Progress 09/01/06 to 09/01/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Studies were conducted on cultural practices for establishment of trees in tall fescue pastures; on the feasibility of commercial tall fescue seed production as an alley crop in a mixed hardwood tree plantation; on herbaceous species tolerant to short-term flooding; and to identify waterlogging-tolerant soybeans genotypes. Factors such as grass species, tree species, competition for moisture and nutrients, and presence of fungal endophyte may affect tree growth. Groundcover treatments were established for 4 tree species planted in endophyte infected (E+) Ky-31 tall fescue, (E-) Ky-31 tall fescue, (E+) Hounddog 5 turf-type tall fescue, novel endophyte (E++) tall fescue, orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and vegetation-free bare soil. Height and diameter growth of pitch x loblolly pine was unaffected by grass species but was increased by irrigation but not fertilization. Kentucky bluegrass appeared to be less competitive to black walnut or northern red oak than orchardgrass or tall fesue. Both tree species had greater diameter growth in Kentucky bluegrass than all other grass species. Height growth of black walnut and red oak was greatest in Kentucky bluegrass. Black walnut height growth in Kentucky bluegrass was significantly greater than that in Houndog V tall fescue only, while red oak height growth in Kentucky bluegrass was significantly greater than that in the four fescues. Endophyte status of tall fescue had no significant affect on growth of any of these tree species. Irrigation significantly increased the diameter growth of red oak and significantly reduced the height growth of black walnut. PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Producers in Missouri and nearby areas. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Establishing trees in existing pastures to create silvopasture could provide alternative income without sacrificing significant forage production.
Publications
- Leblanc, H.A., R.L. McGraw, and P. Nygren. 2007. Dinitrogen-fixation by three neotropical agroforestry tree species under semi-controlled field conditions. Plant Soil 291:199-209.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Establishing trees in existing pastures to create silvopasture could provide alternative income without sacrificing significant forage production. Factors such as grass species, tree species, competition for moisture and nutrients, and presence of fungal endophyte may affect tree growth. This study assessed whether three grass species, orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) affected the growth of black walnut (Juglans nigra), northern red oak (Quercus rubra), and pitch x loblolly pine (Pinus rigida x taeda) differently. Four varieties of tall fescue were used that differed in Neotyphodium coenophialum endophyte status and growth habit (Ky-31 endophyte infected, Ky-31 non-infected, Max-Q Jesup novel endophyte, and Houndog V turftype endophyte infected). Irrigation and/or fertilization were evaluated to determine if these practices would affect the grass/tree relationship. Height and diameter growth of pitch x loblolly pine was unaffected by grass species but was increase by irrigation but not fertilization. Kentucky grass appeared to be less competitive to black walnut or northern red oak than orchardgrass or tall fesue. Both tree species had greater diameter growth in Kentucky bluegrass than all other grass species. Height growth of black walnut and red oak was greatest in Kentucky bluegrass. Black walnut height growth in Kentucky bluegrass was significantly greater than that in Houndog V tall fescue only, while red oak height growth in Kentucky bluegrass was significantly greater than that in the four fescues. Endophyte status of tall fescue had no significant affect on growth of any of these tree species. Irrigation significantly increased the diameter growth of red oak and significantly reduced the height growth of black walnut. PARTICIPANTS: James Houx III - Research Specialist Thomas Settle - Masters Student
Impacts
Posters and publications have been developed and a Ph.D. dissertation is being prepared.
Publications
- Leblanc, H.A., R.L. McGraw, and P. Nygren. 2007. Dinitrogen-fixation by three neotropical agroforestry tree species under semi-controlled field conditions. Plant Soil 291:199-209.
- Houx, J.H.III and R.L. McGraw. 2007. Establishing trees in pastures to create silvopasture. Agronomy Abstracts (CD-ROM), ASA Madison, WI.
- Houx, J.H.III, R.L. McGraw and T.A. Settle. 2007. Feasibility of tall fescue seed production in an alley-cropping system. Agronomy Abstracts (CD-ROM), ASA Madison, WI.
- Van Sambeek J.W., N. E. Navarrete-Tindall, H. E. Garrett, C.-H. Lin, R L. McGraw, and D. C. Wallace. 2007. Ranking the Shade Tolerance of Forty-five Candidate Groundcovers for Agroforestry Plantings. Temp. Agroforester Vol 15. (on-line)
- Houx, J.H.III and R.L. McGraw. 2007. Silvopasture tree establishment as affected by three pasture grass species. Tenth North American Agroforestry Conference, Quebec City, Quebec.
- Van Sambeek, J.W., R.L. McGraw, J.M. Kabrick, M.V. Coggeshall, I.M. Unger and C.Daniel. 2007. Debeloping a field facility for evaluating flood tolerance of hardwood seedlings and understory ground covers. In: Buckley, D.S.and W.K. Clatterbuck eds. Proc. Fifteenth Central Hardwoods Forest Conference. USDA Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-101: 572-580.
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