Slash pine bud dormancy as affected by lifting date and root wrenching in the nursery

Bud dormancy of root wrenched and unwrenched slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) seedlings growing in a forest nursery was measured on five lifting dates. Determination of bud dormancy was based on days to budbreak (DBB) under optimal growing conditions, mitotic activity in the apical meristem, chilling hours accumulated, and bud morphology. Based on DBB, seedlings were most dormant at Lift 2 on November 24 after exposure to 189 hours below 10 degrees C and 93 hours below 6.7 degrees C. Mitotic activity in the apical meristem was at its lowest 23 days later at Lift 3, possibly indicating the period when seedlings are most resistant to transplanting stresses. Multiple wrenching resulted in a slight shift in the dormancy cycle as wrenched seedlings set bud sooner in the nursery and broke bud sooner at the planting site in the spring than control seedlings. This implies that wrenched seedlings can be successfully lifted from the nursery earlier and will initiate spring shoot growth earlier than control seedlings.     

Physiological and field growth responses of oak seedlings to warm storage

The effect of warm storage (15°C) for 0, 15 or 31 days, applied after cold storage until April, and date of lifting to cold storage on the physiological condition and field performance of two-year-old oak seedlings (Quercus robur L.) was investigated. Assessments before planting included plant moisture status, root and shoot dry weight, root growth potential (RGP), while after planting root growth, shoot growth phenology, shoot and root dry matter accumulation and stem quality were assessed. Warm storage effects were large, but lift date effects were small. Warm storage for 31 days reduced height and diameter growth, stem quality, total biomass, root growth, and reduced stem quality in the field, but 15 days storage had a smaller effect. Warm storage delayed bud break and shoot growth cessation but survival was unaffected. The depletion of food reserves during storage and low moisture availability might have caused shoot dieback leading to the development of poor quality stems. There was evidence that dry weight fraction of both the shoot tip and the taproot provided good information on the quality of the stock before planting. RGP was also a good indicator of quality. Electrolyte leakage readings from fine and taproots were not reliable indicators of plant quality.     

Initial moisture stress,budbreak and two-year field performance of three morphological grades of slash pine seedlings

This study examined the relationship between root collar diameter, plant moisture stress and budbreak in three morphological grades of bareroot 1+0 slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) nursery seedlings and assessed the role of these parameters in predicting field performance potential under operational conditions. Two months after outplanting seedlings with small (3.2 mm) diameters exhibited greater signs of moisture stress than those with the largest (4.7 mm) diameters, as determined by lower xylem pressure potential values. Intermediate and large-sized seedlings (diameter >3.2 mm) showed earlier budbreak than smaller seedlings with more rapid shoot elongation after planting and had significantly greater survival rates for two years after planting on both a moist flatwoods and a dry sandhill planting site. However, after two years on the more favorable moist site, height and diameter measurements of seedlings with significantly smaller diameters initially did not differ from those of intermediate sized seedlings (diameter >3.2 and <4.7 mm). Large seedlings had greater second-year leader and diameter increments and attained greater total height and diameter after two years on both sites. Decreasing the proportion of smaller seedlings included in the field performance analyses increased overall mean plantation survival while increasing the proportion of large seedlings increased mean two-year total height and diameter as well as annual growth increments.     

Auxin-impregnated hygroscopic gel: effects on ponderosa pine and common hackberry seedlings

Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to determine the effects of indole3-butyric acid (IBA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on root development and survival of 3+0 bareroot Pinus ponderosa (Dougl. ex Laws.) and 2+0 bareroot Celtis occidentalis (L) seedlings. In the greenhouse, 100 and 200 ppm. IBA and 10 and 50 ppm 2,4-D were applied to seedlings through a root dip in an auxin hygroscopic gel mix. A randomized complete block analysis of variance indicated that IBA gel treatments increased root volume and root dry weight in hackberry and had no effect on ponderosa pine; 2,4-D gel treatments had detrimental effects on both species. In the field, IBA gel treated ponderosa pine seedlings exhibited improved height and survival relative to the non-treated control seedlings. There was no detectable improvement in survival in the field for hackberry. However, diameter and stem dry weight were lower for hackberry seedlings treated with the gel dip alone.     

