Abstract
The soil cation-exchange complex serves as a reservoir of nutrients which are released into the soil solution, where they are accessible to seedlings. Although macronutrients are most readily available in soils of pH 6 to 7, micronutrients are most available in more acid soils; therefore, pH values of 5.0 to 6.0 are recommended for forest nurseries. Under such conditions, available nitrogen is primarily in the ammonium form, and phosphorus can form insoluble iron and aluminum compounds. Sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and micronutrients are seldom deficient in forest nurseries because sufficient fertilizer is added as “maintenance” dressings, or supplies from native minerals are adequate. Recommended fertilizer applications for a 2-year nursery rotation range from 112 to 285 kg of nitrogen, 67 to 200 kg of phosphorus, and 75 to 150 kg of potassium per ha. Recommended nutrient levels in both soils and seedlings are tabulated and some effects of nutrients on seedling growth and physiology mentioned.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldhous, J. R. 1972. Nursery practice. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London. Forestry Commun. Bull. 43. 184 p.
Allison, F. E. 1965. Decomposition of wood and bark sawdust in soil, nitrogen requirements, and effects on plants. U.S. Dep. Agric., Washington, D.C. Tech. Bui ). 1332. 29 p.
Anderson, H. W., and S. P. Gessel. 1966. Effects of nursery fertilization on outplanted Douglas-fir. J. Forestry 64: 109–112.
Armson, K. A. 1959. The use of farmyard manure in forest tree nurseries. Forestry Chronicle 35 (2): 100–103.
Armson, K. A. 1960. White spruce seedlings: the growth and seasonal absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Univ. Toronto Forestry Bull. 6. 37 p.
Armson, K. A. 1965. Seasonal patterns of nutrient absorption by forest trees. Pages 65–75 in Forest-soil relationships in North America (C. T. Youngberg, ed.). Oregon State Univ. Press, Corvallis.
Armson, K. A. 1977. Forest soils: properties and processes. Univ. Toronto Press. 390 p.
Armson, K. A., and R. D. Carman. 1961. An acid injection system for nursery irrigation water. Tree Planters ’ Notes 46: 11–13.
Armson, K. A., and V. Sadreika. 1979. Forest tree nursery soil management and related practices. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Toronto. 179 p.
Aronsson, A. 1980. Frost hardiness in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). 11. Hardiness during winter and spring in young trees of differentmineral nutrient status. Studia Forestalia Suecica 155: 1–27.
Baule, H., and C. Fricker. 1970. The fertilizer treatment of forest trees. Translated by C. L. Whittles. BLV Verlags, Munchen. 259 p.
Bell, T. I. W. 1968. Effect of fertilizer and density pretreatment on spruce seedling survival and growth. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London. Forestry Comm. For. Res. 67. 67 p.
Benzian, B. 1965. Experiments on nutrition problems in forest nurseries. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London. Forestry Commun. Bull. 37. 251 p.
Benzian, B. 1966. Manuring young conifers: experiments in some English nurseries. Proc. Fertilizer Society of London 94: 3–35.
Benzian, B.R.M. Brown, and S. C. R. Freeman. 1974. Effect of late-season top-dressings of N (and K) applied to conifer transplants in the nursery on their survival and growth on British forest sites. Forestry 47: 153–184.
Benzian, B., and S. C. R. Freeman. 1973. Reference experiments on young conifers at Woburn experimental farm, 1961–69. Rep.Rothamsted Exp. Sta. for 1973, Part 2: 152–171.
Benzian. B„ S.C.R. Freeman, and H. D. Patterson. 1972. Comparison of crop rotations, and of fertilizer with compost, in long term experiments with Sitka spruce ( Picea sitcfiensis) in two English nurseries. Forestry 45: 145–176.
Bolton, J., and B. Benzian. 1970. Sulfur as a nutrient for Sitka spruce (Picea sitcfiensis) seedlings and radish (Rapfianus sativus) grown on a sandy podzol in England. J. Agric. Sci. Cambridge 74: 501–504.
