Influence of Initial Seedling Size and Root Pruning Intensity on Growth of Transplanting Seedling of Quercus acutissma

Abstract

-The objective of this study was to examine the effect of root pruning intensity in combination with different initial seedling size on the growth of transplanting seedlings of Quercus acutissima. One-year-old seedlings were divided into three groups depending on their height, i.e. small (< 15 cm), medium (25-35 cm) and large size (35 cm <). Root of seedlings was pruned by three intensity such as, leaving 5 cm (severe), 10 cm (medium) and 15 cm (light) of taproot from the root-collar. After one year, we investigated survival rate, height and root-collar diameter (RCD) increment and final shoot dry weight. Also we measured characteristics of newly developed lateral roots such as number, total length, dry weight and diameter. Severe root pruning showed the lowest survival rate in all seedling size. Height increment, RCD increment and shoot dry weight were decreased with increasing intensity of root pruning. Seedlings of medium and light root pruning showed similar above-ground growth and dry weight of lateral roots. More large seedlings showed good survival rate, height increment and final shoot dry mass in all root pruning intensity. Therefore, one-year-old seedlings of Q. acutissima should be pruned taproot by 10 cm and transplanted to obtain excellent performance and increase the efficiency of transplanting work. Based on the findings of this study, it is important that applying to different root pruning intensity depending on initial seedling size for producing 2-year-old seedlings with excellent growth and high quality.

Can the use of large, alternative nursery containers aid in field establishment of Juglans regia and Quercus robur seedlings?

“…Among late-successional trees, stress-sensitive species (J. regia more than Q. robur) must withstand disturbances for a long time during field establishment. In particular, seedling size at planting has been found to influence responses to vegetative competition and plant survival in several oak species (Kormanik et al 1998;Na et al 2013). Proper functional balance and structural quality of plants grown in AIR-3 might have helped the seedlings of both species to overcome transplanting stress.…”