黧蒴栲芽苗截根移栽育苗及造林成效研究

为了提高黧蒴栲苗木质量和造林成活率,利用随机区组设计开展了黧蒴栲芽苗截根移栽、截根苗造林对比试验.结果表明：黧蒴栲芽苗截根处理对苗高、主根长、一级侧根数、叶干重、茎枝干重、根器官干重有极显著影响,对苗木地径、一级侧根长度有显著影响.芽苗截根处理后苗木高度增加17.51％、地径增加13.72％.不同剪叶处理方式对黧蒴栲苗木造林成活率有极显著影响,芽苗截根苗造林以剪叶75％效果最好,造林成活率达95.86％,而未剪叶苗造林成活率为57.69％;应用芽苗截根苗造林可提高造林成活率17.0％～24.0％,增加当年树高、地径生长量分别为18.22％、15.44％.     

Physiology and morphology of Douglas-fir rooted cuttings compared to seedlings and transplants

Cuttings of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) from three open-pollinated families were rooted in two types of tray, and then grown for 1.5 years in a bareroot nursery. During their second winter they were sampled periodically and tested for cold hardiness, dormancy status, root growth potential and various morphological characteristics. Two-year-old seedlings and transplants were tested concurrently for comparison. Rooted cuttings, seedlings and transplants cold hardened at similar rates during early winter, achieving the same level of midwinter hardiness (LT(50) = -18 degrees C) in early January. However, rooted cuttings remained hardier later into the spring than did seedlings or transplants. Rooted cuttings exhibited deeper dormancy in early winter than seedlings or transplants but these differences disappeared after January. Root growth potentials of all three stock types remained above threshold values established for transplants throughout winter. Rooted cuttings had greater stem diameter, higher stem diameter to height ratio, and greater root weight than either seedlings or transplants. This may reflect lower growing densities for the rooted cuttings. Root/shoot ratios of rooted cuttings were greater than for seedlings and similar to those of transplants. Rooted cuttings also had deeper and coarser root systems, which probably reflects lack of wrenching at the nursery.     

Effects of Douglas-fir 2+0 seedling morphology on field performance

The relationships between field performance of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) 2+0 seedlings and their initial diameter and root mass were evaluated on five sites in Oregon in the early 1980s to identify opportunities for improving seedling grading prior to planting. Survival and height 3–5 years after planting were positively related to seedling size at the time of planting. On all sites, survival nearly doubled from the smallest to largest diameter classes. Root mass had a similar relationship to survival on sites with environmental stress. Increasing root size class increased survival more for the small diameter classes than for the larger diameter clases. On the other hand, increasing root size class increased total height more for the large diameter class than the smaller ones. Although height was not as strongly affected as survival on several sites, height differences among initial seedling diameter classes were still significant and increasing after five years. Root class effects on height were less important than diameter class effects.     

The influence of hydrogel soil amendment on the survival and growth of newly transplanted Pinus patula seedlings

Hydrogel amendments have been used to improve seedling survival and establishment particularly in dry environments. However, their effect on survival and growth of newly transplanted seedlings under varying water stress conditions is poorly known. In this regard, we examined the effects of Aqua Matrix Forestry~?, a potassium-based water-absorbent polymer, on the survival and early growth of Pinus patula seedlings planted in early-,mid-and late-dry season in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. The late-dry season was hotter and received more rainfall than the early-and mid-dry season. Hydrogel increased seedling survival by 34 and 22% in the mid-and late-dry season, respectively. Also, hydrogel-treated seedlings were significantly taller than untreated seedlings(P \ 0.001). The height to root collar diameter ratio of hydrogel-treated seedlings was greater than that of untreated seedlings only in the mid-dry season. In conclusion, increase in survival and early growth of hydrogel-treated seedlings suggests that hydrogels can be used to extend planting beyond the rainy season to include the dry months, a feat previously unattainable due to high seedling mortality. Further, these findings reflect similar findings with other hydrogels, suggesting that improved seedling survival and plant performance may be a general consequence of hydrogel amendments.     

