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Abstract

As indoor frozen storage is increasing in forest tree nurseries it is important to have accurate methods for assessing seedling storability in autumn and methods to determine post-storage vitality. Storability of spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings can be based on determination of dry matter content (DMC) of seedling shoots or by freezing shoots at -25 degrees C and thereafter measure electrolyte leakage (SELdiff-25). To compare these two methods we stored 1-year-old spruce and pine seedlings at different occasions during the autumn. To test if leakage of electrolytes from shoots (SEL) could indicate deteriorated vitality, we measured SEL at the end of storage. After storage seedling viability was determined in a three-week growth test, measuring shoot and root growth capacity (RGC). Determination of freezing tolerance (SELdiff-25) before storage had a better ability to predict the outcome of storage compared to the DMC test. Measuring SEL at the end of the frozen storage period accurately indicated seedling vitality. Seedlings with SEL of 0-5% had a high survival rate whereas SEL over 10% indicated low survival and growth capacity after storage. The SEL method has a potential to become a screening test for identifying batches of seedlings that have been damaged during storage in the nursery.

Keywords

seedling status; dry matter content; containerized seedlings; freezing test; dehardening; hardening

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
2014, volume: 29, number: 8, pages: 717-724
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

SLU Authors

Associated SLU-program

Cross-programme

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2014.977340

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/66380