Does Row Orientation Affect the Growth of Loblolly Pine Plantations?

Analysis of covariance methods applied to long-term loblolly pine spacing trial growth data showed that the orientation of rows with regard to a particular azimuth direction had no significant impact on either basal area or dominant height growth through the age of 20 years. Results were consistent for a range of planting densities and spacings and across a range of ages that included very young ages before crown closure. These results suggest that for loblolly pine growing in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas of Virginia and North Carolina, the selection of row orientation at plantation establishment can be made based on criteria other than growth.