The increased frequency of climate change-induced droughts poses a survival challenge for forest trees, particularly for the common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Drought conditions adversely affect ...water supply and nutrient uptake, yet there is limited understanding of the intricate interplay between nutrient availability and drought stress on the physiology, growth, and biomass accumulation in young trees. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the effects of irrigation and fertilisation and their interaction with various parameters in common beech saplings, including foliar and root N, P, and K concentrations; height and diameter increments; and aboveground and belowground biomass production. Our findings revealed that a higher fertilisation dose increased nutrient availability, also partially mitigating immediate drought impacts on foliar N concentrations. Also, higher fertilisation supported the post-drought recovery of foliar phosphorus levels in saplings. Prolonged drought affected nitrogen and potassium foliar concentrations, illustrating the lasting physiological impact of drought on beech trees. While drought-stressed beech saplings exhibited reduced height increment and biomass production, increased nutrient availability positively impacted root collar diameters. These insights have potential implications for forest management practices, afforestation strategies, and our broader understanding of the ecological consequences of climate change on forests.
Almond-leaved pear (Pyrus spinosa Forssk., Rosaceae) is a scientifically poorly researched and often overlooked Mediterranean species. It is an insect-pollinated and animal-dispersed spiny, deciduous ...shrub or a small tree, with high-quality wood and edible fruits. The aim of the study was to assess the phenotypic diversity of almond-leaved pear in the eastern Adriatic region. The examination of phenotypic diversity was based on a morphometric analysis of 17 populations using ten phenotypic traits of leaves. Varieties of multivariate statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the within- and among-population diversity. In addition, the Mantel tests were used to test the correlations between geographic, environmental, and phenotypic differences among populations. High phenotypic variability was determined both among and within the studied populations. Leaf-size-related traits proved to be the most variable ones, in contrast to more uniform leaf shape traits. Furthermore, three groups of populations were detected using multivariate statistical analyses. The first group included trees from northern- and southernmost populations characterized by high annual precipitation. However, the trees from the second and third group were highly overlapped without a clear geographical pattern. In addition, we revealed that both environmental and geographical interactions proved to be responsible for the patterns of phenotypic variation between almond-leaved pear populations, indicating significant isolation by environment (IBE) and isolation by distance (IBD) patterns. Overall, our results provide useful information about phenotypic diversity of almond-leaved pear populations for further conservation, breeding, and afforestation programs.
Service tree, Sorbus domestica L., is a rare and neglected wild fruit tree species of southern and central Europe. Being distributed in different eco-geographical regions, with fragmented and ...low-density populations, S. domestica represents an interesting model case for investigating patterns of within- and between-population diversity at geographical and environmental scales. This study aimed to analyze the proximate composition, antioxidant activity, and morphometric fruit characteristics. We examined the diversity and population divergences of 49 S. domestica individuals originating from seven populations across continental and Mediterranean eco-geographical regions. In addition, tests of isolation by distance and environment were performed to detect the magnitude of divergence explained by geographic and environmental variables. Significant differences between the studied populations were found in almost all of the studied morphometric and chemical fruit characteristics. The studied service tree populations were characterized by high phenotypic variation despite the low number of trees per population. Model-based population structure analysis using morphometric and chemical fruit characteristics revealed three groups of service tree populations. We concluded that non-effective pollen and seed dispersal along with genetic drift and specific environmental factors resulted in a distinct phenotype with a specific chemical composition in the isolated island population. In addition, a pattern of isolation by the environment was revealed. We infer that morphological and chemical differences between the studied populations in the true service tree from different eco-geographical regions were mediated by adaptation to the specific environmental conditions.
The increased frequency of climate change-induced droughts poses a survival challenge for forest trees, particularly for the common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Drought conditions adversely affect ...water supply and nutrient uptake, yet there is limited understanding of the intricate interplay between nutrient availability and drought stress on the physiology, growth, and biomass accumulation in young trees. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by examining the effects of irrigation and fertilisation and their interaction with various parameters in common beech saplings, including foliar and root N, P, and K concentrations; height and diameter increments; and aboveground and belowground biomass production. Our findings revealed that a higher fertilisation dose increased nutrient availability, also partially mitigating immediate drought impacts on foliar N concentrations. Also, higher fertilisation supported the post-drought recovery of foliar phosphorus levels in saplings. Prolonged drought affected nitrogen and potassium foliar concentrations, illustrating the lasting physiological impact of drought on beech trees. While drought-stressed beech saplings exhibited reduced height increment and biomass production, increased nutrient availability positively impacted root collar diameters. These insights have potential implications for forest management practices, afforestation strategies, and our broader understanding of the ecological consequences of climate change on forests.
U radu se iznose rezultati istraživanja dinamike: dušika, fosfora, kalija, kalcija i magnezija u listu i plodu tijekom perioda vegetacije u sorti Golden Delicious i Fuji, uzgojenih u gustom sklopu na ...podlozi M 9. Voćnjak je podignut na lesiviranom pseudogleju. Tlo je kisele reakcije, relativno slabo humozno, umjereno opskrbljeno fosforom i kalijem, a vrlo bogato magnezijem. Ravnoteža u hranidbi praćena je analizom omjera: N/K, N/Ca, K/Ca, ravnoteže i sume kationa u fazama: diobe stanica, izduživanja stanica i bubrenja stanica ploda. Na kraju velikog vala rasta mladica i mase plodova od 60 do 80 g ocjenjen je biljno hranidbeni kapacitet tla metodom folijarne dijagnoze i prognozirana mogućnost pojave fizioloških bolesti plodova na osnovi utvrđenog omjera N/K, N/Ca, K/Ca, i ravnoteže kationa u listu i plodu. Najviše: dušika, fosfora, kalija, kalcija i magnezija sadržavalo je lišće i plodovi na početku vegetacija. U lišću se smanjivala koncentracija: dušika, fosfora, kalija i magnezija, a povećava kalcija do kraja vegetacije. Značajno veću koncentraciju dušika sadrži lišće sorte Fuji od sorte Golden Delicious. Lišće sorte Golden Delicious sadržavalo je značajno veću koncentraciju kalija i kalcija od lišća sorte Fuji. Pod utjecajem sorte nisu utvrđene signifikantne razlike u koncentraciji fosfora i magnezija. U plodovima se do berbe smanjivala koncentracija: dušika, fosfora, kalija, kalcija i magnezija. U vrijeme kada su plodovi imali masu 60 do 80 g bila je koncentracija: makrobiogenih elemenata u granicama normalne opskrbljenosti. Koncentracija je bila u granici normale i u vrijeme berbe, osim za kalij koji je bio malo ispod granice. Pod utjecajem sorte nisu utvrđene statistički opravdane razlike. Utvrđena je statistički opravdana razlika između sorti za omjer K/Ca.
The paper presents the results of multi-year research on the dynamics of: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in the leaf and fruit during the growing season in the varieties Golden Delicious and Fuji, grown in high density planting on rootstock M 9. The orchard was raised on the pesudogley luvic soil. The soil is acidic, relatively weak in humus, moderately supplied with phosphorus and potassium, and very rich in magnesium. Nutritional balance is monitored by analyzing the ratios: K/Ca, N/K, N/Ca, balance and sum of cations in the phases of the growth of fruit: cell division, cell elongation and cell swelling. At the end of the big wave of vegetative growth of saplings and fruits weighing from 60 to 80 grams, the plant nutrition capacity of the soil was evaluated using the foliar diagnosis method and the possibility of the occurrence of physiological fruit diseases was predicted based on the determined ratio of K/Ca in the leaf and fruit. The genetic specificities of the mineral nutrition of the varieties were determined. The concentration of nitrogen and potassium gradually decreases from the beginning to the end of the growing season, while the concentration of phosphorus and magnesium is the same during the growing season. The leaves of the Fuji variety contain a significantly higher concentration of nitrogen than the Golden Delicious variety. The leaves of the Golden Delicious variety contained a significantly higher concentration of potassium and calcium than the leaves of the Fuji variety. Under the influence of the variety, no significant differences were found in the concentration of phosphorus and magnesium. The concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium decreased in the fruits until harvest. At the time when the fruits had a mass of 60 to 80 g, the concentration of: macrobiogenic elements was within the range of normal supply. The concentration was within the normal range at the time of harvest, except for potassium, which was slightly below the limit. Under the influence of the variety, no statistically justified differences were found. A statistically justified difference between varieties was found for the K/Ca ratio.
U radu su prikazani rezultati ispitivanja laboratorijske klijavosti i morfoloških značajki klijanaca europskoga pitomoga kestena (Castanea sativa Mill.). Uzorci za istraživanja sakupljeni su u ...submediteranskom području Hrvatske, a radni uzorak za ispitivanje klijavosti iznosio je 8×25 sjemenki. Sjeme je do ispitivanja klijavosti čuvano tri mjeseca u hladnjaku na temperaturi od 3 °C. Postotak laboratorijske klijavosti utvrđen je prema postotku pravilnih klijanaca koji su normalno proklijali nakon 27 dana ispitivanja. Ispitivanje je provedeno u laboratoriju prema uvjetima koje propisuje ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). Izrađen je katalog sa slikama i opisom nepravilnih klijanaca. Na osnovi definiranih kodova nepravilnih klijanaca moguće je preventivno djelovati kako bi se reducirale nepoželjne jedinke. Rezultati ovog istraživanja od velike su koristi za razumijevanje složenoga procesa klijanja sjemena, kako u laboratoriju, tako i šumskim rasadnicima.
U radu su prikazani rezultati ispitivanja laboratorijske klijavosti i morfoloških značajki klijanaca europskoga pitomoga kestena (
Castanea
sativa
Mill.). Uzorci za istraživanja sakupljeni su u ...submediteranskom području Hrvatske, a radni uzorak za ispitivanje klijavosti iznosio je 8×25 sjemenki. Sjeme je do ispitivanja klijavosti čuvano tri mjeseca u hladnjaku na temperaturi od 3 °C. Postotak laboratorijske klijavosti utvrđen je prema postotku pravilnih klijanaca koji su normalno proklijali nakon 27 dana ispitivanja. Ispitivanje je provedeno u laboratoriju prema uvjetima koje propisuje ISTA (
International Seed Testing Association
). Izrađen je katalog sa slikama i opisom nepravilnih klijanaca. Na osnovi definiranih kodova nepravilnih klijanaca moguće je preventivno djelovati kako bi se reducirale nepoželjne jedinke. Rezultati ovog istraživanja od velike su koristi za razumijevanje složenoga procesa klijanja sjemena, kako u laboratoriju, tako i šumskim rasadnicima.
The paper presents the results of laboratory germination testing and morphological characteristics of sweet chestnut (
Castanea
sativa
Mill.) seedlings. The research samples were collected in the sub-Mediterranean region of Croatia, and the working sample for germination testing was 8×25 seeds. Prior to germination testing, the seeds were stored in a refrigerator for three months at 3°C. The percentage of laboratory germination was established according to the percentage of regular seedlings which germinated normally after 27 days of testing. The testing was carried out in a laboratory under the conditions prescribed by ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). A digital photo camera was used to take photos of all abnormal seedlings, which were then catalogued with their pictures and descriptions. The results of this research are very useful for nursery practice and can be applied in producing plants from seeds, rootstocks for grafting, and further raising of seedlings to be grown in plantations.
The success and profitability of growing crops depends significantly on the fertility of the soil, i.e. the amount of required fertilizers. On the other hand, the reduction of humus content is among ...the most significant indicators of soil degradation in Croatia. For this reason, 1,000 composite soil samples on a depth of 0-30 cm in eastern Croatia were collected firstly in 2005 and 2006 (500 samples each year), and then again from the same locations after 15 years, i.e. in 2020 and 2021. In total, 2,000 samples from 1,000 different production plots were collected and this paper presents an analysis of changes in soil organic matter content on 780plots under crops production. In the initial set of samples (2005 and 2006), an average of 2.25% soil organic matter (SOM) was determined, and after 15 years, an average of 1.99% SOM was determined, i.e. 9.89% less SOM. The decrease in SOM was determined on three quarters of analyzed arable soils in Croatia which indicates a very serious degradation of soil fertility. An average of 21.7 t/ha of SOM was lost (9.9% of initial SOM content) in these soils over a period of 15 years (1.45 t/ha per year), which represents a significant loss of nitrogen pool of 1.086 kg/ha, i.e. an annual loss of 72.43 kg/ha. The decrease in humus content results in a decrease of the mineralization potential by an average of 18.7%, but in 43% of the soils the mineralization potential is reduced by more than 20%. The determined reduction of the N pool over 15 years indicates that more than 1% of the initial amount of nitrogen has been mineralized per year, and therefore models that predict mineralization of more than 1.5% of nitrogen in the conditions of continental Croatia should be used. The result of humus degradation is also reflected in the fact that more than 195 kg/ha of N is needed for corn fertilization on more than three quarters of the analyzed soils, and 15 years ago this was needed on half of the soils. The losses of the nitrogen pool and the consequent higher need for fertilization show how important it is to stop the degradation of the humus content in soils, even if only the direct reduction of the N content is taken into account.
Soil degradation in Croatia is a worrisome phenomenon on agricultural land, and in addition to the reduction in SOM content, there is also a significant potential reduction in the content of plant ...available phosphorus. Therefore, 1,000 composite soil samples on a depth of 0-30 cm in eastern Croatia were collected initally in 2005 or 2006, and then again from the same locations after 15 years. In total, 2,000 samples from 1,000 different production plots were collected and this paper presents an analysis of changes in available phosphorus budget on arable land and permanent plantations. The average of available phosphorus on 4,858.3 ha of arable land and 477.4 ha of orchards and vineyard was 18.55 mg/100 g and 15 years later it was slightly increased to 19.88 mg/100 g. But, these averages hide the existence of negative trends and the degradation of significant areas by reducing the availability of phosphorus, especially on arable land. There are very significant differences among arable lands and permanent plantations considering changes in available phosphorus budget during 15 years. A significant unjustified and unacceptable phosphorus decreasing was on 37.8% of analyzed arable lands which were already poor or just medium supplied with plant available phosphorus. On the other hand, on 35.7% of arable land phosphorus increasing was determined. The situation is significantly better on permanent plantation, since only on 17.2% of analyzed area unjustified and unacceptable decreasing of phosphorus budget happened, but on 60.3 % phosphorus budget was increased. Considering the changes in the content of phosphorus, potassium and SOM on arable land and permanent plantations of different initial levels of fertility, we can conclude the following: 1) fertilization is not carried out in accordance with soil fertility and nutrient needs, nor on almost 40% of orchards and vineyards, nor on more than half of arable land; 2) very significant degradation of the soil due to phosphorus impoverishment was determined on almost 38% of arable land and 17% of permanent plantations; 3) the degradation of SOM content is the most intense, followed by phosphorus, and the degradation of available potassium is the least; 4) it is certain that organic fertilizers and soil fertility conservation measures are rarely and/or ineffectively used on arable land; 5) the management of available soil nutrients and SOM was much more successful on permanent plantations than on arable land, we assume in large part due to the more efficient use of organic fertilizers.
Tartufi (rod Tuber) su podzemne gljive koje se intenzivno uzgajaju zbog svoje gastronomske vrijednosti i pada prirodne proizvodnje. Suvremeni uzgoj tartufa temelji se na sadnji okuliranih
sadnica na ...prikladnim zemljištima odgovarajućih ekoloških uvjeta za dovršetak životnog ciklusa gljive. Svrha istraživanja je pronaći optimalnu metodu inokulacije koja će osigurati adovoljavajući stupanj mikorizacije. Kao biljka domaćin izabrana je crnika (Quercus ilex L.) jer je ona prirodni simbiont crnog i ljetnog tartufa, naša je autohtona vrsta hrasta te ekološki odgovara staništu planiranih plantaža. Upotreba inokuliranih sadnica s micelijem tartufa vrlo je široka, kao npr. podizanje plantaža, pošumljavanje i rekuperacija degradiranih staništa ili pak slobodna prodaja istih. Istraživanjem su testirane tri metode čuvanja i naklijavanja žira, dvije metode inokulacije (inokulacija supstratom i inokulacija ubrizgavanjem u supstrat) s različitim dozama mineralnog gnojiva i različitim tretmanima fulvinskom kiselinom. Postavljeno je 19 različitih pokusa s ukupno 1320 sadnica hrasta crnike inokuliranih s dvjema vrstama roda Tuber, crnim tartufom (Tuber melanosporum (Vittad.)) te ljetnim tartufom (Tuber aestivum (Wulfen) Spreng.)).
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