The aim of the study was to determine the influence of microirrigation (microjet sprinkling and drip irrigation) and organic fertilization (compost prepared on the base of sewage sludge) on a seedling vigour and a degree of mycorrhiza of one-year old Scot pine seedlings (Pinus sylvestris L.) produced on a post-agricultural ground with the use of zoo-melioration. Two-year (2003-2004) field experiments were carried out on an experimental field of Department of Land Reclamation and Agrometeorology in Kruszyn Krajeński near Bydgoszcz. Investigations were conducted on a loose sandy soil belonging to VI quality class (degraded meadow black earth formed from coarse sandy soil on a shallow loose sandy soil). The first row factor was irrigation used in three treatments: without irrigation (control), drip irrigation, microjet sprinkling. The second row factor was fertilization, used in two variants: mineral fertilization (standard applied in forest nurseries), organic fertilization (compost). Irrigation significantly increased the height and the diameter of Scot pine seedligs. There were no significant differences in the characters of the growth between the two irrigation systems. Fertilization of Scot pine seedlings with the compost increased significantly the height of seedlings. Interaction of irrigation with organic fertilization in shaping of Scot pine seedling height and ...
Chosen chemical, physical and biological properties of a fallow soil as well as plant succession in the first year after cultivation of chosen cereals (buckwheat, millet, maize) and potatoes under sprinkler irrigation, were determined in the paper. Trials were conducted in 2005 at Kruszyn Krajeński near Bydgoszcz on a very light soil classified to weak rye complex of agricultural suitability. It was found that in regard of granulation, humus horizons of the studied soil belonged to two textural groups: loose sandy soil and coarse sandy soil. They contained from 3 to 6 % silt and clay whereas the content of organic carbon was typical for sandy soils and ranged from 9,40 to 9,90 g*kg-1. There were no marked and oriented differences in the organic carbon content between control fields and those which were previously irrigated. On the basis of available phosphorus and potassium contents, the humus horizons of the studied soil can be included to I–III and I–IV classes of soil fertility, respectively. Soil pH was very differentiated. In the first year of fallow, annual plants of arable lands were dominant (mostly Conyza canadiensis). It was connected with properties of habitat, and on the other hand with agricultural practices which ...
Effects of three different irrigation systems (sprinkler irrigation, micro-jet sprinkling and drip irrigation) on the one-year old verrucose birch production under conditions of zoomelioration, are compared in the paper. Zoomelioration measures consisted in introduction of living edaphon with organic matter of forest soil to the nursery soil. Two-year (2003-2004) field experiments were carried out in forest nursery at Białe Błota, Forest Inspectorate of Bydgoszcz. Investigations were conducted on a brown podzolic soil formed from loose sandy soil. Experiment was established as one-factorial trial in randomized block method with four replications. Studied pressure irrigation systems significantly increased the height and diameter of verrucose birch seedlings grown under conditions of zoomelioration. Increased height of verrucose birch seedlings obtained thanks to irrigation ranged from 76 to 100%. Diameter of seedlings was increased by irrigation in the range 67 – 84%. The lowest relative increases of studied biometric features were found under drip irrigation. On the other hand, this irrigation system was characterized by the most economical of water use as compared to micro-jet sprinkling and sprinkler irrigation. Micro-jet sprinkling was the most advantageous in consideration of both the studied growing vigour features of seedlings. This irrigation method simultaneously secured slightly lower seasonal irrigation ...
The study determined the influence of microirrigation (microjet sprinkling and drip irrigation) and organic fertilization (compost prepared on the base of sewage sludge) on growing vigour and degree of mycorrhiza of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings as well as occurrence of soil mites (Acari) after treatment of edafon inoculation. Two-year (2004–2005) field experiments were carried out in forest nursery at Białe Błota, Forest Inspectorate of Bydgoszcz. Investigations were conducted on a brown podzolic soil formed from loose sandy soil. The first order factor was irrigation used in three treatments: without irrigation (control), drip irrigation, microjet sprinkling. The second order factor was fertilization, used in two variants: mineral fertilization (standard applied in forest nurseries), organic fertilization (compost). The plot area was 4 m2 and contained 4 rows (4m length) of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings. Total number of plots in each experiment was 24 (3 x 2 x 4). Organic fertilizer was produced on the base of sewage sludge (80%) and highmoor peat (20%). This fertilizer was spread in spring (dose: 100 t · ha-1) and mixed with the topsoil (10 cm deep) before establishing of exact field experiments. Introduction of edaphon consisted in the mixing of topsoil (2 ...
