Agroforestry Research

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MU Center for Agroforestry Research Sampler Gene Garrett

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Agroforestry Production Research

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Agroforestry Chestnut Research

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Center efforts focused in 4 areas Develop and test best chestnut cultivars and orchard production and management techniques Ongoing market research Increase consumer awareness and demand Create “grower clusters” – new focus Long-term goal: develop a thriving U.S. domestic chestnut industry

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World Chestnut Production Average annual world production 1991-2007: ~1 billion pounds Where is chestnut produced? Asia accounts for 64% of world production China #1, Korea #2, also Japan Europe accounts for 30% of world production Italy #3, Turkey #4, also France, Portugal, Spain, Russia – (Italy #1 importer to US market)‏ Remainder of the world produces less than 5% US production less than 1% (< 2 million pounds)‏

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Chestnut Repository at New Franklin – 13 years old Herbicide strip Drip irrigation 30 foot centers (30’ x 30’ spacing)‏ Central leader pruning Yield potential: Over 1 ton per acre. Ex: ‘Qing’ yielded 60 lbs / tree in 2005 and 2007 (48 trees x 60 lbs = 2,880 lbs / acre

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The “Chestnut Business” US imports annually 10 to 12 million pounds, in-shell (Italy, Korea)‏ Imported in-shell prices, average $2.10/lb. Wholesale prices $1.20 to $5.00/lb. (+$3.00/lb. California)‏ Organic sells for higher prices Chestnut products produced in the Midwest have potential for higher prices

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Potential Income New Franklin, orchards began bearing commercial quantities of nuts between ages 6 and 9 [irrigation, proper management essential] Planted 30’ x 30’, bear 15 - 40+ pounds per tree 1,000-2,000+ pounds per acre by age 10 Farm gate price $1.60 - $1.90 /lb for (small-sized) chestnuts – Iowa Wholesale - $3.50 /lb – Clovers Market, Columbia, MO Retail – $5.00-$7.00/lb (Chestnut Roast, Farmers Market, Internet)‏ Demand for quality chestnuts currently exceeds supply for serious full-time producers!

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Get Acreage into Production http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/pubs/chestnut.pdf

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Our Goal 1,000 acres of chestnut in Missouri by 2020! Resulting in 2 M pounds annually! Crop value $10 M!

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Black Walnut breeding program for Nut Production

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Our Goal 2,000 acres of grafted, genetically improved, black walnut in Missouri by 2020! Crop value $20 M annually!

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Agroforestry Mushroom Research

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FOOD - Edible Forest Mushrooms Shiitake Maitake Reishi Oyster Morels Chanterelles King Stropharia Truffle cultivation being developed - UMCA

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Black Truffle Forest Farming

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Many Potentially Profitable Specialty Crops Can Be Grown in Agroforestry Practices Success = Knowing How to Grow and Market the Crop High End Truffle Products

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Agroforestry Pine Straw Research

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12-year-old loblolly pine plantation yields 100-200 bales of pine straw per acre. Harvest every second year. Meanwhile, the trees keep growing Forest Farming Pine straw, from plantation to urban landscape

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Pine Straw Production Pine straw harvesting has been estimated to be a 150 million dollar per year industry in the southern USA. Simple “in line” hay baler, must be clean product, no twigs or cones.

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Four years- 2003 Missouri Pine Straw Industry of the Future Cold Hardy Pitch x Loblolly pine or Cold Hardy Loblolly Six-years - 2005

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Harvest 2007

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Pine Straw – Bottom Line Retail: $6 - $ 9 per 35# bale Wholesale: $3 - $4.50 per bale 100 - 200 bales per acre every other year Wholesale gross $300-$1000 per acre, net $100-$350 per acre Have not even touched the lumber yet!

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Agroforestry Livestock/Forage Research

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Integrating Silvopastures into Forage-Livestock Systems Numerous greenhouse, field and pasture studies show that silvopastures can be productive pastures But…limited research on how silvopastures fit into a “system”

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55% 80%

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Cool-Season Grasses

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Warm-Season Grasses

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Objective Determine the feasibility of introducing silvopasture as part of a whole-farm forage-livestock system

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Ran Test Side-by-Side for 2 years

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Forage Growth Differences Apr Aug Oct Jun Forage Yield Feb Dec Silvopasture Traditional Pasture Silvopasture: Forages start growth earlier in spring, continue later in fall Forage yields higher in heat of summer

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Results

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Summary Cows in the Integrated system Lost approximately 10% less weight over winter Had less stress at calving Weaned heavier calves Overall returns in the Integrated system were about $42.63 per pair greater than in the Traditional system Contact: Dr. R. L. Kallenbach kallenbachr@missouri.edu

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Agroforestry Research for Environmental Quality&Protection

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Agroforestry and Grass Buffer Effects on Non Point Source Pollution Reduction from Row-crop Watersheds

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Approximate study site location in Missouri and 0.5 m interval contour lines on watersheds. Gray bands represent location of contour grass buffers on contour strip watershed, agroforestry buffers on agroforestry watershed and grass waterways on all three watersheds. West Center East 1991-1997

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At 5000 feet Elevation In 2002

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Treatment Effects on Runoff and Nutrient Loss from Agroforestry and CGS Watersheds Variable Agroforestry CGS Runoff 19 20 Sediment 11 12 TP 16 18 TN 18 19 Nitrate-N 23 21 -----------------%----------------

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Soil Properties and Pore Characteristics as Influenced by Grass and Agroforestry Buffers

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Cores taken at 5 depths: 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, and 40-50 cm depths

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Typical scan images 68 mm diam. area After thresholding, air-filled pores are in red Isolated pores within the scans Udawatta et al., 2006 Row crop Grass buffer Agroforestry

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Results of this study show that agroforestry and grass buffers improve soil physical properties such as bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and CT-measured pore parameters. Adoption of these practices will reduce runoff, nutrient, and herbicide loss and improve surface water quality. CONCLUSIONS

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Rhizodegradation of antibiotics and herbicides by selected plant species

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Rhizodegradation of antibiotic (sulfamethazine) by selected plant species

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Does introduction of atrazine degraders (e.g., Pseudomonas strain ADP) stimulate the rhizodegradtion of atrazine?

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Degradation atrazine in rhizospheres with vs. without inoculation of an atrazine degrading bacterium P. ADP

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Flood Tolerance Research Facility

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Newport Farms, LLC

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Purpose: Provide living screens for noise abatement, visual quality, and chemical drift reduction

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University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry -A means to an End- Developing new technologies to benefit agriculture While preserving and enhancing our natural resources