The influence of irrigation on the spruce (Picea abies) seedlings quality
Date |
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2005 |
Potential growth of spruce seedlings (Picea abies) is highly dependent on the amount of applied irrigation and soil moisture. 75 Picea abies seedlings were planted per square in April 2002 in Irrigation engineering department experimental fields at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture, and in the "Dubrava" experimental forest nursery. Two irrigation treatments included a combination of soil water depth as thresholds for initiating irrigation and varying water application rates. Results indicate that for optimum spruce seedlings growth, soil moisture at 30 cm depth should average above 19 % of soil water content. In this case 97 % of seedlings after two-year growing season become higher than minimum quality demand. The measurements of stem diameters show that 100 % of seedlings in irrigated fields, 99 % in natural conditions field and 88 % in nursery to meet the requirements.