College
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Department
Plants, Soils, and Climate Department
Faculty Mentor
Youping Sun
Abstract
Ceanothus velutinus Douglas ex Hook. (snowbrush ceanothus) is a native evergreen species that possesses significant potential for use in urban landscapes. Ceanothus velutinus fixes nitrogen in symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing actinobacteria and plays an important soil-building role. However, it is unclear how to effectively induce nodules in C. velutinus using soil containing Frankia bacteria. The purpose of this study was to understand plant growth and nodulation of C. velutinus in different soilless substrates. Ceanothus velutinus seedlings were transplanted in cone-shaped containers with calcined clay, peat moss, or perlite and inoculated with 30 ml of native soil containing Frankia bacteria. Seedlings were grown for establishment in the first month and then harvested every 2 weeks to check for nodules. All seedlings were irrigated every other day with 80 ml of nitrogen-free nutrient solution. The results showed that nodules formed on seedlings roots in about 4 months after inoculation. Harvest time had significant impact on the shoot dry weight, root dry weight, and nodule formation of seedlings. Seedlings grown in peat moss had significantly greater shoot and root dry weight than those grown in calcined clay or perlite. However, nodulation was greater for seedlings grown in calcined clay when compared with those in peat moss. Moreover, nodulation of seedlings in perlite was not significantly different from those grown in calcined clay or peatmoss. Further investigation is needed to determine the effect of nitrogen levels on the nodulation of C. velutinus for sustainable nursery production.
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
1-25-2023
Recommended Citation
Booth, Macie, "A Utah-Native Plant Can Be Used to Promote Low-Impact Landscaping" (2023). Research on Capitol Hill. Paper 129.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/roch/129