Branch Height Research Articles

Effect of Types and Dosages of Foliar Fertilizers on Morphology and Production of Clitoria ternatea

<p class="16">The aim of this study was to determine effect of types and dose levels of foliar fertilizers on morphology and production of <em>Clitoria ternatea</em>. This study was conducted from September to November 2020 at Forage Research Garden for Animal Feed and Pasture, Faculty of Animal Science, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. Materials used were <em>Clitoria ternatea</em>, liquid organic fertilizer of rabbit and gandasil D fertilizer. This study was designed in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with factorial pattern of 2x4. The fertilizer dosages were: 0,1.5,3.0 and 4.5 g/l/plot. The parameters measured were plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, number of branches, fresh and dry matter productions. Data were analyzed by the analysis of variance at 5%, with Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results showed that types of foliar fertilizers did not affect morphological characteristics and production of<em> Clitoria ternatea</em> (P>0.05), but the fertilizer dosages had significant effect (P<0.05) on morphological characteristics except for leaf area and production of <em>Clitoria ternatea</em>. The higher the dose level of foliar fertilizer the greater the plant height, stem diameter and number of branches. Dosage of 4.5 g/l/plot resulted in the highest plant height, stem diameter and number of branches each 160.02, 1.14 cm and 18.96 branches, respectively. Dosage of4.5 g/l/plot gave the highest fresh and dry matter production of 19.22 and 16.75 tons/ha. It is concluded that increasing the dosage level of foliar fertilizer up to 4.5 g/l/plot resulted in an increased quantity measures of several morphological characteristics and production.</p>

Estimation of Vertical Fuel Layers in Tree Crowns Using High Density LiDAR Data

The accurate prediction and mitigation of wildfire behaviour relies on accurate estimations of forest canopy fuels. New techniques to collect LiDAR point clouds from remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS) allow for the prediction of forest fuels at extremely fine scales. This study uses a new method to examine the ability of such point clouds to characterize the vertical arrangement and volume of crown fuels from within individual trees. This method uses the density and vertical arrangement of LiDAR points to automatically extract and measure the dimensions of each cluster of vertical fuel. The amount and dimensions of these extracted clusters were compared against manually measured clusters that were collected through the manual measurement of over 100 trees. This validation dataset was composed of manual point cloud measurements for all portions of living crown fuel for each tree. The point clouds used for this were ground-based LiDAR point clouds that were ~80 times denser than the RPAS LiDAR point clouds. Over 96% of the extracted clusters were successfully matched to a manually measured cluster, representing ~97% of the extracted volume. A smaller percentage of the manually measured clusters (~79%) were matched to an extracted cluster, although these represented ~99% of the total measured volume. The vertical arrangement and dimensions of the matched clusters corresponded strongly to one another, although the automated method generally overpredicted each cluster’s lower boundary. Tree-level volumes and crown width were, respectively, predicted with R-squared values of 0.9111 and 0.7984 and RMSE values of 44.36 m2 and 0.53 m. Weaker relationships were observed for tree-level metrics that relied on the extraction of lower crown features (live crown length, live crown base height, lowest live branch height). These metrics were predicted with R-squared values of 0.5568, 0.3120, and 0.2011 and RMSE values of 3.53 m, 3.55 m, and 3.66 m. Overall, this study highlights strengths and weaknesses of the developed method and the utility of RPAS LiDAR point clouds relative to ground-based point clouds.

An improvement in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) productivity through optimization of rice-straw quantity and plant density

