Search results for " forestry"

Spatial distribution of saplings in heavily worn urban forests: Implications for regeneration and management

2012

Abstract We studied the spatial distribution of saplings in the vicinity of other saplings and mature trees in heavily worn urban forests. Our aim was to identify favorable microsites for saplings to regenerate under different levels of wear. We hypothesized that these safe microsites were situated close to tree trunks that might offer shelter from trampling caused by humans and their pet dogs. The distribution of saplings was explored at 0.1–0.6 m to the nearest sapling and 0.1–2 m to the nearest mature tree. Sorbus aucuparia was the most abundant sapling species, followed by Populus tremula , Betula pubescens and Picea abies . These species all tended to cluster with their conspecific sap…

Vibration Monitoring of the Mechanical Harvesting of Citrus to Improve Fruit Detachment Efficiency

2019

The introduction of a mechanical harvesting process for oranges can contribute to enhancing farm profitability and reducing labour dependency. The objective of this work is to determine the spread of the vibration in citrus tree canopies to establish recommendations to reach high values of fruit detachment efficiency and eliminate the need for subsequent hand-harvesting processes. Field tests were carried out with a lateral tractor-drawn canopy shaker on four commercial plots of sweet oranges. Canopy vibration during the harvesting process was measured with a set of triaxial accelerometer sensors with a datalogger placed on 90 bearing branches. Monitoring of the vibration process, fruit pro…

Spatial Variation of Leaf Optical Properties in a Boreal Forest Is Influenced by Species and Light Environment

2017

Leaf Optical Properties (LOPs) convey information relating to temporally dynamic photosynthetic activity and biochemistry. LOPs are also sensitive to variability in anatomically related traits such as Specific Leaf Area (SLA), via the interplay of intra-leaf light scattering and absorption processes. Therefore, variability in such traits, which may demonstrate little plasticity over time, potentially disrupts remote sensing estimates of photosynthesis or biochemistry across space. To help to disentangle the various factors that contribute to the variability of LOPs, we defined baseline variation as variation in LOPs that occurs across space, but not time. Next we hypothesized that there wer…

Shoot Development and Non-Destructive Determination of Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) Leaf Area

2017

A non-destructive method for determination of grapevine total leaf area is described. It is based on a highly significant correlation found between shoot leaf area and shoot length of Syrah (Vitis vinifera L.). Total leaf area per vine may be determined by using the equations described, by choosing a representative number of primary and secondary shoots and by knowing the total number of shoots of the plant considered. The equation seemed independent of vigour and terroir and reasonably sensitive to changes in leaf area that occurred independent of altered shoot length. It also allowed for recognition of compensation as a result of canopy manipulation. It would therefore be particularly use…

Horticultural performance of 23 Sicilian olive genotypes in hedgerow systems: Vegetative growth, productive potential and oil quality

2017

Abstract The super high density (SHD) model is a new olive growing system characterized by earlier and higher yields, fully mechanized harvesting and reduced orchard management costs. Until recently all commercial SHD orchards were planted primarily with three varieties: ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’ and ‘Koroneiki’. To increase variety diversity, broaden available olive oil chemical and organoleptic profiles, and olive oils for marketing, minor local varieties should be evaluated for adaptability to the SHD system. This study compares multiple Sicilian native genotypes to the three current cultivars ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’ and ‘Koroneiki’. The cumulative fruit and oil production, trunk-cross sec…

The Effect of Soil Volume Availability on Opuntia ficus-indica Canopy and Root Growth

2020

The study investigated the effect of soil volume restriction on the below- and above-ground growth of Opuntia ficus-indica through understanding the limit imposed by root confinement via different soil volumes on root and canopy architecture and growth. In 2014, one-year-old O. ficus-indica cladodes were planted in five different soil volumes (50, 33, 18, 9 and 5 L). The cladode and roots of each sampled plants were measured and weighed every six months

Soil properties determine the elevational patterns of base cations and micronutrients in the plant-soil system up to the upper limits of trees and sh…

2018

Abstract. To understand whether base cations and micronutrients in the plant–soil system change with elevation, we investigated the patterns of base cations and micronutrients in both soils and plant tissues along three elevational gradients in three climate zones in China. Base cations (Ca, Mg, and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, and Zn) were determined in soils, trees, and shrubs growing at lower and middle elevations as well as at their upper limits on Balang (subtropical, SW China), Qilian (dry temperate, NW China), and Changbai (wet temperate, NE China) mountains. No consistent elevational patterns were found for base cation and micronutrient concentrations in both soils and plant tissu…

Behaviour of alkyl oleates following foliar application in relation to their influence on the penetration of phenmedipham and quizalofop-P-ethyl

1997

Summary The foliar penetration of four alkyl oleates (methyl to butyl) and their influence on the penetration of phenmedipham and quizalofop-P-ethyl was studied in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), cleavers (Galium aparine L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.). Loss of alkyl oleates from glass and plant surfaces was inversely related to the length of the alkyl chains and was assumed to be due to volatilization. All four alkyl oleates after application alone, readily penetrated into pea and barley leaves but much less into G. aparine. Penetration of methyl oleate appeared to be faster than that of butyl oleate. Both alkyl oleates were completely metabolized in barley and pea in 27 h, but not in G. apari…

Możliwości zastosowania ekstraktów roślinnych zawierających związki fenolowe w rolnictwie ekologicznym

2017

Oils for weed control: Uses and mode of action

1993

The role of oils in herbicide treatments is reviewed, both in terms of their own intrinsic activity and of their enhancement of the performance of other herbicides. The phytotoxicity of oils can be related to their physical properties. Their efficacy as adjuvants can vary with the plant /pesticide combination involved, and differences may also be observed between oils of mineral and vegetable origin. The possible mechanisms involved in the enhancement of activity by oils are discussed and areas of work that might elucidate these further are indicated