Plantation Forestry Research Articles

Potential And Utilization Of Pangi Plant (Pangium Edule Reinw) In Agroforestry Land In Kalembang Village, Sangalla District, Tana Toraja Regency

Pangi (Pangium edule Reinw) is a type of non-timber forest product commodity in the vegetable group, in which all parts of this plant can be utilized. Pangi plants are planted on agroforestry land so that they can be used sustainably to fulfill their subsistence needs. Some of the people of Kalembang Village cultivate their land by turning it into agroforestry land and planting seasonal crops, fruits and forestry plants. This study aims to describe the potential and utilization of pangi plants found in the agroforestry land of the Kalembang community, Sangalla' District, Tana Toraja Regency. Simple random sampling technique and interviews are the methods used in this study. The data obtained is arranged in tabular form and then described in a descriptive way to describe the use of Pangi by the community. The results showed that there were 4 hamlets in Kalembang Village, but this research was only conducted in Kalembang Hamlet. The area of agroforestry land in Kalembang Village is 325 ha, while the area planted by pangi is on average 0.25-1 ha with around 10-31 pangi trees. The research data in the field shows that there are 524 trees which are still productive in producing fruit or the equivalent of 90%, while the number of trees that are not productive in producing fruit (dead) is 58 trees or the equivalent of 10%. Respondents in Kalembang Village only used 4 products produced from pangi plants, namely (stems) used as building materials; (leaves) are used as wrappers for meat so they don't spoil quickly and leaves are easily used as vegetables; (pangi fruit/seeds) are used as food ingredients, namely vegetables and seasoning (Kluwek).

Pyrolysis temperature determines the amendment effects of poplar residue‐derived biochars on reducing CO2 emission

AbstractPoplars and their hybrids are widely planted in both plantation forestry and agroforestry systems of the world. Along with the utilization and plantation management processes, a large amount of biomass residues are produced, but the relationship between biochar properties and soil CO2 emissions is largely unknown. Here, a laboratory incubation study was conducted to assess the effects of different biochars and their corresponding biomass residues on soil CO2 emissions during the 180 days of incubation. Poplar residue‐derived biochars were larger in the surface area and total pore volume but lower in nutrients and pH values than the rice straw‐derived biochar. Increasing pyrolysis temperature led to a decrease in the total nitrogen (TN) content of poplar leaf‐ and rice straw‐derived biochars, but enhanced the TN in the poplar twig‐ and poplar bark‐derived biochars. After 180‐day incubation, the total cumulative CO2 emission decreased by 33.1%–73.8% in the biochar amendments compared to their corresponding biomass residue addition, whereas the biochars derived from poplar twig and bark residues had more positive effects on reducing soil CO2 emissions, but depended on the pyrolysis temperature. Correlation analysis showed a significant and positive correlation between the CO2 emissions and TN content of bio‐based materials but the negative relationships to total carbon content and C/N ratio. Meanwhile the positive correlations of CO2 emissions to the surface area, t‐plot micropore area, and volume of the biochars were detected. Our results suggest that application of poplar twig‐ and poplar bark‐derived biochars has a great potential for mitigating global warming.

Green in grey: ecosystem services and disservices perceptions from small-scale green infrastructure along a rural-urban gradient in Bengaluru, India

ABSTRACT Ecosystem services provided by green infrastructure are often discussed for their potential to address the societal challenges of urbanization. However, green infrastructure, particularly small-scale types (e.g. trees), is vulnerable to loss through urbanization and is often passed over during scientific investigations. Studies on the perceptions of ecosystem services and disservices (hereafter called ecosystem (dis)services) dynamics along the rural-urban gradient are particularly rare in the literature. Therefore, this study assessed the perceived importance of ecosystem (dis)services associated with small-scale green infrastructure along a rural-urban gradient in Bengaluru, India. Based on photos of the five most common types of small-scale green infrastructure and the three most common tree species associated with them, we conducted a photo-elicitation survey of 649 residents from 61 towns in Bengaluru. We found significant differences in the perceptions of all ecosystem (dis)services among the types of green infrastructure. The most appreciated services were air/climate regulation from platform trees and aesthetic values from farm trees. Regulating services were most appreciated in urban areas while provisioning and cultural services were most appreciated in transitional areas, and disservices were most strongly perceived in rural areas. Gender, age, education, caste, and income from agriculture significantly affected the use and valuation of the ecosystem (dis)services within the local communities. Our study reveals the crucial role of small-scale green infrastructure as a multifunctional element, which is highly relevant for the supply of provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services in Bengaluru.

