Seed weight and container capacity effects on emergence and early growth of the Mediterranean oak (Quercus suber L.) seedlings in nursery

Résumé Fr

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of seed weight and container capacity on cork oak seedling growth and attributes during nursery cultivation. Seedlings were grown from seeds of known weights sown in three WM type containers of 400cm3, 800cm3 and 1,200cm3 filled with a compost of Acacia cyanophylla Lindl. Seedling quality was evaluated through some growth parameters including seedling emergence time and percentage, seedling height and collar diameter, shoot and root dry weight measured on thirty seedlings per container type randomly selected after seedling emergence was completed. The results showed that seedling emergence and growth were rather influenced by container size than seed weight. The 1,200cm3 container had the highest values for all growth parameters throughout the nursery period while the 400cm3 had the smallest values ; the 800cm3 being intermediate. However, increasing container volume improved much more growth than quality in cork oak seedling. In fact, seedlings grown in large WM type container showed the highest growth values throughout the nursery period but, unluckily, not the best quality attributes. Thus, breeding of cork oak seedlings in containers up to 400cm3 in capacity will be justified only if planting stock produced in such a way will result in high quality seedlings with high outplanting success.