Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #105806
Title: ESTABLISHING TREES IN AN APPALACHIAN SILVOPASTURE: RESPONSE TO SHELTERS, GRASS CONTROL, MULCH, AND FERTILIZATION

Author
item BENDFELDT, E - VPI FORESTRY DEPT
item DOUGHERTY, M - VPI FORESTRY DEPT
item Feldhake, Charles
item BURGER, J - VPI FORESTRY DEPT

Submitted to: North American Agroforestry Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Bendfeldt, E., Dougherty, M., Feldhake, C.M., Burger, J.A. 1999. Establishing trees in an appalachian silvopasture: response to shelters, grass control, mulch, and fertilization. Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Agroforestry in North America. pp 97-100.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In the spring of 1995, approximately 350 bare-root seedlings each of black walnut (Juglans nigra) and honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos) were planted in six randomized paddocks within a silvopastoral study area at the Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site in Blacksburg, VA. Three seedling establishment studies were tested, including; 1) a tree protection nstudy, 2) a water retention study, and 3) a fertilization study. Seedling were planted using two different tree shelters (60cm-tall poultry wire cage and 1.2m-tall plastic Tubex), two water retention treatments (mulch and herbicide spray), and one fertilizer treatment. All treatments were compared to untreated controls. Tree survival, damage, and stem volume were compared for each species. Tree survival was comparable between all studies over three growing seasons. Tree establishment using poultry wire and Tubex shelters resulted in significant reduction of deer damage and significant increase in stem volume from 1996 to 1998. Tubex shelters had a pronounced positive impact on tree height and also on stem form; height of both black walnut and honeylocust was twice the height of control seedlings. Mulch and herbicide treatments for moisture control resulted in significant stem volume increases over control from 1997 to 1998. However, mulching was less effective than herbicide treatment. There was no significant tree growth response resulting from fertilization during this same period.