The aim of the study was to determine the influence of mulching and organic fertilization on the seedling vigour of Scots pine and occurrence of soil mites (Acari) in forest- and post-arable soils. Two different field experiments were carried out in the vegetation period of the year 2005 on light soils at two different sylvan-natural regions. The first trial was conducted at Białe Błota near Bydgoszcz – on a brown podzolic soil. The second experiment – at Lipnik near Stargard Szczeciński – on an acid brown soil. The experiments were run in a split-plot system with four replications. Two different factors were compared. The first row factor was fertilization, used in the two following treatments: N1 – treated sewage sludge (⅔) + bark (⅓) and N2 – treated sewage sludge (⅔) + sawdust (⅓). The second row factor was mulching, used in the two variants: C – without mulching (control) and S – mulching with litter. Scots pine seedlings grown on the forest soil at Białe Błota were characterized by increased height than those cultivated on the post-arable land at Lipnik. The best results, both on the forest soil as well as on the post-arable ground, were obtained in the ...
The aim of the study was to determine the influence of microirrigation (microjet sprinkling and drip irrigation) and organic fertilization (compost prepared on the base of sewage sludge) on a seedling vigour of one-year and two-year old Scot pine seedlings (Pinus sylvestris L.), cultivated on a post-agricultural ground with the use of zoo-melioration in two different regions. Field experiments were carried out on an experimental field in Kruszyn Krajeński (loose sandy soil of quality class VI) near Bydgoszcz and in Lipnik near Stargard Szczeciński (sandy soil of quality class IVb). The first row factor was irrigation used in three treatments: without irrigation (control), drip irrigation, microjet sprinkling. The second row factor was fertilization, used in two variants: mineral fertilization (standard applied in forest nurseries), organic fertilization (compost). The irrigation significantly increased the height and the diameter of the Scot pine seedlings. There were no significant differences in the characters of the growth between the two irrigation systems. Fertilization of Scot pine seedlings with the compost increased significantly the height of seedlings. Interaction of irrigation with organic fertilization of Scot pine seedling height and diameter was noted. Pine seedlings grown on the plots fertilized with compost under irrigation conditions were characterized ...
The aim of the study was to determine the influence of organic fertilization and mulching on the seedling vigour of European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) and occurrence of soil mites (Acari) in forest- and post-arable soils. Two different nursery experiments were carried out in the vegetation period of the year 2005 on light soils at two sylvan-natural regions of Poland. The first trial was conducted at Białe Błota near Bydgoszcz – on a brown podzolic soil. The second experiment – at Lipnik near Stargard Szczeciński – on an acid brown soil. The higher was the rainfall amount during the vegetation period, the lower was the seasonal irrigation rate supplied to European larch seedlings. Because of this the seasonal irrigation water rate applied at Białe Błota was higher than that at Lipnik. European larch seedlings grown on the forest soil were characterized by the increased height and the fresh mass than those cultivated on the post-arable ground. Seedlings grown in the forest soil on treatments mulched with litter were characterized by the increased height and the fresh mass of above-ground parts as compared to those cultivated on control plots (without mulching). Mulching with litter increased the number of mites, especially oribatid ...
The aim of the study was to determine the influence of mulching and or-ganic fertilization on growth parameters of one-year old Scots pine seedlings as well as on the occurrence of soil mites (Acari) under conditions of irrigation. Fe-licity of proposed revitalization measures was conducted with the use of the bio-indication method. In this investigation the indicatory organisms were mites, common and very numerous in forest soils. The experiment was carried out in forest nursery Bielawy (Forest Inspectorate Dobrzejewice). The slightly loamy sand was predominant on the studied area. Experiment was design as two-factorial trial (split-plot), replicated four times. The first row factor was organic fertilization used in the two treatments (main plots): without organic fertilization-control, organic fertilization with compost from forest cap - humus applied before sowing of Scots pine seeds (spring 2008). The second row factor was mulching used in the two treatments (subplots): without mulching - control, mulching with fresh cap-humus from habitat of fresh coniferous forest, which was applied after seedling emergence (September 2008). Influence of both the two investigated factors (organic fertilization and mulching) on the growth indices of seedlings was insignificant. It was observed that seedlings cultivated on the plots fertilized with compost and ...
