Stock-type patterns of phosphorus uptake, retranslocation, net photosynthesis and morphological development in interior spruce seedlings

Abstract

One-year-old interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea engelmannii Parry) spring-stock and summer-stock were grown under two phosphorus (P) fertility regimes, with (+P) or without (−P), followed by a simulated winter, and a second growing period under an adequate fertility regime in a controlled environment room. The two stock-types differed in their response to low P availability. For spring-stock, morphological development, phosphorus-use efficiency (PUE) and P specific absorption rate (SAR) were similar between −P and +P seedlings. For summer-stock, −P seedlings compared to +P seedlings had lower (p ≤ 0.05) morphological development, but greater PUE and SAR. For both stock-types, P content increased in +P seedlings, remained low in −P seedlings, and P concentration decreased in nursery-needles (i.e., formed in the nursery) of −P seedlings. The difference in stock-type response to low phosphorus availability (−P) was attributed to internal supply of P and it's retranslocation. Assimilation (A) of CO2 in nursery-needles was similar between −P and +P seedlings for both stock-types. For spring-stock, +P seedlings had greater A in new-needles (i.e., needles formed during the trial) than −P seedlings. It was recommended that the spring-stock be selected over summer-stock for sites low in P availability.