Non-fruiting Trees Research Articles

Cost–benefit analysis on the implementation of nature-based treated wastewater reuse: case of sekem farm El-Wahat, Egypt

In a context of increasing pressure on water resources and severe aridity; expansion in the reuse of naturally treated wastewater can be a viable and low-cost solution particularly for irrigation forests, green non-fruit trees, fabric crops, industrial oils, and non-edible raw crops. Wastewater treatment is increasingly recognized as a potential means in El-Wahat El-Bahariya in Egypt. However, investment decisions concerning the reuse of treated wastewater in irrigation needs to be justified in terms of financial and economic feasibility and profitability. Therefore, this research study aims to conduct a cost–benefit analysis (CBA) of an investment project “reuse treated wastewater in irrigation compared to other modes of water irrigation projects. The CBA results revealed that the cost of the initial investment for the production of treated water used for irrigating green non-fruit trees, Bamboo trees, and Cactus in Sekem El-Wahat, is economically efficient with 88% compared to the exploitation of aquifer groundwater for irrigating the same crops. That project allows for an economic gain of about 4,428.5 €/ha compared to the cost of producing aquifer ground water in Sekem Farm El-Wahat is estimated at 10,800 €/year. Substituting the use of aquifer ground water for irrigating crops with reuse of treated wastewater helps reducing energy consumption and offers great financial benefits to the beneficial communities. A net benefit of the reuse of treated wastewater project is largely positive with NPV equivalent to 4599 €/year with a medium economic efficiency (BCR) of about 0.44.

Farmers’ preferences for adopting agroforestry in the Eastern Province of Rwanda: A choice experiment

Agroforestry is recognized as an effective land restoration strategy in Rwanda. To effectively implement agroforestry practices, it is crucial to examine and address the preferences of farmers. However, there is limited knowledge concerning farmers’ preferences for different agroforestry characteristics and their level of willingness to engage in such systems. This paper examines farmers’ preferences for adopting agroforestry in the Eastern Province of Rwanda using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) conducted among 248 households. The analysis conducted at plot level included a total of eight attributes: number of fruit trees, number of non-fruit trees, root system and canopy, change in maize yield resulting from tree planting, extension assistance, additional labor, distance to the tree nursery, and the cost of tree seedlings. Results indicate that farmers are generally willing to adopt agroforestry practices. They prefer agroforestry systems that incorporate non-fruit and particularly fruit trees, trees with smaller canopies, agroforestry systems with potential to increase maize yields, and regular extension assistance. However, farmers dislike increases in the cost of tree seedlings. Furthermore, findings reveal two distinct latent classes of plots, encompassing 34.5 % (Class 1) and 65.5 % (Class 2) of the plots. Farmers in Class 1 possess plots that are farther away from their homesteads and are indifferent towards the number of trees to be planted but prefer trees that increase maize yields. Farmers in Class 2 exhibit a strong inclination towards planting a greater number of trees that increase maize yields and have a small canopy. The proximity to tree nurseries and the availability of low-cost tree seedlings contribute to the likelihood of tree planting in this class. This study recommends aligning agroforestry-related policies and interventions with the preferences and needs of the farmers, taking into account plot characteristics.

A comparative analysis of the proanthocyanidins from fruit and non-fruit trees and shrubs of Northern Europe: Chemical characteristics and biological activity

The comparative analysis of the chemical composition and biological activity of extracts and proanthocyanidins (PACs) isolated from harvesting and pruning agro-waste of fruit shrub-trees (Hippophae rhamnoides L. and Aronia melanocarpa) and forest cleaning waste of non-fruit trees and shrubs (Alnus incana L., Alnus glutinosa and Salix caprea) of Northern Europe was carried out. Aronia melanocarpa and Hippophae rhamnoides L. biomass had the highest proanthocyanidins content (up to 12%) on dry biomass. Fruit trees-derived purified PACs which contained structures with higher polymerization degree had slightly higher antioxidant activity. Both fruit and non-fruit trees PACs can be successfully used in antimicrobial preparations and as antioxidants, and could be interchangeable in the compositions of the antimicrobial preparations, especially against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Salix caprea, which contained wider range of gallocatechin subunits, and Alnus spp., which contained diarylheptanoids, had shown better anti-microbial activity against B. cereus. Non-fruit trees PACs are desirable in the preparations against C. albicans. PACs from Hippophae rhamnoides L. and Aronia melanocarpa inhibited biofilm formation to 50%, but the extract from Hippophae rhamnoides L. showed the most significant MRSA biofilm growth inhibition (onto 80%). Preparations on the basis of waste biomass-derived compounds will contribute to sustainable pharmacy since their application will allow to diminish the use of antibiotics and to have less toxic side effects both for humans and the environment.

