Agricultural & Natural Resources

Over the years, ACES has actively provided assistance to counties throughout the Black Belt Region in agricultural development. Representatives of ACES, located on Auburn University's campus, have developed new techniques and conducted valuable research in the areas of agriculture and natural resources. This research has been applied to many areas. Listed immediately below are five projects that have been conducted by ACES. Following this list are additional projects conducted by Auburn University faculty.

Alabama Fish Farming Center
Established in 1982, the Alabama Fish Farming Center is located in Greensboro -- the heart of Alabama's catfish industry. The center provides technical assistance statewide in all aspects of fish farming. Every year, the Fish Farming Center analyzes thousands of water samples, diagnoses disease cases and surveys pond sites comprising hundred of acres. Its staff, supported by AU's Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, the Alabama Soil and Conservation District, ACES, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA's Wildlife Services Agency, provides assistance in most of Alabama's 67 counties. Contact: Greg Whitis, Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Alabama Fish Farming Center, Greensboro, AL, (334) 624-4016.

Master Cattle Producers Training Program
This program was designed to teach Alabama producers everything regarding being competitive in agriculture. Over 1,450 producers from 41 counties have been certified through this program.

Agriculture
ACES*, along with the Alabama Fire Ant Management Project, established phorid flies, a major predator of fire ants, in Talladega, Lowndes and Houston counties. This creation has assisted with the curtailment of fire ants.

Greene County Study (1999)
The Greene County study is titled "Quantifying the effects of plastic tube shelters, wire cages, and fertilization on planted Nuttall oak seedlings" was initiated in 1999. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of deer herbivory on planted oak seedlings comparing three types of browse control: a) control (no protection), b) 4 foot tall wire cages around each planted seedling, and c) four foot tall plastic tube shelters. Examination of costs and benifits of fertilizer application at the time of planting and its interaction with the browse control treatments is also conducted. Contact: Dr. Edward Loewenstein, Assistant Professor of Silviculture School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, (334) 844-1069.

Sumter County Study (2000)
The Sumter County study is titled "Improving the reproduction of high-quality oaks in bottomland forests in Western Alabama" was initiated in 2000. The objective of the study is to improve the species composition, growth, and quality of tree reproduction following clearcut harvesting. To this end, the study was designed to examine the effect of three competition control measures: a) no treatment, b) midstory competition control via herbicide application, and c) midstory and understory control via herbicide; and the efficacy of planting oak seedlings following harvest to supplement natural regeneration. Contact: Dr. Edward Loewenstein, Assistant Professor of Silviculture School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, (334) 844-1069.