Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions
<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>, a fast-growing tropical tree species, faces fertilization challenges due to slope heterogeneity in plantations. This study examined 3-year-old <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> at upper and lower slope positions under five treatments: CK (no fertilizer), F1 (600...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Jialan Chen Weisong Zhu Yuanxi Liu Gang Chen Juncheng Han Wenhao Zhang Junwen Wu |
| author_facet | Jialan Chen Weisong Zhu Yuanxi Liu Gang Chen Juncheng Han Wenhao Zhang Junwen Wu |
| author_sort | Jialan Chen |
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| description | <i>Ochroma lagopus</i>, a fast-growing tropical tree species, faces fertilization challenges due to slope heterogeneity in plantations. This study examined 3-year-old <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> at upper and lower slope positions under five treatments: CK (no fertilizer), F1 (600 g/plant), F2 (800 g/plant), F3 (1000 g/plant), and F4 (1200 g/plant) of secondary macronutrient water-soluble fertilizer. Growth parameters and N-P-K stoichiometry were analyzed. Key results: (1) Height increased continuously with fertilizer dosage at both slopes, while DBH peaked and then declined. (2) At upper slopes (nutrient-poor soil), fertilization elevated leaf P but reduced branch N/K and increased root P/K. At lower slopes (nutrient-rich soil), late-stage leaf N increased significantly, with roots accumulating P/K via a “storage strategy”. Stoichiometric thresholds indicated N-K co-limitation (early-mid stage) shifting to P limitation (late stage) on upper slopes and persistent N-K co-limitation on lower slopes. (3) PCA identified F4 (1200 g/plant) and F1 (600 g/plant) as optimal for upper and lower slopes, respectively. This research provides a theoretical basis for precision fertilization in <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> plantations, emphasizing slope-specific nutrient status and element interactions for dosage optimization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-990480adb7c141e1afccd4c254f582c6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-990480adb7c141e1afccd4c254f582c62025-08-20T02:47:22ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011414222110.3390/plants14142221Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope PositionsJialan Chen0Weisong Zhu1Yuanxi Liu2Gang Chen3Juncheng Han4Wenhao Zhang5Junwen Wu6Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, ChinaYunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of In-Forest Resource, College of Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>, a fast-growing tropical tree species, faces fertilization challenges due to slope heterogeneity in plantations. This study examined 3-year-old <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> at upper and lower slope positions under five treatments: CK (no fertilizer), F1 (600 g/plant), F2 (800 g/plant), F3 (1000 g/plant), and F4 (1200 g/plant) of secondary macronutrient water-soluble fertilizer. Growth parameters and N-P-K stoichiometry were analyzed. Key results: (1) Height increased continuously with fertilizer dosage at both slopes, while DBH peaked and then declined. (2) At upper slopes (nutrient-poor soil), fertilization elevated leaf P but reduced branch N/K and increased root P/K. At lower slopes (nutrient-rich soil), late-stage leaf N increased significantly, with roots accumulating P/K via a “storage strategy”. Stoichiometric thresholds indicated N-K co-limitation (early-mid stage) shifting to P limitation (late stage) on upper slopes and persistent N-K co-limitation on lower slopes. (3) PCA identified F4 (1200 g/plant) and F1 (600 g/plant) as optimal for upper and lower slopes, respectively. This research provides a theoretical basis for precision fertilization in <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> plantations, emphasizing slope-specific nutrient status and element interactions for dosage optimization.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2221<i>Ochroma lagopus</i> (balsa tree)fertilizationN-P-K stoichiometric characteristics |
| spellingShingle | Jialan Chen Weisong Zhu Yuanxi Liu Gang Chen Juncheng Han Wenhao Zhang Junwen Wu Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions Plants <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> (balsa tree) fertilization N-P-K stoichiometric characteristics |
| title | Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions |
| title_full | Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions |
| title_short | Effects of Fertilizer Application on Growth and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in Balsa Tree (<i>Ochroma lagopus</i>) Plantations at Different Slope Positions |
| title_sort | effects of fertilizer application on growth and stoichiometric characteristics of nitrogen phosphorus and potassium in balsa tree i ochroma lagopus i plantations at different slope positions |
| topic | <i>Ochroma lagopus</i> (balsa tree) fertilization N-P-K stoichiometric characteristics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2221 |
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