Applications of black walnut husks can improve orchardgrass and red clover yields in silvopasture and alley cropping plantings

Black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) produces both valuable lumber and a nut crop. Because of this, it is an important tree for agroforestry plantings in the Midwest USA. However, during processing of the nut crop, the outer tissue of the nut (husks) accumulates in great quantities. Applying this material to pastures is a possible method of disposal. However, black walnut has been implicated in allelopathic interactions with numerous plant species and may inhibit the growth of pasture species. Greenhouse and field studies and a chemical analysis of the husks were conducted to determine the effects of applying walnut husks to orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) or red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) pastures. Applying husks at rates up to 68 Mg ha⁻¹ to pot-grown orchardgrass resulted in root and shoot yields that were greater than in pots receiving no husks. Field studies indicated that orchardgrass and red clover benefited from the application of husks. For orchardgrass, significant increases in growth occurred when husks were applied at a rate of 34 Mg ha⁻¹ while red clover responded to rates up to 68 Mg ha⁻¹. A chemical analysis of husks indicated that significant quantities of N and K were present in walnut husks. A whole effluent toxicity test (WETT) indicates that runoff from walnut husk-treated pastures, at the rates used in this study, would not adversely affect aquatic organisms.