Plant Beds Research Articles

Goosegrass Detection in Strawberry and Tomato Using a Convolutional Neural Network

Goosegrass is a problematic weed species in Florida vegetable plasticulture production. To reduce costs associated with goosegrass control, a post-emergence precision applicator is under development for use atop the planting beds. To facilitate in situ goosegrass detection and spraying, tiny- You Only Look Once 3 (YOLOv3-tiny) was evaluated as a potential detector. Two annotation techniques were evaluated: (1) annotation of the entire plant (EP) and (2) annotation of partial sections of the leaf blade (LB). For goosegrass detection in strawberry, the F-score was 0.75 and 0.85 for the EP and LB derived networks, respectively. For goosegrass detection in tomato, the F-score was 0.56 and 0.65 for the EP and LB derived networks, respectively. The LB derived networks increased recall at the cost of precision, compared to the EP derived networks. The LB annotation method demonstrated superior results within the context of production and precision spraying, ensuring more targets were sprayed with some over-spraying on false targets. The developed network provides online, real-time, and in situ detection capability for weed management field applications such as precision spraying and autonomous scouts.

Bees for the Future

In the academic year 2018/2019, students from Escola Secundária Jaime Moniz studied the importance of bees for the future using digital tools, platforms, and a simulator that represented the influence of the increase or decrease of flowers to the bee population and the other way around. They also established collaboration with their community to research theirlevel of awareness, to collect knowledge from experts, and to analyze the health of the bee population in their island. For this, they collected information in a series of forms, which they shared in the Globallab platform with students from other parts of the world, gaining awareness of the relevance of problems at local and global levels. In the process, studentsvisited a honey producer and organized a conference with the beekeeper. In the end, each group of students created a final product to present to the educational community, raising awareness of the problem studied. The products created were posters, leaflets, models, games, beds of honey plants, hives, and hotels for bees.

RTD-SEPs: Real-time detection of stem emerging points and classification of crop-weed for robotic weed control in producing tomato

A novel technique for enabling robotic weed control in a commercial processing tomato field having densely populated weeds is described. It is necessary to accurately locate the stem emerging points (SEPs) of crop plants for the successful application of a mechanical weeding actuator to remove weeds during automated weeding. However, it is a difficult and challenging task to locate the SEPs in complex natural scenarios such as when the main stem is occluded by weeds or crop foliage, the crop plants are lying on the soil surface, there are non-uniform planting bed conditions, or there is leaf damage due to insects etc. To overcome these challenges a novel crop signalling concept has been proposed to mark the crop plants at planting to make them machine-readable. Plants lacking this crop signal were classified as weeds and removed by the robotic weed knife actuator. A machine-vision algorithm was developed to analyse the seven views of the crop plants taken by camera with help of a specially designed imaging chamber and locate the SEPs of tomato plants, which was passed to the robotic weed knife control algorithm to remove weeds. The algorithm was successfully detected and located the main stems of tomato plants in outdoor environment with success rate of 99.19% while traveling at a speed of 3.2 km h−1 with a processing time for all views of 30 ms f−1.

What’s in a yardscape? A case study of emergent ecosystem services and disservices within resident yardscape discourses in Minnesota

Residential yardscapes are at the forefront of human interaction with nature for those living in urban areas across Europe and North America. In recent years a significant amount of research has investigated urban green spaces using the ecosystem services framework (ES) along with ecosystem disservices (ED) and how such spaces deliver urban ecosystem services (UES). However, a gap exists in understanding how ES and ED manifest themselves in the more specific context of residential yardscapes. Specifically, do homeowners conceptualize ES and ED when talking about their yards without specific prompts to reflect services and disservices? The current work presents a case study of homeowners in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota, United States. We used two associated surveys to elicit responses related to homeowners’ yards. Without prompting, homeowner conceptualizations of their yardscapes reflected all ES categories with cultural (CES) (e.g., family recreation) and provisioning (PES) (e.g., vegetable cultivation) services cited most often. Homeowners also mentioned ED associated with their own or a neighbor’s yard (e.g., attraction of nuisance wildlife). Their plans for yardscapes indicated largely incremental changes (e.g., putting in a new planting bed) vs. drastic shifts (e.g., complete replacement of turfgrass with alternative vegetation). This case study illustrates that the homeowners’ conceptualizations of their yards do indeed reflect current ES & ED frameworks without specific prompting. The ES framework, combined with the identified leverage points, can be a fruitful approach for enhancing UES and minimizing ED within residential yardscapes.

