Project: 2007-02. Report - Towards an understanding of the causes of physiological needle blight in Pinus radiata
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Date: 2008 Author: Gould N, Bulman LS, Dick MA Publication: Report Project reference: 2007-02 Full report is available from: |
Executive summary:
AbstractMonitoring of climatic conditions within a radiata pine plantation with a history of PNB highlighted both a large reduction in relative humidity (RH) and an increase in soil temperature over a two–week period towards the end of September and beginning of October 2007.
In laboratory–based experiments, reducing relative humidity from 90+ to 52% reduced needle water content, increased the water potential difference between the roots and needles and resulted in 40% death rate of needles after 10 days at the lower relative humidity. Reducing the RH from initial 65% or 58% to 52% did not adversely affect the plants.
Soil temperature had no effect on needle water potential or needle water content.
Full report is available from:
Forest Research
Private bag 3020
Rotorua
New Zealand