The acacia plantation boom in Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Central Vietnam: A survey of tree farmers’ shifting livelihoods, environmental perceptions, and occupational perspectives

The rise of exotic-species-based plantation forestry in biodiverse tropical countries transforms livelihoods and environmental qualities in various ways. Through 180 structured interviews of different types of acacia plantation owners (producers of woodchips/sawlogs, with/without membership in a recent Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] program) we investigated such transformations in three districts along a lowland-upland gradient in Thừa Thiên Huế Province, Central Vietnam. We focused on how trajectories of livelihood and income changes related to the farmers’ perceptions on environmental changes, and how this, in turn, was linked to the farmers’ assessments of opportunities, risks, and concrete plans in tree cultivations. Sawlog producers (especially with FSC-certification) in the lowlands had been among the first to plant acacias in the 1990s, and in 2018 usually owned large plantations. In contrast, most farmers producing just woodchips were smallholders. Before acacias the farmers’ livelihoods were often more diversified in terms of agricultural products. Since then, many farmers (especially in the lowlands) abandoned rice/cassava production and/or livestock keeping to concentrate on wood production, willingly and/or as an outcome of land conversion (enclosure) to privatised plantations. Farmers’ incomes and material assets usually increased (especially FSC-farmers), but most smallholders still depended on incomes from subsidiary wage labor. Within a context of ‘development’ improvements were also seen in infrastructure (buildings, roads, water provisioning) and public services (education, health). Considering acacia planting most farmers (especially FSC-farmers in the lowlands) saw environmental improvements in terms of soil fertility and landscape amenity, but not wildlife habitat. Most farmers also saw plantation value (especially on longer rotations) in terms of natural hazards mitigation (i.e. floods, droughts, soil erosion), but storms were also noted as the main risk to plantations (especially in the uplands). Another emerging risk was posed by plant diseases affecting acacias in the mid-/lowlands. Projective future plans to change plantation areas and/or crop rotations depended on the farmers’ economic strengths in terms of plantation land or other capital. Regarding future risks most farmers noted environmental impacts (storms, plant diseases) rather than economic factors (with wood market prices considered stable). Overall, the results suggest an appreciable value of acacia plantations to farmers, however with some marked distinctions between richer (FSC-certified) and poorer (smallholder) farmers as well as farmers in different regions with distinct terrain and land use management histories. We discuss such distinctions whilst also noting relevant study limitations connected to the complex socio-politics of land titling and uses, especially in the uplands.

A statistical modeling approach based on the small-scale field trial and meteorological data for preliminary prediction of the impact of low temperature on Eucalyptus globulus trees

Eucalyptus trees are important for industrial forestry plantations because of their high potential for biomass production, but their susceptibility to damage at low temperatures restricts their plantation areas. In this study, a 6-year field trial of Eucalyptus globulus was conducted in Tsukuba, Japan, which is the northernmost reach of Eucalyptus plantations, and leaf damage was quantitatively monitored over four of six winters. Leaf photosynthetic quantum yield (QY) levels, an indicator of cold stress-induced damage, fluctuated synchronously with temperature in the winters. We performed a maximum likelihood estimation of the regression model explaining leaf QY using training data subsets for the first 3 years. The resulting model explained QY by the number of days when the daily maximum temperature was below 9.5 °C over approximately the last 7 weeks as an explanatory variable. The correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination of prediction by the model between the predicted and observed values were 0.84 and 0.70, respectively. The model was then used to perform two kinds of simulations. Geographical simulations of potential Eucalyptus plantation areas using global meteorological data from more than 5,000 locations around the world successfully predicted an area that generally agreed with the global Eucalyptus plantation distribution reported previously. Another simulation based on meteorological data of the past 70 years suggested that global warming will increase the potential E. globulus plantation area in Japan approximately 1.5-fold over the next 70 years. These results suggest that the model developed herein would be applicable to preliminary predictions of E. globulus cold damage in the field.

