Larger Seedlings Research Articles

Mycorrhizal colonization is compatible with exponential fertilization to improve tree seedling quality

ABSTRACTThis study tested the ability of exponential fertilization to minimize the tradeoff of increased seedling size and nutrient concentration with good root colonization by mycorrhizae. Two native Hawaiian tree species were tested. Four rates of nitrogen (N) (0–3 g per seedling) were delivered by the method of exponential fertilization to seedlings with and without inoculation with a native strain of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. For both species, the highest growth and nutrient concentrations occurred with mycorrhizal colonization at 1–2 g N per seedling. Growth of inoculated seedlings was significantly lower at 3.0 g N per seedling, likely due to a large reduction in mycorrhizal colonization. Our results demonstrate that mycorrhizal colonization is not only compatible with exponential fertilization, combined they produce larger seedlings with higher nutrient content. This should improve outplanting success in degraded or challenging sites.

Effects of continuous spectrum LEDs used in indoor cultivation of two coniferous species Pinus sylvestris L. and Abies borisii-regis Mattf

ABSTRACTThe effects of four different continuous spectrum LED light qualities on the growth characteristics of Pinus sylvestris L. (PS) and Abies borisii-regis Mattf. (AB) seedlings were studied. The seedlings were exposed for 35 days inside growth chambers to G2 (high in red and far-red), AP67 (high in blue and far-red), AP67-ARCH (high in green), and NS2 (high in blue including a small percentage in the UV area) LEDs, as well as fluorescent light (FL) as Control. Each species showed a unique light-adapted response. G2 treatment stimulated needle formation of PS seedlings, while AB seedlings were unaffected. Hypocotyl elongation was promoted by FL; however, LEDs resulted in compact plants with greater root development, especially under the AP67-ARCH and AP67 spectra for PS and AB, respectively. In PS, AP67-ARCH and G2 significantly increased dry weight, while AB was affected significantly by AP67 and NS2. Furthermore, root growth potential of both species was better after LED pre-cultivation than the FL. Therefore, the use of continuous spectrum LEDs can enhance desirable quality characteristics of seedlings, which may be advantageous in large scale seedling production for reforestation.

USING BARE-ROOT AND ROOTSTOCK SEEDLINGS FROM NATURAL REGENERATION OF CEDRELA FISSILIS

ABSTRACT The success of forest creation relies on seedling availability and quality. The aim of this research is to assess the possible use of rootstock and bare-root seedlings of Cedrela fissilis obtained from natural regeneration for direct field planting. We used Generalized Linear models to assess survival and Hierarchical Models to assess height growth over one year after planting. Initial root-collar diameter (RCD) and treatment (rootstock or bare-root) affected survival and growth. Rootstock and larger seedlings presented higher levels of survival and growth. Higher seedling quality in the rootstock treatment is due to higher water stress tolerance. Rootstock seedlings with more than 1 cm of initial RCD had over 80% of survival probability, while small bare-root seedlings had mean survival probability as low as 20%. Rootstock seedlings grew as much as fourfold more than bare-root. Using natural regeneration of C. fissilis as a source of rootstock seedlings may be a cheap alternative for forest restoration and enrichment planting projects.

Mango Breeding in India - Past and Future

The mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most important tropical fruits of India in which improvement has been attempted since the early 20th Century. The species, M. indica, having originated in India, has a large diversity within the country. Extensive surveys have located several wild species of importance, many of them figuring in the IUCN Red List. Conservation and evaluation of these species, as well as the large seedling diversity, needs attention as these could be a source for important traits. Strategies of in situ, ex situ and 'onfarm' conservation should from a priority at this juncture. Hybridization has resulted in several hybrids. Widening of genetic base in polyembryonic varieties and identification of zygotic embryos through markers is the need of the hour for utilization in breeding programmes. Although several of these have not become popular, they can be very well used as pre-breeding lines. Use of molecular markers for selection will greatly reduce time taken for developing improved varieties. Strategies other than hybridization, viz., selection among open-pollinated progenies, should be adopted for identifying better recombinants, as, a large number of progenies are available in this method.

