Growing crops among trees in a managed forest can contribute to rural economic development, a group of LSU AgCenter researchers said during a presentation recently at the national convention of the Society of American Foresters.
The week-long convention brought more than 1,400 participants to Baton Rouge, said Buck Vandersteen, executive director of the Louisiana Forestry Association.
Landowners can take advantage of several approaches to growing timber, said Terry Clason, a retired LSU AgCenter researcher. A silvopasture is a land-use management system that integrates timber, forage and livestock, providing diversified marketing opportunities that can stimulate rural economic development, Clason said.
The interaction among timber, forage and livestock components is intentionally created and intensively managed, he said. This simultaneously supports a timber crop, high-quality forage and livestock production while sustaining the ecosystem. In addition to silvopasture, another practice is what Clason calls forest farming, where fruits and vegetables are grown under the tree canopy.
“The biggest management needs are tree spacing and establishment,” Clason said. Seedlings have to be planted appropriate distances apart to allow for the agricultural crops that will be grown and harvested. And fertility and other practices need to be managed to ensure the trees get off to a good start.
From KNOE 8 News: https://www.knoe.com/home/headlines/Landowners-may-benefit-by-growing-crops-among-trees-346920812.html