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Flush Development Dynamics in First-Year Nursery-Grown Seedlings of Eight Oak Species

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to follow flush development dynamics exhibited by various oak species. In experiment I, southern red oak acorns were sown in mid-March 2001 at Whitehall Nursery (Athens, GA). In experiment II, acorns of black oak, cherrybark oak, Nuttall oak, Shumard oak, southern red oak, swamp chestnut oak, white oak, and willow oak were sown in December 2001 at the same nursery. Compared to the 2001-grown southern red oak seedlings, the 2002-grown southern red oak seedlings had higher germination percent and one more flush. In both years, randomly selected seedlings from each species were monitored daily for flush development. The flush elongation period (FEP), the rest period (RP), and the bud-to-bud development period (BBP) were recorded for each selected seedling. For a given flush order, RPs varied among species but FEPs did not. Consequently, BBPs varied among species. Cherrybark oak and willow oak had shorter RPs and BBPs and developed more flushes than the other oaks. A strong correlation (r = 0.94) existed between individual flush length and the maximum elongation rate in the FEPs for all eight species.

Parent Publication

Citation

Sung, Shi-Jean S.; Kormanik, Paul P.; Zarnoch, Stanley J. 2004. Flush Development Dynamics in First-Year Nursery-Grown Seedlings of Eight Oak Species. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–71. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 542-546
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/6697