Controlling True Fir Leader Controlling True Fir Leader Length with NAA- An UpdateLength with NAA- An Update

Chal Landgren, Rick Fletcher, Mike Bondi, Manuela Huso- OSUJoe Cacka- Research Agronomist, WFS

EasyRoller in Use on noble fir

Leader Growth in Abies

• Noble and Nordmann fir tends to “bolt” in the years prior to harvest, leaving trees that are open in the tops and bushy near the ground.

• Leaders exceeding 20 inches (50 cm) are not uncommon during good growth years.

Success= Intact Leaders within Target Length

Failure= Dead leader (or too short, too wavy, or semi dead)

Intermediate Impacts from NAA on Leaders

Important Variables

• Leader growth potential and weather impacts are unknown before treatment.

• Growers will need to understand site/source growth potential beforehand

• It is a numbers game- some trees will be too short, some still too long, some will show damage at any rate.

• Damage is not “life threatening”

Study Details-2006 trails

• Trees within 3-5 ft. , leader intact

• Leaders 2-8” at treatment (we treated longer, but did not include data)

• 50 healthy trees/treatment/site- approx.

• 200 trees for each treatment across sites.

• One site too short

• Separate container/roller for each treatment

Nordmann Fir Leader Controls

(% Leaders within Target Length)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Control 40 80 120 160 250

Treatments

>14 in.

8-14 in.

<8 in.

2005 Nordmann Fir Results Summary- 3 Plots

Leader Damage -NordmannNordmann Fir

(% Damaged)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

ml/L Sucker-Stopper RTU

% o

f le

ad

ers

wavy o

r

dead

Noble Fir Leader Controls

(% Leaders Within Target Length)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Control 40 80 120 160 250 500

Treatment

>14 in

8-14 in.

<8 in.

2005 Noble Fir Results Summary- 4 Plots

Leader Damage -Noble

Noble fir (% Damaged)

0%10%

20%30%40%

50%60%

0 80 160 240 320 400 480 560

ml/L of Sucker-Stopper RTU

% L

ea

de

rs w

av

y o

r d

ea

d

2006 Noble NAA Leader Results-Average Length

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Schmidlin Helmig Low Holiday

control

40

80

120

160

250

500

NAA impact on buds and leader

At high rates can see smaller buds form on leader, unknown impact

Red streaks may follow leader where rollers touch

Needles red and twisting

Higher % of buds on upper % of Leader

  Noble fir Nordmann fir

  Phytotoxicity Phytotoxicity

Surfactant/Treatment Rating* Rating*

UTC 0.09 0.00

Oranj-All 0.25% 0.73 0.04

Oranj-All 0.5% 0.72 0.09

Oranj-All 1.0% 0.73 0.00

COC 0.25% 0.26 0.08

COC 0.5% 0.29 0.14

COC 1.0% 0.15 0.11

MSO 0.25% 0.75 0.12

MSO 0.5% 0.78 0.11

MSO 1.0% 1.05 0.04

A Plus Spreader 0.25% 0.4 0.05

A Plus Spreader 0.5% 0.4 0.23

A Plus Spreader 1.0% 0.59 0.08

Solar 0.25% 0.79 0.03

Solar 0.5% 0.85 0.04

Solar 1.0% 1.01 0.04

BreakThru 0.05% 0.21 0.09

BreakThru 0.1% 0.23 0.13

BreakThru 0.2% 0.5 0.08

Ag300 0.25% 0.4 0.05

Ag300 0.5% 0.39 0.25

Ag300 1.0% 0.7 0.28

Surfactants TestedProduct Name Product Type Active ingredient

First Choice Oranj-All

d-Limonene Paraflinic hydrocarbons, d-Limonene, Polyoxyethylene glycols, isopropylamine dodecylbenzene sulfonate, Ethylene glycol monobulyl ether --- 100%

First Choice Crop Oil Concentrate

Crop Oil Concentrate Paraffin-based petroleum oil, Polyol fatty acid esters and Polyethoxylated derivatives thereof – 99.9%

First Choice M.S.O.

Methylated Seed Oil Methylated Soybean oil, Alkyphenol Ethoxylate – 100%

First Choice A Plus Spreader

Non-ionic surfactant, spreader-activator and defoaming agent

Alkylphenol Ethoxylate, Glycols, Free Fatty Acids, Dimethylsilioxane ---- 90%

First Choice Break Thru

Organosilicone 100% Polyether-polymethylsiloxane-copolyer

First Choice Solar Methylated Seed Oil with Organosilicone

Proprietary blend of polyalkyleneoxide modified polydimethylsiloxane nonionic emulsifiers and Methylated vegetable oil --- 99%

Ag300 Liquid enzyme preparation Amyloglucosidase/ Glucoamylase

Surfactant ObservationsTreatments Application

Observation

Untreated Control n/a

Sucker-Stopper (SS) Heavy beading

SS + First Choice Oranj-All 0.5%

SmoothNo beading

SS + First Choice Crop Oil Concentrate 0.5%

ModerateBeading

SS + First Choice MSO 0.5%

SmoothNo beading

SS+ First Choice A Plus Spreader 0.5%

SmoothNo beading

SS + First Choice Solar 0.5%

Moderate Beading

SS + First Choice BreakThru 0.05% Splatters and Drips easily

SS + Ag300 0.5% Very little Beading

Fate of Trees the Next YearFull Strength- Nordmann

2005 2006