Nitrogen fertilization of young yellow poplar and loblolly pine plantations at differing frequencies

Journal Article · · Soil Science Society of America Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1988.03615995005200050050x· OSTI ID:5567908

Johnson, D W; Todd, D E ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) seedlings from 1-10 seedling stock were established in the Tennessee Valley near Oak Ridge and fertilized with 300 kg ha{sup -1} of urea-N over a period of 3 yr according to two regimes: annually in one spring application and quarterly. Two plantation blocks for each species, one consisting of seedlings preinoculated with mycorrhizae and one without preinoculation, contained three replicate plots per treatment. Annual fertilization produced greater growth and N recovery in both loblolly pine plantations than did quarterly fertilization, the latter not being significantly different from the controls. Growth responses in yellow-poplar plantations were less certain and not statistically significant, probably due to moisture stress for this species on this site. There was no evidence of prolonged (>2 yr) enhancement of soil available N following either quarterly or annual fertilization. Quarterly fertilization produced the earliest and generally the most pronounced increases in soil solution NO{sub 3}{sup {minus}} concentrations in all cases, followed by annual fertilization and control, respectively. These results, combined with laboratory incubations, indicated that quarterly fertilization benefited the nitrifying bacteria more than the trees on this site, particularly in the case of loblolly pine.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5567908
• Journal Information: Soil Science Society of America Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Soil Science Society of America Journal; (USA) Vol. 52:5; ISSN SSSJD; ISSN 0361-5995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONIFERS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FERTILIZERS
GROWTH
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MAGNOLIOPSIDA
NITRATES
NITRIFICATION
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PINES
PINOPHYTA
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
POPLARS
SOILS
TREES