0408-B4

Determination of Production Technique for Containerised Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) Seedling

Assist. Prof. Sezgin Ayan ¹

ABSTRACT

Oriental spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.) is the main species in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. Using containerised and quality seedlings in the plantation areas is very important, against tall and very dense weed in the region. The Turkish-Finnish Forestry Project was established in 1992, to produce economical containerised seedlings in the Of Forest Nursery. In this project, production technique of Oriental spruce seedlings under the regional conditions was aimed. Thus, common growing mediums in the region, sowing times and growing periods in the greenhouse had to be studied.

In this research, forty growing mediums, two sowing times and two growing periods in greenhouse were studied. Commonly used local Barma peat was the main material. Growing mediums were prepared with the kind of supplement materials (river sand, perlite, composed tea remnant, composed barnyard manure, wood shavings and bran) mixed at different ratios by volume.

According to growing mediums, sowing times and growing periods; height growth, root collar diameter, survival percentage, dry weights and stem weight / root weight rates of the 2+0 aged seedlings were measured. The results are:

1) Early sowing (February 15 ^th ) used greenhouse early sowing (in February) affected increasingly on the features such as seedling height, root collar diameter and survival percentage. The reasons why seedlings of early sowing time reach the standart of plantation at the age 2+0.

2) Growing period of 2.5 months in the greenhouse has affected significant increasingly on the parameters of seedling height, root collar diameter, stem dry weight and stem dry weight/root dry weight.

3) The best height growth under the Of Forest Nursery conditions was in the following mediums respectively.

60% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 20% river sand
50% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 30% river sand
50% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 30% perlite
60% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 20% perlite
60% Barma peat + 20% comp. barnyard manure + 20% perlite

4) Traditionally, 2+3, 3+2, 4+0 and 5+0 aged Oriental spruce seedlings have been planted in this region. This study showed that 2+0 aged seedlings had suitable sizes for planting with the growing mediums mentioned above by The Enso-Pot tube system.

1. INTRODUCTION

13.2 million hectares of Turkey's total 20.7 million hectares forest land a potential area for activities of afforestation and erosion control (Urgenç and Boydak, 1985;Anonymous, 1998).

The country's large portion is a semi-arid and arid zone in terms of climate, soil characteristics and natural vegetation cover. Especially, a large portion of the precipitation fall in out of vegetative season and water deficiency occurs on the upper soil properties, the success on plantation require faultless level preparation, planting and high quality seedling. However, traditional containerised seedling production systems cannot provide adequate production in terms of quality and quantity and cost high. Hence, in plantings generally bare root seedling are used.

''The Enso Growing Techniques of Containerised Seedlings in Greenhouse'' was transferred in to Turkey to increase the usage of quality containerised seedlings in the areas where have some problems, in 1992 by a Turkish-Finnish Forestry Project.

Since Turkey's and Finland's climate and tree species are different;

• Suitable substrates and ideal growing mediums,
• Growing periods in greenhouse,
• Sowing time; Briefly, determination of "Suitable (Modified) Production Techniques" for locals and species were aimed.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ORIENTAL SPRUCE

Oriental spruce is the nature and pale endemic species of Turkey and it is naturally distributed approximately on 350 000 hectares. Natural distribution areas are Caucasian and Northeast Anatolia in which it is located on 40º 23' - 43º 50' east longitudes and 37º 40' - 44º 13' north latitudes (Küçük, 1989).

Turkey has three different flora regions of Irano-Turanian, Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean and three are 10 000 taxa and 20 main tree species (Küçük, 1999). Among them, oriental spruce is observed from the east Ordu-Melet river to the slopes overlooking to Black sea where fog is seen.

In East Black Sea Region, oriental spruce is found in pure stands about 146 300 ha (Anonymous, 1999) and with mixed stands of Fagus orientalis Lipsky., Pinus silvestris L. and Abies nordmanniana (Stev.) Matff. 200 000 hectares (Ata et. al.,1983;Yahyaoğlu et. al., 1990). Approximately 93 000 ha of the oriental spruce pure stands are subject to artificial regenerated and approximately 140 000 ha of mixed stands are subject to planted (Genç, 1995). In the region, the main problem is weed. Therefore, seedlings must be high quality and tall what caries special importance to cope with the problem.

