Most seedlings and saplings of woody plants in the Russian Federation are
produced in the open ground in forest nurseries. In order to produce high
quality planting material it is necessary to support and preserve soil
fertility, which can be obtained by using organic wastes and organic-based
fertilizers. Our research is aimed at the assessment of the influence of
non-conventional organic fertilizers on fertility of podzols and on the
growth rate of seedlings and saplings of woody plants in forest nurseries.
Our research shows, that the application of non-conventional organic
fertilizers does not result in any accumulation of heavy metal salts in
podzols, but optimizes hydro physical and agrochemical properties of the
ploughed horizon. The efficiency of non-conventional organic fertilizers
depends on their composition, physical and chemical characteristics of the
original components, their doses applied and original fertility of soils. A
combined application of non-conventional organic fertilizers and sand results
in the optimization of practically all soil fertility parameters in middle
clay-loam soils, while application of non-conventional organic fertilizers
and clay is optimal for application on light soils. The optimal application
dose of non-conventional fertilizers depends on soil texture, woody species
and the fertilizer composition. An optimal application dose for Norway spruce
on a light clay-loam soil is 50-80 tons/ha, and on a middle clay-loam soil is
149-182 tons/ha. It is 50 tons/ha for Scots pine growing on a sandy loam
soil, and 100 tons/ha for the same species growing on a sandy soil or a light
clay-loam. For Siberian larch growing on a light clay-loam soil the dose of
fertilizer applied should be 150 tons/ha. It is recommended to apply composts
containing over 50% (by weight) of Category II wastes (substrate) for the
amelioration of light soils, and composts containing over 40% (by weight) of
Category I wastes (filler) for the amelioration of heavy soils. It would
allow for the optimization of soil properties and production of better
quality planting material in forest nurseries.
Background: Russia's boreal forests are a major source of timber as well as being a large terrestrial sink for carbon. Planted forests have played an important role in increasing the overall area of the Russian boreal forest. The total area of planted stands in republics and oblasts of the Middle Volga Region is about 3.2 million ha. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is the most widespread species in planted forests of the Middle Volga Region. As a result of its mass planting since the 1950s, the proportion of pine forests increased from 21 to 29 %. In order to justify the continued use of artificial regeneration to re-establish forests after harvest, more information is required on the growth and yield of planted and natural Scots pine forests. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to quantify and compare the productivity of planted Scots pine forests with that of natural forests in the Middle Volga Region. Methods: Data were obtained from seven representative forests in the republics and oblasts of the Middle Volga Region spanning the period between 1961 and 2007. The relationship between total standing volume and stand age was modelled for both planted and natural stands of Scots pine using the nonlinear Mitscherlich equation. Results: Planted Scots pine forests generally have a higher relative stand density than natural forests, due to the presence of natural regeneration in planted stands. Mean annual volume increment of planted Scots pine forests was 5.6-9.2 m
The topical issues for elaboration of new approaches to grow English oak seedlings with the purpose to establish sustainable plantations on wooded and reclaimed lands are considered in the article. The goal of the research is to elaborate a technology for growing the containerized seedlings of English oak. An integrated assessment of the variants of the experiment (growing of seedlings in Hiko and Plantek containers with various volumes of cells) was made by a number of factors: а) plant growth intensity; b) number of seedlings from a unit of area; c) stability of rootball; d) cultivation cost for a plant; e) establishment of plants in the first and second years of growth on a site. Then by G. F. Lakin method, a distribution series was composed where the place of each variant of the experiment (cell volume) was matched to the indicator value. Depending on the place in the distribution series, each variant was given a certain point. The sum of points for each cell volume was divided into maximum possible point (number of indices, multiplied by number of variants) and obtained a weighted average point of the influence of cell volume on the final growth index in a greenhouse and on a site. Based on the research results, a new way of acorn sowing in the containers was offered. It is recommended that the acorns to be planted in a container with a pointed end up and to be embedded at a depth of 1.0 сm from the top of the substrate. It makes it possible to form physiologically active roots of the second and third orders from the top to the bottom of the container cell, to enhance the stability of rootball.
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