Jaana Luoranen, Sirkka Sutinen. (2017). Reduced height of short day induced bud scale complex may partly explain early bud burst in Norway spruce seedlings. Silva Fennica vol. 51 no. 5 article id 7759. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.7759

Keywords: Picea abies; elongation; bud scale complex; primordia; shape

Highlights: Short day treatment used in tree seedling nurseries affects the structure of apical buds; Changes in bud structure may partly explain early bud burst and may be a reason for unburst buds of short day treated seedlings.

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Short day (SD) treatment is used as a dormancy induction in forest tree seedling nurseries in the boreal forest zone. However, SD treatment has caused early bud burst in the following spring, which may expose the seedlings to spring frosts. Because the mechanisms affecting earlier bud burst in SD treated seedlings are not fully understood yet, here we have studied the effect of SD treatment on the structure of buds in Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] seedlings. Seedlings were exposed to SD treatments or natural (CTRL) light and photoperiod in July in a nursery in Central Finland. The experiments included two lots of seedlings over two summers and the analyses were done under a stereo microscope. SD treatment advanced initiation of bud scales and formation of needle primordia, and thus the formation period was shorter in CTRL seedlings. In mature buds, no differences in primordial shoots were found between the treatments, whereas notable differences were found in bud scales. The SD buds had fewer and shorter bud scales than the CTRL buds. This led to significantly shorter bud scale complex and, consequently, to shorter buds in SD than in CTRL seedlings. Buds and needles matured earlier in SD treated seedlings. In the following spring, the primordial shoots started to elongate in both treatments around mid-May, when the SD buds started to break down, whereas CTRL buds started to break down in late May. The fewer number and shorter height of protective bud scales may expose buds to harsh winter temperatures and early loss of scales may predispose the SD buds to spring frosts.

Luoranen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Management and Production of Renewable Resources, Juntintie 154, FI-77600 Suonenjoki, Finland E-mail: jaana.luoranen@luke.fi
Sutinen, E-mail: sirusuti@gmail.com

Category : Research note

article id 401, category Research note

Kari Taulavuori, Marian Sarala, Jouni Karhu, Erja Taulavuori, Eero Kubin, Kari Laine, Jarmo Poikolainen, Erkki Pesonen. (2005). Elongation of Scots pine seedlings under blue light depletion. Silva Fennica vol. 39 no. 1 article id 401. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.401

Keywords: Scots pine; blue light; elongation; high latitude

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The effect of blue light (400–500 nm) removal on the elongation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvetris L.) seedlings was investigated in a field experiment in Northern Finland during two growing seasons. The seedlings were grown in plexiglass chambers and ambient control plots. The blue wavelengths were removed from the light spectrum by using chambers made of orange plexiglass. The results of nearly daily measurements showed that the elongation of Scots pine seedlings was increased by the removal of blue light only at high latitudes.

Taulavuori, Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland E-mail: ktaulavu@cc.oulu.fi
Sarala, Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland E-mail: ms@nn.fi
Karhu, Muhos Research Station, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Kirkkosaarentie 7, FI-91500 Muhos, Finland E-mail: jk@nn.fi
Taulavuori, Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland E-mail: et@nn.fi
Kubin, Muhos Research Station, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Kirkkosaarentie 7, FI-91500 Muhos, Finland E-mail: ek@nn.fi
Laine, Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland E-mail: kl@nn.fi
Poikolainen, Muhos Research Station, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Kirkkosaarentie 7, FI-91500 Muhos, Finland E-mail: jp@nn.fi
Pesonen, Vantaa Research Centre, Finnish Forest Research Institute, PO Box 18, FI-01301, Vantaa, Finland E-mail: ep@nn.fi

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