Nitrogen budgeting and quality of exponentially fertilized Quercus robur seedlings in Ireland

Abstract

Current policy in Ireland calls for increased quality and quantity of broadleaved seedling plantings. Simultaneously, concerns regarding environmental contamination necessitate development of nursery production methods that minimize impacts. Exponential (E) fertilization has potential for producing high-quality seedlings through nutrient loading, while simultaneously minimizing nitrogen (N) losses during culture. We investigated the effects of a wide range (0.10-1.0 g N seedling -1 year -1 ) of E fertilization rates on seedling morphology and nutrition of Quercus robur L., as well as soil N status and N budget during one growing season in a bareroot nursery in County Carlow, Ireland. The N budget showed significant N losses, especially in the highest fertilizer treatments, due to high precipitation. Seedlings receiving the 0.5 E rate were morphologically and nutritionally superior to all other treatments. Results indicate that it may be possible to produce 1-0 bareroot seedlings meeting target specifications in Ireland and other countries of similar climate and soils if further manipulations to seedling culture are implemented; however, potential environmental degradation via N leaching must be considered when N loading in wet years.

An exponential fertilization dose–response model to promote restoration of the Mediterranean oak Quercus ilex

“…First, increasing N availability shifts allocation patterns of current photosynthetic products to aboveground organs (Hernández et al 2009). This pattern has been observed in bareroot experiments with other Quercus species, leading to a plateau of root biomass in the absence of toxicity (Salifu et al 2009a;Schmal et al 2010). Second, the confinement effect of container size precludes the potential expression of root growth.…”

Can the use of large, alternative nursery containers aid in field establishment of Juglans regia and Quercus robur seedlings?

“…The noteworthy results of both Air-pots proved that the larger volume size was effective in increasing: (a) the duration of the growing season through early October, which is an advantage in Mediterranean conditions where early frosts are uncommon; (b) the growth rate of seedlings, and thus (c) their final height and biomass. One-year-old seedlings in Air-pots were much taller than those observed in traditional and common container types for both species at the same age (Johnson 1981;Aldhous and Mason 1994;Brønnum 2004;Schmal et al 2011). Chirino et al (2008 observed that deeper containers (30 cm) produced taller seedlings in Q. suber.…”

Prácticas culturales en vivero que influyen en la calidad de planta de Enterolobium cyclocarpum

“…A pesar de que diversos estudios en latifolias, entre los que destacan los realizados por Close et al (2005) y Schmal et al (2011) demuestran que la técnica o régimen de fertilización exponencial es una práctica que no solo favorece un crecimiento superior, sino que también promueve la acumulación de reservas nutrimentales, en este estudio no ocurrió de esta manera. De acuerdo con los resultados, en plantas de E. cyclocarpum, el suministro de nutrimentos en forma exponencial no promueve características que podrían ser adecuadas para que las plantas se desempeñen satisfactoriamente en sitios competitivos.…”