PLANTING COST, SURVIVAL, AND GROWTH ONE TO 3 YEARS AFTER ESTABLISHINGLOBLOLLY-PINE SEEDLINGS WITH STRAIGHT, DEFORMED, OR PRUNED TAPROOTS

To provide an objective approach for comparing various planting method s likely to differ in cost, seedling performance, and cost efficiency, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings were dug-hole or slit plante d with either straight, deformed, or pruned taproots, and planting rat e (seconds per seedling) and three-year survival and growth of seedlin gs were measured. The per-hectare cost of dug-hole planting seedlings to ensure straight taproots ($273) was over five times that of slit pl anting seedlings with intentionally deformed or pruned taproots ($50). Although third-year pine survival did not differ significantly among treatments (74% to 87%), yield index was 58% higher for seedlings dug- hole planted with straight taproots (1152 dm(3) stern volume/ha) versu s that for seedlings slit planted with deformed or pruned taproots (73 0 dm(3)/ha). Third-year cost efficiency (yield index divided by planti ng cost) of slit planted seedlings with deformed or pruned taproots (1 1.7 dm(3)/$) was over three times that of dug-hole planted seedlings w ith straight taproots (3.5 dm(3)/$). These short-term results suggest that the higher values of yield index resulting from straight-root pla nting do not justify its considerably greater cost.