RT Journal Article
T1 Establishing Acacia salicina under dry Mediterranean conditions: The effects of nursery fertilization and tree shelters on a mid-term experiment with saline irrigation
A1 Oliet, Juan A.
A1 Planelles, Rosa
A1 Artero, Francisco
A1 Domingo Santos, Juan Manuel
AB The restoration of dry lands in the Mediterranean is a challenging task because harsh abioticconditions hamper the counteraction of feed-back degradation processes. Active restorationthrough planting must be performed to deter this process. In this study, we tested the influenceof mineral nutrition in the nursery (two formulations of controlled release fertilizer at two rateseach) and tree protection after planting (by using tube shelters) on the nine-year performance ofAcacia salicina irrigated with low-quality (saline) water. The overall survival at the end of thestudy period was 58.2%, with the electrical conductivity of the soil saturation extract reaching 5.4dS·m-1 after nine years. The survival and growth (in height) were greater for seedlings fertilizedwith more than 1.5 g·L-1 of 9-13-18, although the survival differences became significant onlyafter the seventh year. The basal stem diameter (BSD) of seedlings that were fertilized at higherrates was significantly greater than those that were fertilized at lower rates during the first twoyears of planting; the differences were no longer present thereafter. The seedlings in sheltershad marginally superior survival, faster growth during the first four years, and smaller BSDvalues after the third year compared to those of the unprotected seedlings. In comparison with aparallel study that was conducted under drought conditions, irrigation reduced some differencesamong treatments, but it increased others. These results emphasize the importance of the sizeand mineral nutrient status of nursery stock in irrigated plantations under dry Mediterraneanconditions, with highly fertilized seedlings showing superior performance. Long-term plantingstudies are crucial for gaining a greater understanding of seedling performance and for providinga better rationale for treatment recommendations.
PB Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal
SN 0718-1620
YR 2016
FD 2016-04
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18543
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/18543
LA eng
NO Oliet, J. A., Planelles, R., Artero, F., & Domingo Santos, J. M. (2016). Establishing Acacia salicina under dry Mediterranean conditions: The effects of nursery fertilization and tree shelters on a mid-term experiment with saline irrigation . Ciencia e Investigación Agraria, 43(1), 7–7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-16202016000100007
NO We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the National Institute for Agriculture and Food Technology and Research (INIA, Spanish Department of Science and Innovation) through projects SC-94111 and OT98-001) and the Technical University of Madrid through its sabbatical program. The comments of three anonymous reviewers substantially improved this manuscript.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026