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Live Oaks Dying in Live Oak County
TASS Inc. is kickstarting its Reforest Texas initiative, whose goal is to plant trees in once forested areas of Texas and increasing soil health through regenerative growing practices. The program was in 10 schools before the Covid 19 Pandemic derailed the initiative. This year for Earth Day, the program relaunched with its original first school, St. Mary’s Academy Charter School.
As part of the relaunch, the initiative focused on using local soil and Mycorrhizal fungi(Great White) to grow the trees. The students planted 2 acorns inoculated with Mycorrhizal fungi on the pre-sprouting roots. The third pre-sprouted acorn was planted without an inoculation. All acorns were planted using soil from a stand of native live oak trees from Live Oak County Texas.
Live Oak County Oak Trees have been significantly depopulated in the past 5 years in areas near the Nueces River and surrounding farms and ranches. Driving down County Road 151, Mikeska, and Jones Road the devastation you can see from the road is mind boggling. The impact on the ranch lands is even more profound. Some ranches had several stands of 5, 10, or more trees die rapidly. A group of area ranchers called in the USDA Forestry Experts to make sure that the vast number of trees were not being killed by Oak Wilt.
Texas Oak Wilt is one of the most destructive tree diseases in the U.S. and is killing oaks in Central and West Texas at epidemic proportions. It has been confirmed in 76 counties in Texas, but not in Live Oak County.
The USDA cultured sick trees in the area of the rapid die off and fortunately Oak Wilt was ruled out as the culprit. Although the loss of hundreds of trees is a major setback, Oak Wilt would be much worse. The Forestry Service said the rapid die off was related to late freezes and unrelenting drought conditions. Some of the trees you see sick or dead on Mikeska and CR 151 are the majestic several hundred-year-old Oaks.
The majority of trees on the local ranches reviewed by the USDA Forestry Service are stands which are 40-60 years old. They have grown since the 1950s Texas drought. That drought considered the 600 year drought, was a significant climatic event that spanned from 1949 to 1957. During this period, Texas experienced 30 to 50% less rainfall than normal, which had devastating effects on both the environment and the economy. (NPR. 2012)
Many of the trees impacted were growing in soil that sits atop a Caliche Hardpan, which the younger trees could not penetrate. A hardpan which is a layer of soil that is cemented together, making it difficult for plant roots to penetrate and for water to drain. This hard layer can significantly hinder agricultural activities and plant growth. (USDA) A large number of ranches off these roads sit on a caliche hardpan.
The trees grown this year will be given to area ranches that want to replant their stands of trees. After watching part of the movie, The Secret Life of Trees, the students didn't want the trees to grow up without a community.
Research and Development
TASS Inc has a bold vision to serve the community through research based initiatives. The organization helps dreamers turn their vision into reality. As part of engaging students in STEM, TASS has developed the school based Reforest Texas Program. Each child,who participates plants one or two trees to help reforest Texas and help reduce the carbon footprint.
Research and Development
TASS Inc has a bold vision to serve the community through research based initiatives. The organization helps dreamers turn their vision into reality. As part of engaging students in STEM, TASS has developed the school based Reforest Texas Program. Each child,who participates plants one or two trees to help reforest Texas and help reduce the carbon footprint.
Using Technology for Sustainable Agriculture
Embracing the open-source technology and using cutting edge components, TASS Inc. builds and develops new engaging technology applications to improve production. The goal of sustainability is at the heart of our research.
Farmbot.io Meets Aquaponics
One of the latest organizations newest ventures is combining the work done on the FARMbot. io with the organizations own aquaponics research. Aquaculture is just one of the organization's sustainability research projects.
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