Field performance of containerized black spruce seedlings with root systems damaged by freezing or pruning

Roots of 2-year-old black spruce seedlings (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) were exposed to freezing temperatures to destroy 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the root systems. For comparison, other root systems were pruned to eliminate the same proportions of roots. Treated and control seedlings were planted in spring 1992 at Forêt Montmorency (the Université Laval forest research station, 50 km north of Quebec City). From 1992 to 1995, survival, shoot height and stem diameter were measured. Mortality mainly occurred in 1993, the year after planting; pruned seedlings showed practically no mortality while seedlings with 20, 40, 60, and 80% of their root systems affected by frost showed mortality rates of 0, 6, 17, and 24%, respectively. Shoot height and stem diameter decreased with increasing root damage when compared to controls. After three years on the planting site, shoot height was reduced by 2, 8, 11, and 18% while stem diameter was reduced by 4, 21, 25, and 24% for 20, 40, 60, and 80% frost damage, respectively. For pruned seedlings, shoot height was increased by 3% at 20% damage and was decreased by 1, 3, and 13% for 40, 60, and 80% root damage while stem diameter was reduced by 1, 4, 8, 19% for 20, 40, 60, and 80% respectively. Use of damaged seedlings on the planting sites should be limited in order to reduce the cost of replacement planting.     

Why seedlings survive: influence of plant attributes

Seedling survival and successful forest restoration involves many silvicultural practices. One important aspect of a successful forest restoration program is planting quality seedlings with high survival capability. Thus the nursery needs to create seedlings with plant attributes that allow for the best chance of success once a seedling is field planted. Since the mid-twentieth century, research foresters have critically examined plant attributes that confer improved seedling survival to field site conditions. This review describes the value of commonly measured seedling quality material (i.e. shoot height, stem diameter, root mass, shoot to root ratio, drought resistance, mineral nutrient status) and performance (i.e. freezing tolerance and root growth) plant attributes defined as important in answering the question of why seedlings survive after planting. Desirable levels of these plant attributes can increase the speed with which seedlings overcome planting stress, become ‘coupled’ to the forest restoration site, thereby ensuring successful seedling establishment. Although planting seedlings with these desirable plant attributes does not guarantee high survival rates; planting seedlings with desirable plant attributes increases chances for survival after field planting.     

Growing environment and container type influence field performance of black spruce container stock

Black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) overwintered container crops produced in four container types spanning a range of container sizes and seedling rearing densities were compared for two consecutive years. In 1989 two growing environments (greenhouse and outdoors) were compared. In 1990 three growing environments (greenhouse, coldframe, and outdoors) and two hardening regimes (short day and natural) were compared. Seedlings were outplanted during the spring of 1989 and 1990 and total height and survival were assessed for five years.The outdoor-grown crop was shorter, smaller in root collar diameter and had less dry weight at time of planting than the crops produced in the greenhouse (1989 study) and in the greenhouse and coldframe (1990 study). Although the greenhouse crops in both studies were larger at time of planting, the outdoor-grown crops (1989 and 1990) and coldframe-grown crop (1990) displayed significantly greater annual height increment in the first two years after planting. The enhanced early height growth of the outdoor-grown crops may be due to the natural acclimation created by their growing environment.Seedlings grown in a large volume container, at a low plant density (441 plants/m²), had significantly larger root collar diameters and total dry weights at time of planting than seedlings grown in a smaller volume container at a high plant density. Stem volume production in the field was greater on seedlings from larger volume containers grown at low densities.     

