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- Title
Supplying nitrate before bud break induces pronounced changes in nitrogen nutrition and growth of young poplars.
- Authors
Thitithanakul, Suraphon; Pétel, Gilles; Chalot, Michel; Beaujard, François
- Abstract
Tree nutrient research concentrated on endogenous C and N remobilisation in spring has neglected to acknowledge the possibilities of significant effects of N uptake before bud break, especially on the quality of regrowth and N reserve remobilisation. To investigate this subject, experimental studies were performed on young poplars (Populus tremula x Populus alba, clone INRA 717-1B4) grown with a controlled nutrient supply: (i) without N, 'control'; (ii) N supplied throughout the course of the experiment, 'N-supply'; and (iii) N supplied only before bud break, 'N-pulse'. Results confirm the hypothesis that poplar scions can significantly take up nitrate before bud break, amounting to ~34% of the total N stored the previous year. After bud break, emerging leaves restart the sap flow, which increased nitrate uptake to support the regrowth. N-pulse and N-supply treatments were found to have significant effects shortly after a growth period, i.e. by increasing N content of all tissues (e.g. 37 and 81% in new shoots respectively), leaf area (18 and 29%) and specific leaf area (20 and 35%). Therefore, results confirm the hypothesis that early N supply plays a significant role in the N status and N remobilisation involved in the spring regrowth of young trees. Young poplars (Populus tremula L. x Populus alba L.) were found to take up nitrate before bud break, which lead quickly to significant changes on regrowth and N partitioning of sinks just after bud break. The N uptake increased the quality of new shoots. The uptake of N by the poplar scions before bud break amounted to approximately a third of the N storage of the previous year. After bud break, emerging leaves restarted the sap flow, which increased nitrate uptake to support the regrowth. These results show that early N supply plays a significant role in the N status and N remobilisation involved in the spring re-growth of young trees. Our study applies to tree nurseries where growth of young trees may be stimulated by the addition of fertilizers just before bud break and during spring regrowth, rather than applying fertilizers in autumn.
- Subjects
PLANT nutrients; TREES; BUDS; POPULUS alba; NITRATES
- Publication
Functional Plant Biology, 2012, Vol 39, Issue 9, p7
- ISSN
1445-4408
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1071/FP12129