Effect of irrigation and shade on biomass, leaf area and viability of Celtis caucasica Willd. Seedlings

This study was conducted to investigate effect of different irrigation and shade treatments on arial and root biomass, leaf area and viability of Caucasian hackberry Seedlings in Shorab nursery, Khoramabad, Lorestan province, Iran. Firstly, 30 Celtis caucasica trees was selected in around of Shorab village forests and then seeds were collected from different directions of trees. Seeds were planted on plots in November and budded in April next year and afterwards plots were irrigated daily until starting treatments. After that, four irrigation treatments (daily, once in every two, three and four days) and three shade treatments (full light, semi and full shade) with three replications and 30 pots per replicate (overally, 1080 expirmental units) were applied on them during five months period. Then, leaf length and width, leaf area, viability, arial and root biomass were measured and analysed in split test model by multi way ANOVA. Results showed interations of irrigation and shade have significant effects on biomass, leaf length and leaf width (p<0.05). Irrigation have significant effect on viability of seedlings in full light, but this effect is not significant in semi shade and full shade. Also, by reducing light, viability of seedlings is decreased. Regarding to results, could be inferred that growth and viability of seedlings are better in full light compared to other treatments which this shows Celtis caucasica is extremlly light demand species and high levels of light are important for its growth.