The effect of Frankia infection on the growth of Ceanothus thyrsiflorus in the nursery and after outplanting

摘要

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus is a native North American actinorhizal nitrogen fixing species with potential for land reclamation to forestry in the UK. The effects of Frankia infection (using fresh nodules from C. thyrsiflorus obtained from the Universityof California) on the growth of C. thyrsiflorus and its variation with pH and planting medium were investigated in nursery and field experiments undertaken in 1992-98 at the Alice Holt Research Nursery (Surrey, UK). Infection was shown to improve growth, foliar nitrogen concentrations and survival rates both in the nursery and in the field. Successful nodulation was enhanced by a decrease in planting medium pH from 7.2 to 6.2 and by using a low nitrogen peat:grit compost rather than a lighter sand:perlite mix.