Effect of Two Magnesium Fertilizers on Leaf Magnesium Concentration,Yield, and Quality of Potato and Sugar Beet

Twelve field experiments were conducted to study the impacts of calcined magnesite and Kieserite fertilizers on yield, quality and leaf concentrations of magnesium (Mg) in potatoes and sugar beet. The rate of Mg applied was 60 kg Mg ha^?1, and the experiments were realized in six locations for both crop species. There were clear increases in leaf Mg concentration and yield of both crops resulting from application of Mg fertilizers. Mean increase in leaf Mg concentration and crop yield for both species were more pronounced with Kieserite than with calcined magnesite. Sugar concentrations of sugar beet and dry matter yield of potatoes were, however, influenced only slightly by the Mg fertilizers. It seems that superiority of Kieserite to calcined magnesite is related to higher Mg solubility of Kieserite. Use of Mg fertilizers with higher solubility helps to avoid the risk of Mg deficiency and subsequent losses in yield and economic returns.     

The impact of forest fertilization on growth of mature Norway spruce affected by Sirococcus shoot blight

The effects of forest fertilization and Sirococcus shoot blight on growth of mature Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were studied in a field experiment. The single tree fertilization experiment was established with 144 sample trees in the year 2000. These trees were selected among the dominant and co-dominant trees of the stand in a way that half of the trees exhibited symptoms of Sirococcus shoot blight and the other half did not. One-third of the sample trees were fertilized with dolomitic lime, one-third with kieserite and gypsum and one-third were left unfertilized as control. The treatments were randomly assigned to the sample trees. As the experimental design became unbalanced due to tree mortality caused by bark beetle infestation final analyses were performed with the volume growth data of 125 sample trees only. An analysis of covariance was used to evaluate the effect of fertilization and Sirococcus shoot blight on volume growth. The average volume increment of the period 1977–1980 was used as a covariate attribute, assuming that during this period growth was not yet affected by Sirococcus shoot blight. Indeed an effect of Sirococcus shoot blight on growth turned out to start after 1980 and the analysis revealed that over the whole period 1981–2006 trees with shoot blight symptoms had a significantly lower increment. The increment reduction of the nonfertilized trees by Sirococcus   was 7.46±2.90$7.46\pm 2.90$% in 1981 and was continuously increasing with time to 37±3.78$37\pm 3.78$% by the year 2000. A significant positive effect of fertilization was only found for the kieserite+gypsum$\text{kieserite}+\text{gypsum}$ variant from 2002 to 2006, with the highest surplus increment in 2004 with 31.6±15.2$31.6\pm 15.2$%, calculated as average over the diseased and healthy group. However, a mitigation of the Sirococcus-caused increment loss via fertilization with kieserite and gypsum was statistically significant only for the year 2003. A moderate relationship between basal area increment and disease severity was found, indicating decreasing basal area increment with increasing disease severity.