基于解模糊算法的蚕蛹图像恢复及雌雄识别

在利用机器视觉技术识别雌雄蚕蛹过程中,因蛹体为非规则椭球体所带来的空间变化模糊造成蚕蛹图像中大量细节结构特征信息丢失,这极大地降低了雌雄蚕蛹识别的准确率。针对此问题,该文提出了一种将复杂的空间变化模糊图像恢复问题化为多个简单的空间模糊图像求解的策略。首先根据蚕蛹图像的模糊图谱将图像划分为多个具有相似程度模糊的子图像区域;再利用 Lucy Richardson 方法对各子图像区域分别进行非盲反卷积解模糊;最后将恢复的各子图像进行拼合并使用双边滤波方法消除图像拼合误差,保证图像信息准确融合。试验结果表明,该算法性能与目前所公认最优的 Shen 方法相比,能够得到更好的蚕蛹图像视觉质量,蚕蛹图像质量的定量评估指标——总变差均值（TVM）平均提高了22.8%,因此,该文方法具有更优的性能,能够有效消除空间变化模糊影响,恢复出更多的蚕蛹图像细节结构特征。利用基于霍夫变换理论的形状匹配算法对处理前和处理后的400颗蚕蛹成像图像进行了雌雄识别试验研究,试验结果表明,相对于原始未处理的蚕蛹图像,经该文方法处理后的蚕蛹图像,雌雄蚕蛹识别率提高了40.5百分点。该文方法对西葫芦、南瓜等类非规则椭球体果蔬图像也能够进行有效的图像质量改善,这充分显示了该文方法的广泛适应性。     

基于K-means算法的温室移动机器人导航路径识别

针对温室移动机器人机器视觉导航路径识别实时性差、受光照干扰影响严重等问题,首先,将HSI颜色空间3个分量进行分离,选取与光照信息无关且可以有效抑制噪声影响的色调分量H进行后续图像处理,以削弱光照对机器人视觉导航的不良影响;针对温室环境图像特有的颜色特征信息,引入K-means算法对图像进行聚类分割,将垄间道路信息与绿色作物信息各自聚类,再通过形态学腐蚀方法去除聚类后图像中存在的冗余、干扰信息,以获得完整的道路信息,与常用阈值分割方法相比,可降低因分割信息不明确而导致后续Hough变换进行直线拟合时需占据大量内存且计算量较大的问题,进而提高移动机器人路径识别的快速性,并适应温室作业机器人自主导航的高实时性要求。试验结果表明,该文方法在复杂背景与变光照条件下的温室作业环境中可大幅降低光照对机器人导航的影响,对于光照不均具有良好的鲁棒性,道路信息提取率可达95%。同时,其平均单幅图像处理时耗降低53.26%,可显著提高路径识别速度。该研究可为解决温室移动机器人机器视觉导航路径识别的鲁棒性及实时性问题提供参考。     

用动态图层融合与纹理-灰度梯度能量模型的果树行识别

为解决果园机器视觉导航中果树行识别易受果园复杂环境干扰的问题,该研究提出一种采用动态选取融合因子对彩色图像与深度图像进行图层融合并采用纹理-灰度梯度能量模型进行图像分割的果树行视觉识别算法。首先,通过搭建立体视觉系统获取果园彩色图像与对应的深度图像,并基于饱和度（S）通道图像的灰度值选取动态融合因子,实现对果园彩色图像与深度图像的图层融合;然后,分别计算融合图像的纹理特征图像与灰度梯度特征图像,并建立纹理-灰度梯度结合的能量模型,基于模型能量最小原则进行树干与背景的分割;最后,以树干与地面交点为果树行特征点进果树行直线拟合,完成果树行角度的识别。并对上述算法分别进行果树行识别试验与移动作业平台视觉对行导航试验。果树行识别试验结果表明,该研究算法果树行角度识别平均偏差为2.81°,与基于纹理、灰度梯度特征的果树行识别算法相比识别平均偏差分别降低2.37°和1.25°。移动作业平台视觉导航试验结果表明,在作业平台速度为0.6 m/s时,对行行驶最大偏差为12.2 cm,平均偏差为5.94 cm。该研究提出的视觉导航算法可以满足果园移动作业平台视觉对行导航需求,研究成果将为基于机器视觉的果园自动导航系统的研究与优化奠定基础。     