The aim of the study was to determine the physico-chemical status of soil, vegetation and fauna of soil Acari on the afforested post-military area By-dgoszcz-Jachcice. Two-year old Scots pine seedlings - produced at zoo-melioration treatment applied - were used for afferestation. Investigations were conducted in the year 2008. Experiment was run as two-factorial trial. The first row factor was the way of preparation of the area destined for afforestation: main plot which was previously sown with lupin (A) and the main plot without this sowing (B). The second row factor was the way of seedling production used at forest nursery school (subplots): 1 – compost with addition of bark, without mulching, 2 – compost with addition of bark, with mulching, 3 – compost with addition of sawdust, without mulching, 4 – compost with addition of sawdust, with mulching. Soils of the studied area were classified as rusty soils formed from loose sand. Occurrence of slightly loamy sand characterized by the clay fraction (< 0,002 mm) content, was found on all the plots in the range 4–6%. Differentiation of Corg content ranged from 10,5 to 14,4 g.kg-1. C/N ratio ranged from 17,0 to 23,6. All the plots were characterized by the ...
The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of organic fertiliza-tion and mulching on the growth of one-year old Scots pine seedlings (Pinus syl-vestris L.) and biological properties of soils in forest nursery under conditions of micro-sprinkler irrigation. The experiments were carried out in forest nursery Bi-ałe Błota (Forest Inspectorate Bydgoszcz) the rusty soil. Two experiments were conducted: the first one – in 2005, and the second one – in 2006. Both these trials were established as two factorial experiments in split-plot system, in four replica-tions. The first factor was fertilization applied in the two variants: N1 – treated sewage sludge (⅔) + bark (⅓) and N2 – treated sewage sludge (⅔) + sawdust (⅓). The second factor was mulching with fresh cap-humus from the fresh coniferous forest, used in the two variants: S – mulching with litter and C – without mulch-ing (control). The single plot area was m2. Total number of plots in the experiment was 16 (2 investigated factors x 2 variants for a factor x 4 replications). Organic fertilizer was produced on the base of treated sewage sludge (⅔) and Scots pine bark (⅓) or sawdust (⅓). This fertilizer was applied ...
The aim of the study was the comparison of the Scots pine(Pinus sylvestris L.) growth and the state of fauna of soil Acari in 2-year cultivations on the afforested post-military area as well as on the forest soil in District Żołędowo. Two-year old Scots pine seedlings - produced in field nurseries at mulching, organic fertiliza-tion and traditional treatments applied - were used for afferestation and renova-tion. Trials were carried out in the year 2009. The experiment included the follow-ing factors (treatments): the way of preparation of the area destined for afforestation - with sowing of lupin (A) or without lupin (B). The second factor was the way of seedling production used at forest nursery: 1 - compost with addi-tion of bark, without mulching, 2 - compost with addition of bark, with mulching, 3 - compost with addition of sawdust, without mulching, 4 - compost with addi-tion of sawdust, with mulching. All the results were compared with the control area (C) which was localized on the forest soil. On the base of chosen growth in-dices comparison in two-years' old Scots pine cultivation on the reclaimed post-military area, it was found that the treatment of lubin sowing did not influence significantly on ...
The impact of fertilization with the compost prepared from treated sewage sludge with Scots pine bark additive and mulching with the fresh forest ectohumus on the soil conditions, chosen parameters of one-year old Scots pine seedlings growth as well as the occurrence of soil mites (Acari) with special emphasis of oribatid mites (Oribatida) was investigated in the paper. The trials were carried out in 2008 at forest nursery Białe Błota (Forest District Bydgoszcz) on the rusty soil. The whole area of the experiment was irrigated with the use of stationary sprinkling machine.Analysis of the soil pH in particular variants of the experiment indicated that the use of organic fertilization and mulching decreased pH value. Content of available phosphorus ranged from 5,51 to 7,64 mg P2O5 100g-1 of soil, and the higher values were noted on plots fertilized with the compost and mulched. Similar dependence was noted in case of the available potassium content. Scots pine seed-lings on plots fertilized with the compost were significantly higher than those grown on plots with mineral fertilization. Organic fertilization increased also sig-nificantly the fresh mass of the above-ground parts seedlings - on average, by 79%. Impact of mulching - carried out in September - ...
The effect of fertilization with the compost from forest humus and mulching with the fresh ectohumus on the soil properties, the growth of one-year old white birch seedlings as well as on the biological activity of soils in the forest nursery was investigated in the work. The biological activity was estimated with the use of bioindicatory method - mites (Acari), especially saprophage oribatid mites (Ori-batida) were used as biological indices. The pedosphere of studied area in the forest nursery had acid reaction (pH), and the mulching with the fresh forest ectohumus decreased additionally this value. On the basis of analysis of available P and K, it was found that there was small differentiation between plots fertilized with mineral fertilization and those fertilized with the compost and mulched with the fresh ectohumus. Fertilization with the compost significantly increased the height and the fresh mass of the above-ground parts of one-year old white birch seedlings. Influence of mulching - conducted in September - on these parameters was not detected. In the spring sea-son, before the mulching measure, the density of mites was low. After the mulching measure, the number of mites - especially saprophage oribatid mites - was dis-tinctly increased. On ...
The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of mulching and organic fertilization on growth parameters of two-year old Scots pine seedlings as well as on the occurrence of soil mites (Acari) under conditions of irrigation. Fe-licity of proposed revitalization measures was conducted with the use of the bioin-dication method. In this investigation the indicatory organisms were mites, common and very numerous in forest soils. The experiment was carried out in 2009 at forest nursery Bielawy (Forest Inspectorate Dobrzejewice). The slightly loamy sand was predominant on the studied area. Experiment was design as two-factorial trial (split-plot), replicated four times. The first row factor was organic fertilization used in the two treatments (main plots): without organic fertilization-control, organic fertilization with compost from forest cap - humus applied before sowing of Scots pine seeds (spring 2008). The second row factor was mulching used in the two treatments (subplots): without mulching - control, mulching with fresh cap-humus from habitat of fresh coniferous forest, which was applied after seedling emergence (September 2008). It was stated that the influence of both the two investigated factors (organic fertilization and mulching) on the growth indices of two-year old seedlings was significant. Seedlings cultivated on the ...
The influence of fertilization with the compost prepared from forest humus and mulching with the fresh ectohumus on the soil properties, the growth of one-year old Scots pine seedlings as well as on the biological activity of soils in the forest nursery was studied in the work. The biological activity was estimated with the usage of bioindicatory method - mites (Acari), especially saprophage oribatid mites (Oribatida) were used as biological indices. On the base of the study it was stated that the ground surface horizon was characterized by acid reaction. Fertilization with the compost from forest humus increased significantly the height of Scots pine seedlings - plants cultivated on plots fertilized with compost were by 46% higher than those fertilized by mineral fertilizers only. Organic fertilization increased also significantly the fresh mass of the above-ground parts of Scots pine seedlings. Effect of mulching - which was carried out in September - on the investigated parameters was not detected. In the spring - before the measure of mulching - the density of mites on the studied ground was low. Among these arthropods the most numerous were Actinedida which constituted from 91 to 100% of all mites. After the ...
The influence of fertilization with the compost prepared from treated sewage sludge with bark additive and mulching with the fresh forest ectohumus on the soil conditions, chosen parameters of one-year old European beech seedlings growth as well as the occurrence of soil mites (Acari) with special emphasis of oribatid mites (Oribatida) was investigated in the paper. The trials were carried out in 2008 at forest nursery Białe Błota (Forest District Bydgoszcz) on the rusty soil. The whole area of the experiment was irrigated with the use of stationary sprinkling machine. The soil was characterized by the pH in H2O - 7,41 and that in 1M KCl - 6,88, as well as the low content of available potassium (6,8-7,3 mg K2O 100g-1 of soil) and available phosphorus (8,0 -8,5 mg P2O5 100g-1 of soil). European beech seedlings on plots fertilized with the compost were significantly higher than those grown on plots with mineral fertilization. Influence of mulching - conducted in September - was insignificant on both the studied parameters of one-year old European beech seedlings growth. After the measure of mulching on the adequate plots, the density of mites, especially saprophage oribatid mites. ...
