Silvopasture and alley cropping opportunities with hybrid poplar in northern Alberta, Canada. Gary Bank, Doug Macaulay, Florence Niemi & Nora Paulovich.
Silvopasture and alley cropping opportunities with hybrid poplar in northern Alberta, Canada Gary Bank, Doug Macaulay, Florence Niemi & Nora Paulovich Poplar Council of Canada Sept 2011
Murdoch Lake Project Location & Landscape •
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Murdoch Lake Research Site Summer 2010
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Initial Layout of Project Treatments and Replicates
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Original Research Hypothesis 1)That a poplar plantation produces as much or more biomass as a forage field. 2)That alley-cropping produces more total biomass than either mono-crop option. – That alley-cropping increases the yield of forage/acre compared to the forage mono-crop. – That alley-cropping increases the yield of woody biomass/acre compared to the woody mono-crop.
3) That mulching improves tree survival and growth 4) That cattle and poplars compatible (silvopasture) 5
Partners For Murdoch Lake Project • • • • • • •
North Peace Applied Research Association Ducks Unlimited Canada Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development Woodlot Extension Program (now AWES) Daishowa-Marubeni International Ltd AESA Reduced Tillage Linkages
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History of Murdoch Lake Project
• 2002 Plan for agroforestry demo suited to Peace area • 2003 Site preparation • 2004 Planting 17,000 hybrid poplars and seeding forage • 2005 Pruning trees due to vole damage + start of measurements
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Continued History of Murdoch Lake Project
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2006 Singling of every tree 2007 Singling some trees 2008 Research aims revitalized 2009 Cattle introduced, measurements intensified 2010 Measurements/observations continued 2011 End of 1st round of research
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2009
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M urdoch Lake Snow De pth Southe rn Transe ct (T3) Determining Snow Water Equivalent
0.80 0.60 0.40 0.20
Depth (m)
1.00
0.00 226
201
176
151
126
101
Distance (m)
76
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Trees
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Hay
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C o m p aris o n b e tw e e n o b s e rve d (B ank) and p re d ic te d b io m as s (K o rt, A m ic he v and J e an B ro uard fo rm ulas ), 6 ye ars o ld w alke r p o p lar 50
40
30
20
10
B io m as s (kg /tre e )
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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T re e num b e r K o rt, 0 .4 3 2 *x s e c tio nal are a(c m ^2 ) A m ic he v, 0 .0 7 7 0 9 7 *(D B H )^2 .2 7 0 4 B anK , V o lum e *D e ns ity B ro uard , (ff p i d s q /4 h)*D e ns ity = V o lum e *D e ns ity
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The Effect of Mulch Treatment on Tree Survival and Growth Rates 2007 Tree Survival by Treatm ent
2007 Tree Diam eters by Treatm ent 100
40
90
35
80 70
Survival (%)
DBH (mm)
30 25 20 15
60 50 40 30
10
20
5
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0 Alley Crop Trees With Mulch
Trees Only With Mulch
Treatm ent
Trees Only No Mulch
Alley Crop Trees No Mulch
0 Ally crop With Mulch
Tees Only With Mulch
Trees Only No Mulch
Alley Crop Trees No Mulch
Treatm ent
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• • What Would the Cattle/Tree Interaction Be?
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Cows & Trees
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Tree Damage After First Season of Cattle Interactions (N=548)
