Varieties Of Fruit Trees Research Articles

Estimation of Leaf Water Content of a Fruit Tree by In Situ Vis-NIR Spectroscopy Using Multiple Machine Learning Methods in Southern Xinjiang, China

Water scarcity is one of the most significant environmental factors that inhibits photosynthesis and decreases the growth and productivity of plants. Using the deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) model, this study evaluates the ability of spectroscopy to estimate leaf water content (LWC) in fruit trees. During midday, spectral data were acquired from leaf samples obtained from three distinct varieties of fruit trees, encompassing the spectral range spanning from 350 to 2500 nm. Then, for spectral preprocessing, the fractional order derivative (FOD) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT) algorithms were used to reduce the effects of scattering and noise on the collected spectra. Finally, the CNN model was developed to predict LWC in different fruit trees. The results showed that: (1) The spectra treated with CWT and FOD could improve the spectrum expression ability by improving the correlation between spectra and LWC. The correlation level of FOD treatment was higher than that of CWT treatment. (2) The CNN model was developed using FOD 1.2, and CWT 3 performed better than other traditional machine learning methods, such as RFR, SVR, and PLSR. (3) Further validation using additional samples demonstrated that the CNN model had good stability and quantitative prediction capability for the LWC of fruit trees (R2 > 0.95, root mean square error (RMSE) < 1.773%, and relative percentage difference (RPD) > 4.26). The results may provide an effective way to predict fruit LWC using a CNN-based model.

Edible and medicinal plants in some communities of Dusheti municipality (East Georgia, Caucasus)

Plants used for food and medicinal purposes by the local residents in different communities of Dusheti municipality of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region have been studied. Surveys have been conducted in 4 communities - Choporti, Bazaleti, Ananuri and Mchadijvari, which unite 51 villages. Edible plants were divided into two main groups: cultural and wild plants. Both groups unite herbaceous as well as woody plants. 37 species of cultural herbaceous and 20 species of woody plans used for food have been identified. Wildly growing edible plants include 27 species (13 species of herbaceous and 14 woody plants). Local residents mainly use wild plants for medicinal purposes, including 13 herbaceous and 13 woody plants. The variety of cultural plants used for medicinal purposes is relatively less (4 herbaceous and 3 woody plants). The research revealed the process of genetic erosion of aboriginal and endemic species and varieties of plants in the studied communities. The local population has almost completely switched to the use of modern high-yielding and widespread crops and varieties. Compared with the other crops, local varieties of fruit trees are more preserved, while vegetables and grain crops are represented almost entirely by foreign varieties. This process originates from the Soviet period and continues for the last 30 years.

Understanding the Lost: Reconstruction of the Garden Design of Villa Peretti Montalto (Rome, Italy) for Urban Valorization.

Urbanization and urban regeneration can significantly impact cultural heritage, but a greater knowledge of the past natural and historical features is needed to value the past and understand the present. The lost Villa Peretti Montalto in Rome, once located in the area that corresponds to the current front side of Termini station, deserves great attention due to its cultural value. This work aimed to provide a floristic and functional reconstruction of the gardens of the villa during the XVI and XVII Centuries. From several bibliographic and iconographic sources, a critical analysis and interpretation of plant names was conducted. A list of 87 species and their location in the different garden sectors, during different periods with their specific uses, is provided. The arboreal design was made by classical species in the Roman context, like Cupressus sempervirens, Pinus pinea, Quercus ilex, and Ulmus glabra. In addition, ancient lost varieties of fruit trees (mainly Pyrus communis and Ficus carica) and several species of conservation interest were found. The knowledge of the ancient flora in historical gardens could be a key tool in urban greenery planning and touristic and cultural valorization.

