AIR-3

AgroCop Conference Porano 16 october 2014
Production of big size Juglans regia L. seedlings for agroforestry
1Mariotti
B., 1Maltoni A., 2Chiarabaglio P.M., 2Giorcelli A., 3Jacobs D.F., 4,5Tognetti R., 1Tani A.
1
Dipartimento di Gestione dei Sistemi Agrari, Alimentari e Forestali GESAAF, Università degli Studi di Firenze
2 Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura - Unità di Ricerca per le Produzioni Legnose Fuori Foresta (CRA-PLF)
3 Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
4 Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università del Molise
5 The EFI Project Centre on Mountain Forests (MOUNTFOR), Edmund Mach Foundation
Corresponding author: Alberto Maltoni e-mail: [email protected]
Framework
Juglans regia L. can be usefully employed to
Nursery stock study
obtain valuable timber in agroforestry
High percentages of J. regia plantations to
produce quality timber have often failed
objectives (critical phases: A and B)
3 containers:
2 innovative, Superoots Air-pot®
1 traditional
(AIR-3 and AIR-4)
Plastecnic® (PL-2)
Practitioners demand for bigger seedlings:
- to reduce duration of phases A and B
- with morphological attributes helpful to
minimize pruning from first year in field
Our Juglans regia target seedling
Tall >150 cm, straight, with apical dominance, absence
of competitive branches and able to establish quickly
AIR-3
Volume: 9.7 l
Depth: 40 cm
Diameter: 19 cm
Volume: 5 l
Depth: 20 cm
Square top section
width: 19 cm
air-pruning
grid at bottom
AIR-4
Volume: 15.4 l
Depth: 60 cm
Diameter: 19 cm
holes on walls
no flat surfaces
The aim of this study
To study the effect of bigger containers (innovative for
depth and walls air-pruning) and of longer cultivation (2
years) in nursery on seedlings morphological attributes
and at field establishment
2 years in nursery (2012-2013)
public forest nursery Veneto Agricoltura,
Italy
A similar study was carried out on Quercus robur L. too
Destructive analysis on:
12 per container destructive analysis after 1 year (1y)
15 per container destructive analysis after 2 year (2y)
Morphological attributes of shoot and root system
-Height and annual H increments,
Apical dominance, RcD
-Number of First Order Lateral Root FOLR 0.1-0.3 and >0.3
-FOLR>0.3 growth direction
-Dry weight (absolute and % of total) of each part of shoot and
root system.
-Root biomass/pot volume ratio
Field trial
June 3
Physiological attributes
1 year in field (2014)
Height increment
cm
CRA-PLF Casale Monferrato AL, Italy
B
B
20
15
10
5
0
AB
AB
A
A
Mar
Apr May
AIR3
Jun
Jul
AIR4
Aug
Sep
PL2
Apical dominance
PL-2
77.4%
AIR-3
73.3%
AIR-4
65.6%
80 seedlings in randomized blocks
Biomass
Excavation end of Sept 2014
Morphological attributes
Height
Apical dominance
Stem and branch biomass
RcD
Root system width and depth
MR and FOLR biomass
according to 3 sections 20 cm deep
AIR-3
Chlorophyll Content Index by
CCM-200 Plus Opti-Sciences
and Fluorescence by PEA Hansatech
on 4 dates
(9 and 27 Jun, 23 Jul, 2 Sep)
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
CCI
B
A
A
CCI
PI
PL-2
AIR-3
AIR-4
27 Jun
23 Jul
AIR-4
140
-No evident “stress”
-No differences among the
plants grown in different pots
(excl. CCI in June)
150
Fv
PI
Fv/Fm
AIR-3
AIR-4
0,6
0,5
3 Sep
PI
(1-Vj) / Vj
Area
Fm
Fv
0
(1-Vj) / Vj
Fv/Fm
Tfm
Area
September 3
PL-2
AIR-3
AIR-4
PL-2
Fo
CCI
Fm
Fv
50
0
Fv / Fo
RC / ABS
Fo
Fv / Fo
RC / ABS
Tfm
AIR-4
100
PL-2
50
Fo
CCI
0,7
23 Jul
CCI
July 23
PL-2
27 Jun
AIR-4
100
Fv / Fo
RC / ABS
3 Sep
0,8
3 Jun
Fm
-10
(1-Vj) / Vj
Fv/Fm
0,9
AIR-3
Fo
40
AIR-3
1,0
PL-2
90
B
AB
A
3 Jun
June 27
Fv/Fm
Tfm
Area
PI
(1-Vj) / Vj
100
Fm
Fv
50
0
Fv / Fo
RC / ABS
Fv/Fm
Tfm
Area
In nursery
In 2 years (following the current practices) it is possible to
grow balanced bigger seedlings
In field
g
No evident physiological stress occurred
AIR-3 best at establishment; AIR-4 low incH could be due
to the more unbalanced shoot system/FOLR ratio (anyway
the best after 3 years)
General positive effect of bigger pot volume at establishment;
“depth factor” must be evaluated considering water stress
More tests are necessary to improve nursery practices
and to evaluate field performance (>1 year)
Acknowledgements
The nursery study was funded by Veneto Agricoltura and nursery
practices were applied by Centro Biodiversità Vegetale e Fuori Foresta
(Montecchio Precalcino VI, Italy) staff. Plantation and excavation were
carried out by CRA-PLF staff. Fabio Bandini, Caterina Pietrini, Stefano
Teri assisted with study maintenance and lab measurements.
Massimo Della Casa and Jaime Single provided containers.