Economic feasibility of irrigating southern pines

Abstract

A climatic model developed for estimating the depressing effect of drought on the diameter growth of loblolly pines in the southern United States is used to project potential pine growth under conditions of no soil moisture deficit, which irrigation could assure. The regional distribution of the additional growth demonstrates that the benefits of irrigation would increase from the Atlantic coast toward east Texas. The dollar value of the additional growth based on the current price of pulpwood is compared with the costs necessary to irrigate southern pines. Under present conditions of technology, costs of irrigation would exceed benefits. Technological changes, higher pulpwood prices, or decisions of the federal government to improve southern forests may justify the irrigation costs necessary to increase southern pine production.