Evaluating Limitations of Agroecological Practices and Stakeholders’ Response: A Case of Uluguru Mountains Landscape in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

In Sub-Saharan Africa, conventional farming is associated with intensive use of synthetic chemicals and inputs to maximize agricultural productivity. This is done at the expense of sustainable agroecologically based production systems. This objective was to describe limitations of agroecological practices and stakeholders’ response along Mountain Uluguru. The area has been vulnerable to unregulated land degradation aggravated by soil erosion largely due to unsuitable agricultural practices. The data were collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews from 72 respondents who were purposively selected. Both qualitative and quantitative data were analysed using content analysis and statistical software respectively. Farmers undertake agriculture to increase production so as to meet food needs (44.8%) and employment opportunities (55.2%). About 41.7% of farmers who had land with secure tenure grew fruit and non-fruit trees on their farms or homesteads, 11.7% rented the farming land temporarily from owners through informal arrangements and the rest squatted on public land for cultivation of vegetables. From SWOT analysis, agroforestry is threatened by unregulated agricultural activities (18.6%) and overuse of forest resources unsustainably (7.0%). The agroecology training is not coordinated and supported by government agencies, which have authority to inform the policy makers about insecure land tenure and unavailability of organic inputs that would increase farmers’ livelihoods. Agro-soil erosion control and conservation agriculture measures are essential features of agroecology training, but some farmers were not aware of them and those who are aware do not adopt them effectively. The study concludes that, without the government acknowledgement of agro-ecology and its associated contributions there will always be weak institutional coordination among stakeholders required to regulate, promote and support agro-ecology practices to create a balance of conserved environment, protected ecology and enhanced farmers’ livelihoods. This is because there is no clear national guidelines and support (financial and technical) addressing the challenges facing agro-ecology practice

Reproduction affects partitioning between new organs of a pulse of 15N applied during seed ripening in Fagus crenata

Seasonal internal nitrogen (N) cycling is an important strategy for trees to uncouple growth from N acquisition. While N uptake, allocation and storage has been intensively studied in association with leaf phenology and vegetative growth, influence of reproduction on these key processes is still poorly understood. Therefore, we applied pulse 15N labelling to three fruiting and three non-fruiting trees in a 92-year-old Fagus crenata forest on 18 July and traced 15N content per organ dry mass (15Nexcess) in all new shoot organs from the upper crowns periodically until leaf fall. The amount of 15Nexcess recovered in the whole new shoots in fruiting trees did not differ from non-fruiting individuals, although up to 70% of 15Nexcess was recovered in fruits of fruiting trees but 87% in leaves of non-fruiting individuals. In addition, dramatic increase in 15Nexcess amount in nuts was accompanied by about twofold increase in nut N content. These results indicate that new N uptake from the soil contributed greatly to seed ripening, which in turn resulted in less allocation to leaves in fruiting trees. In non-fruiting individuals, on the other hand, 15Nexcess allocated to leaves was not accompanied by concomitant increase in leaf N content because biomass growth had ceased when 15N was applied. These results suggest that N uptake in the late growing season contributed to internal N storage in non-fruiting trees. These reproduction-related variations in seasonal N cycle have implications for N dynamics in the plant–soil system during environmental change.

Influence of reproduction on nitrogen uptake and allocation to new organs in Fagus crenata.

The contributions of the internal nitrogen (N) cycle and N uptake from soil to growth in mature trees remain poorly understood, especially during reproduction. In order to elucidate how reproduction affects N uptake, allocation and remobilization, we applied pulse 15N labelling to three fruiting (F) and three non-fruiting (NF) Fagus crenata Blume trees after the leaves were fully unfurled. Three-year-old branches were sampled from upper crowns at about 2 week intervals until leaf fall. 15N content per organ dry mass (15Nexcess) and N concentration in all new shoot organs were determined. Fruiting led to greater 15Nexcess uptake from the soil during the first month following application. Cupules absorbed the highest fraction of 15Nexcess initially and nuts contained about half the 15Nexcess at the end of the growing season. Biomass of reproductive organs represented up to 70% of new shoot growth in F trees. This fruit burden led to 34% and 38% reduction in biomass and 15Nexcess, respectively, in mature leaves compared with NF trees. Moreover, the increment of 15Nexcess in new shoots of F relative to NF trees was lower than the increment of biomass between the two. These results indicate that N is a limiting resource during masting in F. crenata. 15Nexcess incorporated into nuts started to increase dramatically once 15Nexcess in leaves, branches and cupules hit seasonal maxima. Similar seasonal biomass growth patterns were also found in these organs, indicating that sink strength drives uptake and allocation of 15Nexcess between new shoot compartments. These results, together with translocation of 15Nexcess from cupules and senescing leaves to nuts (contributing to fruit ripening), suggest that a finely tuned growth phenology alleviated N limitation. Thus, fruiting did not influence the N concentration in leaves or branches. These reproduction-related variations in N uptake and allocation among new shoot compartments have implications for N dynamics in the plant-soil system.

Reproduction-related variation in carbon allocation to woody tissues in Fagus crenata using a natural 13C approach.

The contribution of new photo-assimilates and stored carbon (C) to plant growth remains poorly understood, especially during reproduction. In order to elucidate how mast seeding affects C allocation to both reproductive and vegetative tissues, we measured biomass increase in each tissue, branch starch concentration and stable C isotope composition (δ13C) in bulk leaves, current-year shoots, 3-year branches and tree rings in fruiting and non-fruiting trees for 2 years, as well as in fruits. We isolated the effect of reproduction on C allocation to vegetative growth by comparing 13C enrichment in woody tissues in fruiting and non-fruiting specimens. Compared with 2‰ 13C enrichment in shoots relative to leaves from non-fruiting trees, fruiting reduced the enrichment to 1‰ and this reduction disappeared in the following year with no fruiting, indicating that new photo-assimilates are preferentially used for woody tissues even with fruiting burden. In contrast, fruits had up to 2.5‰ 13C enrichment at mid-summer, which dropped thereafter, indicating that fruit production relies on C storage early in the growing season then shifts to current photo-assimilates. At this tipping point, growth of shoots and cupules had almost finished and nuts had a second rapid growth period thereafter. Together with shorter shoots but higher biomass increment per length in fruiting trees than non-fruiting trees, these results indicate that the C limitation due to fruit burden is minimized by fine-tuning of allocation of old C stores and new photo-assimilates, along with the growth pattern in various tissues. Furthermore, fruiting had no significant effect on starch concentration in 3-year-old branches, which became fully depleted during leaf and flower flushing but were quickly replenished. These results indicate that reproduction affects C allocation to branches but not its source or storage. These reproduction-related variations in the fate of C have implications for evaluating forest ecosystem C cycles during climate change.

Field evaluation of Lymantria obfuscata multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus for the management of Indian gypsy moth in Jammu & Kashmir, India

The Indian gypsy moth (Lymantria obfuscata) is a pest of national significance, which attacks a wide range of forest and fruit crops in India. The outbreaks of this pest over the past few years spurred interest towards sustainable biointensive approaches for quality fruit production of apple and walnut for agricultural export in Jammu & Kashmir (J & K). The exploratory survey's were conducted for the isolation of native strains of L. obfuscata multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (LyobMNPV) and field evaluation was conducted to determine the most promising strain as a potential biological control agent of this pest. The virus was recovered from different locations of J&K with its natural incidence varying from 0.77 to 7.43 percent. This is the first report from the Indian sub-continent and worldwide of the occurrence of NPVs in natural larval populations of L. obfuscata. The in vivo mass production was optimised by inoculating per os late 3rd instar L. obfuscata larvae with an inoculum dose of 1.44 × 105 OBs/larva and followed by a 10 day incubation period. To prevent the disintegration of larval cuticle and microbial contamination, moribund larvae were harvested with an average yield of 1.42 × 108 OBs/larva. The field application of LyobMNPV against the host populations on apple and willow with the pre-standardised dosage of 2.5 × 1012 OBs/ha reduced the larval population density by 25–63%. In the year following application, the larval population density in the treated blocks was 19–28% lower as compared to controls on both apple and willow. This suggests that the virus has considerable potential as a biocontrol agent and the timely application with LyobMNPV on non-fruit trees such as willow which are the preferred hosts for egg laying may help to initiate viral epizootics to keep population outbreaks under check.