• The highest yield obtained at the highest density with the most rice-straw returning. • Pod area index (PAI) increased with denser planting and more rice-straw returning. • The radiation and nitrogen use efficiency increased together with PAI. • More lignin in stem reduced the lodging risk and the incidence of sclerotinia stem rot. It was known that plant density and rice-straw returning affect the oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.) yield in oilseed-rice rotation system. But it was not clear if their interaction influences on oilseed yield and lodging resistance. Therefore our study aimed to study role of interaction between two plant densities (D1; 45 × 10 4 plants ha −1 and D2; 75 × 10 4 plant ha −1 ) and three levels of rice-straw returning (R1; 6 × 10 3 kg ha −1 , R2; 9 × 10 3 kg ha −1 and R3, 12 × 10 3 kg ha −1 ) in improving seed yield and lodging resistance in oilseed-rice rotation system. Our results showed that the plant height and branch height increased, but the root crown diameter, branch number, pods per plant, yield per plant and lodging index decreased with the increase in plant density. Root crown diameter, branch height, pods per plant and lodging index increased while the plant height and seedling survival rate decreased due to increase in rice-straw returning. And the stem near the canopy was more prone to lodging. Low amount of rice-straw returning (R1) combined with low plant density (D1) can get high seed yield as the high seedling survival rate, while more rice-straw returning (R3) with higher plant density (D2) can elevate the seed yield by increasing the population pods and decreasing lodging index. Leaf area index (LAI), above ground nitrogen content and root nitrogen content decreased and the light transmittance (LT) increased at the bolting stage with the increase in plant density and rice-straw returning. However, the lower light transmittance (LT) associated with the increased pod area index (PAI) at the pod filling stage, which resulted in higher radiation use efficiency (RUE) and population biomass (PB). And in the pod filling stage, the above ground nitrogen content and root nitrogen content increased with the increase in rice-straw returning, but decreased with the increase in plant density, which resulted in the higher plant density and rice-straw returning, the higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Besides, the activities of photosynthesis related enzymes fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase (FBP) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and the lignin synthesis related enzymes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POD) in stem increased at the flowering stage under high plant density and large amount of rice-straw returning, resulted in increasing lignin content and decreasing incidence of sclerotinia stem rot. Present study highlights that large amount of rice-straw returning with high plant density could be used as efficient agronomic practices to improve the productivity of oilseed rape under oilseed rape-rice rotation system.

Morphological diversity and relationship among cashew (Anacardium occidentale L) individuals in three districts of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L), a species belonging to the family Anacardiaceae, has been cultivated throughout most of Indonesia’s areas and has become a priority commodity in Southeast Sulawesi for years. However, the information about its variation on morphology and relationship among individuals are still limited. This study aimed to determine the morphological variations and relationships among cashew individuals in three districts (Konawe, South Konawe, and East Kolaka) of Southeast Sulawesi. As many as ninety individuals were analyzed on 15 morphological variables for the variations and 47 variables using the complete linkage method based on Gower distance for the clustering. The coefficients of variation were varied on all evaluated variables. The highest was the height of main branches (cm), ranging from 47.32 % to 73.72 %. Meanwhile, nut length had the lowest coefficient of variation (6.75%-7.99%). The individuals were divided into two main clusters with two sub-clusters for each cluster.

Evaluation of the Agromorphological Determinants of the Spread of the Bacterial Disease in Orchards of the Main Mango-Producing Regions in Côte d'Ivoire

The use of agroecological practices for the management of phytosanitary problems has become a major issue in the context of sustainable development. It is with this in mind that this study was initiated in the regions of Bagoué, Poro and Tchologo. This study consisted of investigating the determinants likely to promote the spread of the bacterial disease in 720 mango trees of the Kent variety distributed in 20 orchards in the regions of Poro, Tchologo and Bagoué. During this study, the incidence and severity of bacterial disease on leaves and fruits (IsFe, IsFr, IcFe, IcFr) as well as agromorphological parameters such as East-West and North-South spans, total leaf area, fruit load, trunk circumference, total height and number of main branches (En EO and NS, SFT, ChFr, CirTr, HaTr and RamP) were measured. The performance of the pearson correlation test revealed that spans (N-S and E-O), HaTr, SFT and ChFr are the 4 agromorphological determinants that promote the spread of bacteriosis in orchards of the three (3) regions. The synthesis of the results of the ACP and the CAH supplemented by a multivariate analysis (MANOVA) made it possible to structure the mango orchards into three (3) homogeneous groups. Group 1 orchards (VB4, VB8, VS1, VF5, VK1, VB7, VF2 and VK2) expressed the lowest severity indices and the incidence of bacteriosis on the leaves (respectively 15.21 ± 8.87% ; 12.21 ± 6.54%) and fruits (respectively 13.11 ± 4.75%; 10.40 ± 2.93%). These orchards featured mango trees with medium trunk circumferences (99.14 ± 17.24 cm), medium trunk heights (145.29 ± 7.24 cm) and smallest spans (6.85 ± 1, 13 m for the NS span and 6.79 ± 1.18 m for the EO span) and total leaf area (15.61 ± 0.06 cm). These results could help develop an agroecological control strategy for the sustainable management of bacterial disease.

