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Fertilization Impact on Western Redcedar Growth in Coastal Region

Explore the effects of fertilization on Western Redcedar growth in the Coast Region, based on studies by Harrington and Wierman. The research covers various treatments, application rates, and results to determine the best practices for promoting growth.

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Fertilization Impact on Western Redcedar Growth in Coastal Region

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  1. Fertilization of Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata) R.W. Negrave Coast Region, MFR

  2. Western Redcedar Fertilization • Fertilization studies • Harrington and Wierman • SCHIRP

  3. Fertilization Studies • Commercial thinning/ fertilization (WA) • SCHIRP: North Island, Kennedy Flats • WFP monitoring of operational trials

  4. Harrington and Wierman (1990) • Thinning and fertilization with different products • Stands were 15 – 20 yrs old on poor sites • Reported five years after treatment

  5. Harrington and Wierman: Seven Treatments • Untreated • Unthinned + NH4 + Ca + P + K + S • Thinned, unfertilized • Thinned + Urea-N • Thinned + NH4 • Thinned + NH4 +Ca + P • Thinned + NH4 + Ca + P + K + S

  6. Harrington and Wierman: Application Rates • 300 kg/ha N (urea; ammonium nitrate) • 100 kg/ ha P (dicalcium phosphate) • 129 kg/ ha Ca (dicalcium phosphate) • 100 kg/ ha K (potassium sulphate) • 41 kg / ha S (potassium sulphate)

  7. Harrington and Wierman: Results • Height and diameter growth were significantly greater in all thinned or fertilized treatments, compared to untreated • The best treatments for height (+65%) and diameter growth (+106%) contained ammonium nitrate and dicalcium phosphate • Ca and P additions increased growth over N alone • Thinning was also produced substantial diameter growth response

  8. SCHIRP Trials • Kennedy Flats and N. Vancouver Island • Kennedy Flats trial in general agreement with N. Vancouver Island trial • Scarification appears to have a positive effect on growth; slight interaction with fertilization

  9. SCHIRP NVI: Treatments • Two sites: CH and HA • Two species: Cw Hw • Fertilized and unfertilized • 225 kg/ha as urea • 100 kg/ ha as triple superphosphate • NPK at planting • Three establishment densities: • 500, 1500 and 2500 sph

  10. Volume Response to Fertilization

  11. Summary of Effects • Fertilization continued to increase height growth after 10 years • Greatest volume response on HA • Still deficient to very deficient in N

  12. Future Growth? • Growth pattern • Magnitude of response • Nutrient concentrations and associations with growth • Foliage mass

  13. Nutritional Response: 10 Years Later Fertilization increased foliar: • N concentration on HA but not CH • P and Ca concentration in both species on both sites

  14. Favourable Indicators • Volume response and total volumes greatest on HA • Indications of more sustained incremental height growth on HA • N, P, and Ca concentrations all increased on HA and associated with growth: No evidence of dilution • Crown closure associated with better incremental height growth response • Stand-level nutrient demands generally stabilize with crown closure

  15. Unfavourable Indicators • Volume response less on CH • Loss of foliar-N concentration effect on CH • Reduced height growth with increasing density on CH

  16. Individual Cw Foliage Mass Foliage mass increased with nutrient regime: Foliage Mass (kg) CH-F0: 2.15a CH-F1: 3.73b HA-F1: 5.96c

  17. Foliage - Growth Relationships

  18. General Conclusions • Magnitude and duration of Cw response to fertilization are comparable to Fd • No indications of negative growth response: trajectories likely parallel or better at SCHIRP • Cw appears to respond well at higher densities • Greater response implied by higher application rates; ammonium; Ca

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