Ferns As a Shade Crop in Forest Farming
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FERNS AS A FOREST FARMING CROP: EFFECTS OF LIGHT LEVELS ON GROWTH AND FROND QUALITY OF SELECTED SPECIES WITH POTENTIAL IN MISSOURI A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri - Columbia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science by JOHN D. KLUTHE Dr. H. E. ‘Gene’ Garrett, Thesis Supervisor May 2006 The undersigned, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled FERNS AS A FOREST FARMING CROP: EFFECTS OF LIGHT LEVELS ON GROWTH AND FROND QUALITY OF SELECTED SPECIES WITH POTENTIAL IN MISSOURI Presented by John D. Kluthe a candidate for the degree of Masters of Science and hereby certify that in their opinion it is worthy of acceptance. _______________________________________H.Garrett _______________________________________W.Kurtz _______________________________________M.Ellersieck _______________________________________C.Starbuck ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I thank H. E. ‘Gene’ Garrett, Director of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry who has patiently guided me to completion of this Master’s thesis. Thanks to my other advisors who have also been very helpful; William B. Kurtz, University of Missouri – Professor of Forestry and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Natural Resources; Christopher Starbuck, University of Missouri – Associate Professor of Horticulture. Furthermore, thanks to Mark Ellersieck, University of Missouri – Professor of Statistics; and Michele Warmund, University of Missouri – Professor of Plant Sciences. Dr. Ellersieck was very helpful analyzing the statistics while Dr. Warmund assisted with defining color with the use of a spectrophotometer. Many thanks to Bom kwan Chun who gladly helped with this study’s chores at HARC. Several undergraduates at the University of Missouri in the School of Natural Resources spent many hours helping me work toward the completion of this study. Sincere thanks to these students: Mitch Roberts, Jessica Beck, Jonathan Motsinger, and Jessica Bebb. Thanks for the support and camaraderie from the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Missouri – Department of Forestry. My time at the University was very important to me because of each of you. ii Funding for this project was provided by the USDA Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service through the Initiative for Future Agricultural Food Systems competitive grant program. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................... viii CHAPTER I............................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 PURPOSE ............................................................................ 1 OBJECTIVE ......................................................................... 2 HYPOTHESES..................................................................... 2 CHAPTER II ............................................................................................. 4 REVIEW OF LITERATURE........................................................... 4 FOREST FARMING............................................................ 4 MARKET DEMANDS FOR FERNS ................................... 4 MARKET STANDARDS FOR FERNS ............................... 6 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON FROND QUALITY ............ 10 EFFECTS OF LIGHT ON FROND COLOR ..................... 12 BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIALLY LIMITING FACTORS.. 19 CHAPTER III .......................................................................................... 22 MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................... 22 STUDY AREA ................................................................... 22 FERN SPECIES AND CULTIVARS.................................. 22 TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES ............................... 30 STATISTICAL ANALYSES............................................... 42 CHAPTER IV .......................................................................................... 44 RESULTS ..................................................................................... 44 SIGNIFICANCE OF F VALUES ....................................... 44 GROWTH INDICATOR RESPONSES ............................. 50 iv NECROTIC SPOTS............................................................ 60 COLOR RESULTS............................................................. 64 CHAPTER V............................................................................................ 69 DISCUSSION ............................................................................... 69 Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’ (Linnaeus) – tatting fern....... 69 Athyrium Filix-femina(Linnaeus) – lady fern........................... 70 Athyrium niponicum Pictum (Mettenius) – Japanese painted fern, ‘Silver Falls’, and ‘Wildwood Twist’ .................................... 71 Athyrium otophorum (Miquel) – articulate lady....................... 72 Dryopteris celsa (W. Palmer) – log fern ................................... 72 Dryopteris erythrosora (D.C. Eaton) – autumn fern.................. 73 Dryopteris marginalis (Linnaeus) – eastern wood fern.............. 74 Matteuccia struthiopteris (Linnaeus) – ostrich fern.................... 75 Polystichum acrostichoid (Michaux) – Christmas fern............... 75 EFFECTS OF SHADE (LIGHT) ON GROWTH INDICATORS.................................................................... 76 EFFECTS OF SHADE (LIGHT) ON NECROTIC SPOTS .78 EFFECTS OF SHADE (LIGHT) ON FROND COLOR ..... 80 CHAPTER VI .......................................................................................... 82 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ............................................. 82 SUMMARY ....................................................................... 82 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................ 84 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................ 91 APPENDIX A.......................................................................................... 97 APPENDIX B .........................................................................................100 v LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1 - - Analysis of grapefruit peel color after three heat treatments for quarantine control of Caribbean fruit flies............................................................. 19 Table 3-1 - - Suggested moisture and shade requirements for the fern species used in this study............................................................................................................. 23 Table 4-1 - - F value significance for measurements across all one-year old nursery stock tested in 2002 using a log transformation of ferns grown under treatments of 50 and 80 percent shade............................................................................................ 45 Table 4-2 - - F value significance for measurements across all two-year old nursery stock tested in 2003 using a log transformation of ferns grown under treatments of 50 and 80 percent shade............................................................................................ 46 Table 4-3 - - F value significance for measurements across all one-year old nursery stock tested in 2003 using a log transformation of ferns grown under treatments of 50 and 80 percent shade............................................................................................ 46 Table 4-4 - - F value significance for frond color across all one-year old nursery stock tested in 2002 (no transformation) for ferns grown under treatments of 50 and 80 percent shade....................................................................................................... 48 Table 4-5 - - F value significance for frond color across all two-year old nursery stock tested in 2003 (no transformation) for ferns grown under treatments of 50 and 80 percent shade....................................................................................................... 49 Table 4-6 - - F value significance for frond color across all one-year old nursery stock tested in 2003 (no transformation) for ferns grown under treatments of 50 and 80 percent shade....................................................................................................... 49 Table 4-7 - - Means of total fresh weight (grams) for all one-year old nursery stock tested by species in 2002 in the 50 and 80 percent shade treatments. ...................... 52 vi Table 4-8 - - Means of total fresh weight (grams) for all two-year old nursery stock tested by species in 2003 in the 50 and 80 percent shade treatments. ...................... 53 Table 4-9 - - Means of total fresh weight (grams) for all one-year old nursery stock tested by species in 2003 in the 50 and 80 percent shade treatments. ...................... 54 Table 4-10 - - Means for frond surface area, length, and width for all one-year old nursery stock tested in 2002 under 50 percent and 80 percent shade conditions. ..... 57 Table 4-11 - - Means for frond surface area, length, and width for all two-year old nursery stock tested in 2003 under 50 percent and 80 percent shade conditions. ....