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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #198537
Title: ALLEMOTRY AND BIOMASS OF POLLARDED BLACK LOCUST

Author
item Burner, David
item Pote, Daniel
item ARES, A - WEYERHAEUSER CO

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2006
Publication Date: 4/1/2006
Citation: Burner, D.M., Pote, D.H., Ares, A. 2006. Allemotry and biomass of pollarded black locust. Proceedings of the Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference, February 28-March 4, 2005, Memphis, Tennessee. p. 569.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Climatic constraints can cause forage deficits in summer in west-central Arkansas, necessitating expensive, supplemental hay feeding. Black locust might be used for summer browse, but the temporal distribution of foliar biomass has not been adequately tested. Our objective was to determine effects of harvest date, fertilization (0 and 600 kg P/ha/yr), and pollard height (stems cut at 5-, 50-, and 100-cm above ground) on foliar and shoot allometry of black locust. The test was conducted on a naturally regenerated 2-yr-old black locust stand (15,000 trees/ha). Basal shoot diameter and foliar yield were measured monthly in June to October 2002 and 2003. Yield (Y) of foliar and shoot dry matter was estimated from basal shoot diameter (D) by the function Y=aD(to the b power), with regression explaining > 95% of variance. Allometry of foliar yield was affected by harvest date, increasing at a significantly (P<0.05) greater rate with D in September (Y=0.0126D to the 3.0142 power) than in June (Y=9.4976D to the 0.06638 power) or July (Y=0.5769D to the 1.9305 power), but not by pollard height or P fertilization. Allometry of shoot dry matter was unaffected by cultural practice, Y=0.0427D to the 2.8709 power. Biomass was greater when trees were pollarded at 50- or 100-cm, with or without P, than at 5-cm. Foliar biomass in August was 5.3 Mg dry matter/ha, a competitive yield compared to herbaceous forage. Allometry of shoot dry matter was unaffected by harvest date, pollard height, or P fertilization. Black locust should be considered for rotational livestock browse in summer when climatic stresses induce semi-dormancy of herbaceous forages. Yield of black locust pollards can be estimated from basal shoot diameter with reasonable accuracy.