不同育苗方式对薄壳山核桃苗木生长及根系结构的影响

该文报道了薄壳山核桃大田播种育苗和火箭盆、无纺布、塑料钵容器等育苗方式对苗木生长及根系结构的影响。结果表明:不同育苗方式对薄壳山核桃苗木高度和地径生长影响显著,其中火箭盆容器培育的苗高、地径生长量最大,为39.14 cm和0.96 cm;无纺布容器苗和大田播种苗次之;塑料钵容器苗的苗高、地径生长量最小。多重比较分析表明,不同育苗方式对薄壳山核桃苗木的主根长度、主根直径、1级侧根数、1级侧根平均长度、根鲜质量、根干质量、茎鲜质量、茎干质量、根茎鲜质量比和根茎干质量比等指标影响显著,火箭盆容器和无纺布容器培育的苗木侧根系发达,根系质量好;而大田播种苗和普通塑料容器苗的主根发达,侧根少,根系质量较差。     

Performance of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings and micropropagated plantlets on an east Texas site: I. Above- and belowground growth

East Texas contains the western extent of the natural range of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and, therefore, many planted seedlings there experience water deficit sometimes leading to plantation failure. One solution may be to regenerate with clonally propagated drought-hardy planting stock. The objective of this research was to compare the field performance of loblolly pine seedlings and plantlets of diverse genetic origin, produced via micropropagation technology.Two adjacent sites were established (Site I in 1993 and Site II in 1994) with trees produced from four genetic families: Liberty (LIB) and Montgomery (MON) Counties from southeast Texas, and Fayette (FAY) and Bastrop (BAS) Counties from the “Lost Pines” in Central Texas. Height, groundline diameter (GLD), leaf area, survival, root/shoot ratio, and root system architecture were measured throughout the 1994 and 1995 growing seasons. In addition, height and diameter at breast height on Site II were measured at the end of 1999 and 2000 growing seasons.Height and GLD growth for seedlings was significantly greater than for plantlets on both sites. However, mean relative growth rates for height were greater for plantlets during the first growing season, but comparable thereafter. Survival for all treatments was >85% on Site I and >90% on Site II at the end of the 1995 growing season. Survival was significantly different, but by a negligible margin, between families and stock types on Site II at the end of the 1995 growing season, and by a margin of 7% (89% for seedlings vs. 82% for plantlets) at the end of the 2000 growing season. Seedlings had greater leaf area growth than plantlets after two growing seasons. Root/shoot ratio was significantly greater for plantlets after two growing seasons, whereas their specific root length was significantly smaller than that of seedlings. This was attributed to root system architecture. Whereas plantlets produced thicker roots with less length per unit dry weight, seedlings produced more branching with thinner roots for similar dry weights.     

马尾松切根、菌根化容器育苗效果的试验

对马尾松切根、菌根化容器育苗效果的试验表明：催芽切根的苗木的主根和高生长受到一定抑制，但地径生长、侧根发育及须根数量均有显著改善，并且避免了畸形根系的产生，从而提高了容器苗的规格质量；切根茵根化的苗木高、径生长和生物量积累均优于切根未接种菌根的苗木，幼苗造林成活串和幼林生长发育状况也明显比对照要好。     

The influence of hydrogel soil amendment on the survival and growth of newly transplanted <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus patula</Emphasis> seedlings

Hydrogel amendments have been used to improve seedling survival and establishment particularly in dry environments. However, their effect on survival and growth of newly transplanted seedlings under varying water stress conditions is poorly known. In this regard, we examined the effects of Aqua Matrix Forestry^®, a potassium-based water-absorbent polymer, on the survival and early growth of Pinus patula seedlings planted in early-, mid- and late-dry season in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. The late-dry season was hotter and received more rainfall than the early- and mid-dry season. Hydrogel increased seedling survival by 34 and 22% in the mid- and late-dry season, respectively. Also, hydrogel-treated seedlings were significantly taller than untreated seedlings (P < 0.001). The height to root collar diameter ratio of hydrogel-treated seedlings was greater than that of untreated seedlings only in the mid-dry season. In conclusion, increase in survival and early growth of hydrogel-treated seedlings suggests that hydrogels can be used to extend planting beyond the rainy season to include the dry months, a feat previously unattainable due to high seedling mortality. Further, these findings reflect similar findings with other hydrogels, suggesting that improved seedling survival and plant performance may be a general consequence of hydrogel amendments.     

