Authors: V C Luis M Llorca E Chirino E I Hernández A Vilagrosa
Publish Date: 2010/09/15
Volume: 24, Issue: 6, Pages: 1143-1150
Abstract
As the main forestry species in the Canary Islands Spain Pinus canariensis is frequently used in afforestation programs Several nursery techniques are commonly employed to modify its morphology and physiology with the aim of improving postplanting survival and growth In this work we studied how fertilization and light regime treatments applied during the nursery period modify biomass allocation patterns and produce effects in gas exchange and root hydraulic conductance Seedlings were grown for a 6month period in the nursery under two light regimes full sunlight and 40 PAR reduction and three fertilization levels were applied in each light regime Morphology biomass allocation patterns leaf gas exchange and hydraulic conductance of the whole root system were evaluated Fertilization treatments produced significant changes in biomass allocation gas exchange and root hydraulic conductance under both light regimes In contrast no differences were found between full sunlight and shade except for a slight variation in the rootshoot ratio Photosynthesis rate and WUE increased with fertilization in both light regimes while E and gs maintained the same values An opposite trend was observed for root hydraulic conductance which showed lower values with high fertilization regimes The results obtained indicate that fertilization is more important determining high photosynthetic capacity than high hydraulic conductance rates before planting in Pinus canariensis containerized seedlingsWe acknowledge the support of the projects XylRefor GRUPOS 03/155 Estres MARM 063/SGTB/2007/71 ConsoliderIngenio 2010 GRACCIE project CSD200700067 and PROMETEO 2009/006 We also thank the Canary Island Government for VC Luis’s doctoral grant J Puértolas MS Jiménez D Morales and the anonymous referees for their comments and help and J Scheiding for the English proofreading VC Luis is currently being funded by FSE Juan de la Cierva MICIN Program CEAM Foundation is funded by Generalitat Valenciana and Bancaja Foundation
Keywords: