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Pine Straw Production - Stand Management and Economics
Tift County Extension Office—Conference Room 1468 Carpenter Road South, Tifton, GA 31794
Sponsored by: Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources
Date: Sep 16, 2025 08:15 AM to Sep 17, 2025 01:10 PM
Purpose:
Revenues for pine straw paid to forest landowners in Georgia have increased from an estimated $15.5 million in 1999, to $25 million in 2003, $50 million in 2007, $80 million in 2008 –2011, $60-$80 million in 2013-2020, to $126 million in 2022. During the period from 1999 through 2020 pine chip-n-saw and sawtimber stumpage revenues in Georgia have declined by roughly 25% - 35%. Many forest landowners and land managers are interested in managing their longleaf or slash pine stands for pine straw. This course will provide information necessary to effectively manage pine stands for pine straw.
Participants will:
• Learn about pine straw yields by species, site quality, land-use history, and basal area.
• Review cut-over and old-field pine straw studies, as well as other factors that affect pine straw yields.
• Learn how the effect of pine straw raking (semiannual, annual, periodic and raking method) relates to soil moisture status, nutrient cycling, and stand growth.
• Learn the effect of fertilization on pine straw yields on cut-over and old-field sites.
· Learn how to use diagnostic tools and soils information to determine fertilizer needs and recommendations.
· Understand how leaf area index and growing conditions can determine pine straw yields.
• Learn herbicides that can be used in pine stands to control unwanted vegetation and herbicides that are grass friendly
• Learn how to control invasive, exotic species.
• Learn management alternatives to moving a cut-over pine stand into pine straw production, hear about sequencing fertilizer and herbicide use, and discuss the economics of pine straw in overall pine stand management.
How One Will Benefit:
Upon completion of this course, a forest landowner or land manager will be able to make effective silvicultural and economical management decisions on managing slash and longleaf pine stands for straw.
Who Should Attend?
Foresters, land managers, forest landowners, pine straw contractors, and others interested in effectively managing their pine stand for pine straw.
Instructors:
Dr. David Dickens – Professor of Forest Productivity UGA-WSFNR
Dr. David Clabo – Associate Professor of Silviculture Outreach UGA-WSFNR
Noah Shephard—PhD candidate UGA-WSFNR
Additional Information:
Special Needs
For special services contact David Clabo @ 229-386-3672 or e-mail him @ david.clabo@uga.edu prior to September 8, 2025.
Take Home Materials
Each presentation will be provided as digital pdf files.
Parking
Please park in the back of the office.
Hotels in Tifton Include:
La Quinta Inn and Suites: 1215 US-82 West. 229-586-8025
SpringHill Suites: 401 Boo Dr. 229-520-5135
Hilton Garden Inn: 201 Boo Dr. 229-382-8484
Holiday Inn Express: 814 7th St West. 229-382-3300
Comfort Inn & Suites: 320 South Virginia Ave. 229-375-5903
Fairfield Inn & Suites: 806 7th St West. 229-387-8288
Spark by Hilton: 1199 US-82. 229-382-8505
Agenda
Tuesday, September 16
Time | Event |
| 8:15 a.m. | Welcome, sign-in sheets, continuing education certificates, and other items - Dickens and Clabo |
| 8:30 | Introduction—Pine straw revenues vs. stumpage factors affecting pine straw yields - Dickens |
| 9:30 | Cutover and old-field pine straw studies (longleaf, and slash Pine) - Dickens |
| 10:15 | Break |
| 10:30 | Magnitude and duration of fertilization benefits — Case studies; fertilization payoffs; weed re-growth with fertilization –Dickens |
| 11:20 | Using diagnostic tools (leaf area index estimations, soil, and foliar sampling), soils, and yield information for determining effective recommendations—Dickens |
| Noon | Lunch break |
| 1:00 | Using leaf area index and growing conditions to determine pine straw raking yields—Shephard |
| 1:45 | Forest floor nutrients—Dickens |
| 2:15 | Raking regimes (semi-annual, annual, and periodic) and pine straw production, stand growth, and soil moisture—Dickens |
| 2:45 | Old-field and cutover stand conditions after Hurricane Helene—Shephard |
| 3:30 | Questions and adjourn |
Wednesday, September 17
Time | Event |
| 8:15 a.m. | Possible stand stressors imparted by pine straw raking— Clabo |
| 9:00 | Herbicides and herbicide use—Clabo |
| 9:45 | Break |
| 10:00 | Identification and control of invasive exotic species– Clabo |
| 10:45 | Forest management alternatives for moving a cutover pine stand into pine straw production—Dickens |
| 11:30 | Sequencing fertilization and herbicide use to reduce overall costs—Dickens |
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch Break |
| 1:00 p.m. | Depart for UGA Alapaha Farm near Alapaha, GA OR visit an operational raking in a stand that did not receive storm damage |
| 1:45 p.m. | Economics of pine straw at various returns per acre in overall pine stand management on cutover vs old-field stands –field visit to a pine straw raking study or operational raking area —Dickens, Shephard, and Clabo |
| 3:30 | Adjourn |
Registration
The last day for early registration is 09/02/2025
The last day for registration is 09/09/2025
Register Now!Early registration through Sept 02, 2025.................................$300.00
After 09/02/2025, Registration
Regular registration after Sept 2, 2025:.................................$350.00
Continuing Education Credits
· 11 hrs Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) hours- Category 1 (applied for)
· 11 hrs Continuing Logger Education hours - Environment (Category B) (applied for)
· 1 hr Cat 23 and 1 hr Cat 10 Pesticide Applicator credits for GA (applied for)
Instructor(s)
