Tall Crop Tactic
“So we’re really producing the same amount of fiber in a much shorter time,” saidMoorhead, a forest regeneration scientist with the UGA Extension Service. “We havethe ability to really intensify some production without putting more acres intoproduction.” “The seedlings have good survival,” Moorhead said, “and get some early diametergrowth.” Closer management is the key. Experts place the value of timber and timber products second only to broiler chickensamong Georgia farm crops. Forestry is worth more than even peanuts, cotton andvegetables. Farmers have begun to manage trees more like they do their annual row crops. Theycontrol weeds with herbicides and provide their tall crops the nutrients they need. “Where it once may have taken us more than 20 years to grow a certain amount ofwood, we’re now producing that in 12 or 15 years on many of our sites,” DaveMoorhead said. Managing pulpwood pine forests carefully, Moorhead said, can help maintain the treesupply that makes all of that possible. Georgia farmers are learning a better way to manage pines. And the tactical switch isenabling them to grow trees at least 25 percent faster, said a University of Georgiaforester. Fertilizing helps, too. Without needed nitrogen and phosphorus, the seedlings won’tgrow to their full potential. Applying fertilizer a number of times through the 12- to15-year rotation can help trees grow their best.
The extra fertilizer costs more. But Moorhead said it’s worth it. “You still get a goodreturn,” he said, “because you’re growing a lot of fiber in a short time.” That pulpwood is made into paper and paper products we use every day: writing paper,cardboard boxes, packing and wrapping materials and even napkins and bathroomtissue. Georgia leads the world in pulpwood production, Moorhead said. “The focus has reallyshifted to the South as the wood basket of not only the United States,” he said, “butalso the world.” The paper industry expects a 7 percent increase in worldwide demand for paper andpaper products through the year 2000. Moorhead said Georgia farmers can help meetthe demand for wood fibers with this intense management. Georgia-grown trees are used for many products. Some trees turn into buildingmaterials, others into poles and posts. But pulpwood uses, by far, take the largest part– almost 45 percent. Weeds and underbrush steal vital water and nutrients from young trees. Controllingthem, especially in the first few years after planting, gets trees off to a good start. Georgia’s 13 mills produce more pulp and paper than any other state. Almost 70,000people work in these mills. The Georgia wood and paper processing industry adds $3.5billion to the state’s economy annually.