Field Day
* Was held on October 2, 2009.

FFA/Science/
Career Field Day
* Was held on October 1, 2009.

2009 Beef Tour

Research

People

Weather

Contact us
Superintendent:
John Poehlmann
2-44 Ag Building
Columbia, MO 65211
Phone: 573-882-4450
Email: PoehlmannJ@missouri.edu

Farm Manager:
Brent Booker
Phone: 573-743-6612
Email: WurdackFarm@missouri.edu

Donna Marie Thomas
MU AES Field Operations
2-21 Ag Building
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO 65211
573-882-4450
Email: ThomasDM@missouri.edu

Agroforestry is a title that encompasses five specific land management practices which incorporate trees, and their management, with productive farming practices. The five agroforestry practices are: Alley Cropping, Silvopasture, Riparian Forest Buffers, Windbreaks, and Forest Farming.

In 2003 the UM Center For Agroforestry initiated research on the Silvopasture practice on the UM Wurdack Farm. The initial Treatments were as follows:

While these treatments have been added to, efforts continue towards answering two primary questions from the UM Wurdack Farm Silvopasture Research Project: (1) What is the value of timber improvement and (2) What is the value of the forage produced?

In answering question number one tree measurements are being taken annually. These measurements emphasize parameters of growth, as they relate to volume of wood produced (mainly Diameter at Breast Height and log length), and quality parameters such as closure of any wounds as a result of logging activities and measurement of epicormic branching (development of small branches on the lower portions of a tree).

2005 New additions:

In 2005 an additional treatment was added with the intent of creating a design to better separate any impact of grazing and forage production on tree growth. Each of the new T1 treatments represents a new 1.25-acre plot. These areas will become our new control treatments. The areas initially identified as control treatments (now identified by T5) will now become areas that undergo forest thinnings similar to the already thinned areas, and that will have cattle pressure applied equal to that of the plots being grazed. This is being done to create a more complete design that allows the impact of cattle and grass to be separated with respect to their impact on tree growth and development. Supplemental feed will be given to the cattle while on these treatment areas. See Figure 1 for a layout of the MU Wurdack Farm Silvopasture Design.

In addition to the measurements taken on existing mature trees, 400 new trees have been established to initiate the second generation of forest on the Silvopasture sites. The newly established white oaks are containerized trees from Forrest Keeling Nursery. These trees were produced under the Root Production Method (RPMŪ) and have a large root system that should encourage good survival and early growth. We have established 400 RPMŪ white oaks and are now in the process of putting a 1.5 feet radius cage around each seedling. The cages are 60-inches in height and are designed to reduce, or eliminate, indiscriminate browsing by cattle and/or deer.

Futuristically we are considering placing weather stations on the different treatment areas (thinned forest, un-thinned forest/control, and open pasture). This will be in an effort to understand differences in micro-climate that may be occurring, such as relative humidity, temperature and wind speed. If we are able to move forward with this idea, it will likely not take place until the spring of 2006.

Figure 1. Wurdack Silvopasture Treatments superimposed over 2003 Aerial Photo (www.cares.missouri.edu)

First number indicates the Rep or Block, and the second number indicates the associated Treatment, with treatments as follows:

T1 - Control (no thin, no forage, no cattle, no soil amendments)
T2 - Forest thinning and soil amendments, no forages
T3 - Forest thinning, soil amendments, forage established
T4 - Forest thinning, soil amendments, forage established, yes cattle
T5 - **Forest thinning, soil amendments, no forage, yes cattle **
** Forest thinning yet to be done and no cattle yet introduced.

Site maintained by people at AgEBB
agebb@missouri.edu