Responses of Six Species of Proteaceae, in Containers, to Controlled-Release Fertilizer

• Published in: Communications in soil science and plant analysis Vol. 38; no. 15-16; pp. 2227 - 2237
• Main Authors: Parks, S.E, Haigh, A.M, Harris, A.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2007; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adenanthos; Adenanthos sericeus; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; application rate; Banksia; Banksia ericifolia; Banksia hookeriana; Biological and medical sciences; Conospermum caeruleum; container-grown plants; Controlled-release fertilizer; dry matter accumulation; fertilizer application; fertilizer requirements; foliar uptake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; greenhouse experimentation; leaves; Leucadendron; nitrogen; nursery stock; nutrients; nutrition; Osmocote; phosphorus; plant growth; plant nutrition; potassium; Protea; Proteaceae; slow-release fertilizers; Container; Controlled-release fertilizer; Nutrition; Dicotyledones; Interspecific comparison; Slow releasing fertilizer; Angiospermae; Proteaceae; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416
• DOI: 10.1080/00103620701549199

Seedlings of Adenanthos sericeus, Banksia ericifolia, Banksia hookeriana, Conospermum caeruleum, Protea cv. Masquerade, and Leucadendron cv. Sundance were grown in a soilless potting medium containing controlled-release Osmocote fertilizer (17:1.6:8.7) at eight treatment levels: 0, 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, 5.0, 6.25, 12.5, and 18.75 kg m(-3). After 6 months, shoot dry mass and the concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in recently matured leaves were determined. At the lowest rate of applied fertilizer, growth was stunted for all species. Maximum shoot dry mass was associated with a fertilizer rate of 2.0 kg m(-3) for L. cv. Sundance, 2.5 kg m(-3) for C. caeruleum and B. ericifolia, and 3.75 kg m(-3) for P. cv. Masquerade, B. hookeriana, and A. sericeus. At the highest fertilizer rate, for all species except A. sericeus, plants displayed foliar symptoms typical of fertilizer excess, and growth was reduced. A range of concentrations of N, P, and K in leaves at optimum growth was determined for each species.