Response in growth and yield of the local palu shallot (Allium ascalonicum L. Var. Aggregatum) to the direction and building form of the planting beds

Response in growth and yield of the local palu shallot (Allium ascalonicum L. Var. Aggregatum) to the direction and building form of the planting beds

Coconception, installation et évaluation de banques fourragères arbustives pour l’alimentation des vaches laitières dans l’ouest du Burkina Faso

Dans les élevages laitiers de l’ouest du Burkina Faso, la production de lait est limitée par un déficit fourrager en saison sèche. Cette étude visait à évaluer la faisabilité et la potentialité des banques fourragères arbustives (BFA) pour complémenter l’alimentation des vaches laitières en saison sèche avec un fourrage de bonne valeur nutritionnelle. Un travail de coconception, d’installation et d’exploitation de BFA, composées de Leucaena leucocephala et de Morus alba, a été réalisé dans trois élevages de bovins laitiers de l’ouest du Burkina Faso. Les trois BFA ont été plantées à haute densité, avec 20 000 plants.ha-1, en juillet 2016. La croissance a été rapide durant les sept premiers mois (saison des pluies et début de saison sèche). Au jour de plantation (jp) plus sept mois, L. leucocephala mesurait 145 ± 11 cm et M. alba 143 ± 72 cm. Puis, durant la saison sèche, la croissance s’est ralentie. Les caractéristiques du sol, le manque de pluies et la faible profondeur des lits de plantation expliquaient les différences de croissance observées selon les sites expérimentaux. Les attaques de termites (BFA3) et le passage du feu (BFA1) ont affecté le développement des BFA concernées sans les anéantir. La production de biomasse sur BFA2 et BFA3, cumulée sur les trois coupes d’exploitation (jp+13, jp+15 et jp+17-18 mois), a été plus élevée avec L. leucocephala (8,2 ± 2,6 t MS.ha-1) qu’avec M. alba (1,8 ± 2,3 t MS.ha-1). Le coût d’installation et d’exploitation de 625 m² de BFA a été de 896 188 FCFA (environ 1350 €). Des solutions sont à trouver pour les rendre financièrement plus accessibles aux éleveurs.

Treatment of Leachate Using Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactors/Vertical Flow Subsurface Constructed Wetlands

Abstract The composition of local solid waste consists mainly of biodegradable waste with high moisture and organic content. After being landfilled, the waste decomposes through a series of combined physico-chemical and biological processes, resulting in the generation of landfill leachate. Unless treated properly, the leachate poses a serious threat to the environment and to public health. In this study, the use of an engineered system consisting of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor and a vertical flow subsurface constructed wetland for the treatment of landfill leachate was investigated. The leachate obtained from a landfill facility in Aksaray, Turkey was fed into both systems and laboratory tests showed that, over the 6-week study period, the systems were able to efficiently remove chemical oxygen demand (88.6 %) and total nitrogen (80.7 %). The results of this study suggested that Typha angustifolia significantly increased the removal of total nitrogen. The higher ammonia removal occurred in the anaerobic system and also the removal efficiency increased in planted bed, it is presumed to be the result of the ammonia nitrogen uptake by the roots of the plant.

Effects of cyanobacterial suspensions as bio-fertilizers on growth factors and the essential oil composition of chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla L.

The cyanobacterial species used in this study were collected from medicinal plant beds and were cultured using nitrate free BG-11 medium. As heterocystous cyanobacteria fix atmospheric nitrogen and some of them additionally produce phytohormones, we hypothesized that using a suspension of beneficial cyanobacterial species in the soil of the plant might enhance its growth and would probably also affect the essential oil of this plant. Based on a seedling growth test, the cyanobacterial species Nostoc carneum, Wollea vaginicola and Nostoc punctiforme were selected for a pot trial. A glasshouse experiment with seven replicates was designed to evaluate the effects of the cyanobacterial suspensions on Matricaria chamomilla L. growth and essential oil production. The cyanobacterial suspensions were applied 15 days after planting. Fifty days after flowering the plants were harvested and the plant growth parameters were measured. Additionally, the chemical composition of soil samples from both the treatments and control pots were analyzed. All of the studied cyanobacterial suspensions had a significant effect on the weight of essential oil as well as on root growth. The chamazulene content of the essential oil in plants treated with N. carneum was 26.9% more than in the control. HPLC analysis revealed that the cyanobacterial species used in this experiment were able to produce plant growth–promoting hormones such as indole 3-acetic acid, indole 3-propionic acid and indole 3-butyric acid. There was a significant positive correlation between cyanobacterial IAA and all of the growth factors, as well as some constituents of the essential oil.