Soil organic carbon stocks under coffee agroforestry systems and coffee monoculture in Uganda

Coffee agroforestry systems (CAS) are considered as a climate change mitigation option through carbon sequestration. However, most studies on CAS have concentrated on management and productivity of the coffee plants with little known about the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. We conducted a study to quantify and compare the SOC stocks among Coffea arabica L. (Arabica coffee), Coffee canephora Pierre ex Froehn (Robusta coffee) agroforestry systems and Coffee monoculture (coffee monocrops) in Uganda. Soil samples were collected at 0–15cm and 15–30cm and tested using routine soil testing procedures. We found that there was higher SOC under CAS than coffee monocrops. When intercropped with non- fruit tree species, Robusta CAS produced higher SOC (57.564tC/ha) compared to the Arabica CAS (54.543tC/ha). In contrast, Arabica CAS stored more SOC (54.01tC/ha) compared to Robusta CAS (49.635tC/Kg) when intercropped with fruit trees like Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. and Mangifera indica L. Under the coffee monocrop systems, Robusta coffee sequestered 4.86tC/ha more SOC than Arabica coffee. The study showed that a farmer growing Robusta coffee intercropped with non-fruit trees is likely to benefit more from soil carbon credits than a farmer growing Arabica coffee with the same trees. Farmers growing Arabica coffee would sequester more carbon if intercropped with fruit trees. There is need for policy incentives that encourage the planting and maintenance of shade trees in coffee plantations for the benefit of carbon sequestration.

Pest behaviour insights from quarantine surveillance of male Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are a major problem for Australia's $6.9 billion horticultural industry. Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) is the most significant fruit fly pest in the eastern states of Australia. Catches of male B. tryoni from cuelure-baited Lynfield surveillance traps in towns bordering the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone in New South Wales, Australia, from November to May in 2001/2002–2007/2008 were analysed with respect to year, town, property type (urban/rural), and tree species/crop varieties in which the trap was placed (tree type). Average catches of all traps were highest in 2007/2008 and lowest in 2003/2004, and showed an overall positive correlation with rainfall (P < 0.05). More B. tryoni males were caught in Wagga Wagga and Lockhart than in other towns. There were no significant differences in catches of B. tryoni between urban and rurally located traps. With respect to tree type, traps placed in pomefruit trees caught significantly more flies than those in citrus, stonefruit, or nonfruit trees, with no significant differences among the latter three tree groups. Within the pomefruit group, traps in apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) and pears (Pyrus spp.) caught significantly more flies than those in cotoneasters (Cotoneaster spp). Within the citrus group, traps in orange trees (Citrus × sinensis (L.) Osbeck) caught significantly more flies than those in mandarin trees (Citrus reticulata Blanco). No significant differences were detected in catches between any members of the stonefruit group. Within the nonfruit group, traps placed in kurrajongs (Brachychiton populneum (Schott & Endl.) R. Br.) caught significantly more flies than those placed on other tree species in the group. This study demonstrates that although surveillance programs conducted to establish and/or maintain area freedom from specific pests may not provide balanced datasets, careful analysis of the results of such programs can provide valuable insights into the behaviour of the species in question.

EVALUATION OF THE PRESENT INFORMATION ON THE MECHANISMS LEADING TO FLOWER BUD INDUCTION, EVOCATION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN OLEA EUROPAEA

Environmental factors such as suitable light and thermal conditions are essential for the reproductive development of olive buds. However, the tree and its buds have to be in a suitable responsive physiological state in order to respond. Furthermore sufficient well developed buds from the previous season with a good nutritive balance, capable to differentiate are required the tree. In the present paper, we are demonstrating the changes in the nutritional state of the tree developing in ON and OFF years affecting the responsiveness of the buds and level of vegetative growth to the environmental conditions. After a heavy crop a nutrient dilution occurred and vegetative growth is inhibited. Thus, a following growing season is required to regain a good nutrient balance for generating vegetative growth with sufficient buds responsive to environmental differentiation stimuli for the initiation of the next ON year. INTRODUCTION The lack of regularity in reproductive organ development leading in many cases to severe alternate bearing is one of the major economical drawbacks of today's olive industry. Although a considerable amount of work has been devoted during the second half of the last century to this problem, our understanding of the metabolism involved and ability to control alternate bearing is still limited. The potential to induce flower bud formation is governed both by the endogenous metabolic processes and the environment, mainly the thermal conditions. It is presently quite clear that both the late spring and winter temperatures play a significant role in controlling the differentiation of reproductive buds. However, neither the required summer nor the low winter temperature regimes are clearly defined. Even the nature of the responses to temperature is still disputed among the various workers in the field. Laboratory experiments with cuttings indicated that lateral bud can develop vegetatively or reproductively according to the thermal conditions during fall and winter. Thus, the genetic potential to initiate flower bud induction and differentiation developing shoots is environmentally dependent. Reproductive buds were reported to show some changes in their RNA already at the end of the summer, however, these buds will develop reproductively only if suitable winter conditions will prevail. The present available data indicate that neither summer-fall nor mid-winter seasons could individually be responsible for flower bud initiation. The developing fruits the tree have a major effect controlling shoot growth as well as the metabolism leading to reproductive development in the buds. The protein composition in leaves of fruiting and non-fruiting trees differs, with specific ones developing in the leaves of each group (Lavee and Avidan, 1994). Furthermore, a conjugated polyphenol, chlorogenic acid, related to the cinnamic acid pass-way is accumulating in leaves of fruiting trees and specifically inhibits the winter differentiation of the buds (Lavee, 1989). The messenger from the developing fruits to change the leaves' metabolism is believed to be a specific gibberellin. While harvest time is effecting bud differentiation fruit load effects has in addition also a major effect shoot growth. The lack of shoot growth a heavily fruit bearing olive tree is directly related to fruiting alternation as no potential buds for differentiation are developing. This lack of growth occurs although the level of carbohydrates in the leaves was found similar in on and off years. The aim of this work was to study the situation of the olive tree and its fluctuation during and after a high

Palms, peccaries and perturbations: widespread effects of small-scale disturbance in tropical forests

BackgroundDisturbance is an important process structuring ecosystems worldwide and has long been thought to be a significant driver of diversity and dynamics. In forests, most studies of disturbance have focused on large-scale disturbance such as hurricanes or tree-falls. However, smaller sub-canopy disturbances could also have significant impacts on community structure. One such sub-canopy disturbance in tropical forests is abscising leaves of large arborescent palm (Arececeae) trees. These leaves can weigh up to 15 kg and cause physical damage and mortality to juvenile plants. Previous studies examining this question suffered from the use of static data at small spatial scales. Here we use data from a large permanent forest plot combined with dynamic data on the survival and growth of > 66,000 individuals over a seven-year period to address whether falling palm fronds do impact neighboring seedling and sapling communities, or whether there is an interaction between the palms and peccaries rooting for fallen palm fruit in the same area as falling leaves. We tested the wider generalisation of these hypotheses by comparing seedling and sapling survival under fruiting and non-fruiting trees in another family, the Myristicaceae.ResultsWe found a spatially-restricted but significant effect of large arborescent fruiting palms on the spatial structure, population dynamics and species diversity of neighbouring sapling and seedling communities. However, these effects were not found around slightly smaller non-fruiting palm trees, suggesting it is seed predators such as peccaries rather than falling leaves that impact on the communities around palm trees. Conversely, this hypothesis was not supported in data from other edible species, such as those in the family Myristicaceae.ConclusionsGiven the abundance of arborescent palm trees in Amazonian forests, it is reasonable to conclude that their presence does have a significant, if spatially-restricted, impact on juvenile plants, most likely on the survival and growth of seedlings and saplings damaged by foraging peccaries. Given the abundance of fruit produced by each palm, the widespread effects of these small-scale disturbances appear, over long time-scales, to cause directional changes in community structure at larger scales.

Relationship between reproductive behavior and new shoot development in 5-year-old branches of olive trees (Olea europaea L.)

The development of new shoots plays a central role in the complex interactions determining vegetative and reproductive growth in woody plants. To explore this role we evaluated the new shoots in the olive tree, Olea euro- paea L., and the effect of fruiting on new shoot growth and subsequent flowering. Five-year-old branches served as canopy subunits in order to obtain a global, whole-tree view of new shoot number, size and morphological origin. The non-bearing trees had many more shoots than the fruit- bearing trees, and a greater number of longer shoots. In both bearing conditions, however, the majority of shoots were less than 4 cm long, with shoots of progressively longer lengths present in successively decreasing frequen- cies. Six major shoot types were defined on the basis of apical or lateral bud origin and of parent shoot age. On fruit-bearing trees, the new shoots originated predomi- nantly from the shoot apex, while on non-fruiting trees, they formed mainly from axillary buds, but in both cases, they tended to develop on younger parent shoots. The previous bearing condition of the tree was the main determinant for subsequent inflorescence development, which was independent of both shoot type and length. Thus, reproductive behavior strongly affected both the amount and type of new branching, but subsequent flowering level was more influenced by previous bearing than by the potential flowering sites on new shoots.

Relation of carbohydrate reserves with the forthcoming crop, flower formation and photosynthetic rate, in the alternate bearing ‘Salustiana’ sweet orange ( Citrus sinensis L.)

The aim of this work was to assess the relation between carbohydrate levels and flower and fruit production, as well as the role of carbohydrates on CO 2 fixation activity, by analysis of leaves, twigs and roots from the alternate bearing ‘Salustiana’ cultivar of sweet orange ( Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck). A heavy crop load (on year) did not affect photosynthesis activity when compared to non-fruiting trees (off year). Fruiting trees accumulated most of the fixed carbon in mature fruits, whilst no accumulation was observed in roots before harvest. Non-fruiting trees transported part of the fixed carbon to the roots and mobilize it for growth processes and, at the end of the season (December), store it as reserves. Reserve carbohydrates accumulation in leaves started by early December for both tree types, showing the same levels in on and off trees until spring bud sprouting. A heavy flowering after an off year caused the rapid mobilization of the stored reserves, which were exhausted at full bloom. We found no evidence on carbon fixation regulation by either fruit demand or carbohydrate levels in leaves. Carbohydrate reserves played little or no role over fruit set, which actually relied on current photosynthesis.

Seasonal Variations in Photosynthetic Activities of Pistachio Trees: A Comparison Between Fruiting (ON) and Non-Fruiting (OFF) Trees*

Seasonal Variations in Photosynthetic Activities of Pistachio Trees: A Comparison Between Fruiting (ON) and Non-Fruiting (OFF) Trees*

Sensitive variables controlling salinity and water table in a bio-drainage system

Bio-drainage can be considered as an important part of sustainable irrigation water management. Bio-drainage has potential for managing shallow water conditions in arid and semiarid areas especially when traditional subsurface drains are not available. Bio-drainage theory does not go back too far. The relationship between soil characteristics, water management regimes, and climatic conditions is not yet well defined. This study attempted to use a mathematical model (SAHYSMOD) to evaluate factors affecting design and operation of a bio-drainage system and study its sensitivity to different variables. The study showed that the major constraint of bio-drainage is salt accumulation in tree plantation strips in arid and semiarid regions. Maximum soil water salinity which can be controlled by bio-drainage is around 3 dS m−1 in rather medium run and sustainability may only be achieved where a salt removal mechanism is considered. The study also showed that the effectiveness of the system is higher where the neighboring strips are narrower. It also showed that bio-drainage is very sensitive to the amount of applied water. While the barrier depth does not have an important effect on water table draw down, it does have a great influence on lowering the salinization rate of tree plantation strips. The application of bio-drainage could be economically controversial since in humid areas water is sufficient for agricultural crops, allocating parts of the expensive land to mostly non-fruit trees may not be feasible, while in arid and semiarid regions there is usually enough cheap land to grow trees.

The Study and Analysis of the Mating Behavior and Sound Production of Male Cicada Psalmocharias alhageos (Kol.) (Homoptera:Cicadidae) to Make Disruption in Mating

Psalmocharias alhageos is an important pest of vine in most parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern areas of Russia, Turkey and Iraq. This cicada is spread in most provinces in Iran such as Esfahan, Hamedan, Qazvin, Markazi, Lorestan, Qom, Kerman, Tehran and Kordestan. In addition to vine, this insect damages some other fruit trees, such as apple, sour cherry, quince, peach, pomegranate and pear trees and some non-fruit trees, namely white poplar, ash, elm, eglantine, silk and black poplar trees. The nymphs of cicada damage the trees by feeding on root, adult insects on young bud and by oviposition under branch barks. Nourishing root by nymph leads to the weakness of the tree and hinder its growth. The high density oviposition of adult insects inside young barks causes withering of branches. The resulted damage on vine products is 40% which is one of the most important factors in product reduction in vineyard. This research was conducted in Takestan in Qazvin. It was conducted for the first time to study the behaviors of the mates of this vine cicada in order to manage it. Two systems were used to record the sound of male cicada called analog voice-recorder and digital voice recorder. To analyze the recorded sound of the male cicada we used of spectrum analyzer, digital storage oscilloscope and protens 7 computer softwares. We could call the attention of natural enemies an disturb the male insect's attracting sound by producing natural and artificial sound in the range of 1-6 kHz in two different ripeness status of the fruits and could prevent mating and oviposition of female cicadas.

Differentiation of Fruiting and Non-fruiting Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. Trees Based on Composition of Leaf Volatiles

Leaf oil from fruiting female and non-fruiting male Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. trees, were analyzed by GC. Oil yields from male pimento trees (2.13%) were typically lower than that for female trees (2.67%). Non-fruiting and fruiting trees contained the same volatile components with different relative abundances. The composition of eugenol (p< 0.01), and myrcene, α-phellandrene, γ- terpinene, terpinolene and α-thujene (p< 0.005) were significantly different in the female versus the male pimento trees. Characteristic monoterpenoid profiles were observed for the fruiting and non-fruiting pimento trees which could be used for the early prediction of the berry bearing ability of pimento trees.

Seasonal Variations in Photosynthetic Activities of Pistachio Trees: A Comparison Between Fruiting (ON) and Non-Fruiting (OFF) Trees

Seasonal Variations in Photosynthetic Activities of Pistachio Trees: A Comparison Between Fruiting (ON) and Non-Fruiting (OFF) Trees

Exposure to Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) Trees, Fruit, and Oil Enhances Mating Success of Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Ceratitis capitata [Wiedemann

Previous laboratory tests revealed that exposure to oranges (Citrus sinensis L.) increased the mating success of male Mediterranean fruit flies, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (medfly). This advantage may have resulted from male exposure to α-copaene (a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon and known male attractant) in the peel, as pure α-copaene has been shown to increase the mating success of male medflies. Working with orange trees as well, we investigated whether male exposure to nonfruiting trees, leaves (also known to contain α-copaene albeit at a lower concentration than fruit), and fruit conferred a mating advantage to wild-like males in field-cage tests. Males exposed to entire nonfruiting trees or leaves had a mating advantage over control males (exposed to a nonhost plant) in trials conducted 1 day but not 3 days after exposure. Males exposed to orange fruits had higher mating success than control males (exposed to apples) in trials conducted 1 and 3 days after exposure. Enhanced mating success was observed only when males were permitted to contact the orange leaves and fruits; aroma alone did not affect male mating success. In addition, we examined whether exposure to commercially available orange oil, which also contains α-copaene, enhanced the mating performance of wild-like and mass-reared sterile males. Heightened mating success was observed in trials conducted 1 and 3 days after exposure for both types of males, and in this case aroma alone had a positive effect on male mating success. Future research should attempt to identify the behavioral, physiological, or chemical mechanisms underlying the observed increases in male mating success.