Parsons, Kansas —
The beautiful grassland and native prairies of Oklahoma are under attack from unwelcome guests. The infestation of Eastern redcedars is expensive, unsightly and provides enormous amounts of fuel to wildfires.
“As you drive around central and western Oklahoma it’s clear that Eastern redcedar is invading our native prairie, and the best thing by far folks can do is to prevent that infestation from happening, either through prescribed burning or other good land management practices,” said Rodney Will, professor of silviculture with the department of natural resource ecology and management at Oklahoma State University. “But sometimes you miss that window of opportunity and the trees get too big.”
Once this happens, it is often very expensive to have these pesky trees removed. To aid landowners with the high cost of removal, researchers at OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources began looking for uses of the tree.
One alternative that was recently studied, using funds from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, was using the Eastern redcedar for mulch. While landowners probably won’t make any money off the trees, the mulch can help with part or all of the cost of removal.
The study examined the rate of decomposition, soil moisture, soil temperature and plant growth using redcedar mulch compared to several other common wood mulches. The results may be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
“In regard to plant growth and soil variables, redcedar has ranked among the best of all of the mulch types we are studying,” said Adam Maggard, NREM graduate student who worked on the study. “Basically, the bottom line is, if you like the way it looks, you should use it.”
And most people really like the way it looks. Throughout the study, surveys have been taken where people rank their favorite mulch based only on appearance. Redcedar mulch has consistently been ranked on the top of the list.
“Based on what we’re finding in terms of all of the effects on plant growth, I think folks should really consider using redcedar mulch,” said Will. “It’s locally produced, it keeps the money in the state, it increases tax receipts and in one small way helps to restore a degraded ecosystem.”
Adding more to the equation, aside from high appearance rankings, benefits to plant growth and soil temperature, moisture and nutrients, there is some anecdotal information that suggests redcedar may repel termites and other insects and hold together better, increasing its wind resistance.
“We want to look at that further,” said Maggard.£
Area Farm & Ranch News
Finding uses for invasive redcedar
- Area Farm & Ranch News
-
-
4-H members in SW Mo., fight hunger with program
Statewide, 4-H members are seeking donations from Missouri farmers for the Invest an Acre program as part of a 4-H Revolution of Responsibility campaign to find solutions to hunger through community service.
- April showers bring even more May flowers
-
Anaplasmosis prevention in beef herds
Anaplasmosis can be a costly disease to beef cattle producers. Anaplasmosis is caused by a blood-borne organism that destroys red blood cells and causes severe anemia, weakness, fever, lack of appetite, depression, lower milk production, jaundice, abortion and sometimes death.
-
Cattle management following drought
Cattle eat more when it gets cold. Local ranchers saw that with the recent large snows and are still seeing it with one of the coldest springs in recent memory. Dr. Justin Sexten, a PH.D University of Missouri State Extension Specialist,went over ideas for area cattlemen to use as their herds exit the late 2013 winter at the Andrew and Buchanan County’s Forage Management meeting in St. Joseph.
-
Spring crops field day set for May 22 in SE Kansas
Wheat and corn production will take center stage at the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center’s Spring Crops Field Day, Wednesday, May 22 near Parsons.
-
Improving drought damaged forage
Ranchers commonly ask what they can plant in the middle of a drought to give them plenty of forage. This was the first question for University of Missouri Plant Sciences Extension Specialist Robert Kallenbach on March 6 in St. Joseph.
-
Wet spring is good news for forage
Ask Robert Seay, Benton County staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, what a wet spring means for agriculture in the state and he'll turn to one of the newspaper clippings he keeps taped to his file cabinet.
-
Aphids and nitrogen loss remain concern to producers
According to Jill Scheidt, agronomy specialist with University of Missouri Extension in Barton County, most wheat in southwest Missouri has started to joint.
-
R.W. Hampton in Concert April 17
Well known Cowboy and Musician, R.W. Hampton will perform a free concert at Cowboy Capital Fellowship in Lenapah Wednesday April 17 following a free Chuckwagon feed that will begin at 6 p.m.
-
Parsons farmers market moving downtown beginning April 23
The Parsons Farmers Market will have a new home starting Tuesday, April 23. The Market, which has been at the Forest Park location for the past several years, will be moving back to Downtown Parsons at the request of the vendors.
- More Area Farm & Ranch News Headlines
-
4-H members in SW Mo., fight hunger with program
