Nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency of poplar species under different fertilization levels in Kashmir

The study investigated the nitrogen and phousphours use efficiency of different poplar species under different fertilization doses in nursery stage under temperate conditions of Kashmir. The experiment was carried out employing split plot design (SPD) with 36 treatments having 4 species with 3 levels of N and 3 levels of P replicated three times at Faculty of Forestry, SKUAST-Kashmir, Wadura, Sopore, Baramulla during 2013-14. The investigation on nutrient use was carried out by planting the cuttings of four poplar species viz., Populus nigra, P. ciliata, P. alba and P. balsamifera at a spacing of 60cm x 30cm in all the treatments. All the treatments of fertilizer either individually or in combination of N and P have significantly differed over control. The nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of N and P decreased with the increase in fertilizer doses while as the maximum NUE for N was recorded at T6 (75+120 kg ha-1) and Pat T8 (150+60 kg ha-1) but differed significantly over other treatments. Hence, nitrogen addition rate of T6 (75+120 kg ha-1) and phosphorus addition rate of at T8 (150+60 kg ha-1) is the paramount for achieving maximum growth and biomass production of poplar cuttings under the temperate condition of the Kashmir