Performance of apical rooted cuttings of potato grown in Mollic Andosols under different nitrogen fertilization and irrigation regimes

Potato productivity (Solanum tuberosum L) is generally influenced by several factors, including water and nitrogen (N), and potato requirement for these factors varies depending on the soil type and potato variety. This research aimed to determine the performance of apical rooted cuttings of potato grown in Mollic Andosols under different nitrogen fertilization and irrigation regimes. The treatments comprised 4 irrigation regimes of 100%, 85%, 75% and 50% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETC), where ETC100% was irrigated based on water depletion in the root zone two days after full irrigation, and 4 nitrogen rates of 0 (N0), 60 (N1), 90 (N2) and 130 kg.ha−1 (N3) applied in splits at 10 (40%), 30 (40%) and 50 (20%) days after planting. The results revealed that the water demand for apical rooted cuttings of potato (ETa) was on average 201.4, 302.1, 342.4 and 402.8 mm under ETC50%, ETC75%, ETC85% and ETC100%, respectively. It was observed that plant height and number of branches significantly (P < 0.001) varied under different N rates with the highest plant height (92.67 cm) and number of branches per potato plant (17) achieved when applying N3. Potato grown under full irrigation (ETC100%) with N3 produced the highest total potato tuber yield (58.28 t.ha−1) and marketable tuber yield (54.21 t.ha−1). The number of tubers per plant statistically reduced as the N deficit increased, with the maximum tuber number, 23, achieved under N3. It was observed that a significant Pearson correlation (r = 0.7∗∗∗) existed between tuber number and total tuber yield. The maximum harvest index (HI), 57.12 %, was obtained under ETC50% with N3, while the highest tuber dry matter, 30 %, was observed under N3. To achieve a high tuber yield from apical rooted cuttings of potato in Mollic Andosols, this study recommends an irrigation regime of ETC100% and a nitrogen rate of 130 kg.ha−1.

EFFECT OF SOWING DEPTH ON GERMINATION AND GROWTH OF GUM ARABIC (ACACIA SPECIES)

The study was carried out to determine the effect of sowing depth on the germination and growth of (Acacia species). The materials for the experiment consisted of top soil, river sand, cow dung and polythene bags. Polythene bags measuring 7.5 cm x 20 cm were filled with potting mixture consisting of top soil, river sand and cow dung in a ratio 2:2:1. The filled polythene bags were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with each treatment having 25 polythene replicated four times. Two seeds were sown per pot at a depth of 1cm, 2cm, 3cm and 4cm, respectively, and were later thinned to one seeding per pot. It was observed that seed germination was faster with 1cm and 2cm sewing depth followed by 3cm while 4cm depth delayed seed germination. At 1 month after sowing (1MAS), seeds of (Acacia species) were statistically unaffected regardless of sowing depths. However, at 2, 3 and 4 months after sowing, seedling of (Acacia Seyal) significantly gave superior seedling height compared to (Senegalia Senegal). At 1, 2 and 3 MAS, Acacia species though statistically similar significantly increased seedling height and number of primary branches compared to 4cm sowing depth. Shallow sowing depths of 1 and 2cm of (Acacia species) seeds favored seed emergence and seedlings growth characters.

The Effect of Mushrooms Trichoderma sp. and Its Secondary Metabolites on Suppression of Fusarium sp. and Growth of Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum mill.)

&lt;em&gt;This study aims to determine the interaction effect of the type and dose of Trichoderma sp. and its secondary metabolites on suppression of Fusarium sp. wilt disease and its effect on the growth of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum mill.). This study used a Randomized Block Design (RBD) which consisted of two factors. The first factor is the type of application (J) which consists of three levels of treatment, namely: J1 = Trichoderma sp., J2 = Secondary metabolites. J3 = Trichoderma sp. + Secondary metabolites, while the second factor is the application dose (D) which consists of three treatment levels, namely: D1 = 10 ml/plant, D2 = 20 ml/plant, D3 = 30 ml/plant. The treatment was repeated 3 times to obtain 81 tomato plants and added 9 control treatment plants. The parameters observed were the percentage of wilt disease, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaflets, and number of branches. The results showed that in laboratory testing, the mushrooms Trichoderma sp. and secondary metabolites can inhibit the growth of the mushrooms Fusarium sp. In research in the field, treatment with Trichoderma sp., secondary metabolites, and Trichoderma sp. + secondary metabolites, with various spore densities and applied 7 days before planting can reduce the wilting percentage to 0%. The interaction treatment of type and application dose had a very significant effect on the number of leaflets, and had a significant effect on stem diameter but had no significant effect on plant height and number of branches. The highest results on the variable plant height and number of leaflets were found in the J3D3 treatment with a height of 82.67 cm and a number of leaflets of 85.11 strands. The highest results on the stem diameter variable were found in the J1D3 treatment with a diameter of 6.59 mm, while the variable number of branches was found in the J3D1 treatment with 1.35 branches.&lt;/em&gt;

