’ Economics of Afforestation with Eastern Cottonwood (populus Deltoides) on Agricultural Land in the Lower

Higher prices for hardwood stumpage and changes in agricultural policies may favor afforestation on sites in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) which are suitable for Eastern cottonwood (Popu/us de/toides Bartr.). We examined the potential returns to a landowner growing cottonwood on three soil classes common to the LMAV. We specified the conditions under which we think such afforestation projects will be successful. Afforestation with cottonwood was a profitable investment under most conditions. Including federal cost-share, available under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), greatly increased profitability. Landowners interested in establishing oak-dominated forests can offset costs by interplanting cottonwood and red oak. Long-term management for cottonwood pulpwood can be profitable If coppice is included. On lower productivity sites, coppice Is probably necessary. INTRODUCTION The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley LMAV has undergone the greatesi conversion of bottomland hardwood forests to agriculture in the United ‘States. Forest clearing occurred as recently as the 1960 and 1970’s in response to increasing prices for soybeans (Stemitzke 1976). Today, some land that was cleared is available for afforestation. The Wetlands Reserve Program (VVRP) and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) are two federal programs that provide costsharing and easement payments for afforestation.’ Only the CRP, however, routinely allows planting cottonwood. The economics of cottonwood plantations has changed in the 15 years since Anderson and.Krinard (1965). Advances in chemical weed control technology have made it possible to grow stands on heavy clay soils to pulpwood rotations. Nevertheless, landowners must be committed to cawing out the full suite of site preparation and cultural practices to insure establishment of a fully stocked stand. DATA AND METHODS The methods for culturing cottonwood considered here are used operationally by Crown Vantage at the Fitler Managed Forest in lssaquena County, Mississippi. These techniques were developed from research (McKnight 1970) and experience. Costs are typical for nonindustrial landowners in the LMAV and based on our experience. Site Preparation Afforestation in the LMAV generally occurs on land converted from soybeans. Ideally, site preparation begins immediately following soybean harvest. If soybeans are combined with chopping and shredding, plant residues are a fine debris and pose no problems for afforestation. The first step in site preparation is double discing (discing in two passes, each perpendicular to the other). The cost of $5 per acre per pass only includes operator wages and fuel, as we assume that the landowner is a farmer and already has the needed equipment. Next, the soil is ripped in the planting row with a straight shank to facilitate planting. Cost is estimated at $10 per acre. If a traffic pan has developed, subsoiling must be done in the previous year. The distance between plants within a row (12 ft) is marked by pulling a bar in another pass perpendicular to the planting row. This treatment is necessary to insure uniform spacing within and between rows to allow effective cultivation during the growing season. Marking costs $5 per acre. Nitrogen fertilizer as a liquid is added to the planting sli! made by the rippi?g shank in the same pass. This requires specialized equipment to place the fertilizer 18 to 20 in. deep in the slit. Currently thi$ .costs $15 per acre for 80 Ibs. of nitrogen. Site preparation should be completed in the fall. On Sharkey (Vertic Haplaquepts) and other expanding clay soils, undergoing several wetting and drying cycles is essential for the slit and drying cycles (from precipitation) in order for fine particles to fill the slit. Otherwise, soil drying in the spring and summer will cause the soil to crack along the planting slit, exposing tiee robts to desiccation. These treatments, including fertilizaiiori, cost $40 per acre. Planting Cottonwood cuttings of 16Io 18-in. lengths are planted by hand from December through March. Espacembnt for 12 ft by 12 ft results in 302 stems per acre. Improved cuttings are available for approximately $200 per thousand cuttings. Material costs are $60.40, and labor costs are $18 per acre for planting. Cultural Treatments Control of competing vegetation is critical during the first growing season because cottonwood is extremely intolerant of shading. A pre-emergent herbicide is sprayed in a 3-ft band centered on the planting row. This should be done over the top of dormant cuttings, between December and mid-February. Chemicals presently used are Goal 2XL, 64 oz per acre and Gramoxone Extra (non-crop label), 32 oz per acre. These chemicals cost $10.88 and $2 per acre, respectively, in 1998-99. Chemicals can be applied in a tank mix with 80-20 nonionic surfactant, 1 percent solution, costing $0.25 per acre. This can applied with ground equipment, such as a rubber-tired, 90 horsepower farm tractor. Readiness to spray is critical, as sufficient dry periods are scarce at this time of year. A banded spray of ’ Paper presented at the Tenth Biennial Southern Sllviculturel Research Conference, Shreveport, LA, February 16-l&1999. * Research Ecologist and Project Leader, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, Stoneville, MS 36776: and Forest Manager, Crown Vantage, Vicksburg, MS 39160, respectively.