Pesticide Pollution in the Brazilian Pampa: Detrimental Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health in a Neglected Biome

The Brazilian Pampa biome covers half of Rio Grande do Sul state, in the extreme south of Brazil, creating an ecotone zone with the Atlantic Forest and bordering Pampa’s territory belonging to Uruguay and Argentina. Pampa is a non-forest biome mainly composed of grasslands and mosaics of grassland-forest vegetation. This biome shows significant animal and plant diversity, contributing to the maintenance of important ecosystem services, including CO2 capture, pollination, and water cycle regulation. However, forestry plantations, inappropriate cattle ranching, mining activities, unplanned urbanization, and the cultivation of monocultures (soy, rice, tobacco, and other cash crops) significantly threaten the conservation of the Pampa biome. A major problem observed in the Pampa, due to the great connection of this biome with agricultural areas, is pesticide pollution, which significantly affects the health of humans and animals that occupy the region. A robust body of evidence indicates that aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the Brazilian Pampa are extensively contaminated with pesticides, as indicated by studies involving animal biomarkers and pesticide analyses performed on water and soil samples. Human studies also suggest that pesticides affect different body systems, facilitating the onset of various chronic diseases. Brazil’s conservation actions and policies have a special focus on forest ecosystems, neglecting non-forest biomes and thus aggravating the problems related to Pampa’s conservation. In this article, we discuss some problems caused by pesticide pollution in the Brazilian Pampa, drawing attention to the need for intensification of policies focused on the promotion of human and environmental health. Finally, we suggest the bioecological bioeconomy as an alternative for Rio Grande do Sul to progress its economic development but with less dependency on detrimental activities to the Pampa biome.

Determinants of land allocation decision to food crops - tree production in Mufindi

Understanding the determinants of land allocation decisions by farmers in food crops-tree production is vital for formulating land use plans and policies for the sustainability of the land resource. This study used 413 randomly selected households to investigate the factors that guide smallholder farmers' decisions in land allocation between food crops and trees. Results from the fractional multinomial logit model show that sex, household size, land size, awareness of land use policy, access to market information, and labor influenced land allocation decisions to tree farming more than food crops. All the results were statistically significant at P<0.05. The study recommends that the government sensitize women on the importance of tree farming; provide education about balancing between the production of food crops and trees, and create policy awareness and access to market information aimed at enhancing the production of food crops
 Keywords: Food crops; fractional multinomial logit; land allocation; tree farming

Agroforestry Practices and Woody Species Diversity in Host Communities of Okomu National Park, Edo State, Nigeria

Agroforestry is a sustainable land use alternative for conserving trees outside forests. The agroforestry practices and diversity of woody species in the host communities of Okomu National Park (ONP), Edo State was investigated. The study involved the selection of four communities (10% of 42 communities) based on proximity to the national park boundary and extent of agroforestry. The predominant farming practices engaged in by the farmers were identified and three major ones were selected for the woody species inventory. Three farms of the predominant farming systems identified were randomly selected from each community and used as sample plots, amounting to a total of 12 plots (farms). Each of the farms selected was assessed for farm size, types of trees/shrubs, agroforestry methods. The agroforestry practices by the farmers were assessed by visual observation of the diversity, arrangement of woody species. Total enumeration and identification of all live woody species on each farm was conducted and classified into families and some diversity indicators employed to analyze species diversity. The results revealed that all four communities surveyed were actively involved in traditional agroforestry: scattered farm tree system, tree crop farming under shade of trees, home gardens and boundary tree planting systems. The highest density of woody species recorded in Mile 3 community (517 trees/shrubs H-1) and Mahokhioba community recorded the least value of 134 trees/shrubs H-1. Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae were the most dominant families recorded in the study while Iguowan had the highest Shannon index (H) of 2.99. The high population of Eleais guineensis, Cola acuminata, Gmelina arborea and a host of others implies that the farmers deliberately cultivated and retained the species for their economic values thereby ensuring the species sustainability. This strategy can be explored for conserving trees in areas outside protected forests.

Mapping spatial and temporal distribution information of plantations in Guangxi from 2000 to 2020

Plantations are formed entirely by artificial planting which are different from natural forests. The rapid expansion of plantation forestry has brought about a series of ecological and environmental problems. Timely and accurate information on the distribution of plantation resources and continuous monitoring of the dynamic changes in plantations are of great significance. However, plantations have similar spectral and texture characteristics with natural forests. In addition, cloud and rain greatly affected the image quality of large area mapping. Here, we tested the possibility of applying Continuous Change Detection and Classification to distinguish plantations from natural forests and described the spatiotemporal dynamic changes of plantations. We adopted the Continuous Change Detection and Classification algorithm and used all available Landsat images from 2000 to 2020 to map annual plantation forest distribution in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China and analyzed their spatial and temporal dynamic changes. The overall accuracy of the plantation extraction is 88.77%. Plantations in Guangxi increased significantly in the past 20 years, from 2.37 × 106 ha to 5.11 × 106 ha. Guangxi is expanding new plantation land every year, with the largest expansion area in 2009 of about 2.58 × 105 ha. Over the past 20 years, plantations in Guangxi have clearly shown a tendency to expand from the southeast to the northwest, transformed from natural forests and farmland. 30% of plantations have experienced at least one logging-and-replanting rotation event. Logging rotation events more intensively occur in areas with dense plantation forests. Our study proves that using fitting coefficients from Continuous Change Detection and Classification algorithm is effective to extract plantations and mitigating the adverse effects of clouds and rain on optical images in a large scale, which provides a fast and effective method for long-time and large-area plantation identification and spatiotemporal distribution information extraction, and strong data support and decision reference for plantation investigation, monitoring and management.

Monetary compensation for changing forest management practices to increase water availability in Georgia, United States

Forests provide many ecological services, including carbon sequestration, biofuel provision, and recreation, yet the influence of forests on water resources is still often debated. While increased forest cover is generally associated with greater water quality, the value-added component of enhanced water services associated with reduced forest cover is less understood. At the same time, ensuring adequate water supplies remain a common goal of many natural resource managers due to growing concerns over freshwater security. This study derives a baseline of willingness-to-accept estimates to supply water flows by investigating the behavior of tree farm owners in Georgia, United States. Little is known about landowner preferences among incentives related to the adoption of different silvicultural practices to increase downstream water yields. A discrete choice experiment was designed to ascertain monetary compensation amounts required to alter established planting densities and thinning intensities likely to result in increased water yields. Results show that landowners may adopt such forest management strategies if appropriately compensated. Specifically, landowners on average, desired approximately $0.06 to $0.19 more per acre per year for every unit decrease in planting density. These are significant findings given that existing relevant stakeholders on the ‘consumer’ side may be ready and willing to fund such practices. We hope our study can contribute towards establishing market-based incentives for private forest landowners to encourage the conservation and improvement of forested watersheds in Georgia and beyond.

