Short-Term Influence of Clinker Dust and Wood Ash on Macronutrients and Growth in Norway Spruce (Picea abies) and Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Seedlings

Abstract

The effects of clinker dust and wood ash on Norway spruce and Scots pine seedlings were compared in buried pots. Clinker dust (0.5 kg m⁻²) and wood ash (0.5 kg m⁻²) were applied to the surface of a nutrient-poor mineral soil. In the second year, the increase in soil pH by the dust and ash were larger than in the first year. Both alkaline treatments caused a large increase in the needle potassium (K) concentration. An excess of soil K relative to magnesium (Mg) was observed by decreased Mg concentration in needles shortly after treatment. However, Mg concentration in needles stayed in the sufficiency range. Current results confirmed earlier findings that despite a positive effect on base cation nutrition, wood ash has a low potential for increasing the biomass of forest stands on mineral soils due to the N limitation in these soils.

Keywords:

• Cation antagonism
• conifer
• liming
• nutrient limitation
• seedling quality

Acknowledgments

T. Rebassoo helped to arrange the watering of trees, and H. Kösta determined the moss species.