Growth of Pinus greggii Engelm. under different routines of fertilization at the nursery

Abstract

Fertilizing the plant at the nursery favors its physiological and morphological condition, which contributes to improve its quality, a basic aspect to favor the survival and initial growth after planting. This research evaluated the effect of a controlled delivery fertilizer (Osmocote^®), combined with three soluble fertilizers (Triple 19, Poly-feed^® and Peters professional^®) in fixed dose (200 ppm) and exponential (100, 200 y 300 ppm) in the growth and production costs of Pinus greggii at the nursery. Seven treatments were applied under an experimental randomized block design. At 134 days (4.5 months) of the fertilization trial started, the plant was 7.5 months old; at that time the height, diameter, biomass production of the root, aerial and total part, the Dickson quality index, the nutritional status and assimilation of N-P-K in the foliage of the plants and the costs of fertilization by treatment. Results indicate that treatments 1, 3 and 7 reacted better to the application of fertilizers in the assessed morphological variables; however, only treatments 3 and 7 had a better response to physiological variables, and of these, number 3 had the lowest cost due to the applied fertilization.