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First year coppice production from a 5-year-old black locust stand on surface mine spoil

Conference · · Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)
OSTI ID:5340561
The utility of the fuel plantation concept, i.e., the production of biomass for fuel purposes on marginal lands, hinges on the ability to regenerate after harvest at a minimal cost. Black locust coppices readily; the wood has a high heat equivalent; it fixes nitrogen; and it can be established by direct seeding on surface mines in the Appalachian Region. In 1979 a project was established to study the nature of black locust coppice, and to test several cultural treatments on north and west aspects after harvesting a 5-year-old stand of saplings on surface mine spoil in eastern Kentucky. The treatments included fertilization, application of foliar insecticide (Orthene), and a combination of fertilizer and insecticide. After one year, the greatest coppice production (6.3 MT/ha) occurred on the west aspect in plots treated with insecticide and fertilizer. This treatment resulted in a 50 percent increase in biomass over the control plots, but it was not significantly different from the insecticide treatment, which ranked second. This may suggest that elimination of the locust leaf miner, which greatly reduces photosynthetic area, may significantly increase black locust production in the southern Appalachians.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Kentucky, Lexington
OSTI ID:
5340561
Report Number(s):
CONF-801263-
Conference Information:
Journal Name: Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English