Agronomic and economic appraisal of alley cropping with Leucaena diversifolia on an acid soil in the highlands of Burundi

Although alley cropping has been shown elsewhere to permit continuous cropping, it has not been widely tested in the highlands of east and central Africa where it has the additional potential of controlling soil erosion. The effect of four rates (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha^–1) of inorganic N on the performance of alley cropping using Leucaena diversifolia as the hedgerow species was studied in the central highlands of Burundi. Significant increase in maize yield (average of 26%) due to alley cropping was only first realised in 1992, three years after the commencement of the trial. In 1993, the average yield advantage of the alley cropping plots was 21%. The prunings augmented the response of maize yield to inorganic N in 1992 and 1993. Compared with the control, economic benefits over the five-year period for all the treatments were negative.     

Improving adoptability of farm forestry in the Philippine uplands: a linear programming model

In the Philippines, smallholder farmers have become major timber producers. But the systems of timber production practiced have several limitations. In intercropping systems, the practice of severe branch and/or root pruning reduces tree-crop competition and increases annual crop yields, but is detrimental to tree growth and incompatible with commercial timber production. In even-aged woodlots, lack of regular income and poor tree growth, resulting from farmers’ reluctance to thin their plantations, are major constraints to adoption and profitable tree farming. In the municipality of Claveria, Misamis Oriental, the recent practice of planting trees on widely spaced (6–8 m) contour grass strips established for soil conservation suggests ways to improve the adoptability (i.e., profitability, feasibility and acceptability) of timber-based agroforestry systems. Assuming that financial benefits are the main objective of timber tree farmers, we develop a simple linear programming (LP) model for the optimal allocation of land to monocropping and tree intercropping that maximizes the net present value of an infinite number of rotations and satisfies farmers’ resource constraints and regular income requirements. The application of the LP model to an average farmer in Claveria showed that cumulative additions of widely spaced tree hedgerows provides higher returns to land, and reduce the risk of agroforestry adoption by spreading over the years labour and capital investment costs and the economic benefits accruing to farmers from trees. Therefore, incremental planting of widely spaced tree hedgerows can make farm forestry more adoptable and thus benefit a larger number of resource-constrained farmers in their evolution towards more diverse and productive agroforestry systems.     

The potential of alley farming in humid West Africa — a re-evaluation

Previously published hypothesis concerning the potential impact of alley farming on maize yields are re-examined relative to the humid regions of West Africa. When more realistic assumptions regarding the availability of organic nitrogen are used, it is concluded that alley farming may have potential in a wider range of maize yield environments in West Africa than previously proposed. A pragmatic approach to alley farming research is proposed, and the importance of on-farm research in the development of ‘farmer friendly’ alley farming is stressed. (Former Agronomist, International Livestock Centre for Africa, P.M.B. 5320, Ibadan, Nigeria)     

Growth of four tree species managed as hedgerows in response to liming on an acid soil in West Sumatra,Indonesia

A hedgerow intercropping study was conducted for 7 years in West Sumatra, Indonesia on an acid and highly Al-saturated soil to determine growth and yield responses of tree hedgerows and upland rice and cowpea intercrops. Three tree species,Paraserianthes falcataria, Calliandra calothyrsus, andGliricidia sepium and a no-tree control were planted at three lime rates with low annual fertilizer inputs of 20 kg P and 50 kg K ha^–1.Paraserianthes andCalliandra grew vigorously, whileGliricidia grew poorly and was replaced after four years withFlemingia macrophylla. After four years,Paraserianthes yields declined due to tree mortality, probably due to intensive pruning.Calliandra andFlemingia were well adapted to intensive pruning (4 to 6 times per year). Gliricidia growth was especially limited by low soil Ca availability and high soil acid saturation.Calliandra andFlemingia yields increased with liming only in the last several years of the study whileParaserianthes did not respond to lime. The species can be tentatively ranked in response to lime as:Gliricidia > Calliandra > Flemingia > Paraserianthes.     

