AGROFORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER NEEDS FOR THE NEXT MILLENNIUM

AFTA

ASSOCIATION FOR TEMPERATE AGROFORESTRY Fall 2000 blankpage AGROFORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER NEEDS FOR THE NEXT MILLENNIUM

THE ASSOCIATION FOR TEMPERATE AGROFORESTRY COLUMBIA,MISSOURI FALL 2000

Funding for this project was provided by the USDA National Agroforestry Center. Photos courtesy of the USDA. blankpage Formed in 1991, the Association for Temperate Agroforestry Inc. (AFTA) is a private, non- profit organization. The mission of AFTA is to promote the wider adoption of agroforestry by landowners in temperate regions of North America. Agroforestry practices combine trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock to increase and diversify farm and forest production while conserving natural resources. AFTA pursues its mission through activities such as networking, information exchange, public education, and policy development. These include 1) the publication of a quarterly newsletter, The Temperate Agroforester, 2) co-sponsorship of the biennial North American Agroforestry Conference series (begun in 1989), 3) preparation of reports on agroforestry development and policy, and 4) serving as a liaison with regional agroforestry groups.

This report builds upon the 1997 AFTA report - The Status, Opportunities, and Needs for Agroforestry in the United States. The purpose of this report is to identify high priority research questions and technology transfer needs for the five major agroforestry practice areas: 1) alley cropping, 2) forest farming, 3) silvopasture, 4) riparian forest buffers, and 5) windbreaks.

Experts for each practice area drafted sections of this report. The report was then sent to AFTA members for review and comment. The final report reflects a consensus on high priority research questions and technology transfer needs by the AFTA membership.

To request copies of this report or learn more about the Association for Temperate Agroforestry, please write AFTA, 203 ABNR Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, or email [email protected]. Please visit our website at www.missouri.edu/~afta.

Agroforestry in the U.S. is defined as:

Intensive land-use management that optimizes the benefits (physical, biological, ecological, economic, and/or social) from biophysical interactions created when trees and/or shrubs are deliberately combined with crops and/or livestock. blankpage TABLE OF CONTENTS AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION ONTENTS C ABLE OF Introduction...... 1 ...... Alley Cropping ...... 5 ...... Forest Farming...... 9 ...... Riparian Forest Buffers ...... 13 Silvopasture . . .17 ...... Windbreaks ...... 21 T AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION I

t has happened slowly but surely. Over the too-subtle impact on the environment. NTRODUCTION last two or three decades dramatic Likewise, consumers and producers are engaged adjustments to farmland management and in a lively debate on food safety and I ownership have changed the face of the environmental issues related to the production American "farmscape." One alarming change is and consumption of genetically modified crops. that a significant portion of prime farmland and In the future, agriculture may be able to produce ranchland is being lost to development (e.g., sufficient food to meet the world's demand but converted to home sites, factories, roads, and production costs will rise and so too will the shopping centers). In the U.S. an estimated fifty cost of food and the potential for negative acres of farmland is now lost every hour of impacts to the environment. every day to development pressures. Similarly, forest cover in the U.S. has started to decline Agriculture Needs Agroforestry after remaining essentially constant since the 1920s. As the U.S. population continues to When the USDA National Commission on increase by three million each year, forestry and Small Farms Report was issued in January agriculture will both face the problem of 1998, it listed several recommendations on meeting an increasing demand for goods, as agroforestry and concluded that.... "USDA well as for an expanding array of services, such extension, conservation, and forestry services as clean water, recreation, and wildlife habitat. should make greater efforts to promote and More importantly, society will have to meet its support agroforestry as part of an economic and needs with a fixed or shrinking land base. ecological strategy for a healthy agriculture."

Agriculture and forestry share many goals and Today, many farmers and ranchers are over the centuries they have provided the struggling to make a livelihood on small strategic foundation for our country. Together acreage farms. They often have limited financial they comprise more than 75 percent of the land means and are seeking ways to maximize their use in the U.S. Too often there is a tendency to income per acre, while keeping their treat agriculture and forestry separately when requirement for purchased inputs low. addressing natural resource concerns. Yet, a Production systems need to become more high proportion of the watersheds and diverse. New crops and new production

landscapes in this country are an interwoven methods need to be embraced. Cost-effective S AFTA mosaic of both uses. Rural communities often alternatives that can meet environmental goals depend on both agriculture and forestry to and increase profits need to be available to remain economically viable. Solutions are producers. needed that build from a comprehensive, all- lands approach. Otherwise, it is like trying to A more diversified agricultural sector means TRATEGIC make a patchwork quilt without bothering to producers will need to select from a broad sew the pieces together -- everything comes portfolio of management practices; practices unraveled. that include science-based agroforestry technologies. Most agroforestry practices are Technology can provide some productivity designed to be readily integrated into existing gains as improved crops become available farm operations. In many instances, the through biotechnology and genetic engineering, adoption of one or several agroforestry practices D but the heavy reliance on fertilizers and can be the difference between profitability and IRECTION pesticides already is manifesting its own not- economic loss.

ULTIMATELY THE CHALLENGE WILL BE TO FIND WAYS TO SUSTAIN THE PROVISION OF GOODS AND SERVICES THAT SOCIETY DERIVES FROM FORESTS AND AGRICULTURE IN WAYS “…THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS.” 1 Forestry Needs Agroforestry

The U.S. made a commitment to sustainable • Riparian forest buffers on farms and ranches forest management when it signed the Santiago can protect surface waters from sediments, Declaration in 1995. However, there are places nutrients, and contaminants, while enhancing in the U.S. that are already experiencing aquatic habitats, producing marketable difficulty meeting society’s expectations for products, and sequestering carbon. some forest-derived benefits. For example, in

NTRODUCTION many areas land use fragmentation patterns • Fast-growing hybrid poplar trees grown on I across the landscape have resulted in the farmlands can treat agricultural waste and reduction of many plant and animal species that provide income for farmers, while helping to rely on forest habitat. In other regions there are meet the demand for wood fiber and energy. projections of inadequate wood supply. Insufficient water quality and aquatic habitat are • Farm woodlots can be used to grow specialty issues that now affect most regions. products such as ginseng or mushrooms under a modified forest canopy, thereby encouraging If society's needs and aspirations for forest- timber stand improvement practices. derived goods, services, and amenities truely are to be met, we must find ways of augmenting • Grazing/timber systems allow farmers to traditional forestry by gleaning some portion of generate an annual income from grazing these benefits from agricultural lands. For livestock under thinned forest stands while example: producing high quality sawlogs.

• Windbreaks can provide corridors across agricultural lands to connect forest fragments and increase wildlife benefits, while protecting soils, crops, and livestock, conserving energy, and producing commercially valuable products.

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IS NEEDED

IRECTION TO INCREASE THE INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING D AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN THE U.S. THIS NEEDS TO OCCUR THROUGH AN EXPANSION OF EXISTING STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCY PROGRAMS, AN INCREASED USE OF LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, AND BY EXPLICITLY INCLUDING AGROFORESTRY TRATEGIC IN COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANT AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS. 2 AFTA S I Agroforestry is Relevant to Many Issues NTRODUCTION

With more than eighty percent of Americans now living in urban or suburban environments, it has become increasingly important that the public understand that much of what it values is derived from agriculture and forestry. People need to understand that clean water does not just happen; that the food and fiber they consume and the wastes they generate have associated consequences and responsibilities.

There is no shortage of issues that agroforestry can help resolve. Although many resource professionals and landowners don't yet understand the full benefits of adding agroforestry practices to their land management portfolio, many are beginning to investigate the possibilities. Most farmers, ranchers, and communities cannot afford to plant trees or shrubs simply because it's the right thing to do. It's hard to be virtuous when you're in a daily struggle to make ends meet. But once a landowner in an area implements an agroforestry practice that successfully solves a problem, agroforestry often begins to "sell itself" to his or her neighbors.

Agroforestry practices are grouped into five categories: 1) alley cropping, 2) forest farming, 3) silvopasture, 4) riparian buffers, and 5) windbreaks. This document describes agroforestry practices within each of these categories and lists associated high priority research questions and technology transfer needs.

Overarching Needs

There are some common needs that apply to all agroforestry practices. More regional workshops and field demonstration projects can help illustrate both the logistics and the economics of an

agroforestry practice to resource conservation professionals and landowners. The generation of S AFTA educational materials, such as videos and “how-to” manuals, that provide specific guidance on how to design, install, and manage agroforestry practices, along with innovative extension/outreach programs, will facilitate more local adoption. The networking and integration among resource agencies at the national, state, and local levels needs to increase. TRATEGIC Since agroforestry is a hybridization of agriculture and forestry conservation and production technologies, landowners need to be able to evaluate the economic performance of an agroforestry practice against traditional forestry and agricultural cropping alternatives. In most instances there remains a need to better characterize the economic cost for establishment and maintenance of an agroforestry practice and its economic return. This must include considerations of financial risk and operational complexity. Region-specific economic analyses are needed that present information in ways that natural resource professionals and landowners can understand. In many areas landowners D are seeking advice on how to form cooperatives to harvest and market new products. IRECTION 3 4 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION • provide benefitsinmany settings: have practices beenshown to Agroforestry • • • • • • • • • Carbon Storage Soil Conservation Pest Management Water Conservation andLakesStreams Livestock Economic Benefit Habitat Wildlife Energy Conservation Energy Aesthetics pest cycles. Provides habitatforbeneficialinsectsandbirds.Presentsaphysicalbarrierthatinterrupts Sequesters large amountsofcarbonintreesandshrubsacross alarge landbase. streambank erosionandimprovesaquatichabitat. Protects waterqualitybyinterceptingsedimentsandagriculturalchemicals.Reduces Reduces lossofsoilorganic matter, nutrients,and soilparticles. crop andlivestockproduction.Improvesyield quality. Provides incomefromtreesandtheirproducts,while allowingforannualincomefrom Provides food,cover, nestingsites,andtravellanes. protects riparianzonesfromagriculturalrunoff. Reduces evaporationandplanttranspiration,beneficiallydistributessnowmelt, Provides plantdiversity, wildlifehabitat,andrecreationalcorridors. animal operations. Provides annualincomefromgrazing/timbersystems. Moderatesnoiseandodorfrom Protects livestockfromharshclimate,improvesanimal health,andlowersfeedcosts. Reduces energy costsassociated withfarmoperations. ------A ALLEY CROPPING LLEY C ROPPING FAS AFTA wo incomes in the space of one… produce high-value lumber or veneer logs. More Making a living from year to year off recently, fast-growing hybrid poplar trees are an annual crop is fraught with being grown for sawtimber in 15-20 year T uncertainty. Success depends on rotations. When nut-bearing trees are used, they weather conditions and favorable markets at can provide an intermediate product for sale. In harvest. Alley cropping systems provide a way addition to improving annual cash flow, these TRATEGIC to lower risk by diversifying production. In systems also protect annual crops from wind, alley cropping an agricultural crop is grown reduce soil erosion, and provide wildlife habitat. simultaneously with a long-term tree crop to Most row, grain, and forage crops, as well as provide annual income while the tree crop specialty crops, such as catnip or St. John's matures. Traditionally, fine quality hardwoods Wort, have been shown to grow well in an alley

such as walnut, pecan, and oak have been cropping system. D

preferred species, as they can be managed to IRECTION 5 ALLEY CROPPING - The level of investment in research on alley cropping must increase. More information is needed to provide the scientific basis for designing practices that can meet an expanding set of landowner and societal objectives. AFTA has

ROPPING identified the following high priority research questions: C LLEY

A RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What crop rotation systems and tree and shrub species are compatible in various regions of the country?

What is the combined yield of different tree, shrub, and crop combinations, especially conventional crops?

What are the optimal row spacings for different tree, shrub, and crop combinations?

How can weeds be controlled, particularly at the interface between tree rows and crops?

Which insects and diseases are significant problems and can beneficial insects be used in an integrated pest management system? IRECTION D TRATEGIC 6 AFTA S ALLEY CROPPING AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION 7 EEDS N RANSFER T - The level of investment in technology transfer on alley transfer investment in technology The level of - ECHNOLOGY T ROPPING C Guidelines for tree establishment by region. Guidelines for tree establishment for establishment and maintenance. Information on cost-share programs strategies and how to establish Educational information on marketing cooperatives. Region-specific technical information that provides suitability ratings for tree technical information that provides Region-specific and compatible crops. and shrub species Information on different manual and machine-assisted pruning methods. Information on different tree, shrub, and crop combinations. Regional economic data on common of financial analysis models that compare the costs and benefits Farmer-friendly various alley cropping practices over time. Information on the availability of plant material. Operational guidelines for managing trees, shrubs, and crops in various alley Operational guidelines for managing cropping arrangements. LLEY cropping must increase. Increased technology transfer efforts should focus on packaging focus on should transfer efforts Increased technology must increase. cropping professionals use by resource to facilitate their research results but scattered, completed, AFTA and landowners. needs: information high priority the following has identified A 8 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION F FOREST FARMING OREST F ARMING

ade in the shade… Many farmers develop the appropriate understory conditions, S AFTA who own woodlots are finding they like thinning less desirable stems and pruning can make money in the shade. lower branches on the eventual “crop” trees, can M Many high-value specialty crops result in the production of clean, knot-free wood are now being cultivated under the protection of of higher value as a long-term economic a forest canopy that has been modified to strategy. Shade tolerant crops such as ginseng, TRATEGIC provide the appropriate microclimate and light goldenseal, shiitake mushrooms, and decorative conditions. Meanwhile, the timber stand ferns are being grown and sold for medicinal, improvement activities that are carried out to culinary, or ornamental uses. D IRECTION 9 10 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOREST FARMING rdcinpatcs AT hasidentifiedthefollowinghighpriorityresearchquestions: production practices. AFTA increase. Moreinformationisneededtoprovidethescientificbasisfordesigningefficient F OREST What arethestart-upandoperatingcostsforproducingvariousunderstorycrops? How dotheeconomicsofforestfarmingcompare tothoseoftraditionalforestry? Will different genotypesofunderstorycropspeciesprovideproductiongains? production ofunderstorycrops? How compatibleareexistingforest/woodlotmanagementstrategieswiththe example theconcentrationofchemicallyactivecompounds? What aretheeffects ofshadelevelsonvalued-propertiesunderstory crops,for a forestcanopy, andwhataretheirgrowthrequirements? Which non-timberforestproductshavetheeconomicpotentialtobegrownunder mushrooms, ginseng,andotherspecialtycrops? understory shadeandmicroclimatefortheproductionoffloralgreens, What stockinglevelsareappropriateforvarioustreespeciestoregulate specialty forestproducts? What arethecharacteristicsofcurrentandevolving marketsforthemajor other agroforestrypractices,likewindbreaksand riparianforestbuffers? How canwoodyplantsthatproducespecialtyforest productsbeintegratedinto F ARMING R ESEARCH - The levelofinvestmentinresearchonforestfarmingmust Q UESTIONS FOREST FARMING AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION 11 EEDS N RANSFER T - The level of investment in technology transfer on forest transfer investment in technology The level of - ECHNOLOGY T ARMING F Financial analysis models of costs and returns to landowners from various forest Financial analysis models of costs and returns to landowners from farming practices. Information on region-specific marketing opportunities for understory species at marketing opportunities Information on region-specific retail levels. both wholesale and and specifications for understory crops. Information on buyer standards budgets for common understory crops. Region-specific production enterprise are compatible with various forest Understory cropping practices that stand improvement or shelterwood cuts. management practices, such as timber and sale of specialty forest products Handbook on the production, marketing, and improved cultivars. with specific information on species plant materials, such as fodder-producing Information on sources of agroforestry species, medicinal plants, decorative flowers, tree varieties, shade-tolerant fruit bioremediators, and handcrafts. OREST farming must increase. Increased technology transfer efforts should be focused on be focused should transfer efforts technology must increase. Increased farming by resource their use results to facilitate scattered, research completed, but packaging AFTA and landowners. professionals high priority the following has identified information needs: F 12 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION R RIPARIAN FOREST IPARIAN

BUFFERS F OREST B UFFERS FAS AFTA

ater matters…Many of the waters is a loss of aquatic habitat and high levels of in the United States are polluted to sediment and chemical inputs which lower the extent that they can no longer water quality. Forested riparian buffer practices W be safely used to supply drinking consisting of grasses, shrubs, and trees have water, for swimming and other recreation been shown to be an effective strategy for TRATEGIC opportunities, or to provide edible fish. Much improving water quality by intercepting of the loss of water quality has been shown to sediments, filtering excess nutrients, and be a result of non-point source pollution from degrading pesticides. They also can stabilize agricultural activities. Practices like cropping streambanks, protect floodplains, enhance and grazing often occur up to the edges of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, and provide

streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. The result landowners with harvestable products. D IRECTION 13 14 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION RIPARIAN FOREST BUFFERS R betvs AT hasidentifiedthefollowinghighpriorityresearchquestions: objectives. AFTA basis fordesigningbuffers thatcanmeetanexpandingsetoflandownerandsocietal riparian forestbuffers mustincrease.Moreinformationisneededtoprovidethescientific IPARIAN produce income-generatingspecialtyforestproducts? What treeandshrubspeciescanbeincorporated intoriparianforestbuffers to What isthepotentialofvariousriparianforestbuffers toprovidewildlifehabitat? levels ofcontaminantloading? How doestheeffectiveness ofriparianbuffers varywithseasonanddifferent designs overtime? What aretheestablishmentandmaintenancecostsassociatedwithvariousbuffer How caninformationattheplot/field/farmlevelbescaledtowatershedlevel? What managementisneededtomaintaintheintendedbuffer functions overtime? stabilization, andfloodprotection? and topography, influenceriparianbuffer functionsrelatedtowaterquality, bank How dolandscapeparameters,suchassitecharacteristics,landuses,hydrology, sediments, nutrients,andpesticides? management, influencetheirabilitytoprocessdifferent contaminants,suchas How dobuffer designcriteria,suchaswidth,age,vegetationtype,and What aretheabove-andbelow-groundcarbondynamicsofriparianbuffers? F OREST R ESEARCH B UFFERS Q - The levelofinvestmentinresearchon UESTIONS RIPARIAN FOREST BUFFERS AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION 15 EEDS N - The level of investment in technology The level of - RANSFER T UFFERS B ECHNOLOGY OREST T F Management guidelines for riparian forest buffers that allow for the economic that allow for riparian forest buffers Management guidelines the water. of trees that are not adjacent to usage or harvest An expanded USDA Conservation Reserve Program that provides cost-share streambank bioengineering and and land rental payments that include constructed wetlands. that design riparian forest buffers Educational materials on how to objectives along with providing opportunities simultaneously meet conservation for commodity production practices. operate at the regional level to gauge the Computer simulation models that designs and placements. buffer of different effectiveness in landscapes to identify the to identify and predict pollutant pathways Tools in the landscape. placement of riparian buffers design and most efficient with Listing and sources for tree, shrub, and understory species and cultivars potential economic value. Decision support tools to help determine on-farm financial performance of Decision support tools to help determine on-farm financial performance riparian forest buffers. IPARIAN transfer on riparian forest buffers must increase. Increased technology transfer efforts transfer Increased technology must increase. buffers on riparian forest transfer to facilitate research results but scattered, completed, focused on packaging should be AFTA and landowners. by resource professionals their use identified the following has needs: high priority information R 16 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION S SILVOPASTURE ILVOPASTURE FAS AFTA rees grow old but so do farmers… being used to design integrated timber/grazing Many farmers who own conifer practices in conifer stands that allow high