Tree/Crop interactions cluster. The Tree/Crop
Interactions Cluster comprises three research projects that study these
complex interactions, which are inherent to agroforestry. The research
described in these projects will provide information that can be directly
applied to mid-western family farms.
PROJECTS
- Interactions Between Trees and Crop Plants in Agroforestry Systems
- Determine the size of vegetation-free zone that results in the optimum growth of black walnut in a tall fescue silvopasture practice
- Determine why tall fescue appears to have such a negative affect on tree growth and develop management practices to improve tree growth in fescue pastures. Factors evaluated are forage dry matter production, water and nutrient competition, and if the endophyte in tall fescue may be have an affect
- Determine the type of planting stock (seeded nuts, bareroot seedlings, or containerized stock) and the effect of applying mycorrhizal inoculum when establishing black walnut in tall fescue pastures
- Evaluate the feasibility of turf-type tall fescue seed production grown as an alley crop in a mixed hardwood tree plantation
- Determine if cottonwood tree row orientation affects forage production and growth of reed canarygrass and white clover on a site subject to periodic flooding.
- Evaluate the establishment of selected native legume species with native warm-season grasses and determine their effects on tree establishment, foliage N, and growth
- Renovating the Shade Tolerance Laboratory (STL) to Evaluate Shade Tolerance of Warm and Cool Season Forages for Use in Agroforestry.
- Test additional design improvements for the Shade Tolerance Laboratory at HARC.
- Compare phenology, forage biomass production, and forage quality of native and introduced warm and cool season forages within the Shade Tolerance Laboratory.
- Evaluate shade tolerance of native and introduced forage species under tree canopies and compare to results from Shade Tolerance Laboratory
- Biodiversity, Pesticide Reduction, and Crop Management in Forage and Oil Seed Crops Alley Cropped with Black Walnut
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Technology transfer cluster.The technology
transfer program is focusing in four diverse areas of Missouri centered on
four outlying research properties with ongoing agroforestry research,
building out from this research base to connect to landowners from these
core areas. Landowner demonstrations are being pursued to provide
on-the-ground examples of agroforestry practices relevant to each region.
Each of the four areas represents different agroecological conditions and
dominant land use practices. Socio-economic research is being developed to
overlay on top of and mesh closely with tech transfer activities.
- Wurdack Farm - Silvopasture, Alley Cropping, and Riparian Buffers.
- HARC Farm - Silvopasture, Alley Cropping, Riparian Buffers, Forest Farming, Windbreaks
- Greenley Farm - Alley Cropping, Upland Buffers
- SW Center - Silvopasture, Alley Cropping, Riparian Forest Buffers, Forest Farming, Windbreaks