Bradbury, I. K., and D. C. Malcolm. 1977. The effect of phosphorus and potassium on transpiration, leaf diffusive resistance andwater-use efficiency in Sitka spruce (Picea sitcfiensis) seedlings. J. Applied Ecology 14: 631–641.
Brady, N. C. 1974. The nature and properties of soils. 8th ed. MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York. 639 p.
Braekke, F. H. 1979. Boron deficiency in forest plantations on peatland in Norway. Meddelelser fra det Norske Skogforsoeksvesen 35: 213–236.
Brouwer, R. 1962. Nutritive influences on the distribution of drymatter in the plant. Netherlands J. Agric. Sci. 10: 399–408.
California Fertilizer Association, Soil Improvement Committee. 1980. Western fertilizer handbook. The Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc., Danville, Illinois. 269 p.
Campagna, J. P., and D. P. White. 1973. Nursery soil fumigation affects growth and phosphorus nutrition of pine and spruceseedlings. Forestry Chronicle 49: 219–223.
Christersson, L. 1976. The effect of inorganic nutrients on watereconomy and hardiness of conifers. II. The effect of varying potassium and calcium contents on water status and droughthardiness of pot-grown Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. seedlings. Studia Forestalia Suecica 136: 1–23.
Cooling, E. N. 1967. Frost resistance in Eucalyptus grandis following the application of fertilizer borate. Rhodesia. Zambia and Malawi I. Agric. Res. 5: 97–100.
Davey, C. B., and H. H. Krause. 1980. Functions and maintenance of organic matter in forest nursery soils. Pages 13–165 in Proc.. North American forest tree nursery soils workshop (L. P. Abrahamson and D. H. Bickelhaupt, eds.). State Univ. New York, Coll. Environ. Sci. and Forestry, Syracuse.
Etter, H. M. 1969. Growth, metabolic components and droughtsurvival of lodgepole pine seedlings at three nitrate levels. Can. J.Plant Sci. 49: 393–402.
Etter, H. M. 1971. Nitrogen and phosphorus requirements during the early growth of white spruce seedlings. Can. J. Plant Sci. 51: 61–63.
Harley, J. L. 1969. The biology of mycorrhiza. 2nd ed. Leonard Hill Books, London.
Heiberg, S. O., and D. P. White. 1951. Potassium deficiency of reforested pine and spruce stands in northern New York. Soil Sci. Society of America Proc. 15: 369–376.
Ingestad, T. 1979. Mineral nutrient requirements of Pinus silvestris and Picea abies seedlings. Physiologia Plantarum 45: 373–380.
Jackson, M. L. 1958. Soil chemical analysis. Constable and Co. Ltd., London. 498 p.
Knight, H. 1957. Growth and survival of experimental plantations of Douglas-fir. B. C. Forest Serv., Victoria. Res. Note 33. 22 p.
Knight, P. J. 1978. Fertilizer practice in New Zealand forest nurseries. New Zealand I. Forestry Sci. 8: 27–53.
Korstian. C. F., C. Hartley, L. F. Watts, and G. G. Hahn. 1921. Achlorosis of conifers corrected by spraying with ferrous sulphate. J. Agric. Res. 21: 153–171.
Krause, H. H. 1965. Effect of pH on leaching losses of potassium applied to forest nursery soils. Soil Sci. Society of America Proc. 29: 613–615.
Landis, T. D. 1976. Nitrogen fertilizer injures pine seedlings in Rocky Mountain nursery. Tree Planters ’ Notes 27(4): 29–32. 35.
Larsen, J. B. 1978. Untersuchungen uber die Bedeutung der Kalium und Stickstoffversorgung fur die Austrocknungsresistenz der Douglasie ( Pseudotsuga menziesii) im Winter. Flora 167: 197–207.
Low, A.)., and A. L. Sharpe. 1973. The long term effects oforganic and inorganic fertilizer regimes at Teindland nursery.Scottish Forestry 27: 287–295.
Levisohn, 1. 1965. Mycorrhizal investigations. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. London. Forestry Comm. Bull. 37: 228–235.
