Project Grant 20187000128752

TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS IN THE MISSOURI OZARK REGION ARE PASTURES AND TREES. WITH OVER HALF OF THIS AREA FORESTED, THE POTENTIAL TO INCREASE AGRICULTURE PRODUCTIVITY LIES IN CREATING SILVOPASTURE SYSTEMS, WHICH COMBINE TREE PRODUCTION AND GRAZING LANDS TO BENEFIT EACH OTHER. THIS PROJECT WILL STUDY THE BEST PRACTICES OF ESTABLISHING SILVOPASTURE SYSTEMS IN MISSOURI. WE WILL MEASURE THE DIFFERENCES IN PLANT ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH IN TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS: PLANTING TREES DIRECTLY INTO ESTABLISHED GRASSLAND, AND CONVERTING EXISTING TREE STANDS TO INTEGRATE PASTURE BENEATH THEM. WE WILL COMPARE TWO METHODS OF MONITORING TREE AND GRASS GROWTH OVER THREE YEARS WITH TRADITIONAL METHODS (MEASURING PLANT HEIGHT, CUTTING, WEIGHING MATERIAL), AND STATE-OF-THE-ART AERIAL DRONE IMAGING. THE RESULTING TRADITIONAL MEASUREMENTS AND HIGH-RESOLUTION DRONE IMAGES WILL ENABLE US TO BUILD PRECISE MODELS OF TREE AND FORAGE GROWTH AND HEALTH OVER TIME IN THE SILVOPASTURE SYSTEMS. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE VITAL TO ANALYZE SHORT-TERM AND LONG TERM ECONOMICS OF SILVOPASTURE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT.TWO GRADUATE STUDENTS AND THREE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT EMPLOYEES WILL BE TRAINED IN FIELD WORK AND RESEARCH METHODS. THE FIELD SITE WILL ALSO BE UTILIZED BY OVER 150 STUDENTS IN THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AS A LIVING LABORATORY FOR SEVERAL NATURAL RESOURCES COURSES. ADDITIONALLY, OUTREACH EFFORTS IN FIELD DAYS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS WILL EXTEND THIS INFORMATION TO LANDOWNERS, PRODUCERS, PROFESSIONALS, AND RESEARCHERS. THE OVERALL GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE TO (1) ESTABLISH AND PROMOTE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND METHODS FOR SILVOPASTURE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS, (2) ENHANCE SILVOPASTURE KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING, (3) DISSEMINATE KEY FINDINGS FOR BEST PRACTICES FOR SILVOPASTURE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT, AND (4) TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SILVOPASTURE IN THE MISSOURI OZARKS.