From Peasant to Farmer: Transformation of Forest Management in China

Small-scale Forestry - In the past 40 years, China has experienced an unprecedented transformation of the rural society and livelihoods and self-subsistence forest management has...     

Effects of foliar application of calcium chloride and urea on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of pomegranate fruits

The effects of urea and calcium chloride and their combinations on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of pomegranate fruits were studied over 2 years. Aqueous solutions of urea at 0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% and calcium chloride at 0%, 2% and 4% were applied on two branches of pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cv Malase-Yazdi) at full bloom (FB) and 1 month after full bloom (1MAFB) stages. Urea at concentrations of 1% and 2% significantly increased aril size, fruit length and diameter. Calcium chloride at concentrations of 2% and 4% significantly increased average fruit weight and ascorbic acid (AA) content. Both urea and calcium chloride increased soluble solid content (SSC) at all of the used concentrations. In the first time of spraying, higher level of treatments reduced titratable acidity (TA), but the second time of spraying did not significantly affect the TA.     

Response of African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus, to Different Dietary Protein and Lipid Levels in Practical Diets

This study was conducted to find the optimum level of dietary protein and lipid that could produce the highest growth, best feed utilization, and body composition of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (9.5–10.3 g). Nine diets (three protein levels × three lipid levels) containing 25, 30, or 35% crude protein (CP) with 6, 9, and 12% lipids were formulated. Fish were fed one of the tested diets at the rate of 5% of body weight for the first 8 wk and 3% for the rest of the study. Diets were offered 6 d a week, twice a day (900 and 1400 h) for 13 wk. Fish growth increased significantly with increasing either protein or lipid levels, and the maximum growth was obtained in fish fed diets containing 30% CP with 12% lipid or 35% CP with 9% lipid. The lowest fish growth was obtained at 25% CP with 6% lipid. The optimum feed intake, feed conversion ratio, energy utilization, protein efficiency ratio, and protein growth rate were also recognized in fish fed the above diets. No significant differences in moisture and ash contents in fish fed diets containing different protein and lipid levels were recorded. The protein and lipid contents in the fish body tended to increase with increasing protein and lipid levels in diets. However, the higher protein contents were obtained in fish fed diets containing 35% CP with 6 or 9% lipid, while the lowest ones were obtained at 25% CP with 6 or 9% lipid. The higher lipid contents were obtained at 30 or 35% CP with 12% lipid, while the lowest ones were obtained at 25 or 35% CP with 6% lipid. The present study indicates that the increase of dietary lipid level has a protein-sparing effect, and the diet containing 30% CP with 12% lipid would be suitable for the optimum growth and effective protein utilization of fingerling African catfish.     

Determination of sex and gonadal maturity in the honeycomb grouper, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epinephelus merra</Emphasis>, through biopsy

Determination of the sex and gonadal maturity of fish is necessary for successful commercial aquaculture operations. Sex identification is problematic in grouper fish, because they change sex at certain ages or sizes. Here we represent an accurate and reliable method for sex determination of the live grouper, using 5–10 mg gonadal tissue samples, harvested using non-lethal gonadal biopsy. Sex and sexual maturity of biopsied individuals were determined using standard histological method. All biopsied fish survived and there were no serious infections resulting from the surgery. Therefore, this biopsy technique is a simple and cost-effective tool for grouper fishery management.     

Saffron Daughter Corms Formation,Nitrogen and Phosphorous Uptake in Response to Low Planting Density,Sampling Rounds,Vermicompost and Mineral Fertilizers

Higher planting densities increase flower yield of saffron during the initial years; however, increase in population may have a negative effect on daughter corms, through increasing competition for nutrients. Accordingly, lower densities result in more desirable daughter corms for future planting. To investigate the effect of planting density, vermicompost and mineral fertilizers on daughter corms formation, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content in the corms during different phenological stages, a three-year field experiment was conducted as factorial-split layout based on randomized complete block design with three replications, at Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The experiment consisted of 12 main plots [planting density (30, 60, 90 and 120 corms m^?2) × fertilizer sources (vermicompost 10.2 t ha^?1, mineral fertilizer including N 225 kg ha^?1 + P 129.08 kg ha^?1 and control)] and 15 subplots (15 sampling rounds; during the first, second and third growing seasons). During all stages of sampling, N and P content in large-sized daughter corms was significantly higher compared with middle and large-sized daughter corms. Application of vermicompost significantly increased the number, weight, N and P contents of medium and large daughter corms per plant than mineral fertilizer. Increase in plating density caused a significant reduction in number, weight, N and P content in the medium and large sized daughter corms per plant. Overall, the results suggest that lower densities and vermicompost application should be scheduled in mother corms production programs.     

大比例尺红壤资源信息系统的研制

在Ｓｕｎ工作站平台和ＡＲＣ／ＩＮＦＯ系统软件支撑下研制建立的１∶５万大比例尺红壤资源信息系统对红壤资源的调查评价、合理利用和管理决策具有重要的作用．作者着重介绍了该系统的设计思路、建库技术、系统功能及应用模型的二次开发等，并提出了目前红壤资源信息系统研制中存在的问题和进一步拓展的方向．     

Integrated harvesting for conventional log and energy wood assortments: a case study in a pine plantation in Western Australia

Biomass or energy wood harvesting can be integrated with conventional log harvesting (saw log or pulpwood production) to allow more cost-effective energy wood supply. The efficiency of an integrated energy wood harvesting system was evaluated and compared with conventional log harvesting in a 32-year-old Pinus radiata plantation (radiata pine) located in south-west Western Australia. The harvesting system consisted of a harvester and a forwarder. The study included two treatments: a conventional log-harvesting operation where merchantable sawlogs and pulp logs were produced at the stump by the harvester and extracted by the forwarder; and an integrated energy wood operation where the harvester produced sawlogs, pulp logs and energy wood at the stump that were extracted by the forwarder. In the integrated energy wood harvesting plot, 37 m3 ha?1 of energy wood was extracted in addition to the sawlog and pulp log volumes. Extracting the additional energy wood reduced the productivity of the forwarder and increased the cost of extraction (AU$2.7?m?3) compared with the control plot (AU$2.2?m?3). Harvesting system cost was not significantly impacted, with a cost of AU$3.18?m?3 in the control plot and AU$3.23?m?3 in the integrated energy wood harvesting plot. Diameter at breast height (DBH) was a significant factor influencing the working time of the harvester, whereas load volume, extraction distance and extraction type (sawlog, pulp logs, and pulp log/energy wood) significantly impacted forwarding time. Increasing DBH resulted in longer working cycles for the harvester. Heavier loads and longer forwarding distances increased forwarding cycle time, while extracting sawlogs was least expensive and energy wood extraction was the most expensive. The marginal cost of the energy wood was approximately AU$10.2?m?3 (AU$7.0 extraction and AU$3.2 harvesting), which is about double the cost of the sawlogs. Additional material recovered in the integrated energy wood plot resulted in less residual residues on the plot (103.2 green metric tonnes per hectare [GMt ha?1]) than the control plot (144.2 GMt ha?1).     

Early differentiation in biomass production and carbon sequestration of white poplar and its two hybrids in Central Iran

We assessed the potential of white poplar(Populus alba L.) and its inter-sectional hybridization with euphrates poplar(P. euphratica Oliv.) for carbon storage and sequestration in central Iran. Trials were established at planting density of 2,500 trees per hectare in block randomized design with three replicates. After 6 years, we measured the above-ground biomass of tree components(trunk, branch, bark, twig and leaf), and assessed soil carbon at three depths. P. alba 9 euphratica plantation stored significantly more carbon(22.3 t ha-1) than P. alba(16.7 t ha-1) and P. euphratica 9 alba(13.1 t ha-1).Most of the carbon was accumulated in the above-ground biomass(61.1 % in P. alba, 72.4 % in P. alba 9 euphratica and 56.0 % in P. euphratica 9 alba). There was no significant difference in soil carbon storage. Also, biomass allocation was different between white poplar P. alba and its inter-sectional hybridization. Therefore, there was a yield difference due to genomic imprinting, which increased the possibility that paternally and maternally inherited wood production alleles would be differentially expressed in the new crossing.