Nitrogen fertilization of trembling aspen seedlings grown on soils of different pH

Seedlings from three open-pollinated aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) families were grown in a greenhouse with four nitrogen (N) sources, each at two N levels and three pH levels. Nitrogen sources were ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), and urea ((NH2)2CO); N levels were 50 and 200 mg·L–1 (100-mL aliquots three times per week); and pH levels were 5, 6, and 7. Shoot dry mass and leaf area increased with pH in (NH4)2SO4 and (NH2)2CO treatments, but were greatest at pH 6 in the NH4NO3 and Ca(NO3)2 treatments as a result of a pH × N source interaction. N level was directly related to growth, net assimilation, water-use efficiency, and leaf carbon isotope ratio, while N source had no effect on these parameters. Seedlings from families 2 and 3 grew larger than seedlings from family 1, which allocated relatively more dry matter to roots. Growth of the three families interacted with soil pH so that family 1 was largest at pH 7, but families 2 and 3 were largest at pH 6. Seedling boron (B) uptake was reduced by increasing pH and by the Ca(NO3)2 fertilizer. These results were interpreted to show that although the three families seemed well adapted to all the N and pH conditions to which they were exposed, growth could be increased by selection of a fertilizer most suitable to the pH and availability of other nutrients in the soil.