Growing Trees as a Crop

The development of very fast growing hybrid poplar trees makes it realistic to think about producing large volumes of wood in rotation cycles more common to agriculture than to forestry. Recent research in Minnesota has shown that hybrid poplars can be an excellent planting choice for conservation purposes or in wood farms to produce materials for fuel or wood products.

In comparison to traditional forestry, short rotation forestry includes thorough site preparation, fertilization, and careful attention to weed control. Compared to yields of 1 dry ton/acre/year in native forest strands, short rotation forestry (SRF) of trees can produce 3 to 6 dry tons/acre/year.

Hybrid poplars can be an attractive cash crop for landowners, especially in areas where trees were the native vegetation or soil and drainage conditions make farming of grain or row crops difficult. Hybrid poplars have been found to be tolerant of many insects and diseases and can withstand most harsh winter conditions.