Assessing the factors influencing natural regeneration patterns in the diverse, multi‐cohort, and managed forests of Maine, USA

AbstractQuestionsWhat are the primary biotic and abiotic factors driving composition and abundance of naturally regenerated tree seedlings across forest landscapes of Maine? Do seedling species richness (SR) and density (SD) decrease with improved growing conditions (climate and soil), but increase with increased diversity of overstorey composition and structure? Does partial harvesting disproportionately favour relative dominance of shade‐intolerant hardwoods (PIHD) over shade‐tolerant softwoods (PTSD)?LocationForest landscapes across the diverse eco‐regions and forest types of Maine, USA.MethodsThis study used USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory Analysis permanent plots (n = 10 842), measured every 5 yr since 1999. The best models for each response variable (SR, SD, PIHD and PTSD) were developed based on AIC and biological interpretability, while considering 35 potential explanatory variables incorporating climate, soil, site productivity, overstorey structure and composition, and past harvesting.ResultsMean annual temperature was the most important abiotic factor, whereas overstorey tree size diversity was the most important biotic factor for SR and SD. Both mean annual temperature and overstorey tree size diversity had a curvilinear relationship with SR and SD. Average overstorey shade tolerance and percentage tolerant softwood basal area in the overstorey were the top predictor variables of PIHD and PTSD, respectively. Partial harvesting favoured PIHD but not PTSD.ConclusionsThis is one of the first studies to comprehensively evaluate a number of factors influencing naturally established tree seedlings at a broad landscape scale in the Northern Forest region of the eastern USA and Canada. Despite limitations associated with relatively small plot size, large seedling size class and lack of direct measurements of light, water and nutrients, this study documents the influence of these factors amid high variability associated with patterns of natural regeneration. The curvilinear relationship between mean annual temperature with SR and SD supports the argument that species richness and abundance usually have unimodal relationships with productivity indicators, whereas the curvilinear relationship between overstorey tree size diversity and SR and SD suggest that moderate overstorey diversity incorporates multiple species as well as higher seedling individuals.

Heavy thinning in hinoki plantations in Shikoku (southwestern Japan) has limited effects on recruitment of seedlings of other tree species

Heavy thinning may provide a feasible means to convert single-species coniferous plantations to broadleaved or mixed forests. To assess this possibility, we monitored tree seedling dynamics of other tree species, the understory microenvironment, and seed availability following heavy thinning (50 % by volume) in two hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantations in Shikoku, southwestern Japan. Conventional (35 % by volume) and row thinning (50 % by volume) treatments were also applied at one of the sites. Diffuse transmittance in the understory dramatically increased after all thinning treatments then rapidly decreased, except after row thinning. Heavy thinning accelerated recruitment of small seedlings (with stems <30 cm high) at one of the sites. However, the densities of these seedlings declined sharply, and increases in the densities of larger seedlings recorded in subsequent surveys were very small. Furthermore, at the other site, recruitment of small seedlings under heavy thinning was equivalent to that under conventional thinning and lower than that under row thinning. Abundant species in the recruited seedlings were pioneer or subcanopy species found in the soil seed bank. Low seed rain density at both sites appeared to be responsible for the poor recruitment of canopy tree species. Our results suggest that heavy thinning had limited effects on the seedling recruitment of other tree species in these hinoki plantations due to insufficient seed rain and rapid canopy closure.

Reforestation with Abies cephalonica Loudon: a five-year study of seedling survival

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to establish the effects on the survival of outplanted Abies cephalonica Loudon seedlings of seedling characteristics, site characteristics and management practices. Design/methodology/approach – The study was carried out by repeatedly monitoring survival of seedlings during a five-year period as well as establishing statistical relationships with a set of variables belonging to the aforementioned categories. It took place in plots reforested after a wildfire in the Parnitha Mt. National Park, near Athens, Greece. Findings – The odds of survival were found to be affected by bedrock type, dominant vegetation, initial seedling height and use of shading implements. Artificial shading was most important during the first year, site-related characteristics gained importance with increasing age and seedling height was of relatively constant importance. Shifts in temporal patterns of mortality and damage symptoms occurrence suggest that the mechanisms causing mortality changed with increasing age. Practical implications – The use of large seedlings in reforestation projects involving A. cephalonica should be preferred. Shading improves survival but due to the high costs this technique could be reserved for unfavorable plots, e.g. on limestone. Planting A. cephalonica in marginal sites should be avoided. Originality/value – The knowledge of the performance of A. cephalonica outplanted seedlings is very limited, while the need is increasing due to the spread of wildfires in this previously unaffected habitat.

