Crop Tree Enhancement
Ames Staff, University of Tennessee scientists
are examining an innovative approach to forest management that
concentrates release and fertilization treatments on a limited
number of crop trees within a stand. The study is large
including more than 1,500 crop trees across a number of sites
and species. The research was initiated with help from the
U.S. Forest Service Experiment Station at Stoneville,
Mississippi.
The research project has reached a 10-year benchmark and
graduate students have examined growth response and the economic
realities of the system. Initially, fertilization and release
treatments increased second year diameter growth at breast
height as much as 70% over control plots.
A thesis by Scott Twillman, a graduate student at the University
of Tennessee, reported that the highest economic gains were in
fertilization treatments. However, any release treatment of the
crop trees resulted in very significant growth gains.
Continued analysis of the study is underway. Of particular
interest is how the accelerated grow of white oaks into veneer
affects economic models. Additionally, the aftermath of a major
ice storm that hit the study during the first year of the study,
creates opportunity to study risk analysis. Additionally,
potentially negative effects, such as epicormic branching, are
being closely monitored.
The technique may have high potential for application on public
lands where multiple priorities vie for consideration. On
private lands, landowner objectives such as monetary, wildlife
and aesthetic priorities can be combined in a management
strategy. This technique provides one piece in a management
strategy for hardwoods. Combined with outplanting of improved
seedlings from Ames’ orchard programs, a holistic program that
can be likened to precision agriculture. Elsewhere on this
website is the description of a concept labeled “Precision
Forestry.”