Intra-specific leaf trait variability of F. sylvatica, Q. petraea and P. abies in response to inter-specific competition and implications for forest functioning.

Variability in functional traits (FT) is increasingly used to understand the mechanisms behind tree species interactions and ecosystem functioning. In order to explore how FT differ due to interactions between tree species and its influence on stand productivity and other ecological processes, we examined the effects of tree species composition on the intra-specific variability of four widely measured FT: specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content, leaf angle and stomatal conductance response to vapor pressure deficit. This study focused on three major central European tree species: European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Sessile oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] H. Karst.). Each species was examined in monoculture and two-species mixtures in the 13-year-old tree biodiversity experiment BIOTREE-Kaltenborn. Trait distributions and linear mixed models were used to analyze the effect of species mixing, tree size and stand variables on the intra-specific FT variability. A significant effect of branch height on most traits and species indicated a vertical gradient of foliar trait frequently related to light availability. Beech and oak showed a high overall trait variability and sensitivity to species mixing and stand basal area, while the trait variability of spruce was limited. Greater shifts in trait distributions due to mixing were found in specific leaf area for oak and leaf nitrogen content for beech. Thus intra-specific variability of key leaf traits was already influenced at this young development stage by inter-specific interactions. Finally, we used the 3-PG (Physiological Processes Predicting Growth) process-based forest growth model to show that the measured intra-specific variability on single FT values could influence stand productivity, light absorption and transpiration, although the net effect depends on the considered trait and the species composition of the mixture. The results of this study will aid better understanding of the effects of inter-specific competition on intra-specific FT variability, which has implications for the parameterization of process-based forest growth models and our understanding of ecosystem functioning.

Influence of Sand Trapping Fences on Dune Toe Growth and Its Relation with Potential Aeolian Sediment Transport

This study provides insights into dune toe growth around and between individual brushwood lines of sand trapping fences at the dune toe of coastal dunes using digital elevation models obtained from repeated unmanned aerial vehicle surveys. Prevailing boundary conditions, especially sediment supply, as well as the porosity and arrangement of the installed sand trapping fences significantly influence the effectiveness of different configurations of sand trapping fences. The dune toe growth is significant immediately after constructing a new sand trapping fence and decreases over time. According to the results presented in this study, for sand trapping fences that have been in place longer, the protruding branch height and the porosity of the remaining branches play a minor role in trapping sand. Sand trapping fences with lower permeability favour localized coastal dune toe growth directly at their brushwood lines, whereas fences with higher porosity allow for more sediment deposition further downwind. The trend in dune toe changes can be roughly predicted by integrating potential sediment transport rates calculated with hourly meteorological data.

Environmental and anthropogenic effects on the nesting patterns of Nigeria–Cameroon chimpanzees in North‐West Cameroon

Environmental conditions and human activity influence the selection of nest sites by chimpanzees and may have serious conservation implications. We examined the characteristics of nesting trees preferred by chimpanzees, investigated the effect of vegetation composition and topography on nest site locations and seasonality on nesting heights of chimpanzees, and verified the effect of predator occurrence and human activity on the nesting behavior of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in Kom-Wum Forest Reserve (KWFR) and surrounding unprotected forest in Cameroon. We recorded 923 nests, 502 signs of human activity, and 646 nesting trees along line transects and recces (reconnaissance) for two seasons. We found that chimpanzees constructed more arboreal nests on tall primary trees with high lowest branch height and large diameter at breast height. Moreover, they oriented their nests within trees in the slope direction when the nesting trees were located on slopes. Additionally, the occurrence of chimpanzee nests was positively related to increasing elevation and slope and decreased with distance to primary forest. In contrast, the number of nests increased with distance to secondary forest, open land, and villages, and nesting height was not influenced by seasons. While we recorded no signs of large nocturnal chimpanzee predators at nesting trees, we found signs of hunting activity at nesting locations. Nesting high in trees is likely a way of avoiding hunting, while nest orientation within trees in slope direction shortens escape routes from human hunters. Our findings suggest that chimpanzees select safe trees (tall trees with high lowest branch height) located in nesting areas (primary forest, high elevation, and steep slopes) that are not easily accessible by humans. Therefore, conservation efforts should focus on protecting primary forests at high elevation and steep slopes and reducing human impact.

