Greetings forestry ning communities!

 

My name is Connor Youngerman, and I’m an extension support specialist at the Cornell Small Farms Program; my focus is agroforestry and mushroom production. 

We are currently working on a research grant to establish white mulberry as a silvopasture crop. White mulberry is the cornerstone of the silk/silk moth industry and has been cultivated by humas for at least 4000 years. It was brought to the US in the early 1600s, and Ben Franklin pushed for all landowners to grow a few trees (this was actually mandated by law in Virginia for a little while) to start a silk industry here. Obviously this never panned out…

But now, white mulberry is common in every state except Alaska. Though it is often classified as a moderately invasive species, this is largely due to its ability to hybridize with our native Red Mulberry, rather than its ability to dominate an ecosystem. Because white mulberry can grow in a wide range of pH, temperature, saline, alkaline, and altitude conditions, it has wide applicability as a resilient fodder crop across the US. There is a ton of literature from oversees that shows mulberry leaves as fodder improves gut health, and meat and milk production in cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and water buffalo; and can be used for chicken and fish production too.

 White mulberry can be managed as a tree (normally the case for shade and fruit), or as a coppice. Here, a stump is allowed to grow sprouts, which are harvested every year or couple years as a “cut and carry forage.” 

For part of our research, we are looking for populations of naturalized white mulberry trees that can be cut down and experimented on as a coppice. The goal is to have a few populations of 16 or 20 trees in 3 or 4 hardiness zones in NY. I’d cut the trees, wrap the stumps with a hardware cloth cone to keep the deer off, and monitor and sample once or twice a year for four years. We will determine how the pruning regime affects forage quality, along with other genetic and environmental factors. The focus is on wild individuals so we can get a sense for the existing genetics in the state, and provide results that are immediately useful to farmers.

 If you have some easily-accessible white mulberry trees that could do with a trim, I’d love to hear from you. Extra points if you have a grove...

 Thanks for reading!

Connor

Views: 15

Reply to This

Forum

Looking for white mulberry trees for research

Started by Connor Youngerman in Agroforestry Aug 14. 0 Replies

Greetings forestry ning communities! My name is Connor Youngerman, and I’m an extension support specialist at the Cornell Small Farms Program; my focus is agroforestry and mushroom production. We are currently working on a research grant to…Continue

How to get rid of buckthorn

Started by Randy Williams in Woodlot Management. Last reply by John McNerney Aug 2. 3 Replies

I have some property where the best timber was harvested several years before I purchased it.  There are now many areas where the buckthorn is so thick that nothing will grow under it.  I am looking for suggestions on how to get these areas back…Continue

Small-Scale Logging

Started by Peter Smallidge in Project Profiles. Last reply by John McNerney Apr 15. 4 Replies

Small-Scale Logging: Sugarbush and Woodlot Management Issue:  Many woodlot owners and maple syrup producers want to be more active in gathering logs or firewood from their property.  Often there are too few acres or too few trees to attract a…Continue

Tags: yourself, harvesting, woodlot, management, it

Replanting after timber harvest with climate change in mind

Started by Ben T. in Woodlot Management. Last reply by Patrik Schumann Mar 26. 1 Reply

Hi Everyone,I’ve been wondering what tree species are going to thrive over the next 50+ years as the climate warms in New York and I’m curious if folks are enhancing plantings of particular tree species for future commercial harvest with warmer and…Continue

Rust Colored Hemlock Bark

Started by Carl Albers in Woodlot Management Dec 31, 2023. 0 Replies

Picture of a hemlock with rust colored bark.  When I cut a nearby tree, also with rust colored bark, it was infested with HWA.  Attached picture shows a Logrite ATV arch in use.Continue

Rust Colored Hemlock Bark

Started by Carl Albers in Woodlot Management Dec 31, 2023. 0 Replies

The hemlocks in my woodlots have been infested with hemlock wooley adelgid (HWA) for at least three years now.  Lately I've noticed some of them having a rust colored bark and I wonder if this is normal and that I just didn't notice it previously? …Continue

How to control mature white pine and hemlock to allow enrichment planting of hardwoods

Started by Peter Smallidge in Woodlot Management Nov 28, 2023. 0 Replies

I had a question about control of mature white pine and hemlock to improve sunlight for enrichment planting of hardwoods.  Following is my response, but I would like to know if anyone else has any experiences to share with control of these to…Continue

Story in Northern Woodlands Magazine on Deer Impacts

Started by Brett Chedzoy in Woodlot Management Aug 8, 2023. 0 Replies

This Spring we had an opportunity to speak with writer John Litvaitis about the big picture of deer impacts on the hardwood forests of the Northeast.  I posted the original story from the summer edition of Northern Woodlands to the…Continue

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by Peter Smallidge.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service