Influence of time of lifting and storage on the potential photosynthetic efficiency in newly developed leaves of bare-root silver birch and common oak

Abstract

Silver birch and common oak are known to be sensitive to standard practices in nurseries and they often show poor establishment when transplanted in urban areas. Lifting date and time in cold storage have a strong influence on stress tolerance and plant vitality. This study was carried out to assess the effect of lifting date and storage time on partial photosynthesis measured by chlorophyll fluorescence. Plants were grown at a field site in southern Sweden and were lifted on four occasions, with an interval of 4 weeks during autumn 1997, and were subsequently placed in cold storage for 90, 135 and 180 days. Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured with a pulse-amplified modulation fluorometer in three leaves from the main terminal shoot of three plants from each treatment after 4 weeks growth in a controlled environment room. Four fluorescence parameters were measured: F-m, F-0, F-v/F-m and yield. The results of the yield measurement during illumination, showed that the plants, independently of lifting date and time in storage, were stressed and had a low photosynthetic efficiency. All plants taken up on the two first lifting occasions and those lifted on the third and fourth occasions and stored for 90 and 135 days, and 90 days, respectively, had relatively low values in maximal quantum yield (F-v/F-m, measured after a dark period). The low F-v/F-m was due to high values in F-0, which often indicates malfunction in the reaction centres of photosystem II. This study, together with previous studies, has shown that lifting and storage are strong stress factors for silver birch and common oak. These two events are normal nursery practice. Nurseries need to be aware of the stress effects and attempt to minimise stress by choosing appropriate lifting dates and storage regimes, and thereby minimising tree fatality or poor growth after transplanting. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Published in

Scientia Horticulturae
2002, volume: 94, number: 1-2, pages: 171-179
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Lindqvist, Hans

  • Department of Crop Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Horticulture

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4238(01)00361-2

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/10951