Field performance of Austrian pine bareroot seedlings in comparision to seedlings pattern and density in the nursery

Abstract

The Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) is a species often used in afforestation/reforestation programs in Serbia and region. Seedlings quality has a great role in outplanting survival and growth. Nursery cultural practice has a central influence on seedlings morphological attributes, so we tested seedlings quality from different seedbed densities and seedlings patterns and their outplanting success. Two-year-old bareroot seedlings were grown in very high densities (110 seedlings m-1 in rows and 750 seedlings m-2 across all seedbed space) and high densities (65 seedlings m-1in rows and 450 seedlings m-2 across all seedbed space). Morphological attributes (root collar diameter - RCD, height - H, sturdiness coefficient - SQ, root length – Rl, dry weight of shoot - SDW and root - RDW, shoot to root ration - S:R and quality index - QI) of seedlings from different densities were tested in the nursery before outplanting and compare with seedlings survival and growth (root collar diameter – RCD1 and height – H1) one year after field growing. Seedlings from different densities had accepted RCD (>3 mm) for field planting and there were significant differences in their morphological attributes, except Rl and S:R. The best survival was recorded at seedlings from highest seedbed densities (93.33%), opposite with many previous researches. Seedlings grown across all seedbed space (450 seedlings per m-2) keep their advantage in growth after first year, although survival was lowest (46.67%).