Progress 07/01/18 to 02/28/19

Outputs
Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The Phase I activities of this project were designed to evaluate the effects of shade and fertilization on segments of a young yaupon plantation. The data collected would be used to develop a preliminary enterprise budget in order to determine the financial feasibility of cultivating yaupon holly for its food value. All objectives were successfully accomplished and the data shows that it is both technical and financial feasibility to cultivate yaupon for its food value. 1. Characterize clonal plantings of Yaupon on the YWC Pilot Farm from chemical and agronomic perspective. The field in Mettler GA was outfitted with shade cover and fertigation in April 2018. Three successive harvests were conducted June 13, July 25 and September 21, 2018 using harvest and sampling methods as described in the Work Plan. The early and late harvests had 2-3 times the mass of the July harvest for fresh and dry mass, across all treatment conditions. Total yields of the three harvests, by fresh and dry mass, are expressed as a pooled summation of harvest dates. The amount of harvested fresh mass (lb/acre) was affected by both the level of shading and the amount of fertilizer applied. Shading increased the fresh harvest mass at all fertility rates, and the increase was related to the rate of fertilizer applied (Fig 2A). At the standard fertility rate in full sun yielded about 925.9 lb/acre, and 30 and 60% shade both increased yield to about 1433 lb/acre. In 2x fertilizer application, 30% shading was ineffective and but 60% shading increased yield to about 1587.3 lb/acre. The regression curves indicate with standard fertilizer rate, shading at about 40% would be near optimal, but with 2x fertility it yield is likely to increase, with shading even greater than 60%. Treble fertilizer rate yielded less than 2x, and would have a greater cost. Yaupon teas are usually sold on a dry mass basis, and the yield in dry mass is an important measure of productivity. Harvested dry mass followed similar trends as fresh, with shading increasing the amount of harvested dry mass. At the standard fertilizer application dry mass increased from 385.8 to 551.2 lb/acre, moving from full sun to 30% shade (Fig. 2B), but shade greater than 30% is likely to decrease the yield of dry mass. With 2x fertilizer, 60% shade would be required to produce 551.2 lb/acre, and greater shading is likely to increase dry mass further. Treble fertilizer yielded no better than 2x, and would have a greater cost, for no real advantage. This plantation contained 1155 plants per acre, whereas a more standard density would be 2180 plants per acre (and a direct per plant adjustment would not be accurate). Yield of dry mass was improved using shade, and to a lesser extent fertilizer. 2. Compile plantation establishment and production costs together with yields through one production cycle of the pilot plantation. A preliminary enterprise budget for Yaupon production has been developed based on actual establishment and production costs based on 60% shading and 2x fertilization. Under these assumptions, the total cost per acre to establish and maintain a Yaupon plantation is estimated at $3820.18. This cost is comprised of $1837.23 maintenance costs (variable input costs), $203.61 of general overhead costs, and $1779.34 of establishment costs. Establishment costs are calculated by amortizing the establishment of the plants and infrastructure over a ten-year period. The cost of shading represents the largest fixed cost variable during establishment. This establishment cost estimate is based on the entire acreage covered with 60% shade. Unshaded or less shaded production would result in a lower establishment cost of $646.84 per acre (unshaded) and $304.90 lower for less shaded (30% shade) production. However, our data showed an approximately 40% improvement in yield by applying 60% shade (over unshaded) and an 11% improvement in yield by applying 60% shade versus 30% shade under the 2x fertilization scenario, which more than offsets the additional shade costs per acre over both the unshaded and 30% shade scenarios. To the extent that shading improves yield and quality of the product, the added cost of shading at or beyond 60% shade may prove justifiable in phase II of this grant. The range of gross income in this study ranged from a low of $3000 per acre at a low price/low yield scenario ($6 per pound/500 pounds) to a high of $8400 in a high price/high yield scenario ($12 per pound/700 pounds). The median/expected value is $4896 in this model at $8 per pound with a 612 pound yield. The gross income per acre is competitive with other specialty crops at the anticipated median price and yield level for dried, ground Yaupon tea. 3. Utilize the above data to develop a preliminary enterprise budget for Yaupon production based on actual establishment and production costs. Objective 4. Begin development of an outreach plan for recruiting and training potential growers. Most Land-Grant Universities operate New & Beginning Farmer and Sustainable Agriculture programs through their Cooperative Extension programs. The clientele served by these programs offer a natural target population and model for engagement of potential Yaupon growers. Additionally, once ideal growing regions are identified from both climatologic and supply chain perspectives, local County Extension offices, State Departments of Agriculture, and USDA offices can offer connections to potential growers and landowners. Because yaupon is a native plant that can be cultivated to organic standards, reaching out to landowners interested in low-impact crop production through local and regional conservation organizations, such as land trusts, could be another productive way to reach potential growers. Grower training will begin with the development of a Yaupon tea production guide. This guide will be illustrated with diagrams and photos to provide research-based recommendations on soil improvement practices, cultivar selection, plant spacing and planting guidelines, fertility recommendations, irrigation practices, pest management strategies (organic and conventional), shading and shade structure considerations, and harvesting guidelines. The published guide will be available to potential growers in electronic and print formats, and will be the basis for future Yaupon production trainings. Grower trainings will take two basic forms, 1) on-farm field days, and 2) grower workshops. Summary The results of Phase I produced baseline agronomic data that was used to develop an enterprise budget for commercial food production of Yaupon holly. That budget indicates that, at the median price/production level of $8 per pound/ 612 pounds per acre dry harvest, a gross income of $4,896 would be generated. Phase I technical feasibility was deemed to have been demonstrated when data had been compiled from a set of experiments designed to determine optimal production parameters. Financial feasibility would be indicated if the harvest data indicated income potential of $5,000 gross income from 1 acre of yaupon production. Therefore we submit that both technical and financial feasibility were fully achieved and that this information forms a good foundation for continuation and expansion of the research in Phase II and implementation by small growers in Phase III. The phytochemical data showed that shading clearly influenced the chemical profile by increasing caffeine content and lowering theobromine content. Although not a planned piece of the phase 1 grant, metabalomic analysis showed a wide variety of alkaloids, along with caffeine were up-regulated by shade. Similarly, many important phenyl-propanoid compounds were down regulated by shading. Therefore we must carefully analyze how environmental factors effect yield and quality. A taste panel will be convened to see how these documented changes make a difference in the human experience of the tea.

Publications