Malcolm. D. C., and B. C. Y. Freezaillah. 1975. Early frost damageon Sitka spruce seedlings and the influence of phosphorus nutrition. Forestry 48: 139–145.
McFee. W. W.. and E. L. Stone. 1968. Ammonium and nitrate asnitrogen sources for Pinus radiata and Picea glauca. Soil Sci. Societyof America Proc. 32: 879–884.
McVickar, M. H., G. L. Bridger, and L. B. Nelson. 1963. Fertilizertechnology and usage. Soil Sci. Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin. 464 p.
Miller, M. H. 1971. Effect of nitrogen on phosphorus absorption by plants. Pages 643–668 in The plant root and its environment(E. W. Carson, ed.). The Univ. Press of Virginia.
Morrison, 1. K. 1974. Mineral nutrition of conifers with special reference to nutrient status interpretation: a review of the literature. Can. Forestry Serv., Dep. Environ. Publ. 1343. 74 p.
Mullin, R. E. 1969. Soil acidification with sulfur in a forest tree nursery. Sulfur Institute J. 5: 2–3.
Mullin. R. E.. and L. Bowdery. 1978. Effects of nursery seedbed density and top dressing fertilization on survival and growth of 3 + 0 red pine. Can. 1. Forest Res. 8: 30–35.
Nelson, L. E., and R. Selby. 1974. The effect of nitrogen sources and iron levels on the growth and composition of Sitka spruce and Scots pine. Plant and Soil 41: 573–588.
Olsen. S. R. 1972. Micronutrient interactions. Pages 243–264 in Micronutrients in agriculture J. Mortvedt, P. M. Giordano, and W. L. Lindsay, eds.). Soil Sci. Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin.
Pharis. R. P., and P. J. Kramer. 1964. The effect of nitrogen and drought on loblolly pine seedlings. Forest Sci. 10: 143–150.
Purnell, H. M. 1958. Nutritional studies of Pinus radiata Don. 1. Symptoms due to deficiency of some major elements. Australian Forestry 22: 82–87.
Rayner, M. C.. and W. Neilson-Jones. 1944. Problems in tree nutrition. Faberand Faber, London.
Rogers, T. H., and J. E. Giddens. 1957. Green manure and cover crops. Pages 252–257 in Soil, the yearbook of agriculture 1957. U.S.Dep. Agric., Washington, D.C.
Schaedle, M. 1959. A study of the growth of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings. M.S. thesis. Univ. British Columbia. Vancouver. 98 p.
Sinclair, W. A., D. P. Cowles, and S. M. Hee. 1975. Fusarium root rot of Douglas fir seedlings: suppression by soil fumigation, fertility management, and inoculation with spores of the fungal symbiont Laccaria laccata. Forest Sci. 21: 390–399.
Smith. J. H. G., A. Kozak. O. Sziklai, and J. Walters. 1966. Relative importance of seedbed fertilization, morphological grade, site, provenance, and parentage to juvenile growth and survival of Douglas fir. Forestry Chronicle 42: 83–86.
Stoeckeler, J. H., and G. W. Jones. 1957. Forest nursery practice inthe Lake States. U.S.D.A. Forest Serv., Washington, D.C. Agric. Handb. 110. 124 p.
Stone. E. L. 1968. Micronutrition of forest trees: a review. Pages 132–175 in Forest fertilization. Tennessee Valley Authority, National Fertilizer Development Center, Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Strullu. D. G., and M. Bonneau. 1978. Contribution a l’étude des carences en cuivre chez les Abietacées. Can. J. Botany 56: 2648–2659.
Sucoff, E. I. 1961. Potassium, magnesium and calcium deficiency symptoms of loblolly and Virginia pine seedlings. U.S.D.A. Forest Serv., NE Forest Exp. Sta., Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Sta. Pap. 164. 18 p.
Sutherland, J. R., and E. van Eerden. 1980. Diseases and insect pests in British Columbia forest nurseries. B.C. Ministry of Forests/Can. Forestry Serv. Rep. 12. 55 p.
