Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Narrator>>>IMAGINE A FARM WHERE
TREES ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE
CROPS AND ARE CONSIDERED JUST AS
IMPORTANT AS THE ANNUAL CROP, IF
NOT MORE IMPORTANT.
AN IMPOSSIBLE SCENARIO?
NOT WITH ALLEY CROPPING.
IN THIS AGROFORESTRY PRACTICE,
TREES AND CROPS ARE INTEGRATED
INTO A FARMING OPERATION TO
CREATE A DIVERSITY OF INCOME
SOURCES.
ALLEY CROPPING IS BROADLY
DEFINED AS "PLANTING ROWS OF
TREES AT A WIDE SPACING, WHICH
CREATES ALLEYWAYS WHERE
AGRICULTURAL, FORAGE OR
HORTICULTURAL CROPS CAN BE
PRODUCED."
ALLEY CROPPING PROVIDES A
VARIETY OF BENEFITS TO FARMERS.
DAN SHEPHERD HAS ONE OF THE
OLDEST ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICES
IN MISSOURI.
Shepherd>>> SOME OF THE BENEFITS
OF ALLEY CROPPING ARE THAT WE
GET ANNUAL INCOME OFF THE GROUND
WHILE THE TREES ARE GETTING
ESTABLISHED.
ALSO, WE SEE A LOT OF WILDLIFE
WITH THE TREES, TOO.
WHERE THERE ARE CROPS GROWING,
WE SEE DEER, TURKEY AND QUAIL
UTILIZING THIS GROUND AND THE
TREES.
Narrator>>> PAUL SMITH
IMPLEMENTED A 20-ACRE ALLEY
CROPPING PRACTICE IN NORTHWEST
MISSOURI, NEAR CLAREMONT.
Smith>>> I GUESS I WAS A LITTLE
HESITANT AT FIRST TO PLANT
TREES: I WONDERED AT TIMES WHAT
SOME OF MY FARMER FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS WOULD THINK OF
COVERING GOOD BOTTOM LAND WITH
TREES.
MY WIFE REMINDED ME A FEW TIMES
THAT HER FATHER HAD SPENT HIS
LIFETIME CLEARING THIS OFF, AND
NOW WE'RE PLANTING IT BACK TO
TREES.
IN 1999, WE SEEDED THIS FIELD TO
ORCHARD GRASS AND ALFALFA.
THE FIRST CUTTING THIS YEAR
PRODUCED ABOUT THREE TON PER
ACRE.
I FEEL THAT I BENEFIT FROM THE
ALLEY CROPPING BECAUSE WE HAVE
A SHORT-TERM BENEFIT OF THE
CROPS BETWEEN THE TREE ROWS, AND
EVENTUALLY, MY FAMILY OR
SOMEONE ELSE WILL BENEFIT FROM
THE TREE CROP.
Narrator>>> FRANK THOMAS STARTED
HIS OAK AND HAY ALLEY CROPPING
PRACTICE JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS
AGO.
Thomas>>> I FIRST GOT INTERESTED
IN THE AGROFORESTRY PROGRAM
ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, AT WHICH
TIME WE SET OUT THESE TREES.
BEFORE THAT, THIS GROUND HAD
BEEN ROW CROPPED TO THE POINT
THAT THE EROSION WAS PATHETIC.
WE HAD MANY DITCHES THAT YOU HAD
TO PICK YOUR SPOT TO CROSS.
NOW, WITH THE HELP OF SEEDING IT
DOWN WITH THE TREES ON THE
CONTOUR PROGRAM, WE NOW HAVE ALL
OF THIS EROSION UNDER CONTROL.
I FEEL THIS IS A WIN-WIN
PROPOSITION: WITH THE FARMER, HE
GETS SOME HAY OFF THE GROUND,
AND MY CHILDREN AND
GRANDCHILDREN WILL HAVE THE
BENEFIT OF A TIMBER CROP, ALONG
WITH MANY DIFFERENT NUTS THAT WE
HAVE PLANTED.
Narrator>>> RON HESKETT HAS AN
ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICE ON HIS
NEBRASKA FARM, LOCATED JUST
BEYOND THE MISSOURI BORDER.
Heskett>>> I'VE ALWAYS HAD AN
INTEREST IN TREES, AND I WAS
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO GIVE ME
A HIGH RETURN PER ACRE ON MY
FARMING OPERATION, SO IN THE
SPRING OF 1993 I GOT ASSOCIATED
WITH THE NEBRASKA NUT GROWERS
ASSOCIATION.
