Authors:
Jyrki Hytönen, Paula Jylhä & Olavi Kohal
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
afforestation, herbicide, peat-soil, scots-pine, vegetation-control, wood-ash
Documentfile:
Hytönen et al 2012: Long-Term Effect of Ash Fertilisation and Weed Control in Afforestation of Organic Agricultural Soil
Summary:
Theme VII. Ecology and management on forested peatlands
SUMMARY
Tree seedlings compete with weeds for light, water and nutrients on former agricultural land, and on organic soils, nutritional imbalance can endanger stand development. We studied the effects of wood ash fertilisation and chemical weed control on the growth and nutritional status of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings planted in an organic agricultural field in Northern Finland. Ash application increased the seedlings’ growth, while weed control also reduced mortality, and there were no interactions between these treatments. In 21 years, ash fertilisation increased stand volume by 35 m3 ha-1 and weed control by 21 m3 ha-1, and the combined effect of the treatments was 56 m3 ha-1.