Competition control for establishment of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) on lowland soil in Ireland.

  • N. Culleton Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford.
  • W.E. Murphy Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford.
  • R.R. Hicks West Virginia University, Morganstown, WV, USA
Keywords: Silviculture, weeds, herbicides, ash, Fraxinus excelior L., cultivation, planting.

Abstract

The herbicide glyphosate was used to control competing vegetation in an ash plantation on a fertile agricultural site in Co. Wexford. Treatments consisted of complete weed control, and strip treatments of 0.5 and 1.0 m width and no treatment. The strip treatments were coupled with mowing or not mowing the untreated grass strips. The best result after three growing seasons was for the 1.0 m strip without mowing, with a cumulative height growth of approximately 134 cm. The poorest performance was for the untreated replicates which had a cumulative height growth of about 45 cm. We speculated that competition for water and/or nutrients was the cause for poor growth in the untreated plots. The reason for the beneficial effect of leaving an unmowed grass strip between the tree is unclear, but it would appear to be related to a combination of nutrient availability and protection, from wind of the young plants.
Published
1995-11-01
How to Cite
Culleton, N., Murphy, W. and Hicks, R. (1995) “Competition control for establishment of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) on lowland soil in Ireland. ”, Irish Forestry. Available at: https://journal.societyofirishforesters.ie/index.php/forestry/article/view/9754 (Accessed: 28March2024).
Section
Articles