Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on growth, form, and wood quality of eastern cottonwood

D.S. DeBell; E.H. Mallonee; L.T. Alford

Treesearch

Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on growth, form, and wood quality of eastern cottonwood

Informally Refereed

Authors:

D.S. DeBell, E.H. Mallonee, L.T. Alford

Year:

1975

Type:

Research Note

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Source:

Res. Note PNW-RN-4. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 6 p

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Download (PDF 472 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/40616.pdf

Abstract

A 9-year-old cottonwood plantation near Fitler, Mississippi was fertilized with ammonium nitrate (150 and 300 lbs N/A) in May 1970. Fertilizer increased diameter (b.h.) growth of dominant, codominant, and intermediate crown classes by 109, 174 and 482 percent, respectively. Form class of fertilized trees also increased. On a whole-stem basis, specific gravity declined 3% following treatment. There did not appear to be any significant changes in fiber length due to fertilizer application. We concluded that positive effects of fertilization on volume growth far outweigh the slight reduction in specific gravity.

Keywords

cottonwood, ammonium nitrate

Citation

DeBell, D.S.; Mallonee, E.H.; Alford, L.T. 1975. Effect of nitrogen fertilizer on growth, form, and wood quality of eastern cottonwood. Res. Note PNW-RN-4. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 6 p