Rhodes Research and Demonstration Farm
Authors: Carl Mize (Iowa State University) , Joseph P. Colletti (Iowa State University) , Patricia Negreros-Castillo (Iowa State University) , E. Charles Brummer (Iowa State University) , Kathleen Delate (Iowa State University)
Trees are becoming an increasingly important component of the Iowa landscape. For tree plantings to be more common in Iowa two major problems related to establishment must be overcome: (1) intense weed competition and (2) a lack of market or non-market values for several years for newly planted trees. To develop information that addresses these problems, a research project was initiated during the spring of 1998 at the ISU Rhodes Research Farm. The objectives of the project are: (i) to evaluate the influence of seven weed control treatments [four small grain/forage crop combinations (oats and red fescue; oats, red fescue, and red clover; and oats, orchardgrass, and red clover; red clover and hairy vetch), one herbicide treatment (conventional mix of preemergents with additional control from RoundUp), mowing, and no treatment] on the survival and growth of two groups of tree species (fast-growing hardwoods [two poplar clones and silver maple] and highvalue hardwoods [red oak and black walnut as seedlings and from seed]); (ii) to evaluate the influence of seedlings of the tree species on the productivity of small grain/forage crop combinations, and (iii) to determine the cost effectiveness of planting trees with different weed control techniques.
Keywords: Forestry, Horticulture, Agronomy
How to Cite: Mize, C. , Colletti, J. P. , Negreros-Castillo, P. , Brummer, E. C. & Delate, K. (2001) “Forage and Tree Experiment (FATE)”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports. 2000(1).