Soil Properties Dominate Yellow-Poplar Seedling Growth

Abstract Topdressing of urea (224 kg/ha) in combination with Glomus mosseae inoculum produced the largest 1-0 yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) seedlings of 16 combinations of nursery fertilizer and endomycorrhizal treatments. However, after two years in an outplanting trial, significantdifferences in seedling size due to the nursery treatments had disappeared. The cause was traced to soil variability; five different soils were found within the 0.5 ha test site, varying in characteristics known to be important to yellow-poplar growth. Soil properties had occluded significanteffects of nursery culture treatments on seedling height growth and the effects continued through the fourth growing season. South. J. Appl. For. 11(2):119-123.