Mahogany Research Articles

VIABILITY OF THE USE OF AFRICAN MAHOGANY WITH CUPUASSU TREE IN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM (AFS)

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to study the behavior of cupuassu trees intercropped with African mahogany in order to define the viability of using these species in AFS and to evaluate the performance of African mahogany itself, aiming its application in reforestation projects. Both species were tested in the municipality of Tomé Açu - PA, between 2005 and 2016. In addition to these two species, banana and black pepper were also part of the AFS initially. Four levels of influence of mahogany on cupuassu trees were evaluated, defined by the proximity between plants. The vegetative development of both species was measured, as well as the production of eight harvests and the mortality rate of the cupuassu trees. The results showed that the competition exerted by African mahogany did not affect the vegetative development of cupuassu trees. In the productive phase, up to the fourth harvest, the competition was not harmful as it didn’t reduce production. However, from the fifth harvest on, cupuassu trees closest to African mahogany trees showed a significant reduction in fruit production and, from the sixth harvest on, all plants were affected, regardless of proximity. On the other hand, consistent vegetative development of African mahogany was observed, which allows its use in silvicultural projects in this region. We concluded that African mahogany had a negative influence on cupuassu trees. Further studies are needed to assess whether the development of African mahogany economically compensates for the decline in cupuassu production.

Different approaches for modeling Swietenia macrophylla commercial volume in an Amazon agroforestry system

The agroforestry systems (AFS) in the Amazon stand out in the national and international scenario due to the possibility of cultivating tropical forest species of high commercial value as the Brazilian mahogany, concomitantly, has sought to use more robust approaches to quantifying timber volume that does not require the same assumptions as traditional approaches. In this context, this study aimed to develop volumetric equations, by traditional approaches, by mixed modeling, and by machine learning techniques, that accurately estimate the commercial volume of Brazilian mahogany trees in an AFS in Amazon as well as verify whether there are differences in the estimates of these approaches by univariate analysis. For that, 108 trees were sampled in 36 circular plots of 500 m2 to estimate the commercial volume. Volumetric equations were developed from the fit of the Schumacher and Hall volumetric model and Kozak taper, by nonlinear regression, from the application of nonlinear mixed modeling in the most precise traditional model and training of artificial neural network (ANN) and supporting vector machines. The analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant difference between the mean values estimated by the equations developed by the different approaches tested in the inventoried individual data. Nevertheless, it is recommended to use the equation generated by ANN to perform estimations in other populations, because it presented more precise estimates in the test set.

Characterization of mahogany leaf litter (Swietenia macrophylla King) as a raw material of decay resistance biocomposite

Leaf litter is an organic waste that can be degraded biologically in nature. Based on the previous research, mahogany trees in Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) campus produce about 10 ton ha−1 leaf litter in campus forest area and 2.5 ton ha−1 along campus street within three-month-period. By this abundant amount of leaf litter, it is quite difficult to overcome the problem of litter management. Therefore, the idea of leaf litter utilization as a raw material of biocomposite is promising to reduce the use of wood as an important commodity of human needs. However, the characterization of leaf litter feasibility for biocomposite production has not been done. This research aims to characterize the physicochemical properties of mahogany leaf litter. Leaf litter was oven-dried for 5 h at 50 °C and then was ground using a mechanical blender to obtain leaf litter powder. Then, the proximate (moisture, proteins, fat and carbohydrate content) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis were performed. The results show that the content of crude ash is 9.90 ± 0.65%; crude protein content 24.83 ± 0.79%; crude fat content 11.37 ± 1.05%; volatile compound 65.14 ± 4.77%; charcoal content 7.66 ± 0.71%; and moisture content 6.61 ± 0.69%. The FTIR spectrum shows that leaf litter has low water content and indicates the content of phenolic compounds such as flavonoid. The physic-chemical properties of mahogany leaf litter indicate that mahogany leaf litter is suitable to be used as the decay resistance of biocomposite material.

