The effect of some cultivation conditions on properties of leaves of the container-produced species Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn

• Main Authors: Aleš Jezdinský, Vojtěch Řezníček
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mendel University Press 2011-01-01
• Series: Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
• Subjects: <i>Alnus glutinosa</i>; leaves; light intensity; hydro absorbent; RKS II; sand
• Online Access: https://acta.mendelu.cz/59/3/0081/

Plants differ in their reactions to unfavourable environmental conditions and the effect of the acting factors directly and indirectly results in changes in a number of plants organs. The leaves are vegetative organs and as such they are completely exposed to external conditions. Most markedly these conditions affect the assimilative organs. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of four substrates and two sites differing in light intensity on the leaf morphology of the model plant species Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. The used substrates were the commercial peat-bark substrate (RKS II), sand and bark substrate. With these substrates the soil conditioner TerraCottem was applied at a rate of 5 g per one litre of the substrate. The experimental plants were grown in 2-litre containers. The focus of evaluations of the individual treatments was on some leaf properties. TerraCottem showed that it had a positive effect also on the leaf area ratio and on leaf efficiency. The number of leaves varied. The effect of the substrate and of the light intensity was identical; the latter parameter was strongly correlated with leaf weight. The shape of the leaves (leaf length/width ratio) and the SLA index responded to the different light intensities. Other parameters were calculated from the results of the measured values which specified in greater detail the effect of the year, media, hydro absorbent and light. Treatments A3 (1 697.60 mm2) and a conrol (1 708.10 mm2) had the smallest leave area. These two treatmens significantly statistically differed frome those in the shade location. In the 2005 year the highest values were measured at the treatment B1 (41.22 m2.kg−1). Next year the values of the SLA were similar.