Oriental spruce genetically grows so slow in its reproduction stage. In the distribution regions of taxa like Rubus sp., Vaccinium, Rhododendron sp., Corylus, İlex sp. and Laurecerasus officinalis have the characteristics of creating high dense living cover and these make killing effects for planted spruce seedlings.

According to results of investigations about oriental spruce; seedling is not relative to planting age at the same time is reaches average 10-14 years and 1.0 m height that has the ability of against weed (Kapucu, 1978). These results therefore, high quality and tall seedlings is very important for oriental spruce.

3. MATERIAL VE METHOD

3.1. Material

3.1.1. Species - Origin: In this study; Seed of Kapıkoy provenance Oriental spruce were used.

3.1.2. Substrate and Mediums: Since peat potentials near the Turkish-Forestry nurseries (in which containerised seedlings are produced) where applied this project, are limited and unsuitable as ideal substrates, amelioration of these peat and have getting new alternatives for the future are essential. So, for this project peat of Barma highland around Çaykara county, tea compost from tea factories, compost barnyard, bran, wood shavings and other organics were used on local materials. Perlite and river sand were the inorganic. Thirty-nine different mediums of these inorganic and organic materials. Forty growing mediums were prepared, of which one was Finnish Vapo peat and thirty-nine were mixture of the organic and inorganic materials mentioned above (Table 1). Tea compost and barnyard were composed and wood shaving and bran were unripe.

3.1.3 Pot - Trays (Model Ek - 28): Has 28 pots, each is 0.3 dm³ and totally 8.4 dm³. Dimensions are 32x45x10 cm.

3.2. Method

3.2.1. Fertilization

Fertilization wasn't applied in the greenhouse after sowing till 1.5 - 2.5 months period. Fertilization by irrigation was beginning as soon as transportation of the seedlings in to shaded area. Among the season of vegetation; had given fertilizer at below;

At the beginning of the vegetation season; Superex-9: N % 19 + P % 5 + K % 20 + micro elements,

At the middle of the vegetation season (Summer); Superex-5: N % 11 + P % 4 +K % 25 + micro elements,

Before the end of the vegetation season (Autumn); Superex-7: N % 0 + P % 16 + K % 20 + micro elements.

Fertilization in the nursery between beginning of the transportation of the seedling from greenhouse and getting ready to plantation was applied depends on the periodical pH, nitrate and salinity analyses under shaded and open areas conditions.

Periodical analyses mentioned above were controlled and fertigation was applied. As electrical conductivity of growing media was 2-3 mS/cm for vegetation period of oriental spruce and 1.5-2.0 mS/cm for lignifications and nitrate was app. 400-500 ppm, depends on the permission of rain for fertigation (Richard ve McDonalds, 1979; Kostama, 1993).

Table 1. Mixture of Substrates for Growing Mediums (by % Volume)

3.2.2. Seedling Production Stages

Three stages after sowing for containerised seedling production by Enso-pot system. These are:

1. Greenhouse stage (1,5 - 2,5 Months); Oriental spruce seedling had 1.5-2.0 cm height and partly lignifications,
2. Growing under shaded area (2 Months); Waiting for adaptation partly to open areas conditions.
3. Adaptation under open area conditions (Till 18-25 cm total seedling height); Waiting until having enough characters.

Irrigation and fertigation in open and shaded areas were done according to periodical controls.