Experimental study on mechanical behavior, biodegradability, and resistance to natural weathering and ultraviolet radiation of wood-plastic composites

The Babool, Sheesham, Mango, and Mahogany trees are commonly found in India. The wood-plastic composites (WPCs) were prepared by injection molding using wood dust of the selected Indian trees as the reinforcements in the polypropylene matrix. The mechanical, wear, and morphological characterizations of WPCs were performed. Different wood dust proportions were utilized to observe the comparative variation in Young's modulus, wear rate, and morphology of the WPCs. The resistance to natural weathering and biodegradability of WPCs were evaluated following ASTM D1435–99 and ASTM D5338-11 respectively. The degradation of the WPCs due to Ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation is also examined. The structure-property relation was established and the usability of different WPCs for different applications was highlighted.

Effect of agroforest tree leaf biomass on yield and yield contributing characters of wheat cv. Akbar

A field experiment was conducted at the Agroforestry Farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during November 2017 to March 2018 to evaluate the effects of agroforest tree leaf biomasses on yield and yield contributing characters of wheat cv. Akbar. Eight different treatments viz. T1= Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) tree leaf biomass, T2 = Minjiri (Cassia siamea) tree leaf biomass, T3 = Kalokoroi (Albizia lebbeck) tree leaf biomass, T4 = Sadakoroi (Albizia procera) tree leaf biomass, T5 = Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) tree leaf biomass, T6 = Akashmoni (Acacia auriculiformis) tree leaf biomass, T7 = Mahogoni (Swietenia macrophylla) tree leaf biomass were used along with a recommended fertilizer dose referred as control (T0) in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The results reveal that tree leaf biomasses significantly influenced the yield and yield contributing characters viz. plant height (cm), effective tillers/hill, spike length (cm), number of spikelets/spike, number of filled grains/spike, number of non-filled grains/spike, 1000-grain weight (g), grain yield (t/ha), straw yield (t/ha), biological yield (t/ha) and harvest index of wheat. The highest (2.83 t/ha) grain yield was recorded in the recommended fertilizer dose. Among the tree leaf biomasses, ipil-ipil tree leaf biomass produced the highest (2.47 t/ha) grain yield which was 12.71% decrease over control followed by 2.36, 2.21, 2.02, 1.89, 1.84 and 1.77 t/ha obtained in minjiri, sadakoroi, kalokoroi, eucalyptus, akashmoni and mahogany tree leaf biomass, respectively. However, it seems that the ipil-ipil tree leaf biomass would be possible to substitute of or apply in combination with inorganic fertilizer although there was some yield loss (12.71%) which was less significant compared to recommended fertilizer treatment. Therefore, it can be elucidated that for wheat production tree leaf biomass could use as a source of organic matter which is available in the agroforestry system, significantly reduces the considerable amount of chemical fertilizer.
 Progressive Agriculture 30 (1): 32-38, 2019

Effect of Moulding Pressure on Brake Lining Produced from Industrial Waste Material: Sawdust

In this study, asbestos-free brake lining was developed with sawdust. Sawdust was considered an alternative to asbestos, whose dust is carcinogenic. The sawdust from hard wood (mahogany and iroko trees) and other components such as abrasive, reinforcer, lubricant, were sieved into grade of 100 µm and used in production of brake linings. The percentages of sawdust for the samples are 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. The percentages of abrasives (silicon carbides) were 27, 22, 17, 12 and 7, while binder (resins) lubricant (steel dust) and carbon black (reinforcer) were constant at 13%, 15% and 5% respectively on each sample. The molding pressure load was varied at 10 Mg, 20 Mg, 40 Mg, 60 Mg and 80 Mg during compression process. The brake lining properties examined are hardness, compressive strength and density. Also, the effects of molding pressure on these properties were evaluated. The results obtained show that the higher the molding pressure, the better the physical and mechanical properties. Furthermore, at high molding pressure, the properties reached a limiting point which they tend to be constant. The brake linings based on sawdust were then compared with commercial (asbestos-based) brake lining and the results are in close agreement. Hence, sawdust can be effectively used as filler for replacement of asbestos in brake linings.