Loss of Traditional Orchards and Its Impact on the Occurrence of Threatened Tree-Dwelling Bird Species

Horticulture is one of the land use types in agricultural landscapes, which is beneficial for nature if traditional ways of management are implemented. Orchards are affected by three negative transformations: abandonment that leads to afforestation; grubbing as a result of the cessation of fruit plantation; or intensification with the use of chemicals. In this study, changes in orchard management and structure were examined over a decade (2014–2023) in southern Poland (the Carpathians). Additionally, changes in the distribution of Syrian woodpeckers were assessed—a rare species of special concern in the European Union being a major nest hole excavator in orchards. Over a decade, trees in nearly one-fourth of orchards were removed, 15% of orchards were overgrown by forests due to abandonment, and only 40% remained unchanged. The changes were most pronounced in already abandoned orchards and many traditionally used ones. Fruit trees were grubbed in orchards in areas with a high density of people and roads, whereas succession prevailed in orchards in the vicinity of forests. During the same period, around 40% of woodpecker territories vanished, and this phenomenon was associated with tree grubbing or succession by forests. As the Syrian woodpecker requires protection in Europe, it is recommended to preserve traditional horticulture. Moreover, conservative cultivation of traditional varieties of fruit trees and agro-tourism in traditional orchards could be implemented in synergy with nature conservation.

Refrigeration Potential of Fruit Trees Introduced in West Georgia

The paper explores the challenges related to the development of agricultural technology services in the humid subtropical region of Georgia, with a focus on the Gvara-Khutsubani demonstration nursery of fruit tree crops, which tests both introduced and local varieties of fruit trees and subtropical crops. This contributes to the diversification of the gene pool of these crops in the region. Additionally, this initiative has the potential to increase the value chain and export refrigeration capacity of the fruit tree nursery.

The Longevity of Fruit Trees in Basilicata (Southern Italy): Implications for Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation

In the Mediterranean basin, agriculture and other forms of human land use have shaped the environment since ancient times. Intensive and extensive agricultural systems managed with a few cultured plant populations of improved varieties are a widespread reality in many Mediterranean countries. Despite this, historical cultural landscapes still exist in interior and less intensively managed rural areas. There, ancient fruit tree varieties have survived modern cultivation systems, preserving a unique genetic heritage. In this study, we mapped and characterized 106 living fruit trees of ancient varieties in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Tree ages were determined through tree ring measurements and radiocarbon analyses. We uncovered some of the oldest scientifically dated fruit trees in the world. The oldest fruit species were olive (max age 680 ± 57 years), mulberry (647 ± 66 years), chestnut (636 ± 66 years), and pear (467 ± 89 years). These patriarchs hold a unique genetic resource; their preservation and genetic maintenance through agamic propagation are now promoted by the Lucan Agency for the Development and Innovation in Agriculture (ALSIA). Each tree also represents a hub for biodiversity conservation in agrarian ecosystems: their large architecture and time persistence guarantee ecological niches and micro-habitats suitable for flora and fauna species of conservation significance.

Construction of apricot variety search engine based on deep learning

Apricot has a long history of cultivation and has many varieties and types. The traditional variety identification methods are time-consuming and labor-consuming, posing grand challenges to apricot resource management. Tool development in this regard will help researchers quickly identify variety information. This study photographed apricot fruits outdoors and indoors and constructed a dataset that can precisely classify the fruits using a U-net model (F-score: 99%), which helps to obtain the fruit's size, shape, and color features. Meanwhile, a variety search engine was constructed, which can search and identify variety from the database according to the above features. Besides, a mobile and web application (ApricotView) was developed, and the construction mode can be also applied to other varieties of fruit trees. Additionally, we have collected four difficult-to-identify seed datasets and used the VGG16 model for training, with an accuracy of 97%, which provided an important basis for ApricotView. To address the difficulties in data collection bottlenecking apricot phenomics research, we developed the first apricot database platform of its kind (ApricotDIAP, http://apricotdiap.com/) to accumulate, manage, and publicize scientific data of apricot.

Determination of optimum dose based of biological responses of lethal dose (LD25, 50, 75) and growth reduction (GR25, 50, 75) in ‘Yaghouti’ grape due to gamma radiation

Ionizing radiations are a helpful technique and have improved financial potential in developing new and unique commercially important fruit tree varieties. The ‘Yaghouti’ grape cuttings were treated with 0 (control), 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 Gy gamma ray (γ) doses. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the effects of γ radiation on the survival rate, leaves, shoots, and root morphometric traits after γ irradiation; (2) Measurement of the 25, 50, and 75% lethal dose and 25, 50, and 75% growth reduction dose based on leaves, shoots, and root morphometric characteristics to estimate grape radiosensitivity; (3) Ultimately, determining the optimum dose of γ irradiation based biological responses (LD25, 50, 75 and GR25, 50, 75) in Yaghouti grape. The findings demonstrate that the lethal dose of the ‘Yaghouti’ was 18 Gy for LD25, 30 Gy for LD50, and 48 Gy for LD75, respectively. Furthermore, our findings showed that increasing the γ dose had a harmed ngative effect on vine growth, as evidenced by a decrease in plant height, root number, root volume, leaf area, aerial biomass, root biomass, and internode number of the ‘Yaghouti’ grape plants. Our results showed that between the aerial parts of vines, the leaf area and aerial biomass had higher radiosensitivity than plant height and other aerial parts of the plants based on data from GR25, GR50, and GR75. Moreover, GR studies of root characteristics revealed that root number and biomass root had higher radiation sensitivity than root volume. According to biological responses (LD25, 50, 75 and GR25, 50, 75) in the ‘Yaghouti’ grape, 30 Gy of γ radiation is the optimum dose for preliminary mutagenesis investigations.

Simple decision-making model for orchard air-assisted spraying airflow

Airflow speed is one of the three factors of air-assisted spraying. Optimizing the matching model between airflow speed and target canopy characteristics is an effective way to improve the orchard precision spraying technology, as airflow can significantly affect droplet deposition and drift loss. A simple model of airflow speed was established in this study. First, air-assisted spraying experiments were carried out on a standard simulation canopy to study the airflow speed depended on canopy width, leaf area index, and porosity rate. Second, determined by Ribbon Method and verified by droplet drift data, the airflow speed through the canopy was between 0.5 m/s and 0.7 m/s. Third, multiple tests were carried out under standard simulation canopy with different characteristics, and the airflow speed model was established ultimately: with a fixed leaf area index (LAI), the relationship between canopy upwind boundary airflow speed and canopy width satisfied the exponential model (y=aebx), and the coefficients a and b are well related to the density of branches and leaves in the canopy. When LAI=3.456, y=2.036e1.5887x, R2=0.994; LAI=1.728, y=1.639e1.445x, R2=0.972. Orchard growers can acquire needed airflow speed through this simple model, it is quick and precise and appropriate to most growth periods of a variety of fruit trees, such as apples, pears, and vines. Keywords: airflow speed, canopy width, porosity rate, LAI, air-assisted spraying DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20231602.6849 Citation: Wang X, Feng Y R, Fu W, Qi J T, Song J L. Simple decision-making model for orchard air-assisted spraying airflow. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2023; 16(2): 23-29.

Diversity of fruit trees in the palm grove of the Ouargla region (Algeria): case of the traditional perimeters

Diversity of fruit trees in the palm grove of the Ouargla region (Algeria): case of the traditional perimeters

A global meta-analysis of fruit tree yield and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation

Economical fruit trees are a kind of forest with great economic and ecological benefits, which has become an important cash source of many rural household incomes. However, the shortage of water resources has limited their development. Deficit irrigation (DI) is a novel water-saving irrigation method, but there is a risk of yield reduction in practice. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively analyze the impact of DI on fruit yield and water use efficiency (WUE) to explore the most suitable DI strategy for fruit trees. Overall, compared to full irrigation, DI decreased the fruit yield by 6.05% and increased WUE by 5.05%. However, the effectiveness of DI depended on DI factors, fruit tree varieties and environmental factors. In order to achieve a win-win goal of water-saving and yield increasing, a Win-Win analysis was conducted on collected data. It was found that DI was suitable for drought-tolerant tree varieties in the arid region with medium-textured and large bulk density soil. Adopting subsurface irrigation methods for low or moderate deficit (Irrigation limit ＞55%θf) before the fruit growth stage (i.e., bud burst to leafing stage and flowering to fruit set stage) was recommended. Our findings can provide implications for applying DI to fruit trees.

Carbon Potentials in Biomass of Fruit Trees in Home Gardens in the Bogor Regency, West Java

A study using the point centered quarter method for trees and quadrats for saplings in homegardens of 41 hamlets within 40 districts in the Bogor Regency, West Java, revealed a rich diversity of fruit trees. Artocarpus heterophyllus, Nephelium lappaceum, Mangifera indica, and Durio zibethinus were the dominant and widely distributed fruit tree species. Above ground biomass of trees and saplings were calculated using allometric equations and the C (carbon) stocks were estimated by assuming that C constitutes 50% of biomass. The total biomass of trees with diameter at breast height ≥ 10 cm amounted to 1,081.7 tons, varied between hamlets from 10.1 to 66.7 tons/ha and the mean per hamlet of 26.4 ± 9.9 ton/ha, while that of saplings with diameter of 2 to 9.9 cm recorded to be 390.4 tons with a range between hamlets of 3.9 to 12.9 tons/ha and the mean per hamlet of 9.5 ± 3.7 tons/ha. The total aboveground C stocks was 540.9 tons for trees with a range between hamlets of 5.1 to 33.4 tons/ha and the mean per hamlet of 13.2 ± 4.9 tons/ha, while that of saplings was 195.2 tons with a range between hamlets of 0.7 to 9.4 tons/ha and the mean per hamlet of 4.9 ± 1.8 tons/ha. The main fruit trees with highest carbon sequestration capacity were Artocarpus heterophyllus, Mangifera indica, Mangifera foetida, and Sandoricum koetjape.

Ecological Benefit Evaluation of Agricultural Heritage System Conservation—A Case Study of the Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System

In order to better understand the developmental conditions and trends of the biodiversity at agricultural heritage sites, the structure and function of the ecosystem and ecological environment in Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System is examined in the decade since the implementation of the GIAHS project. Through the collection of historical data and sample-plot survey, this study collates the data from 2005 to 2013 related to the heritage site to evaluate the ecological benefit of the Agricultural Heritage System conservation. The results show that: (1) Since the implementation of heritage conservation, the variety of traditional rice grown at the heritage sites basically remains stable, the varieties of other crops basically remain unchanged and the varieties of fruit trees and medicinal plants have developed at faster rates. As the ecological environment at the heritage sites gradually improved, the species and richness of the biodiversity in the ecosystem have increased, especially the increasing growth of egrets and boars. (2) From 2005 to 2013 in the Fangshan Town of Qingtian County, the ecosystem areas identified as river, forest, urban and bare land have increased. The increased area of the urban ecosystem is the largest one of them, which is up to 20.30 ha; while the area of the forest ecosystem has increased to 7.29 ha. The areas of wetland, reservoir, farmland and grassland have been reduced, and the area of grassland ecosystem has been reduced the most with a reduction of 28.87 ha. From the changes in the values of the ecosystem services of different ecosystem types, the values of forest ecosystem services have achieved the most growth, reaching up to 92000 yuan yr-1 and the growth of the river and bare land ecosystem service values are not obvious. (3) Over nearly a decade, the soil nutrients and the water quality of rice fields at the heritage site have not obviously changed and the plant diseases and insect pests in the rice fields have not been aggravated. The monitoring indexes are far better than the standard values. With the great support of the local government, the production and living conditions and the living environments of farmers in the villages of the heritage sites have been greatly improved through road reconstruction, water improvement, toilet enhancements and the greening, brightness and beautification of the villages.

Full flowering phenology of apple tree (<i>Malus domestica</i>) in Pūre orchard, Latvia from 1959 to 2019

Abstract. The Pūre orchard is one of the oldest apple orchards in the Baltic, where thousands of varieties of fruit trees from throughout the world are grown and tested. Over time, a huge knowledge base has been accumulated, but most of the observational data are stored in archives in paper format. We have digitized a small part of the full flowering phenological data of apple trees (Malus domestica) over the period of 1959 to 2019 for 17 varieties of apple trees, a significant step for horticulture and agricultural economics in Latvia. Climate change has led to significant changes in the phenology of apple trees as all varieties, autumn, summer and winter, have begun to flower earlier: from 2002 to 2019, on average full flowering was recorded to have taken place around 21 May, whereas for the period 1959–1967 it occurred around 27–28 May. To develop better-quality phenological predictions and to take account of the fragmentary nature of phenological data, in our study we assessed the performance of three meteorological data sets – gridded observation data from E-OBS, ERA5-Land reanalysis data and direct observations from a distant meteorological station – in simple phenological degree-day models. In the first approximation, the gridded E-OBS data set performs best in our phenological model.

Diversity, use and management of household-located fruit trees in two rapidly developing towns in Southeastern D.R. Congo

Recently, the growing need to complement rural and foreign sources of food and woodfuel is driving interest in urban forestry management in medium cities. The present study was designed to characterize the diversity of fruit trees in households of two rapidly developing cities in southeastern DR Congo (Lubumbashi and Kolwezi), and shed light on the sociological aspects of their management. Analyses of data collected through surveys carried out in planned and unplanned neighborhoods revealed noticeable botanical differences between the two neighborhoods within cities. In Lubumbashi, a greater number of fruit trees (6.5) and species (5.7) per 1000 m2 was recorded in the unplanned neighborhood compared to the planned neighborhood (3.4 trees and 2.0 species). A similar trend was noted in Kolwezi, although with significantly reduced values (by more than half). Across the two cities, a total of 36 fruit trees species were listed, of which 8 were exclusively identified in unplanned neighborhoods of Lubumbashi, showing a comparatively greater species richness of the city. Coincidentally, the 8 specific species are characteristic of Miombo woodland, suggesting preexistence of Miombo vegetation in these areas. Overall, the listed flora of studied neighborhoods in the two cities is dominated by exotic species, with Rutaceae the most represented family. Straightforward differences in the use of fruit trees were noted between the two cities; medicinal uses stand out in Lubumbashi, whereas uses such as shading and properties boundary predominate in Kolwezi. As common trend in the two cities, however, fruit trees scarcely receive arboricultural care, partly explained by limited knowledge on the ecological requirements of fruit trees. Current results have provided important insights into the botanical richness of fruit trees and related sociological aspects of their management at household-scale, which may help in formulating guidelines and technical tools to assessing and monitoring urban forestry in Southeastern DR Congo.

Profile of geographical variation in marginal land and its relationship with the fruit tree species richness in Jombang District, Indonesia

Abstract. Zulfikar, Arisoesilaningsih E, Indriyani S, Fernandes AAR. 2021. Profile of geographical variation in marginal land and its relationship with the fruit tree species richness in Jombang District, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 3315-3325. The purpose of this study was to determine the sites of fruit tree species richness, in order to analyze the relationship between the locations with fruit tree diversity, and geographical variations, towards the success of marginal land conservation in Jombang Regency. The study area covered four districts, and was divided into 11 sites with different slopes and altitudes. Multivariate analysis was carried out using the R program. The results showed that the structure and composition of fruit trees were discovered to be 21 species from 14 families. The uniqueness of the fruit trees was shown in Tamarindus indica and Cocos nucifera, which were observed as rare plants on slopes with high and low altitudes, respectively. The results of the geographical variation analysis also showed that the slope and elevation with values of 0.5889 and 0.5077, respectively, were significantly correlated with the site of fruit plant species richness at the (?) 0.05 level, as the response formed was not linear for the three geographical diversities studied. Also, the model built between site, slope, and elevation towards the fruit tree species richness was acceptable, due to the fact that the value (Pr> F) = 0.004 was very significant at the (?) 0.001 level.

Garcinia fruit: in the forests and domestic orchards, the prevention of diseases of modernity

The genus Garcinia has many varieties of fruit trees, which are found in rural and urban backyards, tropical forests and domestic orchards of several tropical countries. Fruits have a great diversity of metabolites, among which phenolic compounds stand out for their potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other effects, and which have a preventive action on diseases of modernity. This review aimed to associate studies on the metabolic activities of Garcinia fruits and their numerous effects on health risk factors, such as obesity, hyperglycemia, inflammatory processes and dyslipidemias. Scientific articles published in English, Portuguese and Spanish were selected, which carried out studies involving the administration of Garcinia fruits in vitro and in vivo, mainly in the last five years. Sixty relevant articles were included in the study. Studies have shown that the Garcinia fruit species can be used in body weight control and prevention of cardiovascular disorders, cancer and diabetes mellitus, among other diseases associated with oxidative stress.

Wild edible fruit tree diversity and population status in low and mid hills of Arunachal Pradesh

Wild edible fruit tree diversity and population status in low and mid hills of Arunachal Pradesh

SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF RATIONAL USE OF AGRICULTURAL SCAPES OF THE MIDDLE TRANSPORT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STRATEGY OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION

The necessity of studying the current condition of agro-landscapes of Middle Transnistria in the context of the strategy of sustainable development of rural territorial communities of the region has been analysed. After all, ecologically safe use of agroecosystems of any region should become one of the necessary conditions for ecologically balanced development of its agrosphere. The authors note that the current condition of agro-landscapes has been characterized by significant diversity and complex landscape-typological structure. The differences of agro-landscapes in economic use have been presented, which led to the allocation of such subclasses: field, meadow-pasture, garden. The authors used different approaches and methods to study the modern agricultural landscapes of Middle Transnistria. The most significant were general scientific and specific scientific approaches. Among them the following were used: traditional or classical (comparative, historical, genetic, evolutionary) and specific (constructive, socio-economic, systemic, ecological, landscape-typological, informational, sociological) research approaches. Among the research methods most used: systemic, genetic, cartographic, morphometric, predictive and comparative. It has been established that the economic use of different subclasses of agrolandscapes of the region depends on the climatic, hydrological, orographic, edaphic and landscape-ecological conditions of the region. The characteristics of garden landscapes have been determined, which are located mainly on steep slopes, leveled terraces of river valleys, territories of former field landscapes. Location on the appropriate types of areas, species composition of plantations and specific agronomic regime, determine the formation of these unique garden landscapes. Here certain favorable microclimatic conditions, plant and animal groups which are inherent in specific garden landscape complexes are created. Among them are unique palmette orchards and those within which there are rare and adapted to the natural conditions of the region varieties of fruit trees. The uniqueness of the garden landscapes of Middle Transnistria is considered on the example of a natural area near the village. Dmytrashkivka, Vinnytsia region, where valuable plots of palm gardens are located. A set of measures proposed to promote the rational use of agricultural landscapes of Middle Transnistria in the context of implementing strategies for sustainable development of the region

Holistic agricultural diversity index as a measure of agricultural diversity: A cross-sectional study of smallholder farmers in Lilongwe district of Malawi

Malawi, a country with 70% of land allocated to maize production and maize dominated diets, sees the need to engage in a serious drive towards agricultural diversity. A study was conducted in 2016 and 2017 in Lilongwe District to measure the status of agriculture diversity among 424 randomly selected smallholder households from 36 proportional probability sampled villages. Results showed that 82.5% of farmers identified maize as their priority crop. Diversity of fruit trees was low as 40.3% of households grew mangoes, followed by 3.3% who grew paw paws. Only 22.4% of the farmers had backyard gardens. Livestock and poultry diversity was also low as only 50.9% of households owned chickens, followed by 26.2% of household who owned goats, while only 1.7% of the households owned cows. A Holistic Agricultural Diversity Index was constructed with a scale ranging from zero (for complete non-diversification) to one (for complete diversification). Mean diversity index among sampled households was 0.2822 and a standard deviation of 0.1938 indicating low agricultural diversity in Lilongwe. Proximity to Lilongwe city agriculture market did not trigger higher agricultural diversity. Policies and programs need to promote production of crops that require low levels of inputs such as groundnuts and cassava, as well as provision of veterinary services and implementation of livestock (such as poultry, goats, and rabbits) pass-on programs to increase crop, and livestock diversity, respectively. Further research is required in other districts to measure agricultural diversity under different conditions and to test the Holistic Agricultural Diversity Index proposed in this study.