Effects of irrigation frequency and nitrogen fertilizer rate on water stress, nitrogen uptake, and plant growth of container-grown rhododendron

Abstract

The influence of irrigation frequency (same amount of water per day given at different times) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate on water stress [stomatal conductance (gS)], N uptake, and growth (biomass) of container-grown evergreen Rhododendron 'P.J.M. Compact' and 'English Roseum' and deciduous Rhododendron 'Gibraltar' was evaluated. Both N deficiency and high N rate increased water stress. Water stress was greatest in plants fertilized with the highest N rate and gS of plants grown with the higher N rates changed more in response to water deficits resulting from irrigation treatments and seasonal climatic changes. Watering plants more frequently decreased water stress of plants fertilized with higher N rates and altering irrigation frequency had little impact on alleviating water stress of N-deficient plants. Increasing irrigation frequency decreased N uptake efficiency (N uptake per gram N applied), increased N use efficiency (growth per gram N uptake) and altered biomass allocation with little influence on total plant biomass. Response of biomass allocation to N rates was similar among cultivars and response of biomass allocation to irrigation frequency varied among cultivars. Altering irrigation frequency changed either the availability of N in the growing substrate or the ability of roots to absorb N. Our results indicate that transitory increases in plant water stress can alter N uptake, N use, and plant form without detectable changes in total plant biomass.