Artikkelit jotka sisältää sanan 'Fertilisation'

Six field experiments on the use of mineral soil for amelioration of pine-dominated peatland forests were established in the 1920’s and 1930’s on drained mires in southern and central Finland. The treatments consisted of varying amounts of different textured mineral soil added on top of peatland. Soil samples were taken 52–74 years after the mineral soil application in 10 cm layers, up to 40 or 50 cm depth. The samples were analysed for pH, ash content, bulk density and nutrient concentrations. In two of the experiments, foliar samples of Scots pine were analyzed 66 and 77 years after the mineral soil application, and in one experiment, tree growth was measured for the period of 31–60 years after the application. The mineral soil had a long term effect on the physical and chemical properties of the top peat layer. Ash content and bulk density of the peat increased along with increasing application amounts, as did soil total P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe and B. The changes caused by the mineral soil were mostly restricted to the top 30 cm layer. The higher the soil fine fraction was, so was the increase in peat total P, K, Ca and Mg amounts. The addition of mineral soil increased tree growth and improved nutrient deficiencies (P, K) of Scots pine on one experiment, but decreased the B concentrations near the deficiency level.

• Hytönen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Kannus Research Unit, P.O. Box 44, FI-69101 Kannus, Finland Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Moilanen, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Silfverberg, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo

Phosphorus and potassium deficiencies are common in Scots pine stands growing on drained peatlands. In this study, the foliar nutrient concentrations and stand growth were monitored after the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilisers of different solubility in four experiments on thick-peated drained peatlands in northern central Finland. The studied stands involved three fertilisation treatments: (i) unfertilised control, (ii) rock phosphate and potassium chloride, and (iii) apatite and biotite. The growth of stands was monitored 20–25 years after the fertilisation. Needles were sampled four times: 4–9, 11–14, 16–19 and 21–24 years after the fertilisation. According to foliar analyses, the trees on the control plots suffered from severe phosphorus and potassium deficiencies. Rock phosphate and apatite fertilisation increased the foliar phosphorus concentrations above the deficiency limit, and the effect was still noticeable 21–24 years after the application. Both potassium sources, that is, the slowly soluble biotite and the water-soluble potassium chloride increased the foliar potassium concentration to an adequate level. Potassium chloride increased the concentrations faster and stronger than biotite during the first years (4–9) after the applications. The situation was reversed when 11–14 years or more had passed from the fertilisation: the biotite fertilised stands had higher potassium concentrations. The fertilisation treatments decreased the foliar nitrogen, zinc, manganese, copper and boron concentrations. The fertiliser applications increased the stand volume growth considerably. Raw phosphate and potassium chloride increased the volume growth significantly already during the first five-year period. The effect of the apatite and biotite treatment was weaker during the first 10 years, but became stronger with time. During the period 19–24 years after the fertilisation, the stand growth on the biotite plots was equal to that of the plots fertilised with potassium chloride. However, during the whole study period the differences between the treatments remained insignificant. The results showed that slowly soluble apatite and biotite are suitable sources of phosphorus and potassium for pines on drained peatlands. However, to avoid boron deficiency, also boron should be added simultaneously.

• Moilanen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Muhos Research Station, Kirkkosaarentie 7, FIN-91500 Muhos, Finland Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Pietiläinen, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Issakainen, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo

The effects of potassium (K) fertilisation on the nutrient status and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands on drained peatlands were studied on three field experiments in northern central Finland. The Scots pine stands were at a sapling or pole stage with a dominant height of 3–8 m when the experiments were set up. The stands differed from each other in their nutritional status, for example, the foliar K concentration varied considerably between the experiments. The experiments were fertilised with potassium chloride, rock phosphate (P 42kg ha-1) and urea (N 46kg ha-1) between 1979 and 1980. The potassium doses in terms of elemental K, were 50, 100, 200 and 400kg ha-1. The foliar samples were taken three times during the study period: 7–9 years, 14–15 years and 19–20 years after fertilisation. The stand measurements were done 19–22 years after the fertilisation. The rate and magnitude of stand response due to fertilisation depended essentially on the nutritional status of the trees. The strongest effect of PK-fertilisation was obtained on a nitrogen-rich peatland, where the stands suffered from severe phosphorus and potassium deficiencies (foliar P concentration < 1.2 mg g-1, K concentration < 3.5 mg g-1). During the study period, the annual stand volume growth on fertilised plots ranged from 3.9 to 5.4 m3 ha-1 a-1, and that of the unfertilised plots was 0.78 m3 ha-1 a-1. In other sites, where the lack of phosphorus and potassium was not so drastic, nor did the trees suffer from shortage of nitrogen, the effect of PK-treatment on tree growth was weak or almost non-existent. The foliar K concentrations rose with the amount of potassium chloride applied. The fertilisation effect of the dose of 100kg K ha-1 lasted 15–20 years, after which the foliar K concentration dropped close to the deficiency limit. The effect of the larger doses (200–400kg K ha-1) on the needle K concentration was more pronounced and still visible at the end of the study period. However, the stand growth responses gained with larger potassium applications were not essentially greater than those with the 100 kg ha-1 dose.

• Pietiläinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Muhos Research Station, Kirkkosaarentie 7, FIN-91500 Muhos, Finland Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Moilanen, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Vesala, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo

The effects of refertilisation and growing density on the soil and tree nutrition, root penetration and growth of Scots pine stands were studied in a cutaway peatland area with deep peat layers. The fertilisation treatments were control, N1975+PKB1985 and PK1975+PKB1996 refertilisations and those of the growing density <1 300, 1 654 and 1 954 trees ha-1. The maximum root penetration varied between 26 and 34 cm independently of the treatments. The N/P ratios in pine needles were quite high even on the refertilised plots (11.6-15.7). The duration of P fertilisation seems to be shorter (about 15 years) on cutaway peatlands with deep peat layers than on drained peatland forests. The greatest yield without natural removal (239 m3 ha-1, on an average) in 35-years-old stands was measured on plots, which had the highest growing density and had been repeatedly fertilised with PK. The results show that quite a high yield of Scots pine can be reached on cutaway peatlands. However, pine has to be fertilised with PK at the afforestation stage and at least once later if the remaining peat layer is 40-60 cm, and possibly several broadcast fertilisations are needed on peat layers deeper than 60 cm. It seems that growing tree stands on cutaway peatlands in higher densities than in conventional forestry may improve nutrient cycling in stands and hence decrease leaching of nutrients from the site.

• Aro, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Parkano Research Station, Kaironiementie 54, FIN-39700 Parkano Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Kaunisto, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo

Pine nutrition was monitored after the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilisers of different solubility in 12 experiments on drained mires in northern Central Finland. Ten experiments involved the following three treatments: (i) control, (ii) fertilisation with rock phosphate and potassium chloride, and (iii) fertilisation with apatite ore or enriched apatite and phlogopite. Two experiments focused on the fertiliser amount. In seven experiments needle samples were collected three times: 3-7, 11-14 and 16-19 years after fertilisation and in the others once or twice (after 10-17 years). The stands suffered from phosphorus and potassium shortage on the unfertilised plots. Rock phosphate had raised the needle phosphorus concentrations slightly more than apatite by 5-7 and 11-14 years after fertilisation. By the last sampling apatite (16-19 years after) had raised the concentrations to about the same or to a higher level than rock phosphate. Potassium chloride raised the concentrations more than phlogopite during the first few years after fertilisation but the situation had reversed by 11-14 years. Five years later the change was even more pronounced. The needle potassium concentrations increased slightly with the increasing application amounts on the nitrogen-rich sites. Fertilisation with PK lowered the needle zinc, manganese, copper and boron concentrations especially on the nitrogen-rich sites.

• Kaunisto, The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Parkano Research Station, Kaironiementie 54, FIN-39700 Parkano, Finland Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Moilanen, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo
• Issakainen, Sähköposti: ei.tietoa@nn.oo