Containerized Seedlings

Arkansas Forestry Association
2011 Annual Meeting

Containerized Seedlings:
Delivering Performance

International Forest Company

Who is International Forest Company
• Oldest and Largest Producer of Containerized Seedlings
– 29 years of seedling growing
– Over 50 million seedlings grown in 2011-2012
– Longleaf, Loblolly, Slash, Shortleaf and Virginia Pine
• Experienced Staff
• Nursery Expansion in 2011
• QC/QA Program
• CMP Program for the Western Regions
• Largest Producer of Varietal Seedlings (CellFor)


Container Nursery


Historical Container Production
• 2005 – 2006: 36,300,000

• 2006 – 2007: 64,359,000

• 2007 – 2008: 69,401,000

• 2008 – 2009: 124,697,000

• 2009 – 2010: 132,000,000

Planning and Ordering Timeline

Ordering and Planting Timeline - Pine (Pinus sp. )
Year 1 Year 2
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Ordering Window /→ →/
Sowing /→ →/
Growing /→ →/
Drought Hardening
= Ideal Order Time for Best Genetic Availability
→/ →/
Cold Hardening and Storage →/ →/
Planting Window /→ →/


Custom Designed Trays

120S Tray 128L Tray

Precision Vacuum Seed Sower

Longleaf Germination Under Shade Cloth


Full Trays – Loblolly Germination

Pivot Irrigation System

• Uniform Irrigation

• Control Water
Flow/Pivot Speed

• Crop Uniformity

• Easy Management

• Air Flow – Root
Pruning

• Fertigation System


Top Pruning

• Increased crop
uniformity

• Increased
conversion rate

• Increased
seedling quality

• Control
Root:Shoot
ratio

• Increased root
development


Integrated Pest Management
Program


Uniform Seedlings and Seedling Counts


Packaged Loblolly Seedlings – plastic lined/wax
coated boxes lead to longer storability

Shipping Logistics
• Experience in seedling
delivery

• Extensive network allows
for fast turn around

• Boxes are palletized and
wrapped

• Corners added for stability


Extended Storage
• Containerized - 6 to
8 week storage time

• Bare root - 2 to 4
week storage time

• Containerized still
maintain higher
survival than bare
root even with
extended storage

• Increased flexibility
with planting
schedules

Planting Window
Year 1 Year 2
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Ordering Window /→ →/
Sowing /→ →/
Growing /→ →/
Drought Hardening
→/ →/
Year 1 Year 2
Cold Hardening and Storage Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct →/
Nov Dec Jan Feb →/
Mar Apr May
OrderingWindow
Planting Window /→ /→ →/ →/
Sowing /→ →/
Growing /→ →/
Drought Hardening • Container Window – September to May
→/ →/
Cold Hardening and Storage →/ →/
/→ →/
Planting Window
• Bareroot Window – December to March


Entire Root System is Outplanted
• Elimination of root damage during lifting and packing
(fine roots and mycorrhizae remain intact)

• Uniform moisture surrounding roots throughout plug

• Eliminate occurrence of J-Rooting at outplanting


Containerized
Stock

• Eliminates
need to root
prune by
planting crew


Machine or Hand Plantable



Cost of Planting
Containerized
Seedlings


Forest Landowners Magazine –
Sept/Oct 2009
• 2008 – 2009 Planting Season
– Rebecca Barlow, Matthew Smidt, Jennifer Morse and Mark Dubois

• Bare root Loblolly pine - Hand Planting, Cutover Land
– $56.18/acre with 598 seedlings/acre
• Bare root Pine – Hand Planting, Cutover Land

• Containerized Longleaf – Hand Planting, Cutover Land
• Containerized Longleaf – Hand Planting, Cutover Land
• Note – does not include cost of seedlings
23

Cost per acre
Bareroot $.05per seedling $.08 per seedling
Spacing Trees/AC Seedling Cost Planting Cost Total cost /Acre
12 ft. X 5 ft. 726 $36.30 $58.08 $94.38
12 ft. X 6 ft. 605 $30.25 $48.40 $78.65

Container $0.13 $.08 per seedling
12 ft. X 6 ft. 605 $78.65 $48.40 $127.05
12 ft. X 8 ft. 454 $59.02 $36.32 $95.34

Container CMP $.23 per seedling $.08 per seedling
12 ft. X 8 ft. 454 $104.42 $36.32 $140.74
12 ft. X 9 ft. 403 $92.69 $32.24 $124.93

