TreeLines
November 2023 – 1st Edition
See the Difference: A New Take on MCP® vs. OP Stands
In reforestation, knowing what you want from a 25-year investment is the starting point for deciding what to plant. Understanding the differences between Mass Control Pollinated (MCP®) and Open Pollinated (OP) Loblolly pine seedlings is critical to ensure you get exactly what you want and, more importantly, what the timber market wants – or will want.
There has been a lot of news on the closing of pulp mills in the Southeast, but new sawmills and investments in existing facilities are still being announced. What’s a landowner to do? Is there a way to be prepared for ANY market?
Many great tools are available to landowners and forestry consultants now that help “see” the trees before you even plant them. Although MCP has been around for years, we now have mature stands that demonstrate the value we describe. Photos, videos, and onsite visits with Reforestation Advisors can give an accurate picture of the quality of advanced genetics.
The NC State Performance Rating System, a tried and true, respected classification of tree performance and verified third-party data support confirms that your decisions are right. ArborGen’s own internal breeding program and proprietary Seedling Calculator add another layer of knowledge to your decision-making. All of this information is available for landowners and forestry consultants alike.
Photo and Video Documentation: ArborGen has gathered a vast library of photos and videos.
These visuals highlight the physical contrasts and provide insight into growth and performance characteristics.
We would love to earn your ‘follow’ on our Instagram page.
NCSU PRS™ System: (PRS™ — Tree Improvement Program)
This system ranks the performance of the different families available on the market. ArborGen is a full member of the NCSU Tree Improvement Cooperative and will provides these PRS™ performance scores to landowners and foresters who want to be informed about genetics.
Additionally, ArborGen has its own internal breeding program which provides OP and MCP seedlings that exceed the performance of what is available as a full member of the NCSU Cooperative.
Not all full members have their own internal breeding programs. ArborGen’s MCP 2.0 is a byproduct of our breeding program and is excelling beyond what is available through the NCSU Cooperative breeding program.
Quantitative Tools: The Seedling Revenue Calculator.
This powerful tool runs growth and yield simulations based on actual market data that shows the financial outcomes of different seedling decisions based on specific physiographic regions.
You can watch a demonstration video of the tool below, and your Reforestation Advisors are available to do a personal demonstration to show how an investment in MCP would perform for you vs OP Loblolly pine seedlings.
There’s so much information to consider when deciding to reforest – it can be overwhelming.
Our Reforestation Advisors understand that and will work with you to ensure you have everything you need – and understand it – before making that investment. We take pride in advising you about your land as if it were ours.
Contact your Reforestation Advisor or Nursery to share your questions and objectives.
Planting is Starting: Keep Seedlings Cool!
Talk to an ArborGen Reforestation Advisor or Nursery Manager before planting trees that have experienced abnormally high or low temperatures.
Seedling survival will suffer if seedlings are exposed to excessively high or low temperatures.
The level of mortality is directly related to the length of exposure to these temperature extremes. An exposure to 80°F for two hours can significantly reduce survival.
Be sure to download the latest Seedling Care & Planting Guidelines, and request a copy when you pick up your seedlings.
DO:
• Transport seedlings in a refrigerated van with temperatures maintained between 34°F and 45°F whenever possible.
• Keep inside package temperatures below 60°F.
• Keep truck bed free from pesticides and other chemicals.
• Keep truck bed free from sharp objects.
• Promptly repair or replace torn packages.
• Shield seedlings from direct sunlight, wind, and temperature extremes.
• Minimize transportation time.
• Consider transporting trees at night.
DON’T:
• Allow seedlings to freeze.
• Ship trees without refrigeration when air temperature exceeds 70°F.
• Walk on or stack heavy objects on seedlings.
• Routinely open seedling packages to inspect seedlings. (Open only if the package has been damaged and/or been too hot or cold).
Did You Miss the Planting Density Webinar?
By popular request, we are sharing a video of last week’s webinar, “How Many Trees Per Acre: All About Planting Density”. The replay is available for a limited time in case you missed the live webinar last week .Get access to the webinar video today!
If you missed our recent Planting Density Webinar, the good news is that the replay is now available for a limited time.
This webinar offers valuable insights and expert perspectives that can make a difference in your results. Get access to the webinar video today!
Client Results
OP at 2 years
West, MS
70′ MCP® at 12 years
Williamsburg County, SC
A Forester’s Life Remembered
Laurens Keville Larson
1937 – 2023
We wish to honor and celebrate the life of Laurens Keville Larson and recognize his lifelong dedication to forestry.
Keville was deeply involved in many forestry organizations, including the Association of Consulting Foresters, the Forest Industries Committee for Timber Valuation and Taxation, the Forest Landowners Association, the Society of American Foresters, the Alabama Forestry Association, the Alabama Forest Resources Center, the Practicing Foresters Institute Trust, the Forest History Society, the Yale Forest Forum, the Coalition of Prescribed Fire Council, and the Seventh American Forest Congress and was a career-long Registered Forester.
He greatly valued the many friendships and broad exchange of knowledge these groups brought to his personal and professional life. Throughout his life, Keville was a strong proponent of private property rights and believed strongly in the controlled use of fire to keep forests both healthy and safe from wildfire, a practice and philosophy for which he was a strong advocate.
Austin Heine
North Carolina and Virginia
910-660-3209
Jason Cromer
Florida, Georgia
229-310-0648
Greg Hay
Arkansas, Northern Louisiana, and Oklahoma
501-350-4217
Shannon Stewart
Eastern Texas, Southern Louisiana
936-239-6189
Paul Jeffreys, Ph.D.
Alabama & Mississippi
Manager Special Projects & Sustainability
205-712-9582
Kylie Burdette
U.S. Sales Manager
Reforestation Advisor
South Carolina
864-650-4454
Jason Watson
Director, U.S. Sales
404-840-7489
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