the black root rot, with 

 dramatic increases in pro- 

 duction of nursery stock. 

 Guides for nursery manage- 

 ment based on such 

 research have been summa- 

 rized in a southern pine 

 nursery handbook (USDA 

 Forest Service 1984a). 



Scientists have also known 

 for some time that tree 

 roots and certain fungi form 

 a sybiotic association called 

 mycorrhizae. Studies by 

 D.H. Marx, J.L Ruhle, and 

 their associates demonstrat- 

 ed that some fungi are 

 more beneficial than others 

 in improving seedling sur- 

 vival and growth. As a 

 followup to this research, 

 cooperative work with 

 Abbott Laboratories and 

 participating nurserymen 

 led to development of 

 effective techniques for 

 large-scale production and 

 use of preferred inoculum 

 in commercial production 

 of container-grown and 

 other seedlings (Marx and 

 others 1982). 



The search for improved 

 methods of obtaining desir- 

 able forest regeneration 

 also included the direct 

 seeding of pine in lieu of 

 nursery production and 



field planting of seedlings. 

 Effective procedures includ- 

 ing use of bird and animal 

 repellents, seedbed prepa- 

 ration, and timing of seeding 

 were developed, notably at 

 the Alexandria, LA, research 

 center in cooperation with 

 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service (e.g., Mann and 

 Derr 1964). Control of 

 stocking has been some- 

 what difficult with direct 

 seeding, however, and use 

 of repellent chemicals has 

 heen challenged on environ- 

 mental grounds. Foresters 

 have also pointed out that 

 genetically improved seed 

 may be used more efficiently 

 in producing nursery stock. 



Container-grown seedlings 

 also have been used effec- 

 tively in the South (e.g., 

 Barnett and McGilvray 

 1981). Studies have shown 

 that costs of producing 

 container stock are relatively 

 low, and site requirements 

 for producing container- 

 grown seedlings are minimal 

 (Guldin 1983). Container 

 seedlings also can be 

 planted over a longer 

 season, survival rates are 

 relatively high, and man- 

 agers can make efficient 

 use of genetically improved 

 seed. Getting such research 



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