Experiments were carried out in 2012 at container nursery Bielawy (Forest District Dobrzejewice) in the production cycle of Scots pine seedlings (Pinus sylvestris L.) The height of seedlings ranged from 8.9 to 11.9 cm and the diameter was in the range 2.8-3.7 mm. Single ectomycorrhizas dominatem on roots of seedlings, and they constituted from 45 to 64% of all ectomycorrhizas. General state of mycorrhizae on roots can be considered as fairly balanced. Mean density of mites on examined clods with roots (with or without addition of forest ectohumus) ranged from 3 710 to 16 230 individuals • m-2. The most abundant mites on seed-lings produced with mulching were oribatid mites, and in variants without mulching dominated Actinedida. Non-mulched containers were characterized by occurrence of 2-3 species of oribatid mites, and those with mulching - by 10-14 oribatid species. Oppiella nova was the most abundant oribatid species in the examined material. Tectocepheus velatus was also the important component of Oribatida gatherings. The number of T. velatus was characterized by the upward trend in the cycle of investigation. On the basis of the study, it was found that the containers for production of seedlings with covered root system are characterized by ...
The purpose of the study was to determine the abundance and the compo-sition of the group (Oribatida) in clods of roots of selected tree species - Scots pine, Norway spruce, Silver birch, Littleleaf linden - in the container nursery Bielawy. Field studies were carried out in 15 November 2012 on the open production area. Two samples of substrate (with roots) - from the upper (A) and the lower part (B) - were taken from the each clod. Volume of each sample amounted 50 cm3. Mites were extracted from the material in high gradient Tullgren funnels during 7 days and maintained in 70 % ethanol. Abundance of mites in the layer A ranged from 18.67 to 219.67 individuals · 100 cm-3 of substrate. These arachnids were more abundant in containers with hardwood species than in those with coniferous species. Abundance of mites in the lower layer of the culture media was 40 % lower than that in the layer A. Mites belonging to the orders: Actinedida, Mesostigmata and Oribatida were found in containers of all seedling species, in both layers of substrate. The most abundant were oribatid mites, and - among them - the Acaridida i ...
The aim of the study was to compare the growth of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as well as the state of soil mites (Acari) in two-year cultivations on the reclaimed post-military area at Forest Dis-trict Żołędowo. Afforestation was carried out with the use of two-year old birch and pine seedlings obtained from bare root nurseries (production with mulching and without mulching - traditional method). The experiments were conducted in 2010-2011 on Brunic Arenosols characterized by texture of loamy sand in the surface layer as well as by the strongly acid reaction. The experiments included the following variants: BrzC - birch cultivation which was afforested by the use of traditional seedlings (production of seedlings without mulching), BrzS - birch cultivation which was afforested by the use of seedlings produced with mulching, SoC - pine cultivation which was afforested by the use of traditional seedlings (production of seedlings without mulching), SoS - pine cultivation which was affor-ested by the use of seedlings produced with mulching. The cultivation of Scots pine was characterized by the better efficiency of planting (over 96 %). The mulching treatment - conducted at the nursery - had the positive ...
The analysis of gatherings for soil mites (Acari) - with special emphasis of oribatid mites (Oribatida) - on post-arable land and forest land in 5-year cul-tivations and 8-year young forest stands of Scots pine and silver birch in Bory Tucholskie forests has been presented in the paper. Soil samples for acarological research were taken in the years 2006 and 2009 - in three seasons for every year: springtime (in mid-May), in summer (the beginning of August) and in autumn (in mid-October). Cultivations on the ferested post-arable land were characterized by lower density of mites than on the restored forest land. The all stands in the young forest stage were characterized by increased abundance of these arthropods. Oribatid mites were the most numerous group: their share in gatherings on post-arable land ranged from 63 to 81%, and on forest land their share was slightly higher - 79-87%. Overall, 39 species of oribatid mites were found on the study area - 25 occurred on post-arable land and 29 on forest land. Species diversity of these mites in cultivation and in the forest soil of young forest stand was considerably higher than that on post-arable land. Aforestation of post-arable land ...
The aim of the study was to determine the population density and group composition of soil mites (Acari), and especially species composition of oribatid mites (Oribatida), in rhizoboxes with apple trees, and to investigate the potential effect of biopreparations on the Acari fauna. The investigations were conducted in 2011-2012, on the basis of a glasshouse experiment established at the Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice in 2009. The acarological examinations were carried out in rhizoboxes with apple cultivars ‘Topaz' and ‘Ariwa' grafted on M.26 rootstock and growing in the following combinations: C - control (without fertilization), N - mineral fertilization (standard NPK mineral fertilization, in doses of 70/60/120 kg of respective ingredient per hectare), O - fertilization with manure (at 30 t/ha), M - application of the biopreparation Mycosat (20 g/plant + ½ dose of manure, i.e. 2.5 g per rhizobox), H - application of the biopreparation Humus Active 2% + Aktywit PM 1%.The average total number of soil mites in the different experimental combinations was in the range from 10.70 (combination C) to 12.97 thousand indiv. ∙ m-2 (combination N). Within the hierarchy of mites, the predominant group were oribatid mites, which constituted from 73.9 ...