Early selection for oil quality components in olive breeding progenies

Olive oil is highly valued for its nutritional quality mainly determined by its fatty acid composition together with the presence of several biologically active minor components. In olive breeding programs, these oil quality components are normally evaluated in the later stages of selection because oil extraction is not suitable for being performed in large seedling progenies with initial low yield. In the present work, we evaluate the ability of open pollinated progenies of 17 olive cultivars located in a large germplasm bank as a means of generate genetic variability for oil quality components directly measured in fruit. High degree of variability was found for most of the oil quality components analyzed, including some cases of transgressive segregation. Narrow‐sense heritability greatly varies among traits, being particularly high for sterol content. Lack of correlation among fruit traits previously reported and oil quality traits suggest the possibility of simultaneous breeding for most of them. In summary, open pollination of cultivars from a germplasm bank together with early evaluation directly in fruit seems to be a convenient strategy for breeding for oil quality traits on olive.Practical application: The evaluation of oil quality parameters directly on fruits here presented could be a convenient strategy to speed up olive breeding programs aimed at obtaining new olive varieties with olive oil of enhanced quality.Box and whisker plots for oil quality components evaluated in progenies from open pollination. Female genitors’ names are abbreviated: “Arbequina” (Arb), “Blanqueta” (Bla), “Canetera” (Can), “Changlot Real” (ChR), “Chorrúo Castro del Río” (CCR), “Empeltre” (Emp), “Hojiblanca” (Hoj), “Lechín de Granada” (LGr), “Lechín de Sevilla” (LSe), “Manzanilla del Piquito” (MPi), “Manzanilla de Sevilla” (MSe), “Morona” (Mor), “Ocal” (Oca), “Picudo” (Pdo), “Picual” (Pic), and two previous selection of our breeding program (Sel1 and Sel2). Progenies are shown in ascending order regarding the values of the Spanish cultivars used as parents (represented by stars).

Large and small acorns contribute equally to early-stage oak seedlings: a multiple species study

Larger seeds generally produce larger seedlings either at intra- or at interspecific level; however, whether large seeds contribute more to seedlings than do small ones is largely unknown. We investigated fresh masses of acorns, seedling size, mobilization of cotyledonary reserves of nine red and white oak species (Quercus rubra, Q. falcata, Q. palustris, Q. phellos, Q. coccinea, Q. variabilis, Q. mongolica, Q. aliena and Q. acutissima) with contrasting acorn masses to investigate whether large seeds are better than small ones in supporting early-stage seedlings. Our study showed no significant effect of fresh acorn mass on seedling survival rates of the nine oak species at intra-specific level, though large acorns tended to produce large seedlings. Although acorn mass was positively correlated with seedling size (e.g., dry mass) both at intra- and at interspecific levels, large and small acorns allocated the same proportion of cotyledonary reserves into seedlings at intraspecific level. Moreover, variations in the proportion of mobilized cotyledonary reserves were not explained by fresh acorn mass at interspecific level. We also found that more soil-derived N was transferred into seedlings produced by small acorns than by large ones. Our results suggest that cotyledonary reserves in small and large seeds contribute equally to support their early-stage seedlings, but the role of large seeds may become more apparent later than the 50-day period of this experiment.

Effects of intensity of forest regeneration measures on stand development in a nationwide Swedish field experiment

The general belief that intense regeneration measures are financially viable and essential for high sustained yields of commercial forest products has been inadequately tested. This field experiment evaluates effects of three different regeneration intensities 24–27 years after clear-cutting of 14 sites across Sweden. The treatments, designated high (HI), normal (NI) and low (LI), respectively, consisted of: mechanical site preparation and planting of large seedlings at 2×2 m spacing, with supplemental planting and pre-commercial thinning (PCT) when deemed necessary; standard local practices; and natural regeneration with no site preparation, artificial regeneration or PCT. Average crop seedling densities were highest and lowest (3359 and 1662 ha) under the HI and LI treatments, respectively, 4–8 growing seasons after planting. After 24–27 years, HI also resulted in higher mean stem volume (90 m ha) than LI (36 m ha) but was not significantly different from NI (65 m ha) and increasing the regeneration intensity was not consistently positive. In some cases, high planted seedling mortality and generally abundant natural regeneration resulted in minor (or no) differences between the treatments. The results illustrate that current Swedish regeneration standards may need revision in order to reflect contemporary societal and commercial demands.

