Xiaolong Hou

Comparative growth, dry matter accumulation and photosynthetic rate of seven species of Eucalypt in response to phosphorus supply

Plantations of eucalypts as short-rotation tree crops are rapidly expanding in tropical and sub-tropical regions, including southern China, where the soils are acidic and available phosphorus (P) is limited. We investigated seedling growth, dry matter accumulation, and the dynamics of photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content of seven Eucalyptus species/hybrids (E. dunnii, E. grandis, E. grandis × E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla × E. camaldulensis, E. urophylla × E. tereticornis, E. grandis × E. tereticornis, E. urophylla × E. grandis) in response to different levels of P supply (0, 6, 12 and 18 mg·kg−1 KH2PO4). The photosynthetic rate and the chlorophyll content significantly declined as the P supply declined in almost a linear fashion for all species as the P stress period extended. In the absence of P supply, height growth of seedlings of all species was significantly impaired, while root collar diameter growth and whole plant dry matter accumulation was not affected by the level of P supply in most of the species. Significant inter-species variations in growth, dry matter accumulation and photosynthetic rate in response to P supply were detected. Eucalyptus dunnii had the lowest growth performance across all levels of P supply while E. Urophylla × E. tereticornis showed superior growth performance. From a practical point of view, E. Urophylla × E. tereticornis is suggested as a candidate hybrid for planting on slightly P-deficient sites in southern China while E. dunnii, being a slow-growing species, is not suitable for short-rotation plantation. On plantation sites where severe P deficiency exists, P fertilization needs to be considered to boost rapid growth of seedlings so as to meet the management objectives of short-rotation plantation.

Morphological plasticity and phosphorus uptake mechanisms of hybrid Eucalyptus roots under spatially heterogeneous phosphorus stress

In this study, we subjected the root systems of eight Eucalyptus hybrids currently cultivated in southern China to heterogeneous phosphorus stress to provide a scientific basis for the selection of a highly phosphorus-efficient Eucalyptus variety. When the ability of these hybrids to locate phosphorus under different experimental conditions (phosphorus supply in a homogeneous or heterogeneous manner vs. no phosphorus supply) was compared, the main growth characteristics of Eucalyptus, such as plant height, diameter, dry mass, and phosphorus content, significantly improved when the phosphorus supply was increased from no phosphorus or heterogeneous phosphorus (half of the phosphorus amount) to homogeneous phosphorus. Across these three conditions, the growth traits of different Eucalyptus hybrids differed significantly, indicating different adaptabilities of the hybrids to various phosphorus conditions. The growth traits of the aboveground tissues of Eucalyptus under different phosphorus conditions were largely influenced by the morphology of the underground root system. In addition, the root morphology of Eucalyptus under heterogeneous phosphorus treatment suggested that there were two mechanisms for locating nutrients. Eucalyptus hybrids such as Urophylla 3229, Grandis 9, Guanglin 3, 201-2, and Dunn produced more roots proximal to the phosphorus supply; the other hybrids, Urophylla 3216, Grandis 5, and Guanglin 9, relied mainly on the growth of roots opposite the phosphorus supply to obtain adequate nutrients for growth. With these two strategies, a wide range of nutrients was obtained, root distribution was greater, more soil volume was covered, the contact area of the roots with soil phosphorus was increased, and the uptake of phosphorus by the root system was increased. These results demonstrate that Eucalyptus relies on changes to morphological characteristics of the root system to increase accessibility to phosphorus resources.