The aim of the research was to determine the population density and group composition of soil mites (Acari), and in particular the species composition of oribatid mites (Oribatida), on strawberry plantations mulched with wood chips. Field studies were conducted in the experimental field of the Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice in 2011-2012. The plots selected for examination were mulched with wood chips as follows: ZC - chips without additives, ZT - chips with the addition of the biopreparation TSB (unidentified Gram-negative rod bacteria), ZG - addition of the biopreparation 7GII (unidentified Actinobacteria). The control plot was a patch of grass near the experimental plots.On the plots examined, the most abundant were oribatid mites, 16.11-18.84 thousand indiv.∙m-2. They accounted for 64.3% of all the mites in the grass patch, but significantly more of them (86.8-89.5%) were found on the strawberry plantations mulched with wood chips. A total of 17 species of oribatid mites were identified on the strawberry plots, but only 9 in the nearby patch of grass. Punctoribates punctum dominated in the grass-covered soil, while the dominant species in the mulched soil were Ramusella mihelcici or Tectocepheus velatus (depending on the experimental combination) .The high abundance and species diversity of ...
The study was conducted in the experimental field of the Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice, on strawberry plantations mulched with wood chips and in a nearby patch of grass. Seasonal dynamics (in spring, summer, and autumn) of the occurrence of soil mites (Acari), especially of oribatid mites (Oribatida), were studied on 6 occasions during the seasons in 2011-2012.Already in the first season of the study, high numbers of mites - 26.91 thousand indiv. • m-2, were found in the mulched soil of the strawberry plantations. Among these arachnids, the predominant group were oribatid mites (98.2%). The density of mites, especially of the Oribatida, in the wood chips during the vegetative period was more uniform than in the grass patch. The mulch used in the experiment provided favourable environmental conditions for the development of most Oribatida species.There were 12 species of Oribatida found on the strawberry plantations, and 9 in the nearby grass patch. The number of species in the grass-covered soil ranged from 5 to 8 in the successive seasons. In the wood chips, by comparison, there were 7 taxa at the beginning of the study, and at the end of the cycle the number increased to 11. The differences ...
This study examined the effect of fertilisation with compost prepared from hygienised sludge with an addition of pine-tree bark and mulching with fresh forest ectohumus on selected growth parameters in two- and three-year seedlings of common beech and the occurrence of mites (Acari) in soil. The experiment was carried out in 2009-2010 in the Białe Błota forest nursery (Bydgoszcz Forest District) on proper rusty soil. The entire area of the experiment was irrigated with a stationary sprinkler. The beech seedlings on the plots where compost had been used as fertiliser were significantly taller than those growing on the plots where mineral fertilisers had been applied. Mulching increased the height of the seedlings significantly only in the last, third year of the study. The tallest three-year-old seedlings were found on the plots in which both of the tested procedures had been carried out. Neither of the factors under study had a significant effect on the diameter of the root neck in the second year of the nursery cultivation, but they increased it significantly in the third year. Fertilisation with compost with an addition of pine-tree bark increased the number of leaves per plant and the leaf area in two- and three-year-old ...
This study examined the effect of fertilisation with compost prepared from hygienised sludge with an addition of pine-tree bark and mulching with fresh forest ectohumus on selected growth parameters for two- and three-year-old Scots pine trees and on the incidence of mites (Acari) in the soil. The experiment was carried out in 2009-2010 in the Białe Błota forest nursery (Bydgoszcz Forest District) on proper rusty soil. The entire area of the experiment was irrigated with a stationary sprinkler.Organic fertilisation with compost prepared from hygienised sludge with an addition of pine-tree bark resulted in a significant increase in the plant height and the diameter of the root neck in two-year-old pine trees. The effect of mulching on these parameters was not significant. The synergistic effect of the factors on the plant height and the diameter of the root neck was not significant. Organic fertilisation significantly increased the height of 3-year-old pine trees, whereas it did not have a significant effect on the root neck diameter. Mulching increased the plant height significantly, but no statistical effect on the diameter of the root neck was demonstrated. Although no significant interaction of either experimental factors in their effect on the plant height and the ...