基于种蛋图像血线特征和深度置信网络的早期鸡胚雌雄识别

为了实现孵化早期鸡胚雌雄识别,构建了机器视觉采集系统,在LED光源下获取180枚鸡种蛋孵化第4天的图像。首先对鸡种蛋图像进行RGB分量提取、中值滤波、感兴趣区域提取等预处理,然后利用限制对比度自适应直方图均衡化、形态学处理、最大类间方差阈值分割和八连通域去噪等方法凸显血线纹理,并通过方向梯度直方图(histogram of oriented gradient,HOG)提取图像的全信息特征和利用灰度共生矩阵提取能量、对比度、相关性、熵、均匀度等5个特征,对HOG全信息特征采用主成分分析(principal component analysis,PCA)降维,最后利用全信息特征和PCA降维特征-灰度共生矩阵特征组合的简化特征,分别构建支持向量机(support vector machine,SVM)、反向传递(back propagation,BP)神经网络、深度置信网络(deep belief networks,DBN)3种鸡胚雌雄识别模型,并比较不同模型的识别准确率。试验中,全信息特征比简化特征构建的模型识别准确率高,基于简化特征的BP、SVM、DBN模型测试集识别综合准确率分别为51.67%、60%和58.33%,基于全信息特征的BP、SVM、DBN模型测试集识别综合准确率分别为58.33%、63.33%和83.33%。其中,基于全信息特征的DBN模型识别准确率最高,达到83.33%。结果表明机器视觉技术为孵化早期鸡胚雌雄识别提供了一种可行方法。     

基于RF-DS图谱信息融合的孵化早期鸡胚蛋性别无损检测

针对图像或光谱单一信息检测孵化早期胚蛋性别识别率不高的问题，该研究提出一种随机森林（Random Forest，RF）和证据理论（Dempster-Shafer，D-S）的图谱信息融合的无损检测方法。利用机器视觉和光谱仪分别采集孵化期第4天水平横放的胚蛋信息，在对胚蛋图像和光谱预处理的基础上，提取图像纹理特征和光谱特征，再分别以2类单特征的RF分类结果作为独立证据构造基本概率分配函数，运用D-S证据理论进行决策级融合，根据分类判决门限得出最终的识别结果。试验结果表明，图像和光谱单特征RF模型识别准确率最高分别达78.00%和82.67%，多特征决策融合识别法准确率达到88.00%，其中雌雄识别率分别达到90.00%和86.25%，单个鸡蛋的平均判别用时为2.843 s。结果表明，该光谱-图像信息融合方法可以提高孵化早期胚蛋雌雄识别准确率。     

番茄缺素叶片的图像特征提取和优化选择研究

在基于计算机视觉技术对无土栽培番茄营养元素缺乏智能识别研究中,对不易被肉眼判别的缺氮和缺钾初期叶片进行图像特征的提取和优化选择研究，以提高识别的准确率。提出了应用相对差值百分率直方图提取缺素叶片的颜色特征，应用差分算子提取纹理的时域特征、应用傅里叶变换提取纹理的频域特征、应用小波包提取纹理的时频特征等的新方法，并新提出从颜色和纹理时域、频域、时频域等多个角度集成提取缺素叶片图像的有效特征，利用遗传算法对提取的众多特征项进行优化选择，以使诊断识别用的信息分类能力最优。试验表明，该方法识别的准确率较高，达到95%～92.5%，而且可以比肉眼识别提前6～10 d。     

基于双目视觉的植物叶片三维形态与光照度同步测量

植物叶片的生长与光照度密切相关,尤其在温室大棚内,对光照度的控制要求更高。为同时获取叶片的三维形态与光照分布,该文提出了一种基于双目视觉的纹理植物叶片三维形态与光照度同步测量方法。利用双目视觉原理结合数字图像相关技术,实现叶片三维形态测量;通过植物叶片光照度与图像灰度关系推导,实现三维光照分布测量。该文以网纹草为例,对上述方法进行验证。试验表明:参考子区半径为57 pixels、计算间隔7 pixels时三维形态测量效果最佳;对叶片实施均匀光照,照度仪测量值与图像测量平均值相对误差在6%以内;对叶片实施非均匀光照,测量的光照分布真实反映了叶片光照分布。该方法具有非接触、方便、快捷等优点,为植物叶片的三维形态与光照度测量提供了一种方法,为温室大棚的智能光控提供了数据支撑。     

基于颜色和深度信息融合的目标识别方法

传统的机器视觉采用二维RGB图像,难以满足三维视觉检测的要求,深度图像能直接反映物体表面的三维特征,正逐渐受到重视。该文提出的方案将RGB和深度信息相结合,分割出物体所在区域,并利用梯度方向直方图(HOG, histograms of oriented gradients)分别提取RGB图像和深度图像特征信息。在分类算法上,该文采用k最邻近节点算法（k-NN）对特征进行筛选,识别出目标物体。试验结果表明,综合利用深度信息和RGB信息,识别准确率很高,此方案能够对物体和手势进行很好识别。     

基于剪切波和全变分的农田遥感图像去噪去伪影方法

农田遥感图像在采集过程中会受到噪声影响,为得到准确的农田遥感图像数据,应对获取的农田遥感图像进行去噪预处理。农田遥感图像中的纹理承载了重要信息,在图像降噪的同时保持或增强图像纹理具有重要意义。由于纹理和噪声一样,在频域表现为高频信号,以分解和重构算法为基础的常见滤波(含小波变换)方法在降噪的同时,也会造成纹理清晰度的下降。该文结合农田遥感图像纹理呈现出来的直线特性,将剪切波(Shearlet)和变分理论相结合,提出了一种新的遥感农田图像保纹理降噪方法。该方法首先对较大的遥感图像分块进行shearlet变换,在降噪的同时识别不同图块图像的纹理含量;对细小纹理含量较少的平滑区域,采用保边降噪变分模型去除shearlet变换带来的人工伪影。为避免子图块边界带来的边界效应,该文基于中心仿射变换理论提出了一种新的图像延拓方法,有效提高了图像降噪的效果。试验结果表明,该文算法去噪后的峰值信噪比(peak signal to noise ratio,PSNR)平均值比全变分模型去噪算法大1 d B,该文算法去噪后的PSNR平均比曲线波去噪算法大2 d B。同基于Symmlet小波的Shearlet算法相比,该文算法处理后农田遥感图像中伪影减少,在高斯噪声标准偏差σ为10、20和30 d B时,峰值信噪比PSNR分别提高了13.99%、9.69%和7.75%。     

基于Isomap和支持向量机算法的俯视群养猪个体识别

针对俯视群养猪视频序列,提出了一种利用机器视觉技术对猪个体进行识别的方法。首先对采集的俯视群养猪视频序列进行前景检测与目标提取,获得各单只猪个体,其后建立训练样本,提取猪个体颜色、纹理及形状特征,组合构建表征猪个体的特征向量,接着对组合特征利用Isomap算法做特征融合,在最大程度保留有效识别信息的基础上降低特征维数,最后利用优化核函数的支持向量机分类器进行训练与识别。试验选取了900帧图像,试验结果表明该文所提方法切实有效,猪个体最高识别率为92.88%。该文从机器视觉角度探索了俯视群养猪的个体识别,有别于传统的RFID猪个体识别,该研究为无应激的猪个体识别提供了新思路,也为进一步探索群养猪个体行为分析等奠定了基础。     

低氮和干旱胁迫对富士和秦冠生长及氮素利用的影响

【目的】以富士（Fuji）、 秦冠（Qinguan）嫁接在平邑甜茶（Malus hupehensis Rehd.）上的当年生盆栽苗为试验材料,采用砂培方法,研究了缺氮胁迫和干旱对富士和秦冠生长情况、 光合参数、 植株各部位氮磷钾含量及氮素利用效率的影响,分析比较了低氮干旱条件下富士和秦冠生长及氮素利用的差异,以期为果树生产高效肥水利用提供理论指导。【方法】试验共设四个处理: 正常氮正常水（ZZ）、 低氮正常水（DZ）、 正常氮干旱（ZG）、 低氮干旱（DG）。氮素和水分均设置两个水平,分别为正常氮（6 mmol/L NO-3-N）、 低氮（0.3 mmol/LNO-3-N）、 正常供水（保持盆中砂子相对含水量为饱和含水量的80%~85%）、 干旱处理（保持盆中砂子相对含水量为饱和含水量的60%~65%）。【结果】富士和秦冠的生物量（茎和叶）、 株高茎粗等生长指标以及光合速率、 气孔导度、 蒸腾速率均为正常氮正常水（ZZ）＞低氮正常水（DZ）＞正常氮干旱（ZG）＞低氮干旱（DG）,并且相对应处理下秦冠的以上指标均高于富士;正常供水下,缺氮处理使富士、 秦冠的根冠比比正常氮处理均有所增加,富士提高了2.05%,秦冠提高了22.40%。富士和秦冠的氮、 磷、 钾含量均表现出正常氮正常水（ZZ）＞低氮正常水（DZ）＞正常氮干旱（ZG）＞低氮干旱（DG）; 氮、 钾元素含量在植株各部位的分布顺序依次是叶＞根＞茎,磷元素则是根＞叶＞茎;光合氮素利用效率（PNUE）和氮素利用效率表现为秦冠处理之间差异极显著,富士处理之间差异不显著;秦冠的PNUE和NUE明显高于富士,在低氮正常水（DZ）处理下,秦冠氮肥利用率比富士高42.07%,在低氮干旱（DG）处理下高64.14%;低氮胁迫下富士和秦冠的NUE显著提高,并且秦冠提高的幅度高于富士。【结论】施用氮肥能够显著提高富士与秦冠的干物质量,同等水肥条件下,秦冠生长优于富士;水分亏缺会减少叶片对氮的吸收,干旱条件下适度增施氮肥,可提高果树的抗旱能力;低氮干旱胁迫下秦冠的生长指标、 光合指标及氮素利用效率指标均优于富士,表现出较强的抗低氮干旱胁迫的能力。     

Pasture Vegetation Elemental Analysis by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a new technique for the analysis of plant material. This study investigates the application of LIBS to pasture-based plant samples. The LIBS measurements were obtained from pelletized pasture samples (100 samples) that had been also analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) following microwave digestion for calibration and comparison purposes. Comparisons for elements sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) showed that LIBS could be used for almost all the standard profile total elements with concentrations down to low mg/kg levels (observed error of Na: 0.024 percent, K: 0.18 percent, Mg: 0.016 percent, Ca: 0.073 percent, P: 0.017 percent, Mn: 31 mg/kg, Fe: 150 mg/kg, Zn: 6.6 mg/kg, and B: 1.1 mg/kg). Elemental analysis at less than mg/kg levels was not possible using LIBS. The elements S and Cu were particularly difficult to analyze with reliability using LIBS at the concentration levels found in the plant samples. Replacing microwave digestion and subsequent ICP analysis with a direct analysis of dried plant samples using LIBS has the potential to improve the productivity and reduce the cost of testing.     

Faculty positions:Center for Agricultural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences

正The Center for Agricultural Resources Research(CARR),the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology(IGDB),Chinese Academy of Sciences,invites applicants for several research group leader positions.CARR is one of the research organizations in Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS).We seek nominations and applications from individuals who have expertise and a record of accomplishment in research areas related to ecology,agro-hydrology,     

Macroinvertebrates in North American tallgrass prairie soils: effects of fire, mowing, and fertilization on density and biomass

The responses of tallgrass prairie plant communities and ecosystem processes to fire and grazing are well characterized. However, responses of invertebrate consumer groups, and particularly soil-dwelling organisms, to these disturbances are not well known. At Konza Prairie Biological Station, we sampled soil macroinvertebrates in 1994 and 1999 as part of a long-term experiment designed to examine the effects and interactions of annual fire, mowing, and fertilization (N and P) on prairie soil communities and processes. For nearly all taxa, in both years, responses were characterized by significant treatment interactions, but some general patterns were evident. Introduced European earthworms (Aporrectodea spp. and Octolasion spp.) were most abundant in plots where fire was excluded, and the proportion of the total earthworm community consisting of introduced earthworms was greater in unburned, unmowed, and fertilized plots. Nymphs of two Cicada genera were collected (Cicadetta spp. and Tibicen spp.). Cicadetta nymphs were more abundant in burned plots, but mowing reduced their abundance. Tibicen nymphs were collected almost exclusively from unburned plots. Treatment effects on herbivorous beetle larvae (Scarabaeidae, Elateridae, and Curculionidae) were variable, but nutrient additions (N or P) usually resulted in greater densities, whereas mowing usually resulted in lower densities. Our results suggest that departures from historical disturbance regimes (i.e. frequent fire and grazing) may render soils more susceptible to increased numbers of European earthworms, and that interactions between fire, aboveground biomass removal, and vegetation responses affect the structure and composition of invertebrate communities in tallgrass prairie soils.     

Variation in quality parameters between and within 14 Nordic tree fruit and berry species

Abstract

A 3-year study was carried out to investigate quality parameters in 14 tree fruit and berry species grown in southern Norway. The species were blueberry, apple, aronia, sour cherry, sweet cherry, red raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, gooseberry, red currant and elderberry, harvested along with wild bilberry, cloudberry and lingonberry. Significant differences between species were identified for all quality parameters. The coefficient of variation between species was lowest for pH (12.5%), dry matter (18.9%) and soluble solids (25.3%), followed by titratable acids (59.3%), total phenolics (83.8%), antioxidant capacity FRAP (85.7%) and antiradical power by the DPPH-assay (97.8%), total monomeric anthocyanins (132%) and ascorbic acid (137%). Average coefficient of variation within species were lower and ranged from 4 (pH) to 62% (ascorbic acid). Only the FRAP values were significantly affected by harvesting year with lower levels in 2004 than in 2005 and 2006. There were significant interactions between species and harvesting year for dry matter, soluble solids, pH, ascorbic acid and FRAP. The results indicate generic ranges in composition within species independent upon growing location and climate, and the composition of the tree fruits and berries is not likely to deviate from these ranges. It is concluded that desirable composition of tree fruits and berries and their products should primarily be achieved by selection among species rather than searching fors broadened variation within individual species.     

Potassium Fixation and Release Characteristics in Rhizosphere and Nonrhizosphere Soils for a Rapeseed–Rice Cropping Sequence

Potassium (K) fixation and release in soil are important factors in the long-term sustainability of a cropping system. Changes in K concentration and characteristics of K fixation and release in rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils in the rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)–rice (Oryza sativa L.) rotation were investigated using a rhizobox system. The concentrations of different forms of K in both rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soils decreased with plants compared to without plants, regardless of K fertilizer application. Potassium uptake by crops mainly came from the rhizosphere soil. In the treatment without K fertilizer (–K), the main form of K supplied by the soil to the crops was 1.0 mol L^?1 nitric acid (HNO₃) nonextractable K, followed by nonexchangeable K, and then exchangeable K. In the treatment with K fertilizer (+K), the main K forms supplied by the soil to the crops were exchangeable K and nonexchangeable K. The amount and rate of K fixation after one cycle of the rapeseed–rice rotation was greater in rhizosphere soil than in nonrhizosphere soil. The amount and rate of K fixation of soil in the +K treatment were significantly less than in the –K treatment. The cumulative amounts of K released with 1.0 mol L^?1 ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc) and 1.0 mol L^?1 HNO₃ extraction increased with the increasing numbers of extractions, but the K-releasing power of soil by successive extraction decreased gradually and finally became almost constant. The release of K was less in rhizosphere soil than in nonrhizosphere soil. The release of K in the +K treatment was similar to that in the –K treatment in rhizosphere soil, but the K release in nonrhizosphere soil was greater with the +K than the –K treatment. Overall, the information obtained in this study will be helpful in formulating more precise K fertilizer recommendations for certain soils.     

Electron donor and pH relationships for biologically enhanced dissolution of chlorinated solvent DNAPL in groundwater

Biologically enhanced dissolution offers a method to speed removal of chlorinated solvent dense non-aqueous-phase liquid (DNAPL) sources such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichoroethene (TCE) from aquifers. Bioremediation is accomplished by adding an electron donor to the source zone where fermentation to intermediates leading to acetic acid and hydrogen results. The hydrogen and possibly acetic acid are used by dehalogenating bacteria to convert PCE and TCE to ethene and hydrochloric acid. Reductive dehalogenation is thus an acid forming process, and sufficient alkalinity must be present to maintain a near neutral pH. The bicarbonate alkalinity required to maintain pH above 6.5 is a function of the electron donor: 800 mg/L of bicarbonate alkalinity is sufficient to achieve about 1.2 mM TCE dechlorination with glucose, 1.7 mM with lactate, and a much higher 3.3 mM with formate. Laboratory studies indicate that in mixed culture, formate can be used as an electron donor for complete conversion to ethene, contrary to pure cultures studies indicating it cannot. Various strategies can be used to add electron donor to an aquifer for DNAPL dehalogenation while minimizing pH problems and excessive electron donor usage, including use of injection-extraction wells, dual recirculation wells, and nested injection-extraction wells.     

Biodiversity and ecogeography of wild Lactuca spp. in some European countries

Staff members of the Department of Botany of Palacký University in Olomouc and Gene Bank Department – Workplace Olomouc, Research Institute of Crop Production in Prague, Czech Republic, conducted an expedition in seven European countries (Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland) in August/September 1999 to collect wild Lactuca spp. germplasm and study its geographic distribution, ecology and biodiversity. During the mission, more than 600 locations were visited resulting in the collection of 602 seed samples (accessions) of wild Lactuca species and 13 seed samples of related genera (Chondrilla and Mycelis). Lactuca serriola f. serriola, L. serriola f. integrifolia, L. saligna and L. viminea subsp. chondrilliflora were prevalent in southern Europe (Italy, France), however, only L. serriola was common in central and western Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland). The greatest diversity of Lactuca species was found in France, where also the most seed samples (165) were collected. The most characteristic habitats with a high density of Lactuca spp. populations were observed along roads and highways, grassy ditches, ruderal communities, and dust-heaps. Natural infections by powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) and downy mildew (Bremia lactucae) on some wild Lactuca spp. were observed. Recent observations concerning the geographic distribution, population structure, habitats, and natural occurrence of diseases of Lactuca spp. are discussed. This assemblage of genetic resources of Lactuca spp. can serve as the basis of future studies of species diversification, spatial population structure, plant microevolution, domestication processes, and genetic variability of host-parasite interactions.     

Increase in auxiliary photoprotective photosynthetic pigments in wheat seedlings induced by Azospirillum brasilense

Inoculation of wheat seedlings with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Cd was immobilized in alginate microbeads and, without applying any stress, significantly increased the quantity of several photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and the auxiliary photoprotective pigments violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, antheroxanthin, lutein, neoxanthin, and β-carotene. This resulted in greener plants with no apparent visible stress. After monitoring the quantity of photosynthetic pigments for 4 weeks, we observed that inoculated plants had higher quantities of pigments in shoot and stem. The greatest difference in the quantity of all pigments between inoculated and noninoculated plants occurred in the first week of growth. Regardless of treatment, the quantity of pigments in stems was three to four times less than the quantity of these pigments in shoots. Application of Azospirillum, either as liquid inoculant or as alginate microbeads, did not alter the positive effect of the bacteria on pigment production or the positive response of the plants towards A. brasilense Cd inoculation.     

Responses of native legume desert trees used for reforestation in the Sonoran Desert to plant growth-promoting microorganisms in screen house

Three slow-growing legume trees used for desert reforestation and urban gardening in the Sonoran Desert of Northwestern Mexico and the Southwestern USA were evaluated whether their growth can be promoted by inoculation with plant growth-promoting bacteria (Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus pumilus), unidentified arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (mainly Glomus sp.), and supplementation with common compost under regular screenhouse cultivation common to these trees in nurseries. Mesquite amargo (Prosopis articulata) and yellow palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla) had different positive responses to several of the parameters tested while blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida) did not respond. Survival of all tree species was over 80% and survival of mesquite was almost 100% after 10 months of cultivation. Inoculation with growth-promoting microorganisms induced significant effects on the leaf gas exchange of these trees, measured as transpiration and diffusive resistance, when these trees were cultivated without water restrictions.