Effect of Moulding Pressure on Brake Lining Produced from Industrial Waste Material: Sawdust

In this study, asbestos-free brake lining was developed with sawdust. Sawdust was considered an alternative to asbestos, whose dust is carcinogenic. The sawdust from hard wood (mahogany and iroko trees) and other components such as abrasive, reinforcer, lubricant, were sieved into grade of 100 µm and used in production of brake linings. The percentages of sawdust for the samples are 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. The percentages of abrasives (silicon carbides) were 27, 22, 17, 12 and 7, while binder (resins) lubricant (steel dust) and carbon black (reinforcer) were constant at 13%, 15% and 5% respectively on each sample. The molding pressure load was varied at 10 Mg, 20 Mg, 40 Mg, 60 Mg and 80 Mg during compression process. The brake lining properties examined are hardness, compressive strength and density. Also, the effects of molding pressure on these properties were evaluated. The results obtained show that the higher the molding pressure, the better the physical and mechanical properties. Furthermore, at high molding pressure, the properties reached a limiting point which they tend to be constant. The brake linings based on sawdust were then compared with commercial (asbestos-based) brake lining and the results are in close agreement. Hence, sawdust can be effectively used as filler for replacement of asbestos in brake linings.

EVALUASI PELAKSANAAN TANGGUNG JAWAB SOSIAL PT. ADIRA FINANCE DI KELURAHAN SATRIA KECAMATAN BINJAI KOTA KOTA BINJAI

Development, in addition to the positive impact also brought environmental disaster for many because the environment is considered as an object that connotes commodities and continue to be exploited without taking into account the carrying capacity of the environment. One of the efforts to improve the environmental balance is through a program of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is the formulation of research problems is the implementation of the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as the social capital of PT. Adira Finance, how assessment Corporate Performance Assessment Program (PROPER) on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) PT. Adira Finance and favorable factors and inhibiting the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) PT. Adira Finance.This type of research is descriptive qualitative. Primary data were obtained from interviews and questionnaires to the 40 members of the public and direct observation.In implementing CSR PT. Adira Finance has been working on the preservation of the environment, support environmental awareness programs. And for CSR activities conducted in the Village District Satria Binjai City PT. Adira Finance held a reforestation program to plant 400 mahogany trees.

Evaluation of Shear Strength and Wood Failure of Two African Mahogany Species Planted in Brazil

Abstract Interest in the wood industry of African mahogany (Khaya spp.) has increased in Brazil because of the quality of the wood and the similarity to the highly demanded Brazilian mahogany (Swie...

THE ABILITY OF COFFEE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM TO STORE CARBON STOCK

Each type of forest ecosystem and the species in it have different abilities to absorb CO2 and produce biomass. Coffee-based agroforestry is thought to be able to increase the ability of forests to store carbon as a result of increasing species composition and density of plants in these forest areas. This study aims to determine the composition of plants and carbon stocks stored in coffee-based agroforestry forests in LMDH Paniis RPH Rancakalong BKPH East Manglayang KPH Sumedang Perum Perhutani Regional Division West Java and Banten. This study uses survey and experiment methods. Data obtained through observations in the field and laboratory are in the form of tree names, wood density, tree biomass and carbon stocks from biomass. The result shows that the agroforestry forest composition at LMDH Paniis RPH Rancakalong BKPH East Manglayang KPH Sumedang within 17,14 ha consists of Pine (Pinus mercusii), Big-leaf Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) dan Coffee (Coffea arabica). The carbon stock is 1.869,73 kg/ha in agroforestry forest, 2.618,32 kg/ha in primary natural forest, and 1.460,91 kg/ha in secondary natural forest. Agroforestry forest has more carbon stock than secondary natural forest does and agroforestry forest has less carbon stock than the primary natural forest

Evaluation of the Disintegration Properties of Khaya senegalensis Gum Using Paracetamol Tablets