3.2.3. Morphological Characters

Trials were started on February 15 ^th 1994. Morphological characters of Kapıköy provenance seedlings (showed on Feb. 15 ^th and May 15 ^th 1994) were measured at 2+0 age between 15-30 November 1996. Because this time is the end of vegetation for Of Forest Nursery

Since the following parameters as morphological characters are very important for adaptation in the plantation areas (Eyüboğlu, 1979), these were also the basis of this research;

• Seedling height (cm) _SH_
• Root collar diameter (mm) _RCD_
• Seedling survival percentage (%) _SSP_
• Stem dry weight (gr) _SDW_
• Root dry weight (gr) _RDW_
• Stem dry weight (gr) / Root dry weight (gr) _SDW/RDW_

3.2.4. Treatments

1) Two different sowing time (15 February and 15 May),
2) Two different growing period in greenhouse (1,5 Months and 2,5 Months)
3) Forty different growing mediums

3.2.5. Analyses of The Data

The data about SH, RCD, SP, SDW and RDW were measured and SDW/RDW were calculated. These data were tested by Variance Analysis and Newman Keuls methods.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results show that sowing time very affective on SH, RCD, SP, SDW, RDW ve SDW/RDW parameters. Growing period in greenhouse is also affective on all parameters, except SP and RDW.

This study showed that, different growing mediums are very affective on SH, RCD, SP, SDW, RDW and SDW/RDW parameters (Table 2).

Table 2. Variance Analyses on Morphological Characters of 2+0 Aged Oriental Spruce Seedling

4.1. Seedling Height

According to total height parameter, the best growing mediums at 2+0 age were number 31 (60% B. peat + 20% comp. tea remnant + 20% river sand) and number 32 (50% B. peat + 20% comp. tea remnant + 30% river sand). Average seedlings height were 18.608 cm and ve 18.263 cm, in number 31 and 32, respectively (Fig 1).

Fig. 1. Average Seedlings Height for Different Growing Mediums

Atasoy (1996), had the average total heights 2.1 cm, 3.1 cm, 6.7 cm, 11.9 cm and 21.4 cm at 1+0, 2+0, 2+1, 2+2 ve 2+3 ages for bare rooted oriental spruce seedlings.

Traditionally produced bare rooted seedlings and 2+0 aged seedlings produced by ENSO-pots in 9 best growing media (in the first homogen group according Newman Keul's test results) used for this research were comparised. The comparison showed that height and root collar diameter of 2+0 aged Enso-pot oriental spruce seedlings were better than 1+0, 2+0, 3+0 bare rooted and 1+1, 1+2, 2+1 ve 3+1 transplanted seedlings (Table 3) (Ayan and Bahadır, 1995).

Table 3. Av. Heights and Root Collar Diameters of Bare Rotted Oriental Spruce Seedlings Produced Under Open Area Conditions.

4.2. Root Collar Diameter

The best average root collar diameters were in nu. 20, nu. 31 and nu. 26 medias respectively. The values were 0.510 cm for nu. 20 (70% comp. tea remnant + 30% bran); 0.499 cm for nu. 31 (60% Barma peat + 20% comp. tea remnant + 20% river sand); 0.493 cm nu. 26 (50% Barma peat + 20% comp. tea remnant + 30% perlite) (Fig 2).

Fig. 2. Average Root Collar Diameters for Different Growing Mediums

4.3. Seedling Survival Percent

The best survivals were 59.356%, 56.681%, 55.650% and 55.105% for nu. 1 (100% Vapo peat), nu. 34 (50% Barma peat + 20% comp. barnyard manure + 30% perlite), nu. 4 (70% Barma peat + 30% comp. tea remnant) and nu. 31 (60% Barma peat + 20% comp. tea remnant + 20% river sand) respectively.

4.4. Stem dry weight, Root dry weight, Stem dry weight / Root dry weight

Stem dry wights are between 1.700 - 4.568 grams of which root dry weights are between 0.950 - 2.608 grams and SDW/RDW ratio is between 1.023- 2.803.

According to Atasoy (1996) SDW/RDW ratio was 2.6 for 2+3 aged transplanted Oriental spruce seedlings. It was also advised that Oriental spruce seedlings must have at least 25 cm height and 3.0 or less SDW/RDW ratio, and they must be transplanted for plantation areas in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey against dense weeds (Genç, 1995).

Eyüboğlu (1988) declared that the Oriental spruce seedlings whose SDW/RDW ratio are 3.0 or less, are more good at than the seedlings of which SDW/RDW is more than 3.0 in plantation areas. As a result of all these researches, it can be said that Enso type containerised Oriental spruce seedlings will have high performance in field.

5. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

1) Early sowing (February 15 ^th ) used greenhouse facilities extends growing season naturally. As a result found statistically significant effects on parameters of SH, RCD, SP, SDW, RDW and SDW/RDW.

Early sowing (in February) affected increasingly on the features such as seedling height, root collar diameter and survival percentage. The reasons why seedlings of early sowing time reach the standart of plantation at the age 2+0.

2) Growing period of 2.5 months in the greenhouse has affected significant increasingly on the parameters of SH, RCD, SDW and SDW/RDW.

3) 6 different growing medias which provide the best development of SP, SH and RCD in the different growing media at below respectively.

• 60% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 20% river sand
• 50% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 30% river sand
• 50% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 30% perlite
• 60% Barma peat + 20% comp. Tea remnant + 20% perlite
• 60% Barma peat + 20% comp. barnyard manure + 20% perlite
• 70% Barma peat + 30% comp. Tea remnant

REFERENCES

Anonymous, 1998, Erosion, Ministry of Forestry, General Directorate of Afforestation and Erosion Control, Ankara - Turkey.

Anonymous, 1999, Main Tree Species Lying on Our Forests, General Directorate of Forestry, Ankara.

Ata, C., Yahyaoglu, Z., Atasoy, H., 1983. Problems in Nursery, Seedling Storage and Seedling Morphology on Oriental Spruce, K.T.U. Institute of Science, 272, 22 February 1992, Turkey.

Atasoy, H., 1996, Studies on The Genetic Diversity Within and Among The Populations of Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis L. Link.) By The Characteristics of Seeds and Seedlings, Forestry Research Institute Technical Bulten No:261, Ankara - Turkey.

Ayan, S., Bahadır, C., 1995, Production of Enso-Pot Containerised Seedling and Comparison with Traditional Seedling Production, K.T.U. 1 ^st National Forestry Congress, Volume IV, pp.126-135, 23-25 October 1995, Trabzon - Turkey.

Eyuboglu, A. K., 1979, Seedling, Forestry Research Institute Magazine, Issue:2, pp. 31-67, Ankara.

Eyuboglu, A. K., 1988, Field Performance of Transplanted and Untransplanted Oriental Spruce Seedlings, Grown At Several Bed Densities, Forestry Research Institute, Technic Bulten No: 201, Ankara - Turkey.

Genc, M., 1995, Development on the Nursery Techniques of Oriental Spruce, Forestry Engineering Magazine, Year: 32, Issue:2, Ankara.

Kapucu, F., 1978, Study on Composition of Mixed Forest Consist of Oriental Spruce, Scotch Pine, Nordmann Fir and Beech and Evaluation from Forest Management the Point of View in Eastern Black Sea Region, K.T.U., Faculty of Forestry, Trabzon - Turkey.

Kucuk, M., 1989, Botanical Characteristics of Oriental Spruce, Forestry Research Institute, Oriental Spruce Handbook Series Number:5, Ankara.

Kucuk, M., 1998, The Flora of Kürtün (Gümüşhane)-Örümcek Forests and The Floristic Composition of The Pure Stand Types, Eastern Black Sea Forestry Research Institute, Number: 5, Technic Bulten No:5, Trabzon - Turkey.

Urgenç, S., Boydak, M., 1985, Contemporary Situation and Goals of Afforestation Activities in Turkey, İ.Ü., Faculty of Forest Magazine, 35A, 2, 13-17, İstanbul.

Yahyaoglu, Z., Demirci, A., Genc, M., 1990, A Relict Species: Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis (L.) Link.), Environmental Pollution and Its Control, Conference Book, 1 ^st International Environmental Protection Symposium, 1 June 1990, İzmir - Turkey.

Richard, W. T., Mcdonald, S. E., 1979, How to Grow Tree Seedlings in Containers in Greenhouses, North Dokota.

Kostama, H., 1993, Turkish- Finnish Forestry Project, Personal Final Report, Eskişehir.

¹ Gazi University Faculty of Forestry, 37200 Kastamonu-TURKEY
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone:+90 366 214 95 25
Fax:+90 366 214 82 45