PEPS, Stn. Sainte-Foy, PO 10380, Quebec, QC, G1V 4C7, Canada

    Pierre Y. Bernier

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  1. Debra C. Stowe
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  2. Mohammed S. Lamhamedi
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  3. Sylvie Carles
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  4. Bertrand Fecteau
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  5. Hank A. Margolis
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  6. Mario Renaud
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  7. Pierre Y. Bernier
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Correspondence to Debra C. Stowe.

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Stowe, D.C., Lamhamedi, M.S., Carles, S. et al. Managing irrigation to reduce nutrient leaching in containerized white spruce seedling production. New Forests 40, 185–204 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-010-9193-0

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