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  Agronomic Crops Developed in Alaska

  Van Veldhuizen, Bob M.; Zhang, Mingchu; Knight, Charles W. (University of Alaska Fairbanks. Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, 2014)
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  Managing Wild Bog Blueberry, Lingonberry, Cloudberry and Crowberry Stands in Alaska

  Holloway, Patricia S. (Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2006-08)

  This publication summarizes some possible practices for managing wild berry stands in Alaska. The goal is to stimulate local experimentation with practices that have been useful elsewhere in the circumpolar North.
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  Caring for Black or White Spruce Christmas Trees

  Malone, Tom; Richmond, Allen P. (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1988)
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  Sustainable Livestock Production in Alaska: Workshop White Paper

  Rowell, J.E.; Shipka, M.P.; Greenberg, J.A.; Gerlach, S.C.; Paragi, T. (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2013)
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  The State of the Alaska Peony Industry 2012

  Holloway, Patricia S.; Buchholz, Kathleen (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2013)

  Tracking the growth and development of a new industry is critical to the assessment of its success. Growers, industry support groups, government leaders, educational and research organizations and more use basic statistics on crop production, markets, and growth over time to support and fund activities that promote this industry. Annual statistics also provide an indicator of industry health and can be used to develop models of long-term trends in industry growth. Beginning in 2011, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station began compiling industry statistics. We summarize confidential grower information to provide baseline data that the industry can use to obtain funding, make business decisions, and promote their industry.
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  Two Thousand Years of Peonies: Lessons for Alaska Peony Growers

  Zhang, Mingchu (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2013)

  The UAF School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences and Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station have been working for the last decade on a long-term project exploring the potential for the cut flower market in the 49th state—which looks to have significant potential.
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  Final Report: Germination of water sedge, Carex aquatilis, and cotton sedge, Eriophorum angustifolium, from Arctic coastal wetlands, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

  Holloway, Patricia S.; Willison, M. Sean; Sparrow, Stephen D. (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012)

  The Prudhoe Bay oil fields, Alaska were discovered in 1968, and commercial production commenced in 1977 with the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Oil production has been declining since 1989, although additional exploratory drilling continues. Support facilities for oil production are built on permafrost soils that surface-thaw in summer to form extensive wetlands composed of moist meadows, sedge marshes, moist sedge-dwarf shrub tundra, grass marshes, small ponds and lakes (Walker and Acevedo 1987). To prevent thawing and subsidence of subsurface, ice-rich soils, gravel pads, 2m (6 ft) or more thickness have been built to support drilling sites as well as roads, airstrips and building pads (Kidd et al. 2006). As well sites are decommissioned, the gravel is wholly or partially removed resulting in the need for site rehabilitation and/or restoration to support wetland plants and, in some instances, enhance wildlife habitat (McKendrick 1991, Jorgenson and Joyce 1994, Kidd et al. 2004, 2006). Since the 1970s, methods to revegetate arctic wetlands have included a variety of planting techniques, seed treatments, seeding with native and non-native species (mostly grasses), and fertilizer applications (Chapin and Chapin 1980; Bishop and Chapin 1989, Jorgenson 1988, Kidd and Rossow 1998, Kidd et al. 2004, 2006, Maslen and Kershaw 1989, McKendrick 1987, 1991, 2000, McKendrick et al. 1980, McKendrick and Mitchell 1978, Mitchell et al. 1974). Treatments also have included sprigging and plug transplantation (Kidd et al. 2004, 2006), surface manipulation (Streever et al. 2003), as well as natural re-colonization (Ebersole 1987, Schwarzenbach 1996). These methods have been partially successful. The gravelly soils often are dry, nutrient-poor, and have a higher pH and lower organic matter content than surrounding soils, so natural recolonization does not occur readily (Bishop and Chapin 1989, Jorgenson and Joyce 1994). Methods such as sprigging and plug transplanting are slow, labor intensive and expensive compared to direct seeding. Fertilization, especially with phosphorus, is recommended for long-term survival of plants grown on gravelly sandy soils (BP Exploration and McKendrick 2004). Two common species in the arctic coastal wetlands are water sedge, Carex aquatilis Wahlenb. and cotton sedge, Eriophorum angustifolium Honck. Carex aquatilis in particular forms large populations that spread vegetatively by rhizomes and often dominate these wetland environments (Shaver and Billings 1975). Despite their abundance, these species have not been considered for revegetation because of poor seed germination and inadequate information on seed development and viability (Dr. William Streever, BP Alaska, pers. comm.). Both Carex and Eriophorum in arctic environments produce abundant seeds, but seed viability and germination often is low and highly variable among years and locations (Archibold 1984, Billings and Mooney 1968, Ebersole 1989, Gartner et al. 1983). Germination recommendations for both species vary by location and have included an array of pretreatments such as light, alternating temperatures, cold stratification, scarification, and high and low temperature dry storage (Amen 1966, Billings and Mooney 1960, Bliss 1958, Hunt and Moore 2003, Johnson et al. 1965, Phillips 1954 and Steinfeld 2001). The purpose of this project was to explore methods of seed germination of Carex aquatilis and Eriophorum angustifolium, to learn the conditions for germination and dormancy control mechanisms, and identify seed treatments that might enhance germination for eventual use in direct-seeding or plug production for arctic wetland revegetation.
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  List of Plant Species Present on Forest Permanent Sample Plots in Interior and Southcentral Alaska