Background: Disintegrants are essential in the formulation of solid dosage forms such as tablets because they aid in the release of the active drug for therapeutic action. Disintegrating agents such as starch are currently posing challenges such as tablet softening and slow disintegration. In the quest for alternatives that are cheaper, readily available and possessing same or better disintegrating property, Khaya senegalensis gum was considered. Currently, there is no available literature pertaining to its disintegrating property.
 Objective: To investigate the disintegrating properties of Khaya senegalensis gum using paracetamol tablets.
 Methods: K. senegalensis gum was obtained by making an incision on the stem bark of the mahogany tree. The dried purified K. senegalensis gum was employed in the formulation of granule I whiles Tragacanth gum was used in formulating granule II using the wet granulation technique. The flow properties of both granules were subsequently determined and compared. Paracetamol tablets were then produced with the formulated granules I and II. Friability, hardness, weight uniformity and disintegration testing were performed on the paracetamol tablets formulated with both granules.
 Results: The results showed granule I had a better flowability with angle of repose 31.63°C, Hausner’s ratio 1.24 and Carr’s index 19.57 as compared to granule II with angle of repose 34.72°C, Hausner’s ratio 1.31 and Carr’s index 23.84. The study also revealed, paracetamol tablets formulated with granule I (K. senegalensis gum) passed the hardness test (6.57 Kg.f), disintegration time (2.44 min), weight uniformity test (2.2% standard deviation) and friability test (0.69%). Paracetamol tablets formulated with granule II (Tragacanth gum) also passed the hardness test (8.20 Kg.f), disintegration time (7.69 min), weight uniformity test (1.6% standard deviation) and friability test (0.86%).
 Conclusion: Khaya senegalensis gum can therefore be explored as an alternative disintegrant in the formulation of paracetamol tablets for improved bioavailability.

Growth and yield of mahogany wood in cocoa-based agroforestry systems of two soil types in the Brazilian Amazon

The mahogany tree (Swietenia macrophylla King) is a species of conservation concern, mostly due to illegal and destructive harvesting practices. It has been planted in several agroforestry systems in the Brazilian Amazon to preserve the species and provide a sustainable source of this valuable timber. This study analyzed the growth and yield of the mahogany wood from plants used as shading in cocoa-based agroforestry systems with nitisols and red–yellow acrisols, located in the State of Para, in the Brazilian Amazon, because these two types of soils are the most recommended for implanting cocoa-based agroforestry systems in the region due to their natural fertility. The installed experiment was a randomized 2 × 6 factorial experiment, with two types of soil and six different tree ages. The results indicate that soil type and plant age both affected the increments in diameter at breast height. Trees from the red–yellow acrisol had statistically higher diameter at breast height values (P < 0.05) than trees from the nitisol (40.05 and 33.57 cm, respectively). There was also a significant interaction between soil type and tree age (P < 0.01). The average stem height differed markedly between the soil types from plants aged 19 and 22 years (P < 0.05), whereas average stem height differed significantly among the 16-, 19-, and 22-year-old plants (P < 0.05). The average wood volume was 1.41 m3 tree−1, and the highest yield (1.75 m3 tree−1) was achieved in the red–yellow acrisol site, for 33-year-old trees. These results demonstrate how the cocoa and mahogany-based agroforestry systems can produce these products in a sustainable manner in the Brazilian Amazon.

Effects of the urban heat island and climate change on the growth of Khaya senegalensis in Hanoi, Vietnam

BackgroundRecent projections expect that Vietnam will be affected most severely by climate change with higher temperatures, more precipitation and rising sea levels. Especially increased temperatures will worsen the situations in cities, amplifying the urban heat island effect. Green infrastructures, i.e. urban trees are a common tool to improve the urban micro-climate for humans. Vital and well growing trees provide greatest benefits such as evaporative cooling, shading, air filtering and carbon storage. However, urban tree growth is often negatively affected by urban growing conditions such as high soil sealing with compacted tree pits providing small growing spaces with limited water, nutrient and oxygen supply, further warm temperatures and high pollution emissions. This study analyzed the growth of urban and rural African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss.) trees in the city of Hanoi, Vietnam and the effects of the surrounding climate conditions on tree growth.ResultsThe results showed that rural African mahogany trees grew better than trees situated in the city center, which is contrary to other results on tree growth of temperate and subtropical cities worldwide. Moreover tree growth was similar regardless of the time of growth. Other results regarding stem growth of African mahogany located in different areas of Hanoi (east, west, north, city center) revealed a better growth in the northern and western outskirts of the city compared to the growth of trees in the city center.ConclusionAfrican mahogany trees in the urban centers of Hanoi showed a decreased growth compared to rural trees, which was likely induced by a low ground-water level and high pollution rates. In view of climate change and global warming, the decreased tree growth in the city center may also affect tree service provision such as shading and cooling. Those climate mitigation solutions are strongly needed in areas severely affected by climate change and global warming such as Vietnam.

A Novel Disease of Big-Leaf Mahogany Caused by Two Fusarium Species in Mexico.

Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) is valued for its high-quality wood and use in urban landscapes in Mexico. During surveys of mango-producing areas in the central western region of Mexico, symptoms of malformation, the most important disease of mango in the area, were observed on big-leaf mahogany trees. The objectives of this research were to describe this new disease and determine its cause. Symptoms on big-leaf mahogany at four sites in Michoacán, Mexico resembled those of the vegetative phase of mango malformation, including compact, bunched growth of apical and lateral buds, with greatly shortened internodes and small leaves that curved back toward the supporting stem. Of 163 isolates that were recovered from symptomatic tissues, most were identified as Fusarium pseudocircinatum (n = 121) and F. mexicanum (n = 39) using molecular systematic data; two isolates represented unnamed phylospecies within the F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC 20-d and FIESC 37-a) and another was in the F. solani species complex (FSSC 25-m). However, only F. mexicanum and F. pseudocircinatum induced malformation symptoms on 14-day-old seedlings of big-leaf mahogany. The results indicate that F. mexicanum and F. pseudocircinatum, previously reported in Mexico as causal agents of mango malformation disease, also affect big-leaf mahogany. This is the first report of this new disease and the first time that F. mexicanum was shown to affect a host other than mango.

Modeling the height–diameter relationship and volume of young African mahoganies established in successional agroforestry systems in northeastern Brazil

The aim of this study was to fit and select height–diameter and stem volume equations for two African mahogany species (Khaya ivorensis and Khaya anthotheca) in the initial development phase (between 2 and 5 years old), established in agroforestry systems in northeastern Brazil. We used linear and nonlinear models to predict the total height (h) and stem volume (v), based on data from forest inventories and stem measurements of standing trees. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) the simple linear model is the most accurate to estimate the total height of young African mahogany trees in relation to different types of height–diameter models (linearized, nonlinear and those with transformed variables); (2) simple and double-entry stem volume models have the same precision in estimating the individual volume of young African mahogany trees. The results showed that the simple linear height–diameter model was most accurate to estimate the height of both African mahogany species. The age’s effect (young trees) and probably the predominantly monopodial development of the Khaya spp. trees sampled were discussed as the causes of the linear nature of the models that best described the height–diameter relationship. The stem volume equations for Khaya ivorensis and Khaya anthotheca were well adjusted. However, the double-entry Spurr’s model was more accurate than the other models for both species. Furthermore, for the Khaya ivorensis, the one-entry (diameter) Husch’s model generated similar stem volume estimates to Spurr’s model.

Preparation and characterization of leaf-based biobriquette with tapioca as adhesives

The fall leaves waste are abundantly and freely available from trees which are grown aims for reforestation and environmental sustainability purposes such as Samanea saman, Filicium decipiens, and mahogany trees. However, burning fallen leaves used to be standard practice across some local areas though most municipalities now ban or discourage the incendiary practice due to the air pollution causes bad impact to human health and the environment, and often results in dangerous wildfires. Also, ash particulates irritate the eyes and throat and restrict visibility. On the other hand, the powder of those dried leaves is potential raw materials for briquettes as an alternative source of energy provide proper carbonation process. This paper reports the preparation and characterization of briquettes from the powder of those dry leaves utilized tapioca as an adhesive. The proximate analysis showed that the lowest water content was 6.13% obtained from carbonization of Filicium decipiens briquettes, the lowest ash content was 4.66% for non-carbonization briquettes Samanea saman, the lowest volatile matter was 29.85% for carbonization briquette Samanea saman, the highest fixed carbon was 49.32% for briquette carbonization Samanea saman. The highest calorific value was 5,236 cal/g received from carbonized Filicium decipiens briquettes. It was concluded that the use of tapioca as adhesive could improve the calorific value of as prepared briquettes.

Kajian Warna dan Motif Kain Tenun Upcycle pada Produk CV. Tarum Bali

Upcycle woven fabric is an innovation product applying upcycling concept produced by CV Tarum Bali. The eminence of this product is the using of natural dye which increases the selling value. This is interesting to be studied because of the uniqueness of color and motif of the product. The method applied in this study is qualitative. The samples are determined based on purposive sampling, while the data are collected from observation, interview, and documentation. The result shows that the natural dyes used for the upcycle are as follows: the leaves of mahogany tree for brown color; black from the leaves of ketapang tree; yellow from the leaves of mango tree; red from the log of secang tree; indigo or blue from the leaves of tarum. The colors usually applied for upcycle woven fabric tend to be lightcolor which is not easily faded. The motif of the upcycle is usually the order of horizontal lines. The motif emerges from the crossing between lungsi yarn and rag strings. The motif arrangement of the upcycle is either the repetition of form, direction, sixe, or color which considers the composition, balance, and rythm. The motif of horizontal lines is compounded by the repetition of rythm and transition to reach formal balance. It results in motif design which is harmonious and united. Keywords: Color, motif, woven fabric, upcycle, CV Tarum Bali

The ecology of tree reproduction in an African medium altitude rain forest

AbstractThe occurrence of flowering and fruiting in tropical trees will be affected by a variety of factors, linked to availability of resources and suitable climatic triggers, that may be affected by increasing global temperatures. Community‐wide flowering and fruiting of 2526 trees in 206 plots were monitored over 24 years in the Budongo Forest Reserve (BFR), Uganda. Factors that were assessed included the size of the tree, access to light, the impacts of liana load, effects of tree growth, and variation between guilds of trees. Most flowering occurs at the end of the long dry season from February to April. Trees that had access to more light flowered and fruited more frequently. Pioneer and non‐pioneer light‐demanding species tended to reproduce more frequently than shade‐bearing species. Trees that grew faster between 1993 and 2011 also fruited more frequently. When examining all factors, growth rate, tree size, and crown position were all important for fruiting, while liana load but not growth rate was important in reducing flowering. Trees in BFR show a large decline in fruiting over 24 years, particularly in non‐pioneer light demanders, shade‐bearers, and species that produce fleshy fruits eaten by primates. The decline in fruit production is of concern and is having impacts on primate diets and potential recruitment of mahogany trees. Whether climate change is responsible is unclear, but flowering of the guilds/dispersal types which show declines is correlated with months with the coolest maximum temperatures and we show temperature has been increasing in BFR since the early 1990s.

Morphometric diversity between fruits and seeds of mahogany trees (Swietenia macrophylla King.) from Parakanã Indigenous Land, Pará State, Brazil

Morphometric diversity between fruits and seeds of mahogany trees (Swietenia macrophylla King.) from Parakanã Indigenous Land, Pará State, Brazil

Leaf litter production of mahogany along street and campus forest of Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

The leaf litter of trees along the existing streets on campus UNNES if not managed properly will be scattered and become garbage. Leaf litter Production in UNNES campus is not known for certain. UNNES does not own mapping of leaf litter Production of dominant tree species on campus. This cause leaf waste management is not optimal yet. There is still a lot of leaf litter that is discharged (not processed) because it exceeds the capacity of the fertilizer production equipment in the compost house. Aims of this study were to examine leaf litter production of dominant trees in Universitas Negeri Semarang and evaluate the relationship between leaf litter and average rainfall. Purposive sampling method placed pouches of nylon gauze measuring 1 × 1 mm2 as litter trap container with size 1 x l m2 (10 points mounted along street and campus forest). Litter trap mounted at the height of 50 cm above ground level. Leaf litter will be taken once a week for three months to observe the litter production. The litter was then dried by the oven at 70 ° C for 48 hours to obtain constant dry weight. Based on the results of the research, it was known that Mahogany tree in UNNES campus area has the potential to produce the litter of about 10 ton/ha / 3months in campus forest area and 2.5 ton/ha / 3months along campus street. There is a significant relationship between litter production of Mahogany leaves and precipitation during August - October 2017.