Influence of Fertilizers and Spacing on Growth, Litter Production and Soil Fertility in Poplar Nursery

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of fertilizer levels and spacings on growth parameters, biomass production, nutrients and litter production in poplar nursery. Fertilizer application increased significantly the collar diameter, height, shoot and root biomass, concentration, standing state of NPK (kgha⁻¹), litter production and its nutrient concentration. Effect of higher fertilizer was also observed on litterfall and it also increased nutrient contents of soil under poplar nursery. Wider spacing (80 × 60 cm) produced plants having sigificantly higher biomass and growth parameters. The nutritional studies as well as litter production by the plants was sigificantly higher at closer spacing of 30×30 cm than at wider spacing (80×60 cm), but standing state of NPK (kg ha⁻¹) in different components of poplar addition of nutrients to the soil and nutrient contents in soil was lower.