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Forestry 1992 65(4):463-472; doi:10.1093/forestry/65.4.463
© 1992 by Institute of Chartered Foresters
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Some Methods of Cold Storage can Seriously Affect Root Growth Potential and Root Moisture Content and Subsequent Forest Performance of Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir Transplants

A. L. SHARPE1 and W. L. MASON2

1Silviculture (North) Branch, Forestry Commission Newton Nursery, by Elgin, Morayshire IV30 3XR, Scotland
2Silviculture (North) Branch, Forestry Commission Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY, Scotland

Sitka spruce and Douglas fir transplants were kept under three cold storage regimes: (1) bare-root in a humidified cold store (H); (2) sealed in polythene bags in a humidified cold store (HP); (3) sealed in polythene bags in a direct cold store (D). Regimes H and D are routinely used in current practice.

Plants of both species had significantly (P < 0.001) lower root moisture content (RMC) in treatment H within 4 weeks of storage; this difference was maintained throughout the period of storage and potentially damaging levels of RMC were reached within 8 weeks. Sitka spruce had significantly (P < 0.001) higher root growth potential (RGP) than Douglas fir throughout the storage period. Differences in RGP between storage treatments were not significant until 12 weeks after storage when treatment H was poorer (P < 0.05) than treatments HP and D.

The survival of plants from treatment H after 1 year in the field was significantly poorer (P < 0.001) than the other treatments in both species. Height increment was also less in treatment H than the other treatments (P < 0.001) after 1 year. However, this difference disappeared in the second season. After 1 year there were no differences in root collar diameter (RCD) increment between storage treatments but Douglas fir showed greater increment (P < 0.001) than Sitka spruce.

Rapid assessment of RMC in slightly over 48 h makes this a potentially useful test of planting stock quality during and after cold storage.

Received 8 January 1992.
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