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Not for the Birds

Morkit, a dull gray powder that is repellent to birds, may remove the greatest obstacle to successful direct seeding of longleaf pine. In the past, many Louisiana landowners have tried to restock their longleaf lands by sowing pine seed directly in the field--in contrast to the usual procedure of planting 1-year-old stock grown in a nursery. Most of these direct-seeding attempts failed, largely because there was no practical way of preventing birds from eating the seed. Resident and migratory birds concentrate in November, when conditions are best for sowing, and usually cause heavy losses or even complete failure in a few weeks. Patrolling the seeded area during the germinating period reduces bird depredations, but it is expensive and never fully effective. A satisfactory bird repellent that can be applied to the seed would make seeding more reliable and reduce the quantity of seed required to establish a stand.


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Author(s): William F. Mann, Jr., Harold J. Derr

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Issue 20 (1955)