Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Soil Phosphorus Level Adequate for Growth of Ocala Sand Pine Seedlings, A Greenhouse Evaluation

Informally Refereed

Abstract

A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the level of soil P adequate for satisfactory growth of Ocala sand pine (Pinus clausa (Chapm.) Vasey) seedlings. Various quantities of Lakeland sand with low and high P contents were blended to provide soil mixtures with a range of available P. Ocala sand pine seedlings were grown in these mixtures for 10 months. On the basis of. the seedlings' dry matter production, the level of soil P adequate for satisfactory growth of Ocala sand pine is in the neighborhood of 1 ppm available [NH4OAc (pH 4.8) -extractable] P. Seedlings growing in soils containing <1 ppm available P showed a marked reduction in dry weight. Tissue analyses indicate that concentrations of foliar P of < 0.15% may denote a deficiency of available soil P.

Keywords

optimum foliar P, P-deficient soils, soil P uptake, sandhills soil

Citation

Baker, James B.; Brendemuehl, R. H. 1972. Soil Phosphorus Level Adequate for Growth of Ocala Sand Pine Seedlings, A Greenhouse Evaluation. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 36(4):666-667.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/43001