value woodlots simply wait for the trees to sawlogs to be grown as a long-term product, T grow bigger and then take whatever while on the same acre, an annual income can price they can get for a once in a lifetime be generated from grazing livestock. TRATEGIC harvest. Unfortunately, the price often is low Silvopasture field studies have shown that the due to the lack of timber stand improvement "crop" trees continue to grow well, while the activity throughout the rotation. Thinning less level of forage production is similar to that of an desirable stems and pruning lower branches on open pasture. the eventual "crop" trees could have resulted in the production of clear, knot-free wood of Although it takes longer, it is also possible to higher value. Fortunately, agroforestry establish tree seedlings in an open pasture or D silvopasture practices are conducive to crop field. Trees must be protected from grass IRECTION promoting forest management, while generating competition and animal grazing until they reach forage production in the understory that is adequate size. In the meantime, the trees suitable for livestock grazing. displace very little land from grazing or crop production during the initial years of Recent research has shown that many cool- and establishment. warm-season grasses and legumes yield high levels of quality forage when grown under as Research has also begun to evaluate the 17 much as fifty percent shade. This knowledge is potential for silvopature with hardwood species. 18 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION SILVOPASTURE S FAhasidentifiedthefollowinghighpriorityresearchquestions: AFTA silvopasture practicesthatcanmeetanexpandingsetoflandownerandsocietalobjectives. must increase.Moreinformationisneededtoprovidethescientificbasisfordesigning ILVOPASTURE establishment andearly growth oftreeseedlingsplantedintoexistingpasture? How doculturalpracticessuchasmowing,herbicide, andcultivationaffect the practice, andwhatistheircompatibilitywiththe trees? What aretheforagepreferencesofcattle,goats, and sheepinasilvopasture various managementregimesundertreeshade? What aretheyieldandqualityofcool-warm-season foragesasaffected by How compatibleissilvopasturewithhardwoodtreespecies? Can supplementalproductsbeproducedinsilvopastures,suchaspinestraw? nutrients? How dothetreeandforagecomponentsinteracttocompeteforlight,water, and and single-speciesplantingsforconvertingopenareastosilvopastures? What istheefficiency ofmulti-rowandmulti-speciestreeplanting vs.single-row and qualityofwoodforage? What aretheeffects ofwidespacing,pruning,andfertilizationontheproduction systems toenhance biologicalandeconomic diversity? Can othercommercially viablespecialtyproductsbeproducedinsilvopasture Douglas-fir tosilvopasturemanagement? How compatibleareotherconifercovertypes,suchasponderosapineand - The levelofinvestmentinresearchonsilvopasturepractices R ESEARCH Q UESTIONS SILVOPASTURE AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION 19 EEDS N RANSFER T - The level of investment in technology transfer on silvopasture transfer investment in technology The level of - ECHNOLOGY T Region-specific production and economic budgets for silvopastoral enterprises. production and economic budgets Region-specific farm woodlots into silvopastures. Guidelines for converting coniferous enterprises into silvopasture. Guidelines for converting alley cropping and economics of on-farm timber Information on equipment, markets, processing. of tree and forage species. Information on compatible combinations of protecting newly planted tree seedlings from livestock methods Cost-effective damage. (e.g. Economic analysis models that are operational at the regional scale Agroforestry Estate Model). Information on silvopasture benefits for livestock. tree Information on benefits/problems of various types of livestock and combinations. ILVOPASTURE must increase. Increased technology transfer efforts should be focused on packaging should be efforts technology transfer Increased must increase. professionals use by resource to facilitate their research results but scattered, completed, AFTA and landowners. needs: information high priority the following has identified S 20 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION W WINDBREAKS INDBREAKS FAS AFTA