  Malone, Thomas; Packee, Edmond C.; Liang, JingJing (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012)

  In 1994 the University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station began a project to establish permanent sample plots (PSP) throughout the forests of northern and southcentral Alaska. Objectives of the project are to establish and maintain a system of PSPs to monitor forest growth, yield, forest health, and ecological conditions/change (Malone et al., 2009). To date, 603 PSPs have been established on 201 sites throughout interior and southcentral Alaska. The PSPs are square and 0.1 acre in size and in clusters of three. PSPs are remeasured at a five-year interval. The number of plot remeasurements after establishment ranges from one to three times. A large amount of data is collected at each site at time of establishment and at subsequent remeasurements. Four databases contain all the data: tree measurement and characteristics, site description, regeneration, and vegetation data. Vegetation data collected on the 0.1 acre PSPs includes species (trees shrub, herb, grass, and non-vascular plants) and cover, an estimate of the amount of the plot covered by the crown of each species (cover class) (Daubenmire, 1959). The vegetation database can be used by land managers and researchers to study species diversity and forest succession in addition to long-term monitoring of forest health. The species listed in Appendix 1 and in the vegetation database are presented by categories: tree, shrub, herb, grass, rush, sedge, fern, club moss, lichen, moss, and liverwort.
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  Conversion of a gasolinepowered 1955 Allis Chalmers 'G' tractor to battery power

  Smeenk, Jeff; Ericksen, Jim (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010)

  The Allis Chalmers ‘G’ tractors have long been favorites with market gardeners because the model combines excellent toolbar visibility, overall maneuverability, and good fuel economy in a relatively simple mechanical design. Unfortunately, the tractor’s small size and unique style make it a prime target for tractor collectors. This means that buying repair parts for the model ‘G’s can be expensive, since the suppliers cater to the hobbyist-restoration market rather than those using the machines on working farms. Conversion of the tractor to electric power eliminates the excessive costs involved in repairing the engine with original parts. The farmer who originally converted a conventional Allis Chalmers ‘G’ to a solar-powered cultivating tractor received partial funding through a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant. He was very happy with the re-powered tractor and developed a website describing both the process of conversion and the resulting tractor (www.flyingbeet.com). The conversion of an Allis Chalmers ‘G’ to an electric (and ultimately solar-powered) cultivating tractor provides several benefits for the University of Alaska’s Matanuska Experiment Farm: ▷▷ 1) The Agricultural Experiment Station plays a leadership role in developing sustainable farming practices appropriate for Alaska, and using a tractor that does not operate on limited fossil fuels provides a working example of sustainable agricultural practices. ▷▷ 2) Among other duties, the tractor is used to cultivate inside 30’ x 96’ high tunnels where carbon monoxide would be a hazard to the operator. ▷▷ 3) The price of the conversion kit was only slightly more expensive than a replacement gasoline engine, and repair of the electric engine is considerably cheaper than repair of the gasoline engine.
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  Peony Research 2009

