ISSN 2375-1096
International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 9 (6), pp. 001-011, June, 2021. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Comparison of fertilizer amendments on pine growth and forage production in a west gulf coast loblolly pine-bahiagrass silvopasture
H.A. Evans1, K.W. Farrish1, B.P. Oswald1*, and T.R. Clason2
1Division of Environmental Science, Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX USA.
2Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA, retired.
Accepted 02 June, 2021
Abstract
Silvopasture land-use management practices have been evaluated in the southeastern United States, providing information on integrating commercial trees, forage, and livestock within an agroforestry system. If managed properly, this concept can form a network of mutually beneficial interactions that create profitable land-use options for various landowner types. Additional data is needed regarding site productivity, timber, and forage species in combination with fertilization regimes to further validate the benefits of a silvopasture system. A study was implemented at the Hill Farm Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Experiment Station near Homer, Louisiana, with the overall goal to quantify the effect of poultry litter and commercial fertilizer on timber and forage production within a silvopasture system. Forage yield was measured at five production intervals in a growing season, and significant yield differences were detected among fertilization treatments compared to control treatment, with high rate poultry litter being significantly greater than other treatments. No timber production differences were detected after two-years of fertilization treatments. Poultry litter appears to be a potentially cost-effective alternative to commercial fertilizers in silvopasture systems in this region of the United States.
Key words: Poultry litter, Pinus taeda, nutrients, Fertilization, Silvopasture.