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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2018, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (1): 64-73.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20180107

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Combined Effects of Cotyledon Excision and Nursery Fertilization on Field Performance of Quercus variabilis Container Seedlings

Shi Wenhui1,2, Li Guolei1,2, Su Shuchai1, Liu Yong1, Jia Liming1,2, Shang Zhiguo3   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083;
    2. Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment Beijing 100083;
    3. Forest Treeseed Station of Luanchuan County, Henan Province Luoyang 471500
  • Received:2017-02-06 Revised:2017-03-16 Online:2018-01-25 Published:2018-03-01

Abstract: [Objective] In the present study, we investigated combined effects of cotyledon excision and nursery fertilization on field performance of Quercus variabilis container seedlings in order to provide a theoretical basis in the containerized seedling cultivation.[Method] We used a two-factors experiment design.Three cotyledon excision intensities of E1/3, E1/2, E2/3 with non-excised control (E0) were set and two levels of nursery fertilization of 0 (N0) and 100 mg N·seedling-1(N100) with equal P, K and microelement fertilizer were applied. Seedling height, RCD and dry mass were determined at the end of growing season and the outplanting season. The nutrients content and photosynthetic characteristics of outplanted seedlings were also determined.[Result] For the condition without nursery fertilization of nitrogen, seedling dry mass, nutrients content and photosynthetic characteristics were consistently decreased when cotyledon was excised. For the condition with nursery fertilization, seedlings from E1/3 or E1/2 excised acorns respectively had greater 21.9% and 31.7%tap root dry mass than control at the end of the first outplanting season, as well as 41.4% and 45.2% greater for lateral root dry mass.E1/3 and E1/2 excision of cotyledon also increased the nutrient content of outplanted seedlings and promoted seedling photosynthetic characteristics, and hence increased light utility efficiency and carbon assimilation.E1/2 cotyledon excision also increased seedling total dry mass, and its advantageous effects on seedling photosynthetic characteristics were greater than that of E1/3. In contrast to E1/3 and E1/2, the growth of outplanted seedlings from E2/3 were severely restrained, and the negative effect could not be remitted by nursery fertilization, indicating that cotyledon nutrients play an irreplaceable role on seedling development and the effect of nursery fertilization is dependent on cotyledon nutrients loss degree. The result also indicated that it is needed to evaluate the effects of cotyledon excision from both nursery and outplanting phases.Seedling photosynthetic characteristics comparably reflected seedling growth with dry mass and nutrients content, thus it can be considered as an effective and convenient indicator for the impact evaluation of cotyledon excision on field performance of Q. variabilis container seedlings.[Conclusion] A moderate cotyledon excision with sufficient nursery fertilization can benefit field performance of Q.variabilis container seedlings, and 1/2 cotyledon excision combined with nursery fertilization (100 mg N·seedling-1) can obtain satisfactory field performance.

Key words: Quercus variabilis cotyledon excision, nursery fertilization, seedling growth, field performance, photosynthetic characteristics

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