Container CellFor Elite $.47 per seedling $.08 per seedling
12 ft. X 8 ft. 454 $213.38 $36.32 $249.70
12 ft. X 9 ft. 403 $189.41 $32.24 $221.65
14 ft. X 8 ft. 389 $182.83 $31.12 $213.95
16 ft. X 8 ft. 340 $159.80 $27.20 $187.00



Understanding
Genetics and Tree
Improvement


International Forest Company –
Research Cooperatives and Genetic Information
• Members of several university based cooperatives
– NC State Tree Improvement
– NC State Forest Productivity
– Western Gulf Tree Improvement
– Auburn Southern Forestry Nursery Cooperative
• Elite Genetics
– 1st Generation
– 2nd Generation
– 3rd Generation
– CMP
– Varietals
• Leased Orchards – best families available
• Orchard/Breeding Contracts – best available genetics
• Partnerships – seed purchases


Rationale: Genetic GAIN
Various Levels of Genetic Gain Available

Unrogued Orchard
Rogued Orchard
Single Family Blocks
CMP
Varietals

0 10 20 30 40 50
% gain

International Forest Company and
the Arkansas Forest Landowners


Arkansas Forestry Commission
Partnership
• Seed Partnership – Arkansas Seed Source
– Loblolly Pine
– Shortleaf Pine
• Seedling Partnership
– IFCO provides containerized Shortleaf Pine
• Pollen Collection – CMP Program
– Advanced Genetics for Arkansas Landowners


Additional Benefits IFCO Provides for
Arkansas Landowners
• Member of the WGTIP
– Access to genetic information
– Access to elite seed
– Access to expertise in the Western Gulf Region
• Partnerships with large Landowners in AR
– Deltic
– U S Forest Service
• Ability and desire to service all levels of
landowners in AR


To The Field


Published findings:
Impact of containerized seedlings on plantation survival
Blazier, Michael A.; Dunn, Michael (2008) Stock Type, Subsoiling, and Density Impact
Productivity and Land Value of a Droughty Site. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume
32, Number 4, November 2008 , pp. 154-162(9)

Containerized
100%
Bareroot
90%
% Survival

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%
1994 1998 2001 2003 2005



Planting Date Demo


Increased Growth and Survival
with Summer/Fall Planting

August Planted November Planted


Container Loblolly Summer/Fall Planting
Age 2 Data

14
12
10
8
6 Height ft

4
2
0
Aug Sept Oct Nov


Container Loblolly
Outplanted August 23 – Photo Taken October 21


Langdale Property Test Planting
Purpose of Study
Compare early August planted container seedlings to winter planted bareroot using
different chemical treatments

Study Design
1. All plots were bedded.
2. Treatments were as follows:
A. Chopper applied on beds ahead of planting
B. DAP impregnated with Velpar was applied after planting
C. Control was bedding only
3. Container Seedlings planted August 21, 2000.
4. Bareroot Seedlings planted during winter 2000-2001.
5. Three rows of 20 seedlings each were planted of each container and
bareroot of each species of Loblolly, Slash, and Longleaf.
6. Only the middle row of 20 seedlings were measured.
7. Container seedlings were planted 2 weeks after chopper application and
seedlings showed poor to no root growth 60 days after planting. This had some
impact on survival in chopper treatments with container seedlings.
8. As evidenced by controls, both chemical treatments affected survival.



First Growing
Season


Outplanted Containerized Loblolly
1 Year Old Test Plot


Seedling Height (inches)
1 Year Test Plot

50
45
40
35
30
25 Cont. Lob
20 Bareroot Lob
15
10
5
0
Pre Spray Post Spray Control


Age 3 Measurement
Control

Avg GLD Avg Height Volume
Survival (%)
(inches) (Ft) (Cubic inches)

Container Loblolly 90% 2.23 8.78 137.2

Bareroot Loblolly 75% 1.79 7.77 78.2


Age 3 Measurement
Pre-Treat Herbicide

Volume
Survival (%) Avg GLD (inches) Avg Height (Ft) (Cubic inches)
Container Loblolly 85% 4.23 15.63 878.6

Bareroot Loblolly 85% 3.49 13.80 528.1


Age 3 Height Comparison – Loblolly Pine
Containerized Bareroot



Shortleaf Pine


Examples from the Field

3 year-old
Container
Planting -
USFS

31
International Forest

What Can We Do For You?

www.interforestry.com


Containerized Seedlings

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