By 1983, research staffs at public universities in the South 
had reached 166 scientist person-years. The number of 
graduate students receiving McIntire—Stennis support also ex- 
panded rapidly, reaching more than 640 as early as 1975. 
With more-adequate funding of faculties and graduate stu- 
dents, the universities were increasingly able to qualify for 
special research grants and contracts as well enlarged State 
appropriations. 
The MclIntire—Stennis program also enabled universities to 
cooperate among themselves and with the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture in the planning of research programs. Univer- 
sities have worked through the Association of State Col- 
lege and University Forest Research Organizations 
(ASCUFRO) and its successor, the National Association of 
Professional Forestry Schools and Colleges (NAPFSC). 
In this expansion of university research programs, studies 
have been undertaken on virtually every aspect of the man- 
agement and utilization of forests and related rangelands. 
Several large-scale cooperative tree-improvement genetics 
projects, for example, conducted by university—industry— 
State forestry organizations in North Carolina, Florida, and 
Texas, have shown impressive results. The 29 cooperators 
in the North Carolina program have planted some 3 million 
acres with genetically improved stock estimated to yield a 
7- to 12-percent increase in cubic volume over woods-run 
timber. 
The efficiency of tree nursery management has been en- 
hanced through similar cooperative programs of research on 
weed control and seed selection. Other research coopera- 
tives have demonstrated that use of fertilizers can increase 
tree growth and yields by as much as 30 to 40 percent over 
a 15- to 20-year period. Still other examples of accom- 
plishments include data on growth and yields of planta- 
tions, hazard ratings for insect and disease infestations, 
guidelines for minimizing losses to fusiform rust, and com- 
puter models to aid decisionmaking in forest management. 
In the field of forest products, research on pulp and paper 
production at North Carolina State has been particularly 
important. Research on wood pallet design at Virginia Poly- 
technic Institute; on wood preservation at Mississippi State; 
and on timber harvesting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 
Auburn, and Mississippi State have also been significant. 
Research on forest tree improvement has led 
to the development of orchards for the 
production of genetically improved seed. It 
is estimated that the trees produced from 
this seed will yield a 7- to 12-percent 
increase in cubic volume over randomly 
collected, woods-run seed. 