Use of Glyphosate and Herbicide Alternatives for Weed Control in Florida Landscape Planting Beds

This new 10-page article is written for landscape professionals and those maintaining landscape areas to guide them in selecting alternatives to glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp®) for postemergence weed control in Florida. Information is also included on preemergence herbicides and integrated weed management (use of chemical and non-chemical controls), which should be the basis of a weed management program. Written by Chris Marble, Joe Neal, and Andy Senesac, and published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep580

Sex-Specific Contributions to Reproduction in Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Colonies of Varying Breeding Density

Addressing the question of the parental effort allocation when breeding remains central to life-history theory. This is particularly the case for monogamous species with obligate bi-parental care, where each parent should evaluate its contribution throughout the breeding season taking into account both the effort of its mate and environmental constraints. In colonial species, social environments may influence the activities of breeders. Here we compared patterns of mate effort in the Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida, throughout breeding in two regions that differed greatly in colony nest density. This species builds large floating nesting platforms on aquatic plant beds. Accordingly, we explored whether nest building was sex-specific and influenced the activities of breeders throughout the season. In both regions, parental effort was indeed differentiated by sex; males invested strongly in nest-material delivery and mate provisioning during the nest-building stage, and females displayed increased investment during chick rearing. Contrary to expectations, courtship feeding and social interactions were less frequent in the region with high nest density. Our findings demonstrate that each parent clearly adjusted its reproductive effort throughout the season, whereas the contrast in social conditions between the two study regions weakly affected the activities of breeders.—Chambon, R., Latraube, F., Bretagnolle, V. & Paillisson, J.-M. (2019). Sex-specific contributions to reproduction in Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida colonies of varying breeding density. Ardeola, 67: 113-125.

Effects of planting bed and mineral fertilization on the production and growth of Extra Sweet pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) aerial suckers in the locality of Bonoua, a town in south eastern Côte d’Ivoire

The introduction of MD2 pineapple in the international fruit trade has helped to drastically reduce exports from Côte d’Ivoire, which has long been the European market leader with the smooth Cayenne variety. As a result, Ivorian producers must adopt MD2cultivation which involves sucker availability. This study aimed at assessing the effect of planting beds and manures on the growth and development of aerial suckers produced after fruit harvesting. The planting beds studied included: film-covered ridges (BAP), uncovered ridges (BSP) and flat soils (TP). The manures used included: F1: Urea + Potassium + Trace elements (Boron + Zinc), F2: Urea + Potassium + Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium compound (NPK) / Magnesium Monoxide + Trace elements (Boron + Zinc), F3: Urea + Potassium and F4: Urea + Potassium / Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium compound (NPK) / Magnesium Monoxide. The design was a split-plot. Planting bed was the main factor and manure was the secondary one. The results obtained showed that on the BAP and BSP planting beds, sucker growth and production were statistically identical and higher than those observed on TP. Moreover, manure did not have a significant effect on sucker production and growth. The results obtained make it possible to say that the BAP and BSP planting beds should be recommended with one of the manures for a sustainable production of suckers.

