Needle permeability of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) as influenced by magnesium nutrition

Bouya, D;Myttenaere, C.;Weissen, Francois;Van Praag, HJ
(1999) Bulletin de la Société Royale de Botanique de Belgique — Vol. 132, n° 2, p. 105-118 (1999)

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  • Bouya, D
    Author
  • Myttenaere, C.
    Author
  • Weissen, FrancoisUCLouvain
    Author
  • Van Praag, HJ
    Author
Abstract
This paper tests the hypothesis that Mg-deficient spruce suffers higher leaching loss rates of mineral elements due to increased cuticular permeability. To that end, it compares healthy looking and Mg-deficient declining adult spruce ill the Ardennes and young healthy and Mg-deficient spruce grown under controlled conditions. In the field, measured throughfall deposits and calculated needle excretions were lower under healthy than under Mg-deficient declining spruce showing abnormal needle loss, eroded epicuticular wax structures of their needles and higher wettability. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that leaching and absorption intensities were higher for Mg-deficient needles than for healthy needles. These differences were adequately explained by a well structured epicuticular wax layer of healthy needles and malformed wax agglomerates of Mg-deficient needles. It was concluded that Mg-deficiency can explain high needle permeability as a result of malformed epicuticular wax structures. Enhanced throughfall and needle excretion of declining spruce in the field appeared to have at least partly the same origin.
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Bouya, D., Myttenaere, C., Weissen, F., & Van Praag, H. (1999). Needle permeability of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) as influenced by magnesium nutrition. Bulletin de la Société Royale de Botanique de Belgique, 132(2), 105-118. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/42343 (Original work published 1999)