Container effects on growth and biomass allocation in Quercus robur and Juglans regia seedlings

Container size and shape impacts biomass allocation of nursery seedlings. Effects of different pot types on shoot and root growth and biomass allocation were evaluated in nursery cultivation of Quercus robur L. and Juglans regia L. We compared two containers currently used in Italian forest nurseries (ISSA-pot®; Plastecnic®) and two alternative types (Superoots Air-pot®; Tubex®); different pot sizes were also included: two for ISSA-pot and Plastecnic; four for Air-pot. Seedlings were evaluated during 1-year nursery growth and biomass allocation was determined on a sub-sample at the end of the growing season. For both species, seedlings grown in larger containers generally grew more and containers >4.5 l produced the largest seedlings. Root biomass was >50% of total biomass in all containers with the tap-root comprising the major root system component. Air pruning in the Air-pots inhibited seedling growth of both species in narrow deep pots, while in bigger sizes (wide and deep) it produced positive responses, especially for walnut. Container configuration differentially affected the studied species: shoot and root system development of walnut seedlings was more limited by pot diameter than depth. Q. robur had improved shoot and root system development when grown in Tubex.

Genetic Diversity Studies in Certain Indigenous Mango (Mangifera indicaL) Varieties

The large seedling diversity of mango has not been fully evaluated. The evaluation of seedling diversity was carried out for morphological traits in the Chittoor area of Andhra Pradesh in India. The statistical analysis carried out for fruit characteristics showed significant differences among the varieties for various fruit characteristics. Molecular characterization was carried out using microsatellite markers. Most of the indigenous varieties from Kalepalli region are grouped in the same cluster. It is interesting to note that the morphological characterization and molecular characterization follow almost the same pattern suggesting the genetic control of these fruit characters. The study shows that the diversity observed within a geographic region is derived from the varieties that are being grown in that region. The promising seedling varieties selected with desirable traits would help the farmer in benefit sharing as and when they are registered. In addition it would help in ‘on farm conservation’ and use of these varieties in crop improvement programmes.

Early performance of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies – a comparison between seedling size, species, and geographic location of the planting site

Small seedlings may be cheaper and establish faster than larger seedlings, but be more sensitive to stress and therefore less competitive. Site factors and species may also influence seedling performance, but the early performance of the most common species in Swedish plantations, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst), has rarely been compared at identical sites. To identify optimal species and size combinations, seedlings were grown in containers of two sizes, 50 and 90 cm3, and planted during two consecutive years at both coastal and inland sites in northern Sweden. The larger Scots pine seedlings grew more rapidly than the smaller and were also the tallest of all seedlings five years after planting. No seedling size-related difference in Norway spruce growth was found. Highest mortality occurred the first three years after planting and pine weevils were one of the major causes. Larger seedlings of both species had a slightly lower mortality compared to smaller. Five years after planting, the proportion of damaged seedlings plateaued for Norway spruce, but not for Scots pine. Consequently, despite a higher growth the Scots pine seedlings remained sensitive to damage during a longer period than Norway spruce. No interactions were found between geographic location and seedling size or species on growth, mortality, or damage.

Factors influencing the growth of seagrass seedlings: A case study of Posidonia australis

Seagrasses of the genus Posidonia are known to be particularly vulnerable to disturbances because damaged plants are slow to recover and recolonisation by seedlings is rare. Reestablishment of denuded areas by propagules is therefore likely to rely on maximising the survivorship of seedlings or vegetative fragments. This study investigated methods for enhancing growth rates of P. australis seedlings using hormones and nutrients, which may increase establishment success of plants used for rehabilitation. Laboratory experiments compared seedlings treated with different combinations and concentrations of hormones (auxin, cytokinin, gibberellic acid) and nutrients (N, P, K). Growth rates of healthy seedlings were not significantly enhanced by any treatment and negative effects of 30mg/L auxin and nutrients were evident. Any positive effects of hormones were limited to improving survival of small seedlings with the addition of low concentrations of auxin (5mg/L) or cytokinin (2.5mg/L), and 0.1 or 20mg/L gibberellic acid. A review of hormone effects on seagrasses found few consistent results among studies, in part due to differences in methods, species and hormones used. The few studies that were comparable tended to have conflicting results and we found relatively little evidence for positive effects of hormones on the growth of any seagrass. A final experiment demonstrated that the greatest influence on growth of P. australis seedlings was the initial size of seedlings (just after being released from the fruit). Large seedlings produced significantly larger plants (1.5–2.3 fold for various above and below ground measures) over 232d than did initially small seedlings. Rehabilitation programmes should therefore use the largest seedlings available to help maximise the chances of success.

Influence of Seed Size and Aging on Seedling Growth and Field Establishment of Lentil (Lens Culinaris Medik)

AbstractA sub-sample of lentil (Lens culinarisMedik. cv. Kimia) seeds was kept as bulk (S1) and the other seeds were separated by a sieve with four millimeters diameter. Consequently, three seed lots including bulk (S1), large (S2) and small (S3) seeds were obtained. Seeds of each size were divided into three sub-samples. A sub-sample was kept as control or high vigor seed lot (A1). The other two sub-samples with about 20% moisture content were artificially aged at 40°C for 2 and 4 days (A2and A3, respectively). These seeds were evaluated in laboratory and field during 2011 and 2012 as factorial experiments on the bases of RCB design. The lowest mean germination and emergence times and the highest germination percentage, seedling dry weight and emergence percentage were recorded for high vigor seed lot. Large seeds produced the largest seedlings in comparison with bulk and small seeds. Although, seedling dry weight was reduced with increasing seed aging, the lowest reduction was recorded for seedlings from large seeds. The most deteriorated large seeds germinated earlier than those of bulk and small seeds. Early germination of the most deteriorated large seeds resulted in rapid emergence of seedlings in the field. This is also reflected in the highest positive correlation of mean germination time with mean emergence time. It was concluded that some deleterious effects of seed aging can be reduced by increasing seed size.

Growth and Yield of Different Size-Seedling Tubers Derived from True Potato (&lt;i&gt;Solanum tuberosum&lt;/i&gt; L.) Seeds as Influenced by Clump Planting

An experiment was conducted at the Horticulture farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during November 2010 to March 2011. Four levels of seedling tuber size, viz. 6-&lt;7 g (S1), 7-&lt;8 g (S2), 8-&lt;9 g (S3) and, 9-?10 g (S4) and three levels of seedling tuber, viz. 1 hill-1 (N1), 2 hill-1 (N2) and 3 hill-1 (N3) were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. At harvest, the tallest plant (82.17 cm), highest number of leaves plant-1 (83.30), highest LAI (6.23), tubers weight hill-1 (128.90 g) and tuber yield ha-1 (25.78 t) were found in S4, while the lowest was in S1. On the other hand, the tallest plant (74.91 cm), highest number of leaves plant-1 (74.45), highest LAI (5.41), tubers weight hill-1 (123.95 g) and tuber yield ha-1 (24.79 t) were found in N3, while the lowest was in N1. The tallest plant (85.09 cm), highest number of leaves plant-1 (87.97), highest LAI (6.64), tubers weight hill-1 (138.35 g) and tuber yield ha-1 (27.67 t) were found in S4N3 and the lowest gross tuber yield ha-1(12.83 t) was from S1N1. Large seedling tuber with single seedling tuber hill-1 performed better. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v12i1.19866 The Agriculturists 2014; 12(1) 111-121

Characteristics of seedling survival in habitats of hill and gully slopes in hill-gully Loess Plateau region of northern Shaanxi