Switzer, G. L., and L. E. Nelson. 1963. Effects of nursery fertility and density on seedling characteristics, yield, and field performance of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). Soil Sci. Society of America Proc. 27: 461–464.
Timmis, R. 1974. Effect of nutrient stress on growth, bud set, and hardiness in Douglas fir seedlings. Pages 187–193 in Proc., North American containerized forest tree seedling symp. (R. W. Tinus, W. 1. Stein, and W. E. Balmer, eds.). Great Plains Agric. Council Publ. 68.
Tinus, R. W. 1980. Nature and management of soil pH and salinity. Pages 72-86 in Proc., North American forest tree nursery soils workshop (L. P. Abrahamson and D. H. Bickelhaupt. eds.). State Univ. New York. Coll. Environ. Sci. and Forestry, Syracuse.
Turner, J., and M. J. Lambert. 1978. Sulfur nutrition of conifers in relation to response to fertilizer nitrogen, to fungal infections and soil parent material. Pages 546–564 in Proc., Forest soils and land use (C. T. Youngberg, ed.).5th North American Forest Soils conf., Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins.
van den Driessche, R. 1963. Nursery experiments with Douglas fir. Commonwealth Forestry Review 42 (3): 242–254.
van den Driessche, R. 1969. Forest nursery handbook. B.C. Forest Serv., Victoria. Res. Note 48. 44 p.
van den Driessche, R. 1971. Response of conifer seedlings to nitrate and ammonium sources of nitrogen. Plant and Soil 34: 421–439.
van den Driessche, R. 1977. Fertilizer experiments in conifer nurseries of British Columbia. B. C. Ministry of Forests, Victoria. Res. Note 79. 32 p.
van den Driessche, R. 1979. Soil management in Douglas fir nurseries. Pages 278–292 in Forest soils of the Douglas fir region (P. E. Heilman, H. W. Anderson, and D. M. Baumgartner, eds.). Washington State Univ. Ext. Serv., Pullman.
van den Driessche, R. 1979. Estimating potential response to fertilizer based on tree tissue and litter analysis. Pages 214-220 in Forest fertilization conf. (S. P. Gessel, R. M. Kennedy, and W. A. Atkinson, eds.). Univ. Washington, Seattle. Institute of Forest Resources Contribution 40.
van den Driessche, R. 1980. Health, vigour and quality of conifer seedlings in relation to nursery soil fertility. Pages 100–120 in Proc., North American forest tree nursery soils workshop (L. P. Abrahamson and D. H. Bickelhaupt. eds.). State Univ. New York, Coll. Environ. Sci. and Forestry, Syracuse.
van den Driessche. R. 1980. Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on Douglas fir nursery growth and survival after utplanting. Can. J. Forest Res. 10: 65–70.
van den Driessche, R., and J. Dangerfield. 1975. Response of Douglas fir seedlings to nitrate and ammonium nitrogen sources under various environmental conditions. Plant and Soil 42: 685–702.
van den Driessche. R. 1982. Unpublished data, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Victoria.
Wilde. S. A. 1958. Forest soils. The Ronald Press Co., New York. 537 p.
Wilde, S. A., R. Wittenkamp, E. L. Stone, and H. M. Galloway. 1940. Effect of high rate fertilizer treatments of nursery stockupon its survival and growth in the field. J. Forestry 38: 806–809.
Will, G. M. 1977. The influence of nitrogen supply on the growth form of Pinus radiata seedlings. Forest Sci. 2 3: 64–68.
Wittwer, S. H., M. J. Bukovac, and H. B. Tukey. 1963. Advances in foliar feeding of plant nutrients. Pages 429–455 in Fertilizer usage and technology (M. H. McVickar, G. L. Bridger, and L. B. Nelson, eds.). Soil Sci. Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1984 Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W. Junk Publishers, The Hague
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
van den Driessche, R. (1984). Soil Fertility in Forest Nurseries. In: Duryea, M.L., Landis, T.D., Perry, C.R. (eds) Forestry Nursery Manual: Production of Bareroot Seedlings. Forestry Sciences, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6110-4_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6110-4_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-6112-8
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-6110-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive