Effect of NPK Fertilization on Growth and Dry Matter Accumulation in Mangrove [Avicennia marina (Forssk) vierh] Grown in Western Saudi Arabia

Despite a growing knowledge of nutrient limitation for mangrove species and how mangroves adapt to low nutrients, there is scant information about the relative importance of NPK fertilizer application on the performance of mangroves in terrestrial environments. In this study, a 2-yesr-eight-NK- combinations (2^3) was conducted to evaluate the possible role of nutrients (NPK) on growth, dry matter accumulation, total leaf area and specific leaf area on mangrove species (Avicennia marina) in a barrel experiment directly irrigated from the sea. Plant height, number of leaves and number of branches significantly increased with time. The increase in plant height within a period of 21 months was 2.53 folds of values attained at the end of the first growing season. Estimates recorded for number of leaves/plant and branches/plant, within the same period, were respectively 51.5 and 48.7 folds. Application of phosphorus alone had significantly increased plant height, number of leaves and number of branches/plant, especially at later stages of plant growth. Application of K significantly increased number of branches/plant in the later stages, whereas that of N had negatively reduced plant height in the early stages of growth, but increased number of branches in the late stages of growth. Application of phosphorus alone had significantly increased culms, leaves and total dry weights/plant, whereas that of N significantly increased leaves weight.