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Contributed Talk

Session: : Forest And Rangeland Management 3

COS 286-2 - Popular Clones Growth in monoculture and mixed planting at Southeastern USA

Thursday, August 10, 2023
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM PDT
Location: B112

    Presenting Author(s)

  • WS

    Waqar Shafqat

    Postdoctoral Associate
    Department of Forestry, College of Forest Resources, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, 39762, MS
    Starkville, Mississippi, United States

    • Coauthor(s)

  • HR

    Heidi Renninger

    Department of Forestry, College of Forest Resources, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, 39762, MS, United States

  • AH

    Austin Himes

    Department of Forestry, College of Forest Resources, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, 39762, MS, United States

  • CS

    Courtney Siegert

    Associate Professor
    Department of Forestry, College of Forest Resources, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, 39762, MS, United States

Abstract: Populus spp., which includes the eastern cottonwood and its hybrids, is an interesting tree species due to its fast growth and high yield. Carbon sequestration and the reduction of agricultural fertilizer runoff are just two examples of the ecological benefits that bioenergy tree plantations may supply. Present project was designed with objective to evaluate productivity and refine economic analyses of short rotation Populus (feedstock) production in the Southeast and to identify genetics and cultural practices of Populus clonal varieties that improve productivity and generate a suite of ecosystem services then share our recommendations with landowners throughout the Southeast. Six clones of hybrid poplar species were planted in the spring of 2021 on the edge of crop fields in riparian areas at two sites in Mississippi. These clones were planted in 3 blocks per site with 24 plots per block, containing various mixtures of clones to test the impacts of taxonomic and functional diversity on productivity with endophytic and non-endophytic treatments. Herbaceous weed control was regularly implemented, and growth and survival rate were recorded at the end of the first (2021) and second (2022) growing season. Overall, the largest growth in term of height and tree thickness was recorded by clone 110412 and clone 9671 had the highest survival rate. Mixed clone planting showed more productive than monoculture. Endophytic treated plot showed higher production than non-endophytic treated plots among all monoculture and mixed clones planting. Preliminary data suggests increasing functional diversity can result in overyielding. Increasing genetic diversity without careful consideration of clonal characteristics may decrease the productivity.