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Growth, physiology, and nutrient retranslocation in nitrogen-15 fertilized Quercus rubra seedlings

Croissance, échanges gazeux et réponses nutritionnelles de jeunes semis de Quercus rubra soumis à une fertilisation par (15NH4)2SO4

Annals of Forest Science volume 65, page 101 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

We evaluated gas exchange, chlorophyll index (CI) using SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter, and leaf nutritional responses in one-year-old northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) container seedlings transplanted into control (unfertilized) or fertilized (0.86 g N plant−1) sand culture and grown in a greenhouse for 90 days. We labeled current nitrogen (N) uptake with (15NH4)2SO4 and directly quantified proportional contributions of N derived from fertilizer (NF) compared with retranslocation or N derived from plant (NP) in leaf growth of red oak seedlings. NF met a greater N demand in leaf growth of fertilized plants while unfertilized seedlings relied entirely on NP for their leaf growth. Fertilization increased leaf dry mass by 67% and new stem dry mass by 253% 90 days after transplanting compared to control seedlings. Specific leaf area (SLA) was not significantly altered but CI increased 90 days after transplanting. Higher leaf N concentration and content in fertilized compared with control seedlings was linked to greater chlorophyll concentrations in the former plants. The higher coefficient of determination (r 2 = 0.72) noted between leaf N concentrations and CI suggests that the SPAD meter could be a useful tool for assessing leaf N status in northern red oak seedlings. Fertilized seedlings exhibited higher net assimilation, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rates compared with controls. Increased seedling growth in response to fertilization was related to maintenance of higher gas exchange and greater nutrient uptake, which could improve outplanting success.

Résumé

Nous avons estimé les échanges gazeux foliaires, un index de teneurs en chlorophylles (IC) avec un chlorophylle-mètre SPAD-502 et les teneurs en nutriments dans les feuilles de jeunes plants de chêne rouge d’Amérique (Quercus rubra L.) âgés d’un an. Les plants ont été transplantés dans du substrat sableux non fertilisé (témoins) ou fertilisé avec 0.86 g N par plante, et cultivés pendant 90 jours sous serre. L’azote apporté par la fertilisation était marqué avec (15NH4)2SO4 et nous avons directement quantifié les contributions à la croissance foliaire de N apporté par la fertilisation (NF) par rapport à celle de N remobilisé depuis les pools de réserve de la plante (NP). NF constituait la fraction la plus importante d’azote foliaire de plants fertilisés, alors que l’azote foliaire des plants non fertilisés était exclusivement constitué de NP. La fertilisation s’est traduite par une augmentation, par rapport aux plantes témoins, de 67 % de la biomasse foliaire et de 253 % de la biomasse de tiges nouvellement formées 90 jours après la transplantation. La surface spécifique des feuilles n’était pas affectée par la fertilisation alors que CI avait significativement augmenté. Des teneurs plus élevées en N foliaire en comparaison des témoins, étaient donc liées à des concentrations plus fortes en chlorophylles. Le coefficient de détermination élevé (r 2 = 0.72) des relations entre concentration de N et CI montrent que le SPAD-502 pourrait être un instrument utile pour l’évaluation des teneurs en N dans des semis de chêne rouge. Les semis fertilisés présentaient également des niveaux d’assimilation nette de CO2, de conductance stomatique et de transpiration plus élevés que les plants témoins. La croissance plus forte des semis en réponse à la fertilisation était liée à des échanges gazeux plus actifs et une plus forte assimilation de nutriments, ce qui peut augmenter les chances de succès à la transplantation en forêt.

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Author notes

  1. Kent G. Apostol

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Bethel University, 3900 Bethel Drive, 55112, St. Paul, MN, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 47907-2061, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    K. Francis Salifu, Kent G. Apostol, Douglass F. Jacobs & M. Anisul Islam

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  1. K. Francis Salifu
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  2. Kent G. Apostol
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Correspondence to Douglass F. Jacobs.

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Salifu, K.F., Apostol, K.G., Jacobs, D.F. et al. Growth, physiology, and nutrient retranslocation in nitrogen-15 fertilized Quercus rubra seedlings. Ann. For. Sci. 65, 101 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2007073

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2007073

Annals of Forest Science

ISSN: 1297-966X