  Holloway, Patricia S.; Pearce, Shannon; Hanscom, Janice (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010)

  Research has been conducted since 2001 to assist growers in identifying components of peony field cut flower production and distribution from field selection and planting to post harvest handling and packaging for export. This experiment addressed three components of the production cycle: field planting dates, root quality and plant productivity, and post harvest handling of cut stems. In a comparison of planting times (autumn, spring or as containerized plants in mid summer), ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ and ‘Felix Crouse’ showed no difference in shoot number and growth one full year after planting. ‘Duchess de Nemours’ and ‘Alexander Fleming’ showed significant reductions in growth compared to the other cultivars, and we suspect disease rather than planting time as the problem. All treatments where bud break had occurred in storage with ‘Duchess de Nemours’ and ‘Alexander Fleming,’ new shoots rotted, and recovery was slow. A treatment of elemental sulfur was not sufficient to protect roots from storage rot. ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ roots and crown buds were weighed, counted and measured prior to planting in order to learn if a correlation exists between root quality and subsequent growth and flowering. Three root attributes were correlated with the total number of stems produced: total number of eyes per plant, total number of roots per plant, and root fresh weight. Characteristics such as root length and maximum diameter were not correlated with subsequent growth. We found no relationship between any root characteristics and the number of flowering stems and foliage height in the first year. The attributes that showed correlation could not be fitted to a linear or curvilinear model explaining the nature of the correlation. Larger sample sizes will be necessary to clarify these relationships. The best method for handling peony cut flowers for greatest vase life is to cut peonies dry and store them dry in a cooler (34°F) at 80+% relative humidity until shipping. Use of water in buckets in the field or pulsing flowers with water in the cooler does not improve vase life of peonies. Under optimum conditions, ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peonies lasted up to 15 days in a vase, 8-9 days from bud break to full bloom, and an additional 5-6 days in full bloom. Chilling in a cooler is the most important attribute to long vase life.
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  Farm report on research and operations 2009

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010
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  Growing fresh vegetables: Midnight sunlight & the Earth’s warmth

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009
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  Woody Biomass Fuel Crops in Interior Alaska

  Garber-Slaght, Robbin; Sparrow, Stephen D.; masiak, darleen t.; Holdmann, Gwen (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009)

  As the price of traditional fossil fuels escalates, there is increasing interest in using renewable resources, such as biomass, to meet our energy needs. Biomass resources are of particular interest to communities in interior Alaska, where they are abundant (Fresco, 2006). Biomass has the potential to partially replace heating oil, in addition to being a possible source for electric power generation (Crimp and Adamian, 2000; Nicholls and Crimp, 2002; Fresco, 2006). The communities of Tanana and Dot Lake have already installed small Garn boilers to provide space heating for homes and businesses (Alaska Energy Authority, 2009). A village-sized combined heat and power (CHP) demonstration project has been proposed in North Pole. In addition, several Fairbanks area organizations are interested in using biomass as a fuel source. For example, the Fairbanks North Star Borough is interested in using biomass to supplement coal in a proposed coal-to-liquids project, the Cold Climate Housing Research Center is planning to test a small biomass fired CHP unit, and the University of Alaska is planning an upgrade to its existing coal-fired power plant that could permit co-firing with biomass fuels. The challenge for all of these projects is in ensuring that biomass can be harvested on both an economically and ecologically sustainable basis.
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  An Economic Background for Alaska Flower Growers

  Auer, James D.; Greenberg, Joshua (Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009-06)
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  Palmer Center for Sustainable Living

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009
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  Alaska Regional Climate Projections

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009
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  Validating SNAP climate models

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009
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  Alaska Berries

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009
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  Working for Alaskans 2009 - a wealth of opportunity

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009
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  SNAP: Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning; Preliminary Report to the Governor's Sub-Cabinet on Climate Change

  Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2008

  SNAP is a collaborative network that includes the University of Alaska, state, federal, and local agencies, NGO’s, and industry partners. The SNAP network provides timely access to scenarios of future conditions in Alaska for more effective planning by communities, industry, and land managers. We meet stakeholders’ requests for specific information by applying new or existing research results, integrating and analyzing data, and communicating information and assumptions to stakeholders. Our goal is to assist in informed decision-making.

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