Space Planting, Competition, and Productivity of a Seven-Year-Old Clonal Teak Plantation in the East Java Monsoon Forest Area

Tree breeding of teak results in selected clones with high growth. Intensive silviculture is required to support a large-scale clonal teak plantation. Appropriate spacing is one of the methods to increase forest plantation productivity. Research of teak clone spacing was conducted on a seven-year-old clonal teak plantation with randomized completely block design. The treatments tested in this study were four plant spacing distances, namely, 3 m × 3 m, 6 m × 2 m, 8 m × 2 m, and 10 m × 2 m. Results show that spacing had significantly different effects on diameter, height, bole height, branch angle, crown area, crown projections, volume, and competition index. However, the height growth did not exhibit any significant differences. The 10 m × 2 m spacing produced the best diameter growth, crown area, and competition index, but has a low volume per hectare and the lowest height of free branch and branch angle. Meanwhile, the 3 m × 3 m spacing will increase bole height and stand volume per hectare. This result suggests that spacing could improve the growth of teak clone but must be followed by intensification of proper maintenance to reduce branch angle and increase bole height.

Efficacy of Novel Organic Liquid Nutrient and Novel Plus Organic Liquid Nutrient on Quantitative Traits of Indian Bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet

Background: Indian bean is established as a prime vegetable crop in India and it attracts a huge market in its seasonal time period due to its multiple uses. Using of organic liquid fertilizer is demand of recent era. Concept of application of organics is vegetable crops is recent trend as it improves yield and helps to extent growth without any adverse effects on ecosystem.&#x0D; Methods: In this experiment, two organic based nutrient formulations viz. Novel organic liquid nutrient and Novel Plus organic liquid nutrient were applied as a foliar spray at 30 days after sowing and 60 days after sowing on Indian bean variety Gujarat Navsari Indian Bean 22 and evaluated its effects on different growth parameters and yield parameters. The experiment was arrayed with Randomized Block Design having three replications and seven treatments i.e., No spray (T1), 0.5 % Novel organic liquid nutrient (T2), 1.0 % Novel organic liquid nutrient (T3), 1.5 % Novel organic liquid nutrient (T4), 0.5 % Novel Plus organic liquid nutrient (T5), 1.0 % Novel Plus organic liquid nutrient (T6) and 1.5 % Novel Plus organic liquid nutrient (T7).&#x0D; Result: Treatment T6 executed maximum plant height and highest number of branches. Maximum fresh weight (30.87 g per plant) and dry weight (8.01 g per plant) were also registered under the same treatment T6. Similar treatment has proved to be superior for acquiring highest pod weight, maximum number of pods per plant, pod yield per plant and pod yield per individual plot. In terms of apex total pod yield per plot (3,641 g) and pod yield per hectare (5,619 kg) treatment T6 have performed the best as well. Predominantly, application of 1.0 % Novel Plus organic liquid nutrient on Indian bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet] as a foliar spray had positive effects in aspects of growth as well as yield parameters.

