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Nutrient Availability and Foliar Nutrient Status of Sugar Maple Saplings following Fertilization

Groupe de recherche en écologie forestière, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale A, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8

W. L. Meyer and C. Camiré^*

Centre de Recherche en Biologie Foresitère, Faculté de Foresterie et de Géomatique, Pavillon Abitibi-Price, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy (Québec), Canada G1K 7P4

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Foliar analysis of maple sugar (Acer saccharum Marsh.) saplings having low foliar K (5.4 g kg^–1) and P (1.2 g kg^–1) was carried out for 3 yr to investigate the effects of a single application of fertilizer P triple superphosphate [TSP], K (K₂SO₄) and Ca [Ca(OH)₂]. Also, soll, water-saturated soil extract, resin sacks buried in situ, and lysimeter solution analysis methods were used. Potassium and P additions significantly increased foliar K (1.81 g kg^–1 increase) and P (0.25 g kg^–1 increase) for the 3 yr that the observations were conducted. Calcium addition had no effect on foliar element concentrations. A Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) analysis corroborated the foliar analysis: K indices increased with increased K fertilization (from –47 to -23) and P indices increased with increased P fertilization (from -25 to –15). Calcium application significantly increased the effective cation-exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable Ca and Mg and water-extractable Ca and decreased the acidity in the rooting zone for a 3-yr period. Conventional soil analysis and resin sacks detected significant effects of P and K fertilizers on their respective elements. However, these effects did not last more than 2 yr after fertilizer application in the surface soil horizon (Ah). Lysimeter solution analysis showed that K₂SO₄ fertilizer caused short-term increases in SO₄ and Ca leaching. The duration of fertilizer P and K on foliar nutrition and the behavior of soil nutrients suggested that biochemical cycles are important mechanisms perpetuating fertilizer effects.

Received for publication March 4, 1992.