FOLIAR POTASSIUM STATUS EXPLAINS DOUGLAS-FIR RESPONSE TO NITROGEN-FERTILIZATION IN THE INLAND NORTHWEST, USA

Despite apparently inadequate N levels throughout the Inland Northwest of the United States, trees on some sites showed no increased growth 6 yr after N fertilization. Nor did higher N application rates consistently produce higher response. These facts indicated that other factors are limiting tree growth at these sites. Results suggest that K status is one important factor, influencing N fertilization response in the following general ways: (1) for stands with low pretreatment foliar K levels, the amount and duration of growth response are reduced, and higher N fertilizer rates produce less response; and (2) for all stands, growth response declines when foliar K decreases after N fertilization.