Alley cropping of sorghum with Leucaena during the post-rainy season on Vertisols in semi-arid India

A field experiment was conducted for two years (1989– 1991) on a Vertisol in Bijapur, India in a split-plot design, replicated four times, to evaluate the potential of alley cropping post-rainy season sorghum between Leucaena hedgerows. Leucaena produced on average 2.74 t per ha of prunings and 1.57 t per ha of wood annually. Alley cropping decreased sorghum yields by 28 to 45% when all Leucaena prunings were removed from the system and by 21 to 24%, when on average 1.92 t per ha prunings were applied to the soil annually. The reduction of sorghum yield increased as higher rates of N were applied to sorghum. Although alley cropping increased organic carbon by 21% and available N by 19% at the time of crop sowing, it did not result in increased crop yields because of competition for water between hedgerows and crops. Calculation of land equivalent ratios based on total Leucaena biomass indicated that alley cropping was more productive than sole cropping of sorghum only in one year, and that, too, when no N was applied to sorghum. Therefore, alley cropping of Vertisols with post-rainy season sorghum is not likely to have any advantage in the short term. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit on growth and development of Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel.

Field studies carried out in a forest transition site on a tropical Alfisol in southwestern Nigeria, show that shading by gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit) hedgerow species reduced density of speargrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeuschel) by 67% and 51%, respectively. Shoot biomass of speargrass decreased by 81% and 78% in gliricidia and leucaena hedgerows, respectively. Reduction in speargrass rhizome biomass in gliricidia plots was 96% while rhizome reduction in the leucaena plots was nearly 90%. Rhizome mortality was significantly higher in gliricidia plots than in leucaena and control plots. The bulk of rhizomes was found between 10 cm and 20 cm of soil depth but rhizome did not penetrate further than 30 cm depth in the Alfisol in which this study was carried out. Gliricidia was better than leucaena hedgerow species in suppressing speargrass.     

基于轮廓重建的渔船雷达MAP-MRF快速反演研究

渔船雷达是渔船导航系统的重要组成部分,在海上复杂气象条件下,具有不受能见度影响进行全天候观测的优势。从雷达信号向可判读图像信号的反演过程中,对雷达照射夹角间的缺失数据进行重建是反演过程中计算和时间花费最大的部分。依据渔船反演过程中的特性,将统计力学模型引入到雷达图层轮廓的重建计算当中,应用最大后验概率马尔可夫随机场框架实现了渔船雷达的快速雷达图像反演过程。文章成果对于减少反演时间,提高雷达刷新率,及时准确地发现海上强对流灾害目标具有重要的意义和实用价值。     

手持式测树枪量测树冠体积方法研究

为实现单木树冠体积的精准测量,文章介绍了一种手持式测树枪量测树冠体积的方法。在被测树周围布设测站点,以一定的顺序获取各测站点正对树冠边缘点位坐标,通过等高线内插法分层,以构成多面体,利用积分算法求算树冠的体积。将电子测树枪所测结果与传统方法、无棱镜全站仪以及三维激光扫描仪所测结果进行对比分析。结果表明,测树枪所测精度与等高距呈线性关系,测树枪所测精度远高于传统方法,略低于无棱镜全站仪,低于三维激光扫描仪的精度,满足林业调查精度要求,可以在林业行业中推广使用。     

木材锯切表面粗糙度二维分析与三维分析对比

使用传统的二维轮廓测定方法,测量木材锯切表面粗糙度准确度不高。利用三维表面轮廓成像技术测定木材锯切表面粗糙度,可获得较为准确的检测值和更真实的锯切表面微观形貌。     

基于MATLAB的玉米果穗图像轮廓提取

计算机视觉在玉米果穗中的应用主要是对外观质量进行评定,本文利用MATLAB对采集系统传来的玉米果穗图像进行转换、灰度化、滤波降噪、区域增强等一系列处理后,选用Log算子提取出玉米果穗轮廓,效果良好,为后续的考种数据测量做准备。