REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICALS USED IN SOUTHERN PINE NURSERIES AND PLANTATIONS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: MCINTIRE-STENNIS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0199814
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2004
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2010
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
108 M. WHITE SMITH HALL
AUBURN,AL 36849

Performing Department
SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES

Non Technical Summary
SFI and FSC hope to achieve management objectives with minimal use of chemicals. A goal of FSC is to reduce the use of chemicals in forest nurseries. A. This project examines the effectiveness of substituting large-diameter seedlings of increasing pine growth instead of applying extra chemical treatments to improve growth. B. The purpose of this study is to reduce the average use rate of herbicides in forest nurseries to less than 2 pounds of active ingredient per acre.

Animal Health Component

85%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

85%

Developmental

15%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
123	0611	1140	50%
216	0611	1140	50%

Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0611 - Conifer forests of the South;

Field Of Science
1140 - Weed science;

Keywords

herbicides

fertilizers

insecticides

silviculture

pinus taeda

agricultural chemicals

nurseries

southern pines

seedlings

forest management

forestry

certification

plant morphology

tree improvement

forest plantation

weed control

integrated pest management

cultural practices

herbicide application

euphorbia

ecosystem management

site preparation

fertilizer application

insecticide application

Goals / Objectives
This project will determine if improving seedling quality can reduce the need to apply extra fertilizers and pesticides in loblolly pine plantations. The study will develop nursery cultural practices which reduce the total amount of chemicals used to grow morphologically improved pine seedlings.

Project Methods
Environmental concerns have spearheaded changes in forestry during the past few years. For example, foresters with the United States Forest Service rarely use clearcutting and herbicides as routine practices for establishing loblolly pine stands. In addition, the use of herbicides at mid-rotation has been reduced on USFS lands, especially on the West Coast. Alternative methods of weed control have gained in popularity. Federal and state agencies are adopting "ecosystem management" and "eco-forestry" approaches to land management. Certification agencies such as SFI and FSC are looking for ways to establish plantations on private lands that use less chemicals than more popular silvicultural methods. OBJECTIVE 1: A series of field studies with loblolly pine were established in Georgia and South Carolina during 1993 and 1994. The studies have three replicates per treatment per site. Each plot in the field included 80 measurement trees per plot (and were separated by two buffer rows). All studies were located on cut-over sites. The plan was a split plot with chemical intensity as the main plot and seedling ideotype as the sub-plot. The following treatments apply: (1) site preparation with one herbicide application and one fertilizer application. (a) Ideotype A: average RCD = 8.5 mm (seedbed density - 205/sq. m) (b) Ideotype B: average RCD = 5 mm (seedbed density - 280/sq. m) (2) site preparation with three herbicide applications, two fertilizer applications, and four insecticide applications. (a) Ideotype A: average RCD = 8.55 mm (seedbed density - 205/sq. m) (b) Ideotype B: average RCD = 5 mm (seedbed density - 280/sq. m) At ages 10, 12, 14 yr; survival, height, DBH, volume per hectare will be recorded. OBJECTIVE 2: A series of experiments will be established throughout the southern states. These studies will have a minimum of four replicates per treatment. Plot sizes in field studies will vary depending upon the location and objectives of the study. Most studies will be located in pine seedbeds but a few will involve hardwoods. All herbicide studies will be conducted using randomized complete blocks. In some cases, a split-plot design might be used. Studies conducted in the greenhouses and laboratories will have a minimum of five replicates per treatment. Plot sizes in field studies will vary depending upon the pest being studied, but in no case will plot size be less than 2 square meters. Tests will include newer herbicides that are effective in low doses, have short-term residual activity, and are judged to be acceptable by FSC standards. Some tests will be installed in nursery cover crops (or fallow areas).

Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Results from the herbicide tests were reported in 10 research reports published by the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative. Summary of the tests were reported at a field day at the Arkansas Nursery at Little Rock as well as at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative. Herbicide tests with the herbicide MSMA were plublished in the NZ Journal of Forestry. PARTICIPANTS: The Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative was a partner organization in this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nursery managers in the southern United States who produce pine seedlings for reforestation. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
A change in knowledge resulted from the testing of herbicides on prostrate spurge. In the past, it was believed that this weed provided only a limited amount of competition since it typically was not overtopping seedlings in seedbeds. Our tests showed that controlling this weed increased growth of loblolly pine seedlings in the nursery. A change in action has resulted from testing the herbicide pendimethalin. In the past, this herbicide was applied in nurseries after emergence of seedlings and soon after the germination of weed seed. However, tests in pine nurseries determined that treating at sowing increased control of spurge and reduced swelling of stems of pine seedlings. It is expected as the use of methyl bromide is reduced, the use of herbicides like pendimethalin will increase.

Publications

• Jackson, D.P., Gilliam, C. South D., Enebak S., and Eakes D.J. 2009. Evaluation of four herbicides to control yellow nutsedge and assess seedling tolerance in loblolly and slash pine seedlings. Proc. Southern Nursery Association Research Conference. 54: 129-133

Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Fourth-year measurements were made on two clonal studies in Alabama and Georgia. Survival was greater than 95 percent at both sites but growth was greater at the Georiga (grassland) site. Tree height and diameter (at breast height) were greatest for ramets that had 8 to 10 mm diameters at planting (in comparison to those with 3 to 5 mm diameter at the root-collar). Gains from planting 8-10 mm stock can equal 0.5 meter after 4 years. This equates to 4 to 5 months gain in early growth. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Use of high-quality clonal stock is expected to lower the amount of herbicides needed in pine plantations. Use of herbicides to control prostrate spurge might lower the use of fumigants at some pine nurseries. However, new rules from EPA may restrict the amount of fumigation that can be used in conifer nurseries.

Publications

• South, D.B. and T. Hill. 2009. Results from six Pinus taeda nursery trials with pendimethalin in the USA. Southern Forestry 71(3): 179-185.

Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Third-year measurements were made on two clonal studies in Alabama and Georgia. Three additional seedling-size trials were measured. Five nursery trials with various applications of herbicides were measured. A test involving herbicides and stock type was established in south Alabama. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Use of high-quality longleaf pine seedlings is expected to lower the amount of herbicides needed in pine plantations. Use of herbicides to control prostrate spurge might lower the use of fumigants at some pine nurseries. However, new rules from EPA may convert some bareroot nurseries to container nurseries. This shift in stock type could reduce the amount of soil fumigants used in forest nurseries.

Publications

• South, D.B. 2008. 14 Reasons why bareroot loblolly pine seedlings die. Forest Landowner 67(1):19-21.
• South, D.B. 2007. How to increase wood density when planting pines 12 feet apart. Forest Landowner 66(1):28-30.

Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07

Outputs
Second-year mesurements were made on two clonal studies in Alabama and Georgia. Three additional seedling-size trials were measured. Two nursery trials with directed applications of herbicides were measured.

Impacts
The use of large-diameter planting stock in combination with wider row spacings is expected to lower the amount of herbicides needed in pine plantations. Use of MSMA to control small patches of Cyperus is expected to lower the use of fumigants in pine nurseries.

Publications

• 2. South, D.B. and J.H Miller. 2007. Growth response analysis after early control of woody competition for 14 loblolly pine plantations in the southern U.S. Forest Ecology and Management 242: 569-577.
• 3. South, D.B. 2007. Chloropicrin as a soil fumigation treatment in southern pine nurseries. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 31(1):47-51.
• 4. He, D. and D.B. South. 2007. Amyloplasts in slash (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) and loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) pine rootcaps. Asian Journal of Plant Science 6(4): 605-610.
• 1. VanderSchaaf, C.L. and D.B. South. 2008. RCDlob: a growth and yield model for loblolly pine that incorporates root-collar diameter at time-of-planting. The American Journal of Plant Science and Biotechnology 2(1):5-11.

Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
First-year mesurements were made on two clonal studies in Alabama and Georgia. Five additional seedling-size trials were measured. Three nursery trials with directed applications of herbicides were measured. Two growth and yield programs were developed to compare gains in pine growth from large-diameter seedlings with that obtained from intensive silviculture.

Impacts
The use of large-diameter planting stock in combination with wider row spacings is expected to lower the amount of herbicides needed in pine plantations.

Publications

• South, D.B. and Enebak S.A. 2006. Integrated pest management in southern pine nurseries. New Forests 29: 253-271.
• South, D.B. and Mitchell, R.G. 2006. A root-bound index for evaluating planting stock quality of container-grown pines. Southern African Forestry Journal 207:47-54.
• He, D. and South D.B. 2006. Gravitropism of pine radicles in the dark. New Forests 31:165-172.
• South, D.B. 2006. Planting longleaf pine at wide spacings. Native Plants Journal 7:79-88.
• South, D.B., Menzies, D.G. and Holden, D.G. 2005. Stock size affects outplanting survival and early growth of fascicle cuttings of Pinus radiata. New Forests 29: 273-288.
• South, D.B., VanderSchaaf, C.L and Teeter, L.R. 2005. Forecasting volume and economic gains from intensive plantation management using different response curves. Southern African Forestry Journal 203:41-48.
• South, D.B., VanderSchaaf, C.L. and Britt, J.R. 2005. Reforestation costs can be decreased by lowering initial stocking and outplanting morphologically improved seedlings. Native Plants Journal 6:76-82.
• South, D.B. 2005. Integrating the nursery into silviculture. Institute for Commercial Forestry Research. ICFR Bulletin 01/2005: 7-9.
• South, D.B. 2004. Weed control in hardwood nurseries. In: Dumroese RK, Riley, LE, Landis TD, technical coordinators. National Proceedings: Forest and Conservation Nursery Associations 2004. Medford, OR: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Proceedings RMRS-P-35. p, 34-38.

Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
One clone was outplanted at one site in Alabama and one site in Georgia. These outplanting trials were measured and two additional seedling-size trials were measured. Two nursery trials with directed applications of herbicides were measured. A growth and yield program was developed to compare gains in pine growth from large-diameter seedlings with that obtained from intensive silviculture.

Impacts
The use of large-diameter planting stock is expected to lower the amount of herbicides needed in pine plantations.

Publications

• South, D.B., VanderSchaaf, C.L. and Teeter L.R. 2005. Forecasting volume and economic gains from intensive plantation management using different response curves. Southern African Forestry Journal 203:41-48.
• South, D.B., VanderSchaaf, C.L. and Britt, J.R. 2005. Reforestation costs can be decreased by lowering initial stocking and outplanting morphologically improved seedlings. Native Plants Journal 6:76-82.
• South, D.B, Harris, S.W., Barnett, J.P. Hainds, M.J. and Gjerstad, D.H. 2004. Effect of container type and seedling size on survival and early height growth of Pinus palustris seedlings in Alabama, U.S.A. For. Ecol. Mgmt. 204(2/3):385-398.
• South, D.B., Menzies, M.I. and Holden, D.G. 2005. Stock size affects outplanting survival and early growth of fascicle cuttings of Pinus radiata. New Forests 29: 273-288.

Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
Planting stock was produced at a bare-root nursery for use in two outplanting trials. Herbicide trials with directed applications of herbicides were installed at two nurseries.

Impacts
The use of directed herbicide sprays is expected to lower the amount of herbicides needed to control prostrate spurge.

Publications

• South, DB and JL Rakestraw. 2004. Large-Diameter Seedlings: A Method of Reducing Chemical Use in Some Pine Plantations Journal of Sustainable Forestry. 18(4): 47-58.