THROUGH THEM, I LEARNED THE
GRAFTING TECHNIQUE WHICH YOU'LL
SEE HERE.
THIS IS THE BENCH-GRAFTED TREE.
THESE ARE BLACK WALNUTS THAT
WERE PLANTED IN THE SPRING OF
1997, THREE YEARS AGO.
I'M IN A CORN/SOY BEAN ROTATION
HERE, EVERY OTHER YEAR IS CORN
ALTERNATING WITH SOY BEANS.
I'M IN A 60-FOOT SPACING BETWEEN
THE ROWS AND THERE'S 30 FEET
BETWEEN THE TREES.
SINCE MY MAIN PURPOSE AT THIS
POINT IN TIME IS THE NUTS OFF
THE TREES, TO GET THE INCOME
RIGHT AWAY, WHEN THE CROWNS OF
THE TREES BEGIN TO TOUCH I'M
GOING TO BE ELIMINATING EVERY
OTHER TREE WITHIN THE ROW.
THEN I'M STILL GOING TO MAINTAIN
A 9-FOOT SAW LOG AT THE BOTTOM
OF EACH OF THE TREES SO THAT
FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN UTILIZE
THE INCOME OFF OF THE SAW LOG.
Narrator>>> LARRY HARPER,
AGRICULTURAL JOURNALIST AND
OPERATOR OF HARPER HILL FARMS
NEAR BUTLER, MISSOURI, HAS
PRACTICED AGROFORESTRY SINCE THE
MID-1980'S.
Harper>>> ALLEY CROPPING HAS
BEEN A PART OF OUR AGROFORESTRY
SYSTEM HERE AT HARPER HILL FARMS
SINCE THE BEGINNING, IN 1985.
WE'VE GROWN CORN, SOY BEANS,
WHEAT, CHRISTMAS TREES...
IN FACT, THE CORN BEHIND ME IS
AN OPEN-POLLINATED VARIETY THAT
IS COLORED CORN; WE GET AS MUCH
AS A DOLLAR AN EAR FOR THIS.
BUT PROBABLY THE MOST PROFITABLE
CROP THAT WE'VE GROWN OVER THE
YEARS HAS BEEN PUMPKINS.
WE'RE REALIZED AS MUCH AS $2,000
AN ACRE FOR THAT CROP.
Narrator>>> THERE ARE FOUR
BENEFITS TO ALLEY CROPPING.
FIRST, THE DIVERSITY ENHANCES OR
ADDS INCOME TO YOUR PRACTICE.
SECOND, ALLEY CROPPING IMPROVES
CROP PRODUCTION AS TREES
CONTRIBUTE ORGANIC MATTER.
THIRD, IN ALLEY CROPPING, TREES
CREATE A WINDBREAK THAT CAN
PROTECT CROPS.
FINALLY, ALLEY CROPPING PROVIDES
CONSERVATION BENEFITS.
IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS
YOU DESIRE FROM AN ALLEY
CROPPING PRACTICE, THOUGHT
SHOULD GO INTO THE DESIGN.
PLANNING THE DESIGN OF YOUR
ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICE STARTS
WITH IDENTIFYING YOUR PRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES...
DETERMINING TREE SPACING...
ORIENTING YOUR ROWS TO OBTAIN
MAXIMUM SUNLIGHT...
AND CREATING A MAINTENANCE PLAN.
JEAN GARRET, DIRECTOR OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI CENTER
FOR AGROFORESTRY, IS A
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADER IN
DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING
AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES.
DR. GARRETT HAS HELPED MISSOURI
PRODUCERS IMPLEMENT ALLEY
CROPPING PRACTICES FOR MORE THAN
TWENTY YEARS.
Garrett>>> THE DESIGN OF AN
ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICE BEGINS
WITH IDENTIFYING YOUR
OBJECTIVES.
ARE YOU IMPLEMENTING AN ALLEY
CROPPING PRACTICE TO GROW
TIMBER, NUTS, OR OTHER PRODUCTS?
FOR EROSION CONTROL OR TO
PROVIDE MORE WILDLIFE HABITAT?
YOUR OBJECTIVES WILL DETERMINE
HOW YOU PLAN YOUR ALLEY
CROPPING PRACTICE.
TREE SPACING IS CRITICAL.
IF YOU WANT TO USE TREES TO
CONTROL EROSION, TREES WITHIN
THE ROWS NEED TO BE CLOSE
TOGETHER FOR A MORE IMMEDIATE
EFFECT.
TREES GROWN FOR TIMBER MAY ALSO
BENEFIT FROM CLOSER SPACING, SO
THEY GROW STRAIGHT, WITH LESS
BRANCHING.
HOWEVER, FOR THE BEST NUT
PRODUCTION, PLANT TREES ON A
WIDE SPACING.
THIS ALLOWS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A FULL, BROAD CROWN.
HOW CLOSELY YOU PLANT THESE ROWS
OF TREES WILL BE DETERMINED BY
THE CROP YOU WANT TO PLANT IN
THE ALLEY.
IF YOU WANT TO GROW A
SUN-DEPENDENT CROP OR FORAGE,
YOU NEED WIDER SPACING, BECAUSE
AS THE TREES GROW, THE CROWNS
GET LARGER AND BEGIN TO SHADE
THE ALLEY.
THE MORE NARROW THE ALLEY, THE
FASTER THE TREE CANOPY WILL
CLOSE OVER IT, CREATING SHADE.
ONCE THE ALLEYS ARE FULLY
SHADED, YOU MAY HAVE TO SHIFT TO
A MORE SHADE-TOLERANT CROP OR
FORAGE.
YOUR EQUIPMENT MAY ALSO DICTATE
THE WIDTH OF YOUR ALLEYS.
YOU WILL WANT TO MAKE FULL
PASSES UP AND DOWN THE ALLEYS
DURING PLANTING AND HARVESTING.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE A
12-FOOT WIDE PLANTER, YOUR ROWS
SHOULD BE IN INCREMENTS OF 12
FEET.
ALLEYS OF 48 TO 60 FEET ARE NOT
UNCOMMON WHEN USING THIS SIZE
EQUIPMENT.
ANOTHER FACTOR TO CONSIDER IS
ORIENTATION OF THE ROWS.
THAT IS, WHAT DIRECTION DO THEY
RUN?
TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE
SUNLIGHT, USUALLY EAST-WEST IS
MOST DESIRABLE.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAVE HILLY LAND,
PLANTING ON THE CONTOUR WILL
HELP PREVENT EROSION.
TREES WILL ALSO REQUIRE SOME
MAINTENANCE: THE MOST OBVIOUS IS
WEED CONTROL, ESPECIALLY IN THE
ESTABLISHMENT STAGES, TO GIVE
SEEDLINGS A BETTER CHANCE TO
COMPETE.
THIS IS MOST COMMONLY DONE USING
AN HERBICIDE AROUND THE TREE
BASE BEFORE THE BUDS BREAK
DORMANCY IN THE SPRING.
NEXT IS FERTILIZATION.
IF YOU'RE GROWING YOUR TREES TO
PRODUCE NUTS, SUCH AS WALNUT AND
PECANS, THEN FERTILIZATION IS A
VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE
MAINTENANCE PROCESS.
IF YOU'RE GROWING TREES FOR
TIMBER PRODUCTION, IT MAY BE
LESS IMPORTANT, BUT CAN STILL BE
VERY BENEFICIAL.
PRUNING IS ANOTHER MAINTENANCE
CONSIDERATION.
WHEN PRUNING FOR NUT PRODUCTION,
PRUNE JUST HIGH ENOUGH FOR YOUR
EQUIPMENT TO PASS BELOW THE
LARGE CROWN.
HOWEVER, IF YOU'RE GROWING TREES
FOR TIMBER, YOU WILL NEED TO
PRUNE TO A GREATER HEIGHT TO
PRODUCE A HIGH-QUALITY SAW LOG.
THINNING MAY ALSO BE NECESSARY.
HOW MUCH YOU THIN THE TREES IN
AN ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICE
VARIES WITH SPECIES, SITE
CONDITIONS AND MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVES.
HOWEVER, SINCE GROWING
LOW-QUALITY WOOD IS NOT A GOAL
IN ALLEY CROPPING, TIMELY
THINNING IS CRITICAL.
Narrator>>> ONCE YOU HAVE A
DESIGN FOR YOUR ALLEY CROPPING
PRACTICE, YOU NEED TO DECIDE ON
THE TREE SPECIES BEST-SUITED FOR
YOUR OBJECTIVES AND FOR THE SITE
CONDITIONS ON WHICH THEY WILL BE
PLANTED.
DUSTY WALTER, TECHNICAL TRAINING
SPECIALIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MISSOURI CENTER FOR
AGROFORESTRY, WORKS WITH
LANDOWNERS IMPLEMENTING
AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES.