Feasibility assessment of harvest residue gasification for bioelectricity and its financial impact on conventional plantation forestry

Feasibility assessment of harvest residue gasification for bioelectricity and its financial impact on conventional plantation forestry

Effect of liming and fertilizers on the growth and nutrition of 12-month old Teak (Tectona grandis L.) grown on acidic soil of Peru

Peru has a great potential for forestry plantations, nevertheless, importations of this type of products are getting very expensive. Soils under forest are acidic and infertile to support sustainable economically valuable forest tree species such as teak. Information is lacking on proper fertility management in forest plantations such as teak. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the effect of lime, and organic and inorganic fertilizers on the early growth and nutrient composition of 12-month old teak grown on acidic soil of Peru. The soil under field study was acidic with a pH of 4.99, low in fertility. A factorial design of 2x3: Lime (No Lime and Liming) and fertilizer (organic, inorganic and mixture), with 9 repetitions was adopted. Tree biometric parameters (height, diameter, biomass) and N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn foliar concentrations were determined during early the growth of teak. Treatments with addition of dolomite lime favored higher biometric parameters, and use of organic fertilizers promoted more growth than inorganic fertilizers. In the case of nutrients, no major differences were observed between limed and unlimed treatments while organic fertilizer promoted Ca, K and S nutrition. The results show that the application of lime and organic fertilizers is essential for the successful management and establishment of teak plants in acidic soils of Peru.

Landscapes

The essay discusses the theoretical implications of ecological restoration in landscape architecture. The study presents a management plan for highly damaged peatlands in the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where the habitat is threatened by a radical forestation process. Being a natural carbon stock, damaged peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The project suggests gradually turning the case-study area's economy from tree farming to tourism, making the most out of the unique biodiversity of peatlands. The proposal traces a chronological activation plan of a touristic network that will run in parallel with the restoration of peats, native broadleaf forests, heather and cotton-grass meadows. Depending on the ability to recover of different soils, the restoration plan intends to gradually activate new dynamics in the landscape. The result is a stable “novel ecosystem” whose key interactions and processes are induced by new biotic and abiotic conditions. The article investigates and discusses possible strategies to develop a new kind of wilderness that differs from any previous condition and emerges from an alternative land use.

Pengaruh Minyak Atsiri Serai Wangi dan Nilam pada Pertumbuhan Botryodiplodia sp. Secara In Vitro

Pathogen Botryodiplodia sp. is a fungus that causes dieback and stems rot diseases that attack forestry plants. The control currently being used in the field is using chemical pesticides, which are harmful to the surrounding environment and the plant itself, so there is a need for another alternative, namely using citronella and patchouli essential oils. Essential oils of citronella and patchouli have active compounds that act as antifungals to inhibit the growth of the pathogenic fungus Botryodiplodia sp. This study aimed to analyze the effect of citronella and patchouli essential oils on inhibiting the growth of the pathogen Botryodiplodia sp. in vitro. The results showed that the 10% patchouli treatment had the highest PDA and PDB media inhibition value. The lowest inhibition value was found in the 1% citronella treatment. The level of concentration, type of oil, and active ingredients contained in the oil affect the increase in effectiveness in controlling the pathogen Botryodiplodia sp.
 Keywords: antifungal, Botryodiplodia sp., citronella, in vitro, patchouli

Protected Areas Conserved Forests from Fire and Deforestation in Vietnam’s Central Highlands from 2001 to 2020

