Extended Nursery Rearing Compromises Field Performance of Container-reared Conifer Seedlings

Download or read book Extended Nursery Rearing Compromises Field Performance of Container-reared Conifer Seedlings written by P. O. Salonius and published by Fredericton, N.B. : Atlantic Forestry Centre. This book was released on 2002 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Commercial nurseries often grow containerized conifer seedlings for extended periods to reach pre-determined size & shoot/root ratio targets in order to enhance field survival. This report describes a study that addresses the consequences of this practice. In the study, investigators grew white spruce, red spruce, and eastern white pine in three hard-wall container types and three mesh-covered soil plug types. Seedlings were grown either for a short period designed to produce sufficient rooting in hard-wall plugs to facilitate extraction & handling, or for an extended growing period designed to produce large seedlings with low shoot/root ratios. The results compare field growth of seedlings from the two rearing regimes and the implications for nursery practice are discussed.