%0 Research Notes
%T The growth of Scots pine and the availability of nutrients in old Finnish liming experiments on drained peatlands
%A Nieminen, Mika
%A Pätilä, Antti
%D 1994
%J Suo - Mires and peat
%V 45
%N 4-5
%U http://suo.fi/article/9740
%X Liming (with applications of 1 000 to 8 000 kg ha1) had no long-term (1929-1985) effect on the growth of Scots pine on drained oligotrophic peatlands. Liming plus NPK fertilization had a variable effect on the growth of the stands. The same treatment could result in a very different response in different experimental areas. Both liming alone and liming plus NPK fertilization increased the calcium, magnesium and nitrogen contents of peat and decreased the C/N ratio and acidity. Liming plus fertilization decreased needle boron and manganese and increased calcium and nitrogen concentrations. The results of peat and needle analysis indicated that the changes in nitrogen availability to trees caused by liming have not been sufficient enough to affect tree growth. It was also concluded that boron deficiency was the main reason for the lowered yield.

Key words: fertilization, needle nutrients, peat nutrients, Pinus sylvestris, tree growth