THE SOUTHERN FOREST NURSERY MANAGEMENT COOPERATIVE:

30 + Yrs of Nursery Research

Scott EnebakProfessor & DirectorForest Health Dynamics Laboratory

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Nursery Coop is to develop and disseminate cultural, biological and chemical technologies in an integrated system for the economical production and utilization of forest tree seedlings in the southern United States.

THE SOUTHERN FOREST NURSERY MANAGEMENT COOPERATIVETM

Headquarters: School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University

Staff: Dr. Scott Enebak – Director & Professor Dr. David South – Professor Dr. Edward Lowenstein – Associate Professor Dr. Tom Starkey – Research Fellow

Tommy Hill – Forest Research TechnicianMarietjie Quicke – Research AssociateElizabeth Bowersock – Outreach AssistantPaul Jackson – PhD Graduate StudentBarry Brooks – Forest Research Technician

Auburn Nursery Cooperative

1970’s – State, private, federal and forest industries were facing critical pest issues that were affecting forest tree seedling production.

1980’s - Weed, insect and disease control technologies examined and developed.

1990’s – Seedling quality and out-planting survival strategies implemented.

2000’s – Representative of Nursery Community to EPA, USDA, APHIS regarding policy decisions affecting nursery business.

MEMBERSHIP 2009States Industry Private

Arkansas Plum Creek ArborGen

Georgia Rayonier Joshua Timber

Louisiana Smurfit-Stone CellFor

North Carolina Weyerhaeuser IFCO

Oklahoma Federal

South Carolina US For Service

Tennessee

Virginia 17 Members

Forest harvest intensity in the U.S.

= Coop Nursery

SEEDLING PRODUCTIONTotal Production Southwide

•1.045 Billion seedlings

1.0008 Billion bareroot conifer seedlings

36 million containerized seedlings

44 million hardwood seedlings

•The southern region produces 80% of all US seedling production

•Coop Members = 86% of all tree seedlings in the southern region and >70% of all tree seedlings in US

AU Nursery Coop Tech Note 2008-02

INCOME STRUCTURE

DuesFull member - $8,300 / yr

Associate - $4,150 / yr

Annual Income Dues$132,000

Grants $121,000

Total$253,000

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Personnel: 70% of annual Coop budget

Research Fellow – 1 Dr. Tom Starkey

Research Technicians – Half Time

Office Administrator – Half Time

Student labor – Full Time

Graduate Student – As Needed/Approved

Operating: 30% budget - travel, equipment, supplies

Personnel with SFNMC

Dr. Tom Starkey

Research Fellow

Personnel with SFNMC

Elizabeth Bowersock – Worked for SFWS 5 yrs.

Outreach Coordinator for Nursery Cooperative &Longleaf Alliance

Personnel with SFNMC

Tommy Hill – Worked for SFWS 24+ yr

Forestry Technician for the Nursery Coop

Barry Brooks –

Field Technicianfor Nursery CooperativeFunded through the USDA ARS – Methyl BromideAlternatives Program, South Atlantic Region

Marie Quicke –

Field Technicianfor Nursery Cooperative

Funded through the USDA ARS – Methyl Bromide Alternatives Program, South Atlantic Region

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Herbicide Testing & Labeling

Fungicide Testing & Labeling

Fumigant Testing

Seedling Quality

A typical nursery with weed competition ~ 1980’s

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Herbicide labeling

Goal Reflex

Cobra Stinger

Ronstar Devrinol

Poast Barricade

Estimated reduction in nursery weed control costs of 2 million dollars annually (based on 1975 costs)

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Nursery Coop efforts lead to the labeling of triadimefon (Bayleton) for Fusiform rust - Cronartium quercuum - control in nurseries.

•Best estimates indicate rust incidence fell from 2.5% to 0.01% of all seedlings.

•Pesticide usage fell from 4 lbs/ac/yr to less than 1 lb/ac/yr

•IPM at its’ best

METHYL BROMIDE

Backbone of nursery pest control

Soil borne pathogens

Pine weed control (particularly nutsedge)

Hardwood weed control

Seedling quality improvement

Nematodes

MANDATORY PRODUCTION PHASE-OUT IN 2005 THROUGH INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL TO PROTECT THE OZONE LAYER

METHYL BROMIDE

The Coop has coordinated a $1,800,000 research program over the past 13 years to find a methyl bromide substitute.

METHYL BROMIDE - Alternatives

The Nursery Cooperative filed a CUE on behalf of forest tree nurseries in 12 southern states. Nursery Coop was awarded CUE for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 by the “Parties” of the Montreal Protocol.

Have Provided testimony to Congress on MBr issues related to Montreal Protocol

Part of USDA Areawide MBr Alternatives - South Atlantic Region.

Identified possible replacements: Chloropicrin, Pic +, Dimethyl Disulfide (DMDS), Pic Chlor 60, Iodomethane.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Annual Contact Meeting

Nursery Short Course

Web Page for Coop only and public access

Research Reports

Special Projects IUFRO

Newsletter 2 times / year

Consultancy Functions

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Liaison to the Environmental Protection Agency for the Nursery Community.

• Crop Profile

• Regulatory questions

• Pesticide labels (FQPA)

• New Chemistry

• Re-registration

• Methyl Bromide Issues

FUTURE COOP ISSUES

Research Priorities Methyl bromide substitution Nutsedge & weed control Rust control Fertilization Seedling size & survival Biological treatments