Abstract
Thirty-two one-year-old white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings were grown outdoors for one season in 35 L pots buried in the soil. The pots were vertically split in half. One compartment (mineral) was filled with loamy sand. The bottom of the other compartment (organic) was filled with 10 cm sand topped with 15 cm of organic substrates. Two seedling types (16 seedlings each), (i) polystyroblock-grown and (ii) peat-board grown with mechanical root pruning had their root systems split approximately in half into each of the vertical compartments. Controlled-release (26-12-6 N-P-K) fertilizer was added to one or to none (control) of the compartments. Aboveground growth was positively affected by fertilizer placed in either soil compartmnent. Nutrient content of the foliage was greater in fertilized than in unfertilized seedlings; N and P concentrations were significantly increased. Bud reflushing occurred frequently in fertilized seedlings. Unfertilized container-grown seedlings had the fewest roots in either soil compartment. Unfertilized mechanically-pruned seedlings had significantly greater root length, root surface area, and more root tips in mineral than in organic compartments. They also had more P in current-year leaves than did unfertilized container-grown seedlings. Fertilizer added to mineral compartments significantly affected root growth in these compartments only, whereas when added to organic compartments it affected root growth in both compartments. Root systems of the two seedling types were differently affected by fertilizer: in mechanically-pruned seedlings, the number of roots was reduced but their length and diameter increased; in container-grown seedlings, root proliferation was stimulated and this increased total root length and root surface area. Five ectomycorrhizal morphotypes were identified. E-strain was the most abundant. Except for Cenococcum, all morphotypes were present in nursery stock prior to planting. Changes in distribution of morphotypes after planting appeared related to root health condition rather than to applied fertilizer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anonymous 1995 GromaxTM and fertilization at time of planting: a provincial summary of operational and research experience. Regeneration Note #7, Forest Renewal Section, Silviculture Practices Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Forests.
Austin R C and Strand R F 1960 The use of slowly soluble fertilizers in forest planting in the Pacific Northwest. J. For. 58, 619–627.
Balisky A C, Salonius P, Walli C and Brinkman D 1995 Seedling roots and forest floor: misplaced and neglected aspects of British Columbia’s reforestation effort? For. Chron. 71, 59–65.
Burdett A N, Herring L J and Thompson C J 1984 Early growth of planted spruce. Can. J. For. Res. 14, 644–651.
Brockley R P 1988 The effects of fertilization on the early growth of planted seedlings: a problem analysis. Forest Resource Development Agreement (FRDA). Report #011, Forestry Canada, British Columbia Ministry of Forests joint publication, Victoria B.C. pp. 16.
Carlson W C and Preisig L 1981 Effects of controlled-release fertilizers on the shoot and root development of Douglas-fir seedlings. Can. J. For. Res. 11, 230–242.
Carter M. 1993. Soil sampling and methods of analysis. Canadian Society of Soil Science. 1993.
Chapin F S III and Van Cleve K 1989 Approaches to studying nutrient uptake, use and loss in plants. In Plant Physiological Ecology, Eds R W Pearcy, J Ehleringer, HA Mooney and P W Rundel. pp. 185–207. Chapman and Hall, New York.
Coutts M P 1982 Growth of Sitka spruce seedlings with roots divided between soils of unequal matric potential. New Phytol 92, 49–61.
Coutts M P and Philipson J J 1976 The influence of mineral nutrition on the root development of trees I. The growth of Sitka spruce with divided root systems J. Exp. Bot. 27, 1102–1111.
Crowley D E, Maronek D M and Hendrix J W 1986. Effect of slow release fertilizers on formation of mycorrhizae and growth of container grown pine seedlings. J. Environ. Hort. 4, 97–101.
Dahlberg A 1990 Effect of soil humus cover on the establishment and development of mycorrhiza on containerized Pinus sylvestris L. and Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia Engelm. after outplanting. Scand. J. For. Res. 5, 103–112.
De la Bastide P Y and Kendrick B 1990 The in vitro effects of benomyl on disease tolerance, ectomycorrhiza formation, and growth of white pine Pinus strobus seedlings. Can. J. Bot. 68, 444–448.
Drew M C 1975 Comparison of the effects of a localized supply of phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and potassium on the growth of the seminal root system, and the shoot, in barley. New Phytol. 75, 479–90.
Drew M C and Saker L R 1975 Nutrient supply and the growth of the seminal root system in barley. J. Exp. Bot. 26(90), 79–90.
Gagnon J, Langlois C G, Bouchard D and Le Tacon F 1995 Growth and ectomycorrhizal formation of container-grown Douglas-fir seedlings inoculated with Laccaria bicolor under four levels of nitrogen fertilization. Can. J. For. Res. 25, 1953–1961.
Hallsby G 1995 Field performance of outplanted Norway spruce: effects of organic matter amendments and site preparation. Can. J. For. Res. 25, 1356–1367.
Haug I, Weber G and Oberwinkler F 1988 Intracellular infection by fungi in mycorrhizae of damaged spruce trees. Eur. J. For. Path. 18, 112–120.
Jurgensen M F, Harvey A E, Graham R T, Page-Dumroese D S, Tonn J R, Larsen M J and Jain T B 1997 Impacts of timber harvesting on soil organic matter, nitrogen, productivity, and health of inland nortwest forests. For. Sci. 43, 234–251.
Kalra Y P and Maynard D G 1991 Methods Manual for Forest Soil and Plant Analysis. Forestry Canada Information Report NOR-X-319.
Krasowski M J 1998. The development of roots and root systems in white spruce (Picea glauca ([Moench] Voss) seedlings and the influence of cultural treatments on root morphology, anatomy and the capacity to conduct water. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C. 273 p.
Krasowski M J, Letchford T, Caputa A, Bergerud W A, Ott P K, 1996 The susceptibility of white spruce seedlings to overwinter injury and their post-injury field responses. New Forests 12, 261–278.
Livingston W H and Blaschke H 1984 Deterioration of mycorrhizal short roots and occurrence of Mycelium radicis atrovirens on declining Norway spruce in Bavaria. Eur. J. For. Path. 14, 340–348.
Loopstra E M, Shaw C D III and Sidle R C 1988 Ectomycorrhizal inoculation fails to improve performance of Sitka Spruce seedlings on clearcuts in southeastern Alaska. West. J. Appl. For. 43, 110–112.
Maronek D M, Hendrix J W and Stevens C D 1981 Fertilitymycorrhizal interactions in production of containerized pine oak seedlings. Scientia Horticulturae 15, 283–289.
Maronek D M, Hendrix J W and Cornelius P L 1982 Slow-release fertilizers for optimizing mycorrhizal development in container-grown pine seedlings inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius. HortScience 107, 1104–1110.
Massicotte H B 1994 Characterization of ectomycorrhizal morpho-types. In Practical Methods in Mycorrhiza Research. Eds M Brundrett, L Melville and L Peterson, Chap 11, pp. 88–94. Mycologue Publications.
McMinn R G 1982 Ecology of site preparation to improve performance of planted white spruce in northern latitudes. In Forest regeneration at high latitudes: experiences from northern British Columbia. USDA For. Serv. Proc. Northwest For. Range Exp. Stn. Misc. Rep. 82–1 pp. 25–32.
Mullin R E 1964 Reduction in growth of white spruce after out-planting. For. Chron. 40, 488–494.
Parviainen J and Tervo L 1989 A new approach for production of containerised coniferous seedlings using peat sheets coupled with root pruning. Forestry 62 (suppl.), 87–94.
Philipson J J and Coutts M P 1977 The influence of mineral nutrition on the root development of trees. II. The effect of specific nutrient elements on the growth of individual roots of Sitka spruce. J. Exp. Bot. 28, 864–871
Robinson D 1994 The responses of plants to non-uniform supplies of nutrients. New Phytol. 127, 635–674.
Rothacher J S and Franklin J F 1964 Fertilizer pellets improve growth of planted Douglas-fir on an unfavorable site. U.S. For. Serv. Tree Plant. Notes 67, 9–11.
Salonius P O 1972 Microbial response to fertilizer treatments in organic forest soils. Soil Sci. 114, 12–19.
Shaw C G III, Sidle R C and Harris A S 1987 Evaluation of planting sites common to a southeast Alaska clear-cut. III. Effects of microsite type and ectomycorrhizal inoculation on growth and survival of Sitka spruce seedlings. Can. J. For. Res. 17, 334–339.
Sidle R C and Shaw C G III 1987 Evaluation of planting sites common to a southeast Alaska clear-cut. IV. Nutrient levels in Ectomycorrhizal Sitka spruce seedlings. Can. J. For. Res. 17, 340–345.
Sutton R F 1972 Constraints on the growth of young white spruce. In White spruce the ecology of northern resource. Ed. R G McMinn, Can. For. Serv. North. For. Res. Cent. Inf. Rep. Nor-X-40. pp. 24–39.
Sutton, R F 1991 Soil properties and root development in forest trees: A review Forestry Canada, Ont. Region, Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Inf. Rep. O-X-413. 42 p.
Sutton R F 1993 Mounding site preparation: a review of European and North American experience. New For. 7, 151–192
van den Driessche R 1988 Response of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco) to some different fertilizers applied at planting. New For. 2, 89–100.
van Vuuren M M I, Robinson D and Griffiths B S 1996 Nutrient inflow and root proliferation during the exploitation of a temporally and spatially discrete sources of nitrogen in soil. Plant Soil 178, 185–192.
Vyse A 1981 Growth of young spruce plantations in interior British Columbia. For. Chron. 57, 174–180.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Krasowski, M.J., Owens, J.N., Tackaberry, L.E., Massicotte, H.B. (2000). Above- and below-ground growth of white spruce seedlings with roots divided into different substrates with or without controlled-release fertilizer. In: Stokes, A. (eds) The Supporting Roots of Trees and Woody Plants: Form, Function and Physiology. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 87. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3469-1_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3469-1_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5318-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-3469-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive