New CEF paper presents the results of a fertirrigation experiment on grafted stone pine trees

“Fertirrigation in grafted Pinus pinea L. trees: denser crowns but no effect on cone production or masting cycles” is the new article by Alexandra Cristina Correia, a researcher in the ForEco group at the Forest Research Centre (CEF), co-authored by CEF researchers Ana Farinha, João E. P. Silva, Alexandra Nunes, Nuno Conceição, Margarida Tomé and Luis Fontes, and Maria da Encarnação Marcelo (INIAV), Alexandre Sarmento (Terradrone) and João Soares (Herdade da Abegoaria).

The results indicate that the spring/summer fertirrigation used in this study led to a significant increase in pine cone production, but only in the harvest years. There were no variations in the production of first-year pine cones per unit canopy area between treatments. However, there was an increase in reproductive success in the doubly fertigated trees due to the easing of the adverse conditions of the dry period in late spring and early summer, resulting in better physiological condition of the trees.

Internal reserves are a determining factor in harvest cycles. Consecutive unfavorable hydrological years seem to influence the duration of low production years by severely limiting the accumulation of reserves.

Aerial view of the experimental site with the 2 blocks and the 3 treatment plots and a chronogram of the main management activities that occurred at the site
Fig. 1. Aerial view of the experimental site with the 2 blocks and the 3 treatment plots (C, FR and 2FR) and a chronogram of the main management activities that occurred at the site.

The results highlight the opportunity to increase production potential by intensifying the use of water and fertilizers. However, in a context of a changing climate where the frequency of droughts and heat waves is expected to increase (especially in spring), it suggests that these investments should be carefully analyzed from an economic point of view, especially in Mediterranean countries, where it will be necessary to strengthen the more sustainable use of water.

The article was published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management and can be accessed here.

This work represents the culmination of 8 years of intensive ecophysiological monitoring in stone pine, in a collaborative effort between the Forest Research Centre (CEF) of the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) and the National Institute of Agricultural and Veterinary Research, IP (INIAV) and transversal to various research projects funded since 2014.

Projects involved:
2014-2016 Pinea PTDC/AGR-FOR/3804/2012
2017-2019 FERTIPINEA PDR2020-101031330
2020 +Pinhão PDR2020-101-031189
2021-2024 CORKNUT PCIF/MOS/0012/2019
2016-2021 Several doctoral and post-doctoral scholarships funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)