Managing Crop Uniformity in Weyerhaeuser Nurseries
The primary goal during the culture of the 1+1 crop at Weyerhaeuser’s nurseries is to achieve seedlings that uniformly meet target specifications. Target specifications are based on a combination of morphological and physiological characteristics that improve outplanting performance. Morphological attributes include height, stem diameter, root volume, root fibrosity, root-to-shoot ratio, shoot and root form, and bud development. Physiological attributes include foliar nutrition, water potential, and pathogen load. Other tests which indirectly measure physiology include cold hardiness, root growth potential, and dormancy status. The nursery staff uses these various seedling attributes to create crop development curves for the first and second years of 1+1 culture. They also use in-house research and information from the literature to choose those nursery cultural practices that ensure 1+1 crops follow the target growth trajectory. This results in anticipation of important cultural decisions, choice of the optimal treatment, and, ultimately, the ability to cost-effectively grow and ship a uniform crop that meets the expected targets.
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Author(s): Erin Wallich, Thomas S. Stevens
Publication: National Nursery Proceedings - 2002
Event:
Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and the Forest Nursery Association of British Columbia Meeting
2002 - Olympia, WA
Section: Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association and the Forest Nursery Association of British Columbia
