A comparison of growth responses of Douglas fir and Sitka spruce to different nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels in sand culture
Douglas fir and Sitka spruce seedlings were grown in sand culture under controlled mineral nutrient conditions. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium supply levels were varied one nutrient at a time in three separate experiments. The relative growth rate (RGR) of Sitka spruce was found to be higher than that of Douglas fir at high levels of N and K supply, although in all treatments the total dry matter production of Douglas fir was greater than that of Sitka spruce after 95 days. At low levels of P supply the RGR of Douglas fir was greater than that of Sitka spruce.Effects of treatment on RGR were apparently achieved mainly by their effect on net assimilation rate, but leaf weight ratio also showed a small, and significant, response to treatment.