Treesearch

Planting site preparation is a common practice used to enhance seedling establishment success. Site preparations include herbicide, fire, and mechanical methods. Studies designed to explore the use of herbicides as site preparation and release tools are common, and herbicides have shown their use in forestry to be logistically, economically, and ecologically advantageous. Herbicides that pose little threat to animal health or off-site contamination are desirable for forest management. Sulfometuron and related herbicides have been identified as effective vegetation suppressants with little...

The Department of Forestry at Michigan State University has engaged in forest tree improvement for more than 50 years. This paper presents a brief historical perspective on past research, the status of current projects, and outlines plans for the future.

A simple method for testing the distribution uniformity of overhead irrigation systems is described. The procedure is described step-by-step along with an example. Other uses of distribution uniformity testing are presented, as well as common situations that affect distribution uniformity and how to alleviate them.

Since 1935, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (originally the Soil Conservation Service) has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America's private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources. NRCS employees provide technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer's specific needs. NRCS provides financial assistance for many conservation activities. Participation in our programs is voluntary.

We investigated the effects of three organic amendments on soil properties and seedling growth at the USDA Forest Service JW Toumey Nursery in Watersmeet, MI. Pine sawdust (red pine, Pinus resinosa), hardwood sawdust (maple [Acer spp.] and aspen [Populus spp.]), and peat were individually incorporated into a loamy sand nursery soil in August 2006, and soil properties were sampled periodically for the next 14 months. Red, jack (Pinus banksiana), and white pine (Pinus strobus) were sown into test plots in June 2007 and sampled for growth responses at the end of the growing season. We...

Michigan’s forests have evolved considerably during the past 4500 years. Post-glacial expansion of forests provided extensive, versatile resources for indigenous peoples. Eventually, these resources were exploited by immigrants to Michigan from Europe and the eastern US. Today, the forests are recovering and growing via natural regeneration and tree plantings, with many current uses and challenges.

The US Environmental Protection Agency is requiring important new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides to increase protections for agricultural workers and bystanders, that is, people who live, work, or otherwise spend time near fields that are fumigated. These measures are included in Amended Reregistration Eligibility Decisions for the soil fumigants chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium/potassium (including methyl isothiocyanate or MITC), methyl bromide.

Fusarium oxysporum and Cylindrocarpon destructans cause root disease that leads to significant crop losses in forest nurseries when not treated. Treatment currently relies on methyl bromide fumigation to eradicate soil pathogens. New environmental protection laws, however, are phasing out methyl bromide. Alternative chemical treatments are being tested, as well as biological fumigants such as seed meals and cover crops of Brassica spp. In this study, several different Brassica-based biofumigation treatments are being tested at Washington Department of Natural Resources Webster Forest...

This paper presents the production protocols currently practiced at the USDA Forest Service Lucky Peak Nursery (Boise, ID) for seed processing and bareroot and container seedling production for three subspecies of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata).

During the past century, seedling production has changed in accordance with technology and new knowledge. Many strategies have been developed to address challenges associated with pests, environmental conditions, and customer demands. Although the underlying concepts for growing seedlings have remained relatively constant, technological advances have enabled nurseries to improve stock quality significantly. As we move further into the 21st century, nurseries continue to face new challenges and develop new strategies with regard to pest management regulations, personnel shortages, demand...