Effect of flooding of soil on growth,stem anatomy,and ethylene production of cryptomeria japonica seedlings

Flooding of soil for 55 days altered the rate of growth and stem anatomy of 9‐month‐old Cryptomeria japonica seedlings. Although flooding did not affect height growth it reduced the rate of dry weight increment of seedlings while increasing stem diameter. The reduction in dry weight increment of seedlings resulted largely from decay of roots and, to a lesser extent, from inhibition of growth of roots and needles. The increased diameter growth of flooded seedlings resulted largely from an increase in bark thickness associated with increased phloem production and greater amount of intercellular space. Flooding reduced xylem increment in submerged stems but increased it above the water level because of larger tracheids rather than more tracheids per radial file. Flooding also increased lumen diameters of tracheids, decreased tracheid wall thickness (as a proportion of tracheid diameter), and stimulated formation of axial parenchyma cells in the xylem. Cryptomeria japonica seedlings adapted to flooding by forming adventitious roots, primarily on the original root system and submerged portion of the stem. Such new roots originated in the xylem ray parenchyma. Flooding stimulated ACC synthesis in roots and ethylene production in stems. The role of ethylene in alteration of stem anatomy is discussed.     

江西金盆山林区米槠生长过程与幼林生长效应

进行样地调查与树干解析,以研究米槠生长过程。采用米槠容器苗和裸根苗造林,比较造林保存率、胸径、树高、冠幅、变异系数等指标,以了解两种苗木的幼林生长效应,并比较天然林与人工林米槠的早期生长。研究表明,米槠在10-20 a,树高、胸径生长较快;14-30 a,材积生长较快;树龄33 a时,尚未达到数量成熟阶段。米槠容器苗造林的保存率、胸径、树高值均大于裸根苗,其中保存率比裸根苗高9.5%,胸径值大11.3%,树高值大4.6%。比较人工林和天然林的早期生长,人工林树高和胸径值均大于天然林。米槠容器苗造林,可以促进米槠生长,取得较好的造林效果。     

Effects of Seedbed Density on One-Year-Old <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fraxinus angustifolia</Emphasis> Seedling Characteristics and Outplanting Performance

To assess the effects of seedling spacing on one-year-old seedling morphology in the nursery, seeds of three provenances of Fraxinus angustifolia were sown at five different seedling spacings within rows of two different spacings in the seedbed. Subsequent growth performance of one-year-old seedlings was assessed by planting in the forest. Within row spacings were: 4.3, 5.0, 6.3, 8.3, and 12.5 cm, and there were five rows at 20 cm apart, or three rows at 33 cm apart across the 1.2 m wide seedbeds. Both spacings within and between rows significantly affected shoot height, root collar diameter, root dry weight and shoot dry weight, but not root/shoot ratio. Wider spacings produced larger seedlings, but only the wider spacing within rows significantly increased fine and coarse root mass. Provenances showed significant differences in diameter, root/shoot ratio, and fine and coarse roots, and they also showed interactions with row spacings in height and diameter measurements. One year after outplanting, diameter growth was significantly related to provenance, and diameter growth was 88% greater for trees from 33 cm nursery row spacing than those from 20 cm nursery row spacing.     

Root volume as a grading criterion to improve field performance of Douglas-fir seedlings

Three seed sources of 2+0 Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] seedlings were graded into three root-volume categories (<9, 9–13, and >13 cm³) and outplanted to determine (i) differences in survival and growth after one and two growing seasons in the field, (ii) relationship(s) of seedling height after one and two seasons to preplanting nursery root volume, total fresh weight, root-collar diameter, and height, and (iii) differences in field performance due to fertilization at planting. Field survival was >90% among all root-volume categories. Seedlings in the largest category grew significantly better than those in the smaller two categories over two seasons. Apparently, a population of seedlings having a large proportion of high root volumes will outperform a population having a large proportion of low root volumes in the field. Fertilization at the time of planting had no effect on survival or growth because of shallow placement of the fertilizer pellet. The results suggest that targeting root volume, as well as height and diameter, is worthwhile where morphological quality must be maximized to improve field performance. Thus, root volume has potential for use as a criterion for grading seedlings.