As a tropical nation with ~40% forested land area and 290 protected areas in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot, Vietnam holds an important part of global forests. Despite a complex history of multiple colonial rules, war, rapid economic development and societal growth, Vietnam was one of a few Southeast Asian countries to reverse deforestation trends and sustain net forest cover gain since the 1990s. However, a considerable amount of Vietnam’s forest gain has been from plantation forestry, as Vietnam’s policies have promoted economic development. In the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, widespread forest degradation and deforestation has occurred recently in some areas due to plantation forestry and other factors, including fire-linked deforestation, but protected areas here have been largely effective in their conservation goals. We studied deforestation, wildfires, and the contribution of fire-linked deforestation from 2001 to 2020 in an area near the Da Lat Plateau of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. We stratified our study area to distinguish legally protected areas and those in the surrounding landscape matrix without formal protection. Using satellite-derived data, we investigated four questions: (1) Have regional deforestation trends continued in parts of the Central Highlands from 2001 to 2020? (2) Based on remotely sensed fire detections, how has fire affected the Central Highlands and what proportion of deforestation is spatiotemporally linked to fire? (3) Were annual deforestation and burned area lower in protected areas relative to the surrounding land matrix? (4) Was the proportion of fire-linked deforestation lower in protected areas than in the matrix? To answer these questions, we integrated the Global Forest Change and FIRED VIETNAM datasets. We found that 3794 fires burned 8.7% of the total study area and 13.6% of the area became deforested between 2001 and 2020. While nearly half of fires were linked to deforestation, fire-linked deforestation accounted for only a small part of forest loss. Across the entire study area, 54% of fire-linked deforestation occurred in natural forests and 46% was in plantation forests. Fire ignitions in the study area were strongly linked to the regional dry season, November to March, and instrumental climate data from 1971 to 2020 showed statistically significant increasing trends in minimum, mean, and maximum temperatures. However, the total area burned did not have a significant increasing trend. Regional trends in deforestation continued in Vietnam’s Central Highlands from 2001 to 2020, and nearly half of all detected fires can be spatially and temporally linked to forest loss. However, protected areas in the region effectively conserved forests relative to the surrounding landscape.

Plantation forestry: Carbon and climate impacts

Conifer forestry is expanding rapidly across western parts of the British Isles. This is promoted as good for climate, carbon and biodiversity. However, many spruce plantations are established by draining and disturbing peaty soils, which then release carbon and impair river ecosystems. This ‘viewpoint paper’ focuses on Scotland, and asks that investors and policy-makers recognise the damage being done by rapid afforestation and restocking. The author focusses on the drainage of peaty soils, and suggests that the incentives driving these changes are corrected in order to favour a better kind of forest.

Responses of understory vascular plant communities up to 6 years after retention harvesting in planted Abies sachalinensis forests

Planted forests managed to supply timber are usually harvested by clearcutting but are also expected to contribute to biodiversity conservation. The retention forestry approach that retains important forest structures, such as trees and decayed logs at harvest, can be applied in planted forests to mitigate the negative impacts of clearcutting. Planted forests are disturbed by harvesting and postharvest silvicultural management activities, such as site preparation, planting, and weeding. The responses of understory vascular plant communities to various retention harvesting and postharvest silvicultural management were studied by comparing the composition of understory plant species before and after harvesting at the Retention Experiment for plantation FoREstry in Sorachi, Hokkaido, Japan (REFRESH). Dispersed and aggregated retention sites were established in planted Abies sachalinensis forests. In the dispersed retention sites, broad-leaved trees established in conifer plantations were retained. Clearcut and unharvested stands were used as controls and patch-cutting sites (one third of the area was clearcut by patches of 1-ha) were also established. Harvesting took place the year after the preharvest survey, and postharvest surveys were conducted in the first, third, and sixth years thereafter. The effects on species richness, the persistence of species occurrence in the preharvest survey, and the species composition of understory plants were then examined. Colonization by early seral species resulted in changes to the understory plant communities after harvesting and site preparation, irrespective of overstory tree retention. The species composition within aggregated retention patches was not altered, even though most overstory trees were blown down and are expected to provide a refuge for forest species. The presence of retained trees and steep slopes enhanced preharvest species persistence, which was presumed to be due to hampered soil disturbance. Harvesting and site preparation methods that avoid soil disturbance may help to maintain habitats for more understory plants in planted forests. The effects of weeding on the persistence of understory species differed from that of harvesting and site preparation. The trajectories for each site in the Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination space were almost parallel from the preharvest to postharvest surveys, suggesting that the preharvest vegetation left a legacy. The direction of movement was reversed in the survey six years after harvesting. It is necessary to determine the resistance and resilience of understory plants within the management cycle (planting through harvesting) to establish management practices that maintain the diversity of understory plants in planted forests.

POLA PENGOMBINASIAN TANAMAN DI KELOMPOK TANI HUTAN SEJAHTERA 4 DESA PESAWARAN TAMAN HUTAN RAYA WAN ABDUL RACHMAN

The pattern of plant combinations is the arrangement of the species of plants that are cultivated in a field. This research aims to analyze the pattern of plant combinations in the arable land of KTH Sejahtera 4 Tahura Wan Abdul Rachman. The research method used is the multiple plot method, direct observation, and interviews. Plots are arranged systematically on the farmers' arable areas. The total area cultivated by KTH Sejahtera 4 Tahura Wan Abdul Rahcman farmers is 36.05 ha. The area of the sample plots made is 1,442 ha with a sampling intensity (IS) of 4%, therefore the number of plots made is 36 plots. The results showed that all farmers applied agroforestry techniques with mixed crop combinations at random. The combination combines MPTS plants, both from the forestry plant group and the agricultural plant group. From the results of the vegetation analysis, it is known that in KTH Sejahtera's arable land 4 plants that have a high level of dominance are cloves (Eugenia aromaticum L.) and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). According to farmers' opinion, there are three types of plants that are superior, namely cocoa (Theobroma cacao), rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), and coffee (Coffea robusta L.). The plants favored by the farmers are the mainstay of their income.

Production and Sale of Fruit by Farmers in Tuyen Quang, Vietnam

The study evaluated the overview of research works on fruit farm development in the world and in Vietnam. Stemming from the actual situation, it is necessary to assess the development status of fruit farms in Tuyen Quang province. The study surveyed 60 farms, of which 20 orange farms were surveyed in Ham Yen district; 15 pomelo farms in Yen Son district; 10 banana farms in Chiem Hoa district; 15 other fruit trees (persimmon, custard apple, longan, litchi, mango, dragon fruit ...) in districts in Tuyen Quang province. In addition, the study collected the opinions of 30 experts, including: scientists; economic experts; state staff in the agricultural sector. The method of the survey was to build the questionnaire on issues related to the development of fruit tree production in Tuyen Quang province. The study analyzed the production and business characteristics of the farms, the production and sale of fruit, and also surveyed the harvest, distribution channels, and fruit selling prices. The study also assessed the economic efficiency of fruit trees growing on farms, thereby identifying fruit trees with high economic efficiency. The study has evaluated advantages and difficulties in the production and sale of products of the farms, thereby providing a basis for proposing solutions to develop fruit tree farms in Tuyen Quang province in the near future.

IoT-Enabled Precision Agriculture: Developing an Ecosystem for Optimized Crop Management

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to revolutionize agriculture by providing real-time data on crop and livestock conditions. This study aims to evaluate the performance scalability of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in agriculture, specifically in two scenarios: monitoring olive tree farms and stables for horse training. The study proposes a new classification approach of IoT in agriculture based on several factors and introduces performance assessment metrics for stationary and mobile scenarios in 6LowPAN networks. The study utilizes COOJA, a realistic WSN simulator, to model and simulate the performance of the 6LowPAN and Routing protocol for low-power and lossy networks (RPL) in the two farming scenarios. The simulation settings for both fixed and mobile nodes are shared, with the main difference being node mobility. The study characterizes different aspects of the performance requirements in the two farming scenarios by comparing the average power consumption, radio duty cycle, and sensor network graph connectivity degrees. A new approach is proposed to model and simulate moving animals within the COOJA simulator, adopting the random waypoint model (RWP) to represent horse movements. The results show the advantages of using the RPL protocol for routing in mobile and fixed sensor networks, which supports dynamic topologies and improves the overall network performance. The proposed framework is experimentally validated and tested through simulation, demonstrating the suitability of the proposed framework for both fixed and mobile scenarios, providing efficient communication performance and low latency. The results have several practical implications for precision agriculture by providing an efficient monitoring and management solution for agricultural and livestock farms. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the performance scalability of WSNs in the agriculture sector, offering a new classification approach and performance assessment metrics for stationary and mobile scenarios in 6LowPAN networks. The results demonstrate the suitability of the proposed framework for precision agriculture, providing efficient communication performance and low latency.