A two-fold opportunity exists in the arid Four Corners region of the southwestern United States: 1) the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI), a commercial farm operated by the Navajo Nation, has sizable holdings of idle rectangular fields not appropriate for conversion from side roll irrigation systems to center pivots; and 2) Western Excelsior Corporation, a nearby fiber mill, is seeking sustainable alternatives to logging native aspen (Populus tremuloides) from the nearby San Juan Forest. Adoption of hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) production under drip irrigation could fill production voids for NAPI while supplying Western Excelsior with a sustainable supply of timber.

In 2002 and 2003, trials were initiated to evaluate hybrid poplar establishment at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Farmington. In the 2002 trial, the clone OP-367 had the greatest height (4.1 m), basal diameter (9.2 cm), DBH (4.6 cm) and wood volume (2.9 m³ ha^-1) after two growing seasons. In the 2003 trial, clones 15-29, 59-289, 49-177 and OP-367 showed the greatest heights and basal diameters after a single growing season but varied in degree of leaf chlorosis as measured with a Minolta 502 SPAD meter. All clones responded positively to iron chelate injected through the irrigation system.

OP-367 cultivated in the greenhouse under composted sewage sludge (biosolids) was investigated in 2004 as an alternative to more costly iron chelate fertilizer. Chlorosis measurements, total biomass, leaf area, stem length and diameter were superior compared to the control and comparable to iron fertilizer checks, leading to a field study for the 2005 growing season to validate these results.

Based on these evaluations, currently the clone OP-367 appears to be the best candidate for local wood production through the rehabilitation of abandoned fields, while contributing to soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and the beneficial use of irrigation water.