Walter>>> WHEN DECIDING ON WHAT
TREES TO PLANT, ASK YOURSELF THE
FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHAT TREES
DO WELL IN MY AREA?
CONSIDER GROWING CONDITIONS,
SUCH AS SOIL AND CLIMATE, AS
WELL AS THE POTENTIAL MARKETS
FOR YOUR PRODUCT.
IDEALLY, THE TREE SPECIES YOU
SELECT SHOULD BE MARKETABLE.
THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE WOOD
ITSELF AND OTHER PRODUCTS, SUCH
AS NUTS OR FRUIT, WHICH WOULD
GIVE YOU ANOTHER SOURCE OF
INCOME.
THE TREES SHOULD ALSO BE
COMPATIBLE WITH THE COMPANION
CROP OR FORAGE YOU CHOOSE.
SOME TREES PRODUCE GROWTH-
INHIBITING CHEMICALS, WHICH
AFFECTS WHAT YOU CAN GROW.
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE
TREES BE HIGH-QUALITY AND FAST-
GROWING, OR OF SUCH HIGH VALUE
THAT A MEDIUM-GROWING SPECIES IS
ACCEPTABLE.
ANOTHER CONSIDERATION IS THE
TREES BE DEEP-ROOTED SO THAT
THEY DON'T COMPETE WITH THE
CROPS OR THE FORAGE FOR
MOISTURE.
SITE TOLERANCE, OR HOW WELL A
TREE IS SUITED TO EITHER A WET
OR A DRY SITE, NEEDS TO BE TAKEN
INTO ACCOUNT.
IDEALLY, THE LEAVES SHOULD
PRODUCE A LIGHT RATHER THAN A
HEAVY SHADE.
THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT AS THE TREES MATURE
AND THE CANOPY CLOSES: THE
LIGHTER THE SHADE THAT IS
PRODUCED, THE LONGER YOU CAN
GROW CROPS OR FORAGES.
AND FINALLY, YOU NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE TREES ARE CAPABLE
OF PROVIDING THE PRODUCTS YOU
DESIRE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU PLAN TO GROW
TREES FOR NUT PRODUCTION, IN
MOST INSTANCES YOU WILL BE USING
GRAFTED STOCK.
Narrator>>> IF YOU DESIRE NUT
PRODUCTS, SUCH AS WALNUTS AND
PECANS, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO
GRAFT YOUR TREES.
NUMEROUS CULTIVARS OF WALNUT AND
PECAN ARE AVAILABLE THAT CAN
GUARANTEE HIGH YIELDS FOR THE
LIFE OF THE TREES YOU PLANT.
Heskett>>> THIS PARTICULAR
CULTIVAR IS A QUICK-CROP
CULTIVAR, THIS IS A BENCH-GRAFT,
SO MY GRAFT IS DOWN BELOW THE
GROUND, AND THE REASON FOR DOING
THIS IS I HOPE TO SOMEDAY HAVE A
9-FOOT LOG HERE I CAN SELL FOR
LUMBER WHEN IT GETS THROUGH WITH
NUT PRODUCTION.
Narrator>>> WHERE YOU PLACE THE
GRAFT WILL DEPEND ON YOUR
OBJECTIVES.
LOCAL RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS
WILL BE ABLE TO RECOMMEND
CULTIVARS FOR YOUR AREA.
IF PRODUCING QUALITY TIMBER IS
YOUR OBJECTIVE, IT IS IMPORTANT
TO UNDERSTAND THE GROWTH
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE
SPECIES YOU HAVE CHOSEN.
LONNIE MESSBARGER IS A RESOURCE
FORESTER WITH THE MISSOURI
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION.
HE HAS WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF
LANDOWNERS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR
AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES.
Messbarger>>> TREE SPECIES VARY
GREATLY IN THEIR GROWTH RESPONSE
WHEN PLANTED IN OPEN CONDITIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WALNUT TREES
PLANTED IN A SINGLE ROW GET A
LOT OF SUNLIGHT.
THIS CAUSES THEIR BRANCHES TO
SPREAD, CREATING A BROAD CANOPY.
IF NUT PRODUCTION IS YOUR GOAL,
THEN THIS IS DESIRABLE, AS MORE
CANOPY EQUALS MORE NUTS.
HOWEVER, IF YOUR END PRODUCT IS
A VENEER OR SAW LOG, LESS LIGHT
IS DESIRABLE.