Aims Seedling is the fundament of vegetation restoration succession and plays a very important role in ecosystems. The objective of this paper was to explore the characteristics of seedling survival in habitats of hill and gully slopes in a hill-gully Loess Plateau region. Methods Fifteen permanent plots in Zhifanggou and Songjiagou watershed in Ansai County were established for sentinel dynamic monitoring, and one-way ANOVA and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to analyze seedling density and survival rate in different habitats. Important findings There were significant differences in the characteristics of seedling survival among different habitats, with smaller seedling density and higher survival rates observed on the sunny slopes and larger seedling density but lower survival rate found on the shady slopes. In competition for survival, Artemisia gmelinii, Potentilla tanacetifolia, and Heteropappus altaicus etc. took advantage of quality and were characterized by a higher seedling survival rate, while Artemisia scoparia, Ixeris chinensis, Siphonostegia chinensis etc. adopted a strategy of "quantity" and characterized by a higher seedling density. The same species in different habitats had different survival curves, and the same survival curves in different habitats applied to different species. The seedlings of Artemisia gmelinii, Potentilla tanacetifolia, Stipa bungeana, Heteropappus altaicus, and Lespedeza davurica etc. had a strong survival capability in the rainy season and were easy to overwinter successfully, whereas the seedling survival capability in Artemisia scoparia, Dracocephalum moldavica, and Artemisia hedinii etc. was strong priorto the rainy season but weak in winter. The characteristics of seedling survival in different micro-environments also differed. A change in micro-environment affected seedling growth, survival, and overwintering to some extent. Thus, a proper tending for seedlings according to the survival characteristics of species is conducive to the seedling establishment and vegetation succession in the hill-gully Loess Plateau region.

Comparing large containerized and bareroot conifer stock on sites of contrasting vegetation composition in a non-herbicide scenario

Planting stock selection is an integral part of plantation management, as forest nursery practices influence the physiological status of the seedlings and their capacity to cope with resource availability on different planting sites. We thus compared the 11th-year dimensions and survival of large white spruce (Picea glauca) and black spruce (P. mariana) seedlings produced as 2 + 2 bareroot or 2 + 0 container stock (cell volume of 350 cm3), used to reduce the need for competition control. Using complete split-block designs, we evaluated the seedling competitive potential and response to mechanical release on two sites of contrasting ecological fertility and vegetation dominance in Quebec, Canada. We found that large spruce seedlings can be successfully established on high-competition sites in a context where chemical herbicides cannot be used. These stock types had a limited impact on survival and growth, and both stock responded similarly to mechanical vegetation control. In this context, the choice of stock type should prioritize the highest quality large seedling based on operational considerations such as availability and ease of transportation. Mechanical site preparation was not necessary to promote seedling growth and survival on these sub-boreal sites.

Interacting effects of warming and drought on regeneration and early growth of Acer pseudoplatanus and A.platanoides.

Climate change is acting on several aspects of plant life cycles, including the sexual reproductive stage, which is considered amongst the most sensitive life-cycle phases. In temperate forests, it is expected that climate change will lead to a compositional change in community structure due to changes in the dominance of currently more abundant forest tree species. Increasing our understanding of the effects of climate change on currently secondary tree species recruitment is therefore important to better understand and forecast population and community dynamics in forests. Here, we analyse the interactive effects of rising temperatures and soil moisture reduction on germination, seedling survival and early growth of two important secondary European tree species, Acer pseudoplatanus and A.platanoides. Additionally, we analyse the effect of the temperature experienced by the mother tree during seed production by collecting seeds of both species along a 2200-km long latitudinal gradient. For most of the responses, A.platanoides showed higher sensitivity to the treatments applied, and especially to its joint manipulation, which for some variables resulted in additive effects while for others only partial compensation. In both species, germination and survival decreased with rising temperatures and/or soil moisture reduction while early growth decreased with declining soil moisture content. We conclude that although A.platanoides germination and survival were more affected after the applied treatments, its initial higher germination and larger seedlings might allow this species to be relatively more successful than A.pseudoplatanus in the face of climate change.

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

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 ㎝), medium (25-35 ㎝) and large size (35 ㎝ ＜). Root of seedlings was pruned by three intensity such as, leaving 5 cm (severe), 10 ㎝ (medium) and 15 ㎝ (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 ㎝ 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.