Land tenure and farm management efficiency: The case of smallholder rubber production in customary land areas of Sumatra

This study assesses the impact of land tenure institutions on the efficiency of farm management based on a case study of rubber production in customary land areas of Sumatra, Indonesia. Using the modes of land acquisition as measures of land tenure institutions, we estimated tree planting, revenue, income, and short-run profit functions, and internal rates of return to tree planting on smallholder rubber fields. We find generally insignificant differences in the incidence of tree planting and management efficiency (defined as residual profits) of rubber production between newly emerging private ownership and customary ownership. This is consistent with our hypothesis that tree planting confers stronger individual rights, if land rights are initially weak (as in the case of family land under customary land tenure systems). On the other hand, short-term profits are higher on land that is rented through share tenancy. This result indicates that rubber trees are over-exploited under renting arrangements due partly to the short-run nature of the land tenancy contracts and partly to the difficulty landowners face in supervising tapping activities of tenants in spatially dispersed rubber fields. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Incidence and Severity of Bean Rust (Uromyces appendiculatus) in Alleys between Leucaena Hedgerows in Kenya

The effects of inter-row spacing of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit in an alley cropping system on the incidence and severity of rust (Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers.) Unger) on intercropped beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and their yield were examined over 2 years (1993 and 1994) at Chepkoilel Campus in Kenya. Each experiment consisted of three randomized blocks with treatments of three alley widths (2 m, 4 m and 8 m) and a treeless control with two intra-row spacings of Leucaena (0.5 m and 1.0 m). Hedgerows were coppiced at 1.0 m height and pruned subsequently at 2–3 months intervals. No fertilizer was applied but Leucaena loppings were incorporated as green leaf manure. Rust on beans was assessed at three growth stages in each season, using the Centro International de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) scales. Microclimate was monitored in treatments, in 1994. Bean growth and yield were also measured. Rust increased with increasing alley width and was less severe in bean rows adjacent to hedgerows. Bean yield was highest in the treeless control plots and declined with decreasing alley width. Beans in 2 m alleys had significantly lower (p < 0.05) yields than 8 m alleys and treeless control plots. Bean growth was greatly modified in 2 m alleys and close to hedgerows. Light availability and diurnal temperature increased with alley width but relative humidity and leaf wetness duration decreased. Proximity to hedgerows also had marked effect on microclimate. The changes in yield, rust incidence and severity were examined in relation to microclimate, inoculum survival and dispersal.     

临安市古树名木资源现状分析及保护对策

临安市有丰富的古树名木资源,共有古树名木8684株,隶属43科92属209种。分析该市古树名木资源的数量特征、树高、胸围、生长势和分布规律,提出5条保护管理对策。     

林木种苗质量检测的现状与对策

种苗检测是评定林木种苗质量的重要手段 ,根据《种子法》及新标准对种苗检测的要求 ,在分析种苗检测现状与存在问题的基础上 ,提出种苗检测的调整思路     

大树移植技术

从大树选择、移植时间、前期准备、定植和养护各个环节叙述了大树移植技术.     

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.     

Nitrogen mineralization patterns of leaf-twig mixtures from tropical leguminous trees

Green manure applications in alley cropping systems often include twigs despite their potential to absorb (immobilize) nitrogen (N). To assess the impact of twigs on net N mineralization or immobilization from hedge row cuttings, we separated cuttings fromCalliandra calothyrsus andGliricidia sepium into leaf-only, twig-only, and mixed (leaf + twig) fractions and incubated them with moist soil in the laboratory. Soil extractable inorganic N did no differ among treatments after two weeks, but after four and eight weeks was greatest in leaf-only, and least in twig-only treatments. After two weeks, extractable N from the leaf-only treatment rose steadily, while that from the twig-only and mixed treatments was variable due to periods of net mineralization and net immobilization. The pattern of variation in mixed treatments paralleled that of twig-only, indicating that net immobilization in the mixture was largely caused by the presence of twigs. Extractable N from the mixture was somewhat lower than that predicted from the sum of leaf-only and twig-only treatments. We conclude that twigs in green manure reduce short-term N availability to associated crops in agroforestry systems.     

Pruning of néré trees (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth.) on the farmlands of Burkina Faso, West Africa

This study of the pruning of néré (Parking biglobosa) trees in central Burkina Faso included detailed surveys of 83 trees and their owners in 21 villages. Pruning is not widespread, but appears to be a practice with various motives and techniques. The motives are mainly aimed at deliberate management of the trees, in order to enhance their fruit production, and are rarely aimed at reducing tree impact on crop productivity. The characteristics of tree pruning techniques (e.g., frequency, intensity and seasonality) and their corresponding motives appear to change as an adaptation to land degradation processes and the deterioration of tree condition. The results demonstrate that indigenous silvicultural management techniques contribute to a sustainable use of tree resources.

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Résumé Cette étude sur la taille du néré (Parkia biglobosa) a été faite par des observations détaillées de 80 nérés et les entretiens avec leurs propriétaires dans 21 villages au Plateau Central du Burkina Faso. La taille du néré n'est pas générale, mais révèle diverses motivations et techniques. La plupart des motivations est orientée vers une gestion consciente de l'arbre en vue d'une amélioration de la production furitière, et rerament en vue d'une reduction de l'influence de l'arbre sur les cultures. Les caracteristiques des techniques de taille (fréquence, intensité, période de taille) et les motivations impliquées paraissent s'adapter à la dégradation de l'environnement et al détérioration de la viabilité des arbres. Les résultats montrent la durabilité des pratiques concernant la gestion des arbres.

     

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.     

Microclimate and soil moisture effects of three intercrops on the rows of a newly-planted intercropped plantation

Trees are grown in intercropping systems for a variety of purposes including wood products, fuelwood, fruit, forage or conservation purposes. No matter what end use, different tree/crop combinations interact differently resulting in differential growth rates of the trees during establishment. Preliminary work has shown that seedling growth and survival of trees are related to their intercrop and the results of this study help to explain these findings. Soil water potential, soil and air temperature, relative humidity, windspeed, and light (photosynthetic photon flux density — PPFD) were measured throughout the growing season in the clean-weeded treerows within crops of corn, soybeans and winter wheat. Crop height and biomass were also measured. This study was conducted during the 1992 growing season which was unusually cool and wet from mid June into the winter. The growth of winter wheat, measured by crop height and above-ground biomass, was earlier in the season than that of soybeans and corn, and this pattern affected the environmental conditions in the tree rows. Soil water potential was affected with associated effects on soil temperature (in combination with other factors). Crop height drastically reduced windspeed in the corn treatment from July through winter, also affecting PPFD and soil temperature later in the year. Although many microclimate differences were relatively small, data from subsequent years as well as associated soil moisture studies and additional years will help to further elucidate these relationships.