WITH A LOT OF LIGHT, TREES GROWN
FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION WILL
REQUIRE INTENSIVE PRUNING.
SO HOW CAN YOU CONTROL A TREE'S
RESPONSE TO LIGHT IF YOU WANT TO
PRODUCE A VENEER OR SAW LOG?
SOME ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICES
ARE DESIGNED WHERE TREES OF
DIFFERENT SPECIES AND LESS
RESPONSIVE TO LIGHT ARE GROWN ON
EITHER SIDE OF THE DESIRED
SPECIES, CREATING A TRIPLE ROW
OF TREES.
THE CENTER TREE IS TRAINED TO
PRODUCE A STRAIGHTER,
HIGHER-VALUE LOG BECAUSE THE
TREES ON EITHER SIDE PRODUCE
ENOUGH SHADE AS THE CENTER TREE
GROWS TO PREVENT EXTENSIVE
BRANCHING.
CHOOSING THE CORRECT TRAINER
SPECIES IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE
YOU DO NOT WANT THE OUTSIDE
TREES TO OUTGROW YOUR CENTER
TREE.
IF THEY DO, THEY WILL PROVIDE
TOO MUCH SHADE.
Narrator>>> THE SHORT-TERM
SUCCESS OF ANY ALLEY CROPPING
PRACTICE IS DETERMINED BY THE
COMBINATION OF TREES AND CROPS
PLANTED.
AGRONOMIST DAVID LINDELL WORKED
WITH LANDOWNERS FOR MORE THAN 20
YEARS THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF
MISSOURI OUTREACH AND EXTENSION.
Lindell>>> THE CHOICE OF
COMPANION CROPS VARIES,
DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF TREES
SELECTED.
THERE ARE FIVE MAJOR GROUPS OF
CROPS THAT CAN BE GROWN IN ANY
ALLEY CROPPING PRACTICE.
ONE GROUP IS SERIAL OR ROW
CROPS.
FORAGES ARE ANOTHER GROUP.
SPECIALTY OR MEDICINAL CROPS ARE
ALSO GROWN.
HORTICULTURAL CROPS ARE
POSSIBLE.
FINALLY, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER
BIO-MASS CROPS.
Narrator>>> EVENTUALLY, AS TREES
MATURE IN AN ALLEY CROPPING
PRACTICE, THE SHADE IN THE ALLEY
WILL INCREASE.
THE RATE AT WHICH THIS HAPPENS
DEPENDS ON HOW WIDE THE ALLEYS
ARE SPACED.
THIS WILL REQUIRE SHIFTING TO A
MORE SHADE-TOLERANT CROP IN THE
ALLEYS.
DAN SHEPHERD TALKS ABOUT PECAN
TREES THAT HE AND HIS FATHER
PLANTED.
Shepherd>>> 30 YEARS AGO, WE
PLANTED THE SEEDLING PECANS 35
FEET APART IN THE ROWS, AND THEY
GAVE US A CHANCE TO FARM BETWEEN
THEM.
WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE ROW CROPS
OF SOY BEANS, WHEAT AND CORN.
SINCE THEN, THESE TREES HAVE ALL
BEEN GRAFTED, AND NOW THEY'VE
STARTED TO MATURE AND CANOPY
OVER.
NOW, WE'RE COMPLETE, SOLID NUT
PRODUCTION WITH THIS GROVE.
Narrator>>> BECAUSE THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF COMBINATIONS OF TREES
AND COMPANION CROPS, IT'S A GOOD
IDEA TO CHECK WITH YOUR
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE,
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION
SERVICE OR STATE FORESTRY OFFICE
TO ENSURE THAT YOUR PROPOSED
PLAN DOES INDEED OPTIMIZE YOUR
ECONOMIC GAINS.
ALLEY CROPPING IS A USEFUL
PRACTICE FOR FARMERS SEEKING
INCOME DIVERSITY AND
CONSERVATION BENEFITS.
INCOME IS PROVIDED IN THE SHORT
TERM BY PRODUCTION IN THE
ALLEYS.
LONGER TERM INCOME IS PROVIDED
BY THE TREES AND TREE PRODUCTS.
TREES ALSO HAVE A POSITIVE
CONSERVATION EFFECT.
IN OTHER WORDS, ALLEY CROPPING
IS AN IDEAL PRACTICE FOR
PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION
BENEFITS.
THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND FUNDED BY: