Determination of spruce seedlings irrigation scheduling in Lithuania

Abstract

The field study was conducted in the period of 2002-2005. Seedlings were planted in Land reclamation department experimental fields at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture. Seedlings were grown under standard nursery cultural practices until being transplanted into new fields in mid of April 2002 and 2004. It was cared out about two irrigation regimes, one started at 70 % FC, second at 80 % FC. At 2002, seedlings were irrigated 8 times and got 1750 m3/ha water. Infield were irrigation started at 70 % FC seedlings was irrigated 6 times, irrigation norm - 1500 m3/ha. In 2003 and 2004 seedlings were irrigated 4 times and got 1000 m3/ha water. At 2005, seedling got 750 m3/ha water. The main objective of nursery irrigation is to avoid unwanted seedling moisture stress and its negative consequence for seedlings. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) determine the irrigation regime for Picea abies seedlings and (2) to study the effect of different year on dynamic of irrigation regimes calculated by HYFRAN.