Effects of Control-Release Fertilizer in a Wild Cherry Plantation: Fifth-Year Results
Abstract
Fertilization can improve survival and growth of tree
seedlings, and their tolerance to pests in the forest, and may mitigate impact
of climate change on trees. Positive effects of fertilization on young
seedlings are even more pronounced in fast-growing tree species. Control-release
fertilizers are superior to the traditional agricultural fertilizers, providing
tree seedlings a slow, sustainable, and safe nutritional support. Wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a native and
important element of the moist western Black Sea Region forests of Turkey. This
broadleaved tree species grows fast and has important ecologic and economic
functions and services. This papers reports the fifth-year results of a young
wild cherry plantation fertilized at different rates with a control-release
fertilizer on a mesic western Black Sea Region site. A control-release
fertilizer (Basacote® Plus 6 M, COMPO Benelux, Belgium) was applied in a
one-year old wild cherry plantation at five different rates (0, 80, 160, 240 ve
320 g seedlings-1) in the spring of 2009. Five years after treatment
(YAT), fertilizer rates did not make a significant effect on survival and
growth for wild cherry. Earlier positive fertilization effects on seedling growth
reported two YAT did not appear to be sustained after five years. The toxic effect of high-rate fertilizer in the
early assessment was also noted to a lesser degree five YAT. Mechanism by which
control-release fertilizer affects survival and growth of young wild cherry
seedlings seems to be complex and/or site-specific. Inherent site fertility and
lack of successive fertilization might account for the lack survival and growth
enhancement in cherry by fertilization.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
Turkish
Subjects
-
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
December 15, 2016
Submission Date
June 11, 2016
Acceptance Date
November 21, 2016
Published in Issue
Year 2016 Volume: 18 Number: 2