ind happens…. In the summer, hot windbreak's major function is to reduce wind dry winds deplete water resources speed. Therefore, a windbreak can be defined by increasing surface evaporation as any barrier that reduces troublesome winds W and elevating plant transpiration by creating a wind shadow to the leeward rates. Exposed soil can become subject to wind (downwind) side. An agroforestry windbreak is TRATEGIC erosion and unprotected crops can be stressed. one that utilizes single or multiple rows of trees Odors associated with livestock can be and/or shrubs that are integrated into transported long distances, as can spray drift agricultural systems. from the application of agricultural chemicals and dust from farming operations. In the What is new is the expanding array of issues

winter, the chilling effects of wind and drifting windbreaks are being asked to address. While D

snow often cause hardships to farm families and an extensive body of knowledge and technical IRECTION their livestock, as well as to rural communities. guidelines has been developed, past efforts have been concentrated on the use of field The concept behind windbreaks is not new. windbreaks to prevent soil erosion, protect crops They are also referred to as "shelterbelts" and from drying winds, and deflect blowing snow. have been used extensively in the United States Today, windbreaks are being used for a wide since the "dust bowl" era of the 1930s and now variety of purposes. comprise about 1.5 million acres. A 21 22 AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION WINDBREAKS identified thefollowinghighpriorityresearchquestions: has windbreaks thatcanmeetanexpandingsetoflandownerandsocietalobjectives. AFTA must increase.Moreinformationisneededtoprovidethescientificbasisfordesigning W INDBREAKS What istheeconomicvalueofreducedsoilerosion? the fieldlevelandnationally? What isthepotentialof windbreaks tostorecarbonabove-andbelow-ground at irrigation wastewaterandwastesfromanimalfeeding operationson-farm? How effective are fast growingtreespecies,suchashybridpoplar, attreating generate additionalincomewhileprovidingcrop andlivestockprotection? Can short-rotationwoodycropsbeeffectively designedintowindbreaksto effective aretheyin mitigatingodorsandreducingdust? What arethebenefitsofvariouswindbreakdesignsusedforlivestockandhow the landowner? Which designandmanagementoptionsprovidethebestdirecteconomicreturnto snow management? How dowindbreaksaffect cropwater-use, toincludeirrigationefficiency and What arethebenefitsofwindbreakprotectionforalarge arrayof crops? into windbreakstoincreaseeconomicreturnslandowners? How canwoodyspeciesthatproducespecialtyforestproductsbeincorporated cost-effective manner? How canolder, deterioratedfieldandfarmsteadwindbreaksberenovatedina landowner objectivesandhowcanporositybeconvenientlymeasured. How doesporosityrelatetotheeffectiveness ofwindbreaksforachievingvarious - The levelofinvestmentinresearchonagroforestrywindbreaks R ESEARCH Q UESTIONS WINDBREAKS AFTA STRATEGIC DIRECTION 23 EEDS N RANSFER T - The level of investment in technology transfer on agroforestry transfer investment in technology The level of - ECHNOLOGY T Economic fact sheets using existing data for crop production in association with using existing data for crop Economic fact sheets windbreak practices. of windbreaks on feed requirements, mortality Economic data on the influence feeding operations. rates, and animal health for animal Informational tools about windbreak practices that optimize the production of Informational tools about windbreak practices that optimize the farms. marketable specialty forest products to increase income for small Educational materials to promote proper windbreak management and renovation Educational materials to promote by the public. natural resource professionals and Learning materials to better educate forestry students on windbreak technologies. university agricultural science and Management and economic guidelines for harvesting timber or non-timber products while maintaining windbreak functions. Windbreak designs that maximize plant species diversity to reduce the negative designs that maximize plant species diversity Windbreak infestations on windbreaks. impact of insects, diseases, and weed INDBREAKS W windbreaks must increase. Increased technology transfer efforts should be focused on should be focused efforts transfer Increased technology must increase. windbreaks by resource their use results to facilitate scattered, research completed, but packaging AFTA and landowners. professionals high priority the following has identified information needs: