Green Horizons
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greenGrowing tomorrow’s future today. horizonsWinter 2018 A newsletter from the Center for Agroforestry in Volume 22 • Number 1 conjunction with the Forest and Woodland Association of Missouri Editors: http://www.centerforagroforestry.org/pubs/newsletters.php Mike Gold, Hank Stelzer and Hannah Hemmelgarn Common Hardwood Response to Dicamba and 2,4-D By Brian Dintelmann, University of Missouri Weed Science The commercial release of dicamba tolerant Pecan trees are moderately sensitive to both soybean and cotton technology (Xtend) has given 2,4-D and dicamba. Pecan trees exhibited more visual farmers additional methods for controlling injury in response to dicamba compared to 2,4-D. problematic broadleaf weeds such as waterhemp that However when driftable fractions of glyphosate were are commonly found in Missouri soybean fields. In included with the 2,4-D or dicamba (as would occur the near future, Enlist technology will be released with most agricultural applications), pecan trees which confers resistance to 2,4-D in cotton and experienced more injury from 2,4-D + glyphosate soybean. The adoption of dicamba and 2,4-D tolerant compared to dicamba + glyphosate. The take home technology will lead to increased applications of these message is that pecan trees are likely to exhibit some herbicides. Increased applications of dicamba and 2,4- degree of injury if they have been drifted on with a D throughout the growing season on a larger number high enough concentration of either dicamba or 2,4-D. of crop acreage will likely increase the risk for off Oak trees are another common hardwood species target movement of dicamba and 2,4-D to nearby that can be affected by drift from dicamba and 2,4-D. sensitive broadleaf plants. Not only is this a concern Results from this study indicate that oak trees were for neighboring soybean farmers who do not plant found to be moderately sensitive to dicamba and Xtend soybeans, but is also a concern for specialty extremely sensitive to 2,4-D. Similar to walnut trees, crop growers, foresters, and homeowners. oaks did not show a great degree of leaf symptomology The influence of off-target movement of from 2,4-D treatments but exhibited more necrosis dicamba and 2,4-D on non-tolerant soybean has been and death of the shoot tip as well as stem cracking extensively studied, however, limited research has (Figure 3, on page 7). been conducted to determine the sensitivity and Figure 1. impacts of these herbicides on various hardwood tree Dicamba species. In an effort to fill this need, weed scientists at injury on the University of Missouri conducted a research trial Black in 2017 to investigate the sensitivity of various Walnut tree hardwood species to driftable fractions of 2,4-D and dicamba. Some of the hardwood species that were included in this study included black walnut, pecan, pin oak, and others. The results of this study indicate that different species vary greatly in their sensitivity to 2,4-D and dicamba. For example, black walnut trees exhibited continued on page 7 extreme sensitivity to 2,4-D but were fairly tolerant to dicamba. Although the risk for damage to black walnut trees from dicamba is minimal, it is important IN THIS ISSUE to recognize that at high enough rates, injury can still Forest Management............................................2, 7 occur (Figure 1). Conversely, 2,4-D caused severe Agroforestry.........................................................8, 9 injury to black walnut trees. At sufficient doses, 2,4-D Urban Forestry.........................................................5 caused necrotic growing points and ceased new Species Spotlight....................................................11 growth, in addition to causing lower stem cracking. Forest Industry...............................................3, 4, 10 The effects of 2,4-D did not create a large amount of visual leaf response but did cause more severe damage to the plant overall. 2 FOREST MANAGEMENT Winter Frost to Spring Fire By Rebecca Landewe, The Nature Conservancy Here are a few things to keep in mind: With winter days growing longer, spring will be around the corner soon. This late-winter window is a 1. Attend a training – MDC occasionally offers a time when many landowners are preparing for the new class for landowners to learn more about spring growth through the use of an increasingly prescribed fire. See Resources below for events popular management tool – prescribed fire, also and newsletter sign-up. known as controlled burning. 2. Prepare a burn plan – Work with a professional Fire is an important component of natural to have a burn plan prepared for your property. community management in Missouri, as it was a It is important to prepare a burn plan that regular part of the landscape before European outlines the best conditions for conducting the settlement. Many plants and plant communities are controlled burn. Humidity, temperature, and dependent on fire to thrive. Open woodlands, which wind speed are all critical factors to consider and are characterized by widely spaced trees and an ensure your burn is safe and meets your abundance of native grasses and wildflowers in the management goals. understory, require fire to maintain their character. 3. Prepare your fire lines (i.e., firebreaks) – Well- These woodlands, as well as glades, prairies, and other prepared fire lines are crucial for minimizing the grasslands benefit from the nutrient cycling and potential for an escape. reduced leaf litter that a controlled burn can provide. Turkey, quail, and other grassland birds respond well 4. Assemble your crew – Having a trained, to the food and habitat fostered by the use of fire. qualified burn boss to supervise the burn is Controlled burns also reduce the risk and severity of important (see NRCS guide). There are a few wildfires, improve pasture condition, and can be contractors available that can implement a helpful for treating certain invasive species. Talking controlled burn on your property. In some areas, with a professional forester and wildlife biologist from neighbors are helping neighbors with controlled the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) can burning through local Prescribed Burn help you determine if fire is a good tool for you. Associations. Talk with your local MDC representatives to see if there is one near you. Fire is not a panacea and also comes with some risk. The Natural Resources Conservation Service 5. Wait for the weather conditions outlined in your (NRCS) has a helpful guide that describes steps to burn plan – Be ready to cancel your plans if the conducting a successful controlled burn (https:// conditions are not correct or unsafe. efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/MO/ 6. Notify authorities – The day before or morning PrescribedBurn_InfoSheet_4_08.pdf). of the burn, notify neighbors, local fire departments and local authorities about your controlled burn. Prescribed burns require careful planning, photo copyright TNC (Tom Fielden) Resources: Photo copyright TNC (Tom Fielden) • Missouri Prescribed Fire Council – The Council is a group dedicated to promoting and protecting the use of safe and responsible use of fire as a management tool. The website has additional helpful information about prescribed fire: http://moprescribedfire.org/#the-council • MDC Contacts - https://mdc.mo.gov/regional-contacts?county=All • MDC Events - https://mdc.mo.gov/property/fire-management/prescribed-fire • MDC Newsletter Sign-Up - https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MODC/subscribers/new FOREST INDUSTRY 3 The Beauty and the Beastly Wood Villains By Lynn Barnickol, Actually Wood LLC and Executive Director, Missouri Consulting Foresters Association Wood turners, furniture makers, luthiers, architects, and saw millers are likely familiar with spalted wood and seek it for special one-of-a-kind bowls, pieces of furniture, guitars, and other stringed musical interments. Spalted wood is eye-catching, peaking folk’s curiosity about the unique figure, and wondering if the woodworker has studied art. Spalting is a natural condition in most woods. It's formed by competing fungi and is a continuum of decay from its initial or incipient stage of infection to complete destruction of wood. The pale colored hardwoods that frequently become spalted include hard and soft maple, sycamore, birch, cottonwood, hackberry, and beech. The dark lines, white pockets, and pigments of spalted sapwood of most trees can be easily seen. However, in the heartwood of walnut and other dark colored woods, spalting is difficult to see. The extractives in the heartwood of walnut, white oak and other durable woods may slow the spalting process. Spalting occurs in conifers, like pine, spruce, fir, and others. Certain species of fungi, typically soft and white rots, attack wood causing the pigmentation, white pockets, and zone lines. The competing spalting fungi are destructive and can invade both the wood and live trees that are stressed. The visual image created is that of the lair of a crazy science fiction villain. While the process of rotting is destructive, it is also a process of creating the spalted character in wood that’s in the initial stages of decay. As spalting fungal activity progresses, it becomes detrimental to the structure, hardness, and strength of the wood. The spalting fungi causing pigmentation of wood cells, one of the competing “beastly villains”, is a soft rot. The fungi deposits black, red, brown pigments within the wood, most likely in the lumen of wood cells. Sometimes associated with spalting is blue stained sapwood and the pink-red color in boxelder. Those are stains caused by other types of fungi and do not destroy the wood. However, blue stain is an indication that conditions are suited for the growth of many wood destroying fungi. Although blue stain can add character to wood, it’s considered a defect in high value lumber grades. White pockets develop from a white rot fungus, and are another “villain”. The feature is whitish as the cellulose of the wood remains after the fungus eats lignin and some of the hemicellulose fraction of wood.