Elevation can affect agricultural outputs,affecting farms’productivity and efficiency.This article identified the significant production inputs influencing productivity and factors influencing technical efficiency(TE...Elevation can affect agricultural outputs,affecting farms’productivity and efficiency.This article identified the significant production inputs influencing productivity and factors influencing technical efficiency(TE)and determined the average TE scores of Robusta coffee farms at varying elevations in Sultan Kudarat,Philippines.Cross-sectional data from the Mahintana Foundation,Inc.using random stratified sampling and power analysis from September 9,2021,to January 13,2022,were used to analyze 604 farms from areas ranging from 0.33 to 1284.18 above mean sea level(amsl),classified as low,medium,and high elevation.Open-Data-Kit-based(ODK)mobile data collection systems were utilized to precisely determine the farms’coordinates and elevation.Using stochastic frontier analysis,results showed that increasing the total fertilizer amount and total trees by 1%significantly increased yield by 0.20%and 0.79%,respectively.Meanwhile,increasing the total land area by 1%,including areas unutilized for coffee farming,decreases total yield by 0.11%.Regarding TE,results showed that TE decreases by approximately 0.58%at high elevations.Meanwhile,increasing net income from coffee farming alone by 1%significantly increases TE by 0.00008%.With an average TE of 0.60,0.77,and 0.63 in low,medium,and high elevations,farms may be incentivized to improve farming practices to increase their TE further.TE improvement recommendations include promoting coffee-agroforestry systems and ecolabelling at medium elevations,such as shade-grown coffee,to promote sustainable production in Robusta coffee farms by assigning a premium to consumers demanding environmental conservation.展开更多
[Objective] This study was conducted to compare leaf anatomical structure of Malus sieversii and M. robusta under different salt concentration levels to determine their tolerance to salt and thus to provide rootstock ...[Objective] This study was conducted to compare leaf anatomical structure of Malus sieversii and M. robusta under different salt concentration levels to determine their tolerance to salt and thus to provide rootstock materials for apple production in salinized soil in Southern Xinjiang. [Method] The experiment was conducted with M. sieversii and M. robusta as test materials. Salt stress was simulated using 8 g/L of NaCI solution, and Hoagland nutrient solution was used instead of NaCI solution as control group （CK）. Samples were collected on the 20^th d of treatment, sliced through paraffin processing. The prepared paraffin sections of M. sieversii and M. robusta were then observed under a light microscope for anatomical structures of leaf, upper epidermis, lower epidermis, palisade tissue and spongy tissue. [Result] Compared with the control, the leaf, upper epidermis, lower epidermis and spongy tissue of M. sieversii and M. robusta under salt stress were thickened at different degrees, while the thickness of the palisade tissue was decreased. Moreover, high salt concentration caused severer damage to the cell structure of M. sieversii than to that of M. robusta, as M. robusta cells maintained better structural integrity. [Conclusion] M. robusta has higher adaptability to salt stress than M. sieversii.展开更多
Diversity and regeneration of woody species were investigated in two ecological niches viz. gap and intact vegetation in old-growth seasonally dry Shorea robusta （Gaertn. f.） forests in Nepal. We also related variet...Diversity and regeneration of woody species were investigated in two ecological niches viz. gap and intact vegetation in old-growth seasonally dry Shorea robusta （Gaertn. f.） forests in Nepal. We also related varieties of diversity measures and regeneration at- tributes to gap characteristics. Stem density of tree and shrub components is higher in the gap than in the intact vegetation. Seedling densities of S. robusta and Terminalia alata （B. Heyne ex Roth.） are higher in the gap than in the intact vegetation, while contrary result is observed for T. bellirica （Gaertn. ex Roxb.） and Syzigium cumini （L. Skeels） in term of seedling density. The complement of Simpson index, Evenness index, and species-individual ratio in the seedling layer are lower in the gap than the intact vegetation. Gap size can explain species richness and species establishment rate. Gaps created by multiple tree falls in different years have higher seedling density of S. robusta than gaps created by single and/or multiple tree falls in the same year. In conclusion, gaps maintain species diversity by increasing seedling density, and favor regeneration of Sal forests. In addition to gap size, other gap attributes also affect species diversity and regeneration.展开更多
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) located in rhizobacteria soil are beneficial to plant growth and development. A PGPR strain AMCC100017 of Brevibacillus laterosporus synthesizes the plant hormone IAA in a tr...Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) located in rhizobacteria soil are beneficial to plant growth and development. A PGPR strain AMCC100017 of Brevibacillus laterosporus synthesizes the plant hormone IAA in a tryptophan-dependent manner. In this study, the AMCC100017 strain was used to treat Malus robusta, an excellent natural rootstock for apple production, and assess its ability to promote growth. The fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and lateral root growth of M. robusta were significantly increased with treatment. The presence of the AMCC100017 strain increased IAA content in M. robusta and promoted root secretion of tryptophan. Colonization of the strain in the roots allowed continuous synthesis of IAA and promoted plant growth. In addition, the photosynthetic efficiency in leaves increased after microbial treatment, and the utilization of nitrogen, zinc, iron, copper and magnesium in leaves was increased, which was conducive to photosynthesis.Interestingly, the activities of CAT and SOD, as well as the contents of ROS in plants colