Effects of phosphorus application on productivity and nutrient accumulation of a eucalyptus urophylla plantation

Abstract

Application of superphosphate al establishment as basal fertilizer increased tree growth and survival of Eucalyptus urophylla in a 4.5-year-old trial near Gaoyao, Guangdong, China. It also increased P and N concentrations in young fully expanded leaves at one year and biomass in all tree components. The addition of 20, 50 and 200 kg P ha-1 increased stand volume by five to seven times of the mean annual increment of trees without P. The more P applied, the higher the percentage of stemwood and the lower the relative allocation of biomass belowground. The low P concentrations in leaves and roots at 20 kg P ha-1 at year 4.5 suggested the withdrawal of P from the biomass, through internal cycling. The addition of P increased N, P, K, Ca and Mg uptake. The 200 kg P ha-1 treatment was optimal both for wood chip production and economic retur