Effects of osmo-priming on germination, growth and green pod yield of okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] at Luyengo, Middleveld of Eswatini

Okra is a nutritious summer vegetable crop in Eswatini. However, it has slow and uneven germination. Seed pre-sowing treatment through osmo-priming can enhance the germination, growth and yield of okra. Thus, laboratory and field experiments were conducted at Luyengo, Middleveld of Eswatini in 2019/2020 cropping season to determine the effect of osmo-priming on germination, growth and yield of okra. Treatments included priming of seeds with Polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% and unprimed control. Completely randomized design was used for the laboratory experiment and randomized complete block design was used for the field experiment. Results showed significant (p&lt;0.01) effect of seed priming on the germination index, mean germination time and final germination percentage of okra seeds. Significantly the highest germination index (5.2) and final germination percentage (66) were recorded in priming with 15% PEG. Similarly, seeds priming with 15% PEG resulted in significantly the highest number of leaves per plant (12.07), leaf area index (1.49), canopy height (120.9 cm), and number of branches per plant (8.13). Moreover, okra seeds primed in 15% PEG resulted in the highest pod length and total green pod yield (2009.8 kg ha-1). Thus, it can be concluded that seed priming with 15% PEG is the most effective in improving the germination, growth and yield of okra in the study area.

Morphological Formation, Fatty Acid Profile, and Molecular Identification of Some Landraces of Ethiopian Brassica as a Promising Crop to Support Breeding Programs.

There has been an increased interest in oilseed crops for agro-industry research and development breeding programs to secure sustainable food and agriculture. The introgression of exotic genotypes of oilseed Brassica into cultivated relatives is inevitable in the genetic improvement of oilseed crops. This experimental attempt aimed to characterize the morphological and molecular basis for the identification and characterization of some Brassica genotypes. Fatty acid profile, yield, and morphology are under genetic control and can be used to identify genotypes. Characterization and identification were fulfilled for five accessions from Brassica spp. Plant height, height of first branch, number of branches and pods per plant, seed yield per plant, average pod length, number of seeds per pod, protein and oil contents (%), and fatty acid profile were examined. Besides, the relationship between seed yield and seed yield-contributing characteristics was estimated, as well as the phylogenetic relationship of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The genotypes varied significantly for all examined traits, taking into account the most important traits: seed yield per plant and oil content. For example, oil content in the samples ranged between 41.1 and 49.3%. Path analysis results showed a high and positive direct effect between each number of primary branches and the number of pods per plant with seed yield per plant (0.48). The morphological and molecular observations suggest that the Fay1, Fay3, Fay4, and Fay6 accessions belong to Brassica rapa, while Fay2 belongs to Brassica carinata. It can be concluded based on the present findings that the Fay3 genotype with the highest oil content and the lowest erucic acid content compared to the other genotypes can be proposed as a potential donor for future breeding programs for oil production and quality, while Fay1 can be utilized as donor to increase the seed yield per plant.

Extraction of branch factors and model construction for Larix plantation using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS).

Forest parameters could be estimated without damage using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). In this study, 1266 sets of branch parameters, including branch height, branch chord length, branch length, branch angle, branch diameter and the branch arc height, of 26 Larix trees were extracted based on TLS using point cloud processing software in the way of human-computer interaction. The average of extracted maximum relative height of the branches was 0.83. The accuracy of the extracted branch attributes followed the order of branch height > branch chord length > branch length > branchdiameter (with the branch diameter >20 mm) > branch arc height. After dividing the crown into four parts, it proved that the density of the branches increased while the extraction ratio and precision of branches decreased with the increase of crown height. Due to the low accuracy of branch diameter extraction, we developed a base diameter prediction model using the branch chord length, the height of branch, diameter at breast height and tree height as independent variables. The measured, extracted and model predicted values of different base diameter were compared, and discovered that accuracy of model prediction was greater than that of extraction by TLS. For timber production, the most worthy wood was the middle and lower section of the tree. The method could accurately extract tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and the branch attributes with the relative branch height of less than 0.8, providing the parameters that are necessary to develop a wood quality model.

ANALISIS LINTAS PERTUMBUHAN DAN PRODUKSI TERHADAP PROTEIN KACANG TUNGGAK (Vigna unguiculata L) GENERASI M2

Cowpea (V. unguiculata L) can be developed as a source of vegetable protein because it contains relatively high protein and high lysine. The protein content in seeds is an accumulation of character components that play a role in protein formation, whose relationship can be predicted using cross correlation and analysis coefficients. The study was carried out in the experimental garden of Pasir Kuda PKHT of IPB in February - May 2018. Protein analysis is carriedout in the Testing Laboratory of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB in June - July 2018. The study was conducted using 30 putative mutant test genotypes of M2 generation result from the mutation of gamma ray irradiation and KM4 genotype as a comparison which was repeated three times. The protein content of the seeds was analyzed using the Kjeldahl method and then analyzed the variance, correlation coefficient and path. The results showed that M2 generation putative mutants showed diversity for the character of protein content in cowpea seeds. The protein content in cowpea seeds can be predicted through the character of plant height and number of branches.

