Comparative Foliar Analysis of Young Balsam Fir Fertilized With Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Lime

Abstract

Foliar analyses of individually fertilized balsam fir trees [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.] were examined to explain significant growth responses and nutrient status changes. Treatments consisted of factorial combinations of N, P, and K, and one separate treatment of dolomitic lime. Simultaneous comparisons of first year changes in foliar nutrient concentration, content, and dry weight simplified assessment of deficiency, dilution, and luxury consumption. N fertilization increased both needle dry weight and N composition, but lowered foliar P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations by dilution. Additions of P and/or K did not change needle weight and led to luxury consumption of P and K. Lime alone had no measurable effect in the first year. Overall correlations between foliar concentration and content of individual nutrients accounted for 68–78% of the total variability for foliar P, K, Ca, and Mg, but 99% for foliar N which was unaffected by dilution. A concentration of 2.1–2.3% N in current foliage is the approximate upper limit for growth response for these balsam fir trees.

Analysis of Nutritional Interactions in Cropping Systems

“…Similar problems associated with excessive use of concentration data alone and improper use of terminology have been detected in plant nutrient studies several decades www.intechopen.com ago (e.g. Timmer and Stone 1978;Smith et al 1981), which unfortunately is still common in current literature. There is now strong evidence to demonstrate that conclusions derived from such results may be misleading if any one of these plant parameters is excluded from the interpretation of plant nutrient analysis.…”

“…2). Growth dilution may also occur due to imbalanced nutrition, resulting in a decline in concentration of a non-limiting nutrient as a result of increased availability of a limiting factor (Armson, 1977;Timmer and Stone 1978), as demonstrated by Munson and Timmer (1989) using vector nutrient analysis (Fig. 4).…”

“…5), indicating that nutrient uptake rate is higher than rate of biomass accumulation. Such a response is characteristic of addition of a limiting nutrient (Timmer and Stone 1978). Imo and Timmer (1999) also examined the effects of 5-year old Leuceana hedgerows on growth and nutrient uptake of a maize intercrop over one cropping season in a humid highland of western Kenya.…”

Do Elevated Temperature and CO2 Generally Have Counteracting Effects on Phenolic Phytochemistry of Boreal Trees?

“…Analytical Procedures We employed graphic vector analysis (GVA) for representing and interpreting the fundamental changes in the plants' growth and phytochemical components in response to different treatments (Timmer and Stone, 1978;Haase and Rose, 1995;Koricheva, 1999). This method, although laborious, has been proposed as an alternative to simply examining phytochemical concentrations to understand environmental effects on carbon partitioning to the synthesis of the target compounds (Koricheva, 1999).…”

“…1 Interpretation of directional shifts in chemical concentration, chemical content, and specific leaf weight. Modified from Timmer and Stone (1978), Haase and Rose (1995), and Koricheva (1999). Dotted lines represent reference lines for no change in phytochemical character in question.…”