Purification Performance of Typha Latifolia, Juncus Effusus and Papyrus Cyperus in Arid Climate: Influence of Seasonal Variation

The purification of wastewater through the use of the plants (phytoepuration) was used in different areas and under various climates; it was tested successfully for organic pollution, for the elimination of phosphorus pollution, nitrogen pollution, metals, and for the destruction of the pathogenic germs. This study reports the monitoring of purifying performances of three plants, which show a good acclimatization in arid climate: Typha latifolia, Juncus effusus and Cyperus papyrus. The monitoring was carried out during one year from December to November in the southern Algeria. The experimental pilot set-up consists of four plastic barrels capacity of 130 L, filled from the bottom upwards to 45 cm thickness by gravel and 10 cm by sand, with opening located at 5 cm below the sand to avoid any overflow of water. Three barrels were planted with young stems of the studied species with the coverage of 36 stems/m2, and the fourth barrel remained unplanted to serve as reference object. 30 L of wastewater which have undergone primary treatment at the purification station of Kouinine (north the town of El-Oued) was supplied to each barrel once a week. The flow occurred by percolation through the substrate. The residence time of water is 5 days. Treated water is recovered by a tap placed in bottom of the barrel. With the three tested plants, very satisfactory outputs were obtained for particulate and organic pollution, where the decrease rates of reached 96% for suspended matter (SM), 89% for the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and 87% for the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5). The elimination of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution resulted in decreasing rates of 94% for nitrates and 95% for orthophosphates. The planted bed of Juncus effusus gives the best outputs for the elimination of organic and nitrogen pollution. However, the planted bed of Cyperus papyrus is the most appropriate for the phosphorous pollution. In addition, the elimination of the organic pollutants decreases in summer; never the less the output of purification remains higher than 68% for all seasons.

On Displacement

AbstractDo urban open spaces, whether comprised of small planting beds and gardens or larger parks and reserves, signal the juxtaposition of two worlds, two forms of life, one human and one natural and nonhuman? Or are those spaces necessarily embedded within the logics of real estate capital that shape cities? And if so, can this be avoided? This article explores the operation of three large-scale site-specific artworks in New York City that suggest other logics by which botanically dominated spaces might operate in the city: a recent work by Mary Mattingly entitled Swale, as well as two more well-known works, Alan Sonfist’s Time Landscape and Agnes Denes’s Wheatfield—A Confrontation. These works share similar form, scale, and media but most significantly function as social practice artworks that enact multispecies performances. Drawing on notions of urban cosmopolitics, the article considers how these works illustrate and perform alternative worlds and forms of life in an environment that is perceived as hostile to those ways of being. These works resist a totalizing impulse in the production of urban architectures and landscapes that would prematurely foreclose the world to nonhuman agency through a project of human control of all environmental variables. Theories of heterotopias as counter-spaces facilitate exploration of “displacement” as a metaphor that accounts for both the attempted eviction of alternative environmental practices and the works’ ongoing strategies of resistance. Through tactics such as orderly frames, sustained interactions, and cleverly attenuated performative practices, these works resist co-option within capitalist logics, which would prematurely close off the worlds they call into being. My discussion of these art-activist efforts brings authors on multispecies relations into conversation with landscape and urban theorists, raising possibilities for more-than-human modes of understanding urban and environmental design practice, with these activist artworks providing inspiration for and interpretation of alternative urban spatial practices.

Underground transfer of carbonised organic residues to lithics during preliminary fire experiments: implications for archaeology

Using fire experiments, we investigate claims that black organic residues on lithics found in Stone Age sites are markers for heat treatment of rocks in the embers of aboveground wood fires. We buried sedges overlain with lithics and bone to replicate plant bedding sometimes found in archaeological sites. Small fires were lit over the material buried under a mixture of coarse- and medium-grained sand. Black carbonised residues formed on several lithics that were in direct contact with buried sedges that burned below the fire. FTIR, Raman and preliminary GC–MS measurements were made on dried and burnt sedge, burnt bone, and on a prominent black residue that formed on one quartz piece that had been in contact with buried fresh sedge when it was heated. Importantly, we were able to confirm the spontaneous and accidental transfer of organic compounds to lithics buried and heated underground in the presence of plant material. This means that carbonised organic residues are not useful markers for determining whether heat treatment of rocks took place above or below ground. Our preliminary experiments imply that further work should be done to investigate the causes of the residues formed on lithics underground.

Intercropping of collard green and radish ‘Cometo’: spatial arrangement and growing efficiency

ABSTRACT Intercropping is a method of growing plants that assists in rational use of natural resources. Based on this concept, the aim of this study was to evaluate the response of collard green and radish ‘Cometo’ crops in monoculture and in intercropping under different spatial arrangements through physical production indicators (technical coefficients). The study was conducted in plant beds in a randomized block design (RBD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments involved growing the two crops separately and intercropped under different spatial arrangements: (1:2) one row of radish ‘Cometo’ between two rows of collard green; (2:2) two rows of radish ‘Cometo’ between two rows of collard green; and (3:2) three rows of radish ‘Cometo’ between two rows of collard green. The spatial arrangements adopted did not affect the growth and development of radish ‘Cometo’ and of collard green, and all the arrangements used exhibited high land use efficiency, especially the 3:2 arrangement, which provided the greatest land use efficiency, at 1.69.

Growth and yield responses under different grove floor management strategies for water conservation in young grapefruit trees

Improving sustainable citrus production through soil and water conservation strategies such as plastic mesh groundcovers and raised planting beds has not been thoroughly evaluated. To determine the impacts of these practices on tree growth parameters, fruit yield, and soil environmental conditions we monitored a grapefruit grove (Citrus paradisi Macf. cv.‘Rio Red’) for five years after planting. Trees were planted under four grove floor management strategies that included flat beds with no plastic mesh groundcover (traditional practice), flat beds with groundcover, raised beds with no groundcover, and raised beds with groundcover. The use of ground cover increased soil temperature and moisture content and led to higher tree growth rates and yields relative to uncovered grove floors. Raising the planting bed to approximately 45 cm higher than the surrounding field reduced soil deposition from irrigation and improved soil properties, but caused fluctuations in soil moisture due to improved water infiltration of heavy clay soils compared to the flat beds. Despite the positive effects of the use of ground cover on yields, there was a trend of alternate bearing, smaller and sweeter fruit sizes for trees under this planting design. The traditional method of planting (flat bed with no groundcover) resulted in smaller trees as measured by tree height, canopy circumference, and trunk diameter. While yields were moderate, they were fairly consistent across years and increased slightly each year of the study. These results show that adoption of plastic mesh groundcovers in citrus or other tree fruit production could potentially improve water conservation while increasing production.

Improvement of Water Productivity, Economics and Energetics of Potato through Straw Mulching and Irrigation Scheduling in Indian Punjab

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of straw mulching and irrigation scheduling on water balance, economics and energetics of potato during 2013–2014 and 2014–2015. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with mulch levels (no mulch and mulch 6.25 t ha−1) in the main plots and four irrigation schedules {ridge planting furrow irrigation (RPFI), bed planting furrow irrigation (BPFI), ridge planting drip irrigation (RPDI) and bed planting drip irrigation (BPDI)} in the subplots. Straw mulching resulted in 19.0% higher potato tuber yield than no mulch as a result of 36.2 mm higher transpiration and 44.2 mm lower soil evaporation. Energy productivity (EP) and energy use efficiency (EUE) were also significantly higher with straw mulch than no mulch with US$498 ha−1 higher net returns in pooled data of both years. Drip irrigation of beds and ridges resulted in 34.9% and 26.4% higher tuber yields, respectively, than furrow irrigation along with savings of 23.3 and 53.3 mm irrigation water, respectively. Seasonal transpiration was 31.0 and 31.7% higher in ridge- and bed-planted drip-irrigated crops, respectively, than furrow-irrigated crops in pooled data. Apparent and real water productivities were significantly higher in drip irrigated crops compared to furrow irrigated crops. RPDI and BPDI crops gave US$612 and US$876 ha−1 higher net returns with 35.7 and 28.8% higher EUE than RPFI and BPFI, respectively.

Effects of planting beds, nutrient treatment and drought stress on biochemical properties and vegetative traits of common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.) seeds

Oenothera biennis (Common Evening-Primrose, Evening Star, or Sun Drop) is an ornamental plant with medicinal properties belonging to the Onagraceae-Oenotheraceae family and native to North America. Evening primrose seed oil is used to deal with fat accumulation in the body, diabetes, premenstrual syndrome and other diseases, including eczema, mastalgia, cancer, multiple sclerosis and rheumatism. Recent studies have confirmed the presence of antioxidant activity in the polyphenols in evening primrose seeds. In order to evaluate the effect of different planting beds, organic fertilizers and drought stress, as the evening primrose’s environmental and nutritional factors in growth and phytochemical properties, this experiment was carried out at the department of plant products research greenhouse in 2017. The experiment was performed using a completely randomized design in 4 treatments and with three replications. Seeds were planted in the prepared beds. Seedlings resulted from seeding and germination of seeds were transferred to different planting media. Growth characteristics were studied at the end of the plant growth period and before their flowering, and the ripe seeds after harvesting were used to measure 100 seed weight and biochemical traits. The results were analyzed statistically using one-way ANOVA. Also, simple correlation coefficients were calculated to obtain the ratio of characteristics with each other by Duncan's method.

The possibility for improvement of flowering, corm properties, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity in saffron (Crocus sativus L.) by different nutritional regimes

Saffron as one of the most precious spices and medicinal plants, is highly valued for its bioactive compounds. Quantity and quality in spices and medicinal plants can be improved by the plant nutrition. In this field study the sole and integrated application of various fertilizers types and arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungus (AM), Glomus mosseae with respect to the flower-related traits, corm properties, quality, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of saffron at Kerman region, Iran was examined over a three years period. The fertilizer treatments comprised control (non-amended soil); 20 Mg ha−1 compost; 10 Mg ha−1 compost+ 8 Mg ha−1 biochar and chemical fertilizers. In each fertilizer treatment, planting bed was inoculated or non-inoculated with AM. The results showed that during the first flowering period (2015–16), neither AM nor fertilizer types affected flowering. Inoculation with AM particularly in the application of fertilizer treatments through positive effects on different corm properties during the vegetative growing seasons of 2015–16 and 2017–18, improved flower-related traits in the next flowering periods of 2016–17 and 2017–18. Picrocrocin and safranal content as well as total phenolic content and total flavonoid content in tepals were considerably enhanced by organic amendments and chemical fertilizers compared with the control. While the total phenolic content in stigmata was reduced by AM-inoculation, the total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of stigmata and tepals were not significantly influenced. Principal Component Analysis clearly discriminated the integrated nutritional treatments from the sole ones based on flower-related traits and corm properties which were positively related with integrated treatments. Organic amendments were characterized by a higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity in stigmata. Chemical fertilizers alone or in AM-inoculation associated with quality attributes and total flavonoid content in tepals. Research findings confirmed that the integrated application of mycorrhizal fungus, organic, and chemical fertilizers significantly influences the overall production of saffron.

Belowground processes for two loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) families respond differently to the intensity of plantation management

Intensive forest management (fertilization, weed control) and the planting of fast-growing families of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) can dramatically increase the rate of tree biomass accumulation, but it is unclear how tree genetics and management intensity interact to affect belowground processes. For 2.5 years in a 10–12-year-old plantation in north central Florida, we examined ecosystem carbon (C) accumulation, soil respiration (SR), total belowground C flux (TBCF), and litterfall in forests receiving different levels and types of fertilizer and weed control treatments that effectively reflected a contrast in ‘high’ vs. ‘operational’ management intensity. A fast-growing family was compared with a slower-growing family using single-family block plots. Applying high intensity silviculture treatments significantly (p < 0.05) increased C accumulation in aboveground biomass on average by 55% (20.9 Mg C ha−1) relative to less intensive silviculture, and the fast growing family accumulated 14% (6.3 Mg C ha−1) more C than the slower growing family at the end of 12 years. For the organic layer C, the high intensity silvicultural treatments significantly (p = 0.02) increased C accumulation (9.0 Mg C ha−1) and biomass increment (p = 0.04, 0.7 Mg C ha−1 y−1); however, the family treatment was not significant (p > 0.05) for either annual increment or organic horizon C. In contrast, the response of belowground C dynamics to silvicultural intensity were family specific, with the fast-growing family having significantly (p < 0.001) greater SR and TBCF under the operational treatment, while the slow-growing family showed no change in allocation with silvicultural intensity. The faster growing family also concentrated SR on its mounded planting bed position under the low silvicultural intensity, potentially making it better adapted to receiving silvicultural treatments concentrated near the tree base. These results suggest that loblolly pine’s C allocation belowground could be a characteristic to use for selecting pine families for greater growth potential, compatibility with silvicultural practices, or as a means to affect ecosystem C accumulation.