Substitution of Plastics with Organic Pots in Tree Seedlings Production for Sustainable Environmental Conservation

The Mau Forest Complex, Kenya, is the location where the study below was done with the aim of investigating if small-scale operators of tree nurseries are will to embrace and use biodegradable seedling pots. These containers include baskets made of plant fibre and bamboo tubes as well as to determine the tree species that could form a denser canopy to be used in reafforestation. This study hypothesized that biodegradable pots could promote better growth of tree seedlings and offer more environmental-friendly benefits in comparison to the extensively utilized polythene containers. Biodegradable seedling pots are options friendly to the environment compared to plastic pots commonly used in activities in the greenhouse and nurseries. The use of compostable and plantable containers based on natural and renewable materials derived from plant materials have a potential market to boost the sustainable character of current tree production systems. Three species were planted including, Hagenia abyssinica in Gatimu, Juniperus procera and Olea europea subsp. africana in Mwisho wa Lami. Basket tubes gave the highest vigor (62.429 cm) with H. abyssinica in Gatimu while bamboo (58.048cm) and control (52.667cm) did not show a significant difference at p = 0.05 level. Olea europea subsp. africana generally demonstrated higher vigor with all the applied treatments than J. procera in Mwisho wa Lami. Basket treatment gave the highest height and number of branches for the two plant species while bamboo and control treatments did not have any significant differences at p = 0.05. In this study it was found that seedling bags made from plant fibres could be adopted in tree seedling propagation to remove the synthetic plastics for sustainable environmental conservation. Hagenia abysinica was also recommended for reafforestation as it formed a quick canopy.

Genetic diversity, heritability and genetic advance of Solanum melongena L. from three secondary centers of diversity

Indo-Birmanian is considered as the domesticated region and primary center of eggplant diversity from where it spread to other secondary centers of diversity. In this study, the genetic diversity among 56 eggplant genotypes from three secondary centers of diversity (Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand) was assessed using 11 morphological traits. The experiment was laid in a complete randomized block design with three replications. A wide significant variation was observed for all the morphological traits, and highly significant differences among the three centers of diversity. High heritability and genetic advance was found for different traits i.e. fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit girth, fruit length to width ratio, average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, plant height and number of primary branches per plant. The selected best traits i.e. number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight and fruit yield per plant showed high heritability along with high genetic advance and less environmental influence but the high value of PCV and GCV. So these traits could be useful for selection criteria in the future breeding program. These results are relevant for evolutionary studies, breeding programs, and management of eggplant genetic resources.&#x0D; Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 28(1): 155-169, 2021 (June)

Prediction of branch growth using quantile regression and mixed-effects models: An example with planted Larix olgensis Henry trees in Northeast China

Branch is an essential component that supports foliage for photosynthesis, and its size appears as a major determinant for log grading. Forest managers have always been facing a challenge to maximize tree increment and timber quality; hence, linking the dynamic relationship between the branch and tree growth will be beneficial for crucial stand managerial decisions (pruning, thinning, and other silvicultural practices). In this study, branch growth models were developed using 77 destructively sampled Korean larch trees (Larix olgensis Henry) from several plantations in the Northeastern area of China. A modified Mitscherlich function that includes dynamic tree height and branch height was used to predict the growth of the branch’s diameter and length. The jackknifing technique was utilized to evaluate five alternative modeling approaches: (1) fixed-effects model; (2) calibrated mixed-effects model; (3) three-quantile regression method; (4) five-quantile regression method; and (5) nine-quantile regression method. The results showed that the prediction performance of both calibrated mixed-effects and quantile regression approaches outperformed the fixed-effects model, in which the calibrated mixed-effects provided better performance than quantile regression. In addition, three sampling strategies and various number of branches (1 to 8 branches per sample tree) were used for calibrating the mixed-effect and quantile regression model. The three sampling strategies brought relatively similar prediction performance, specifically for the larger sample size. Model performance improved as the sample size increased, but gains in performance decreased gradually. Overall, a combination of Type I sampling strategy and at least five sample branches per tree was recommended as a win–win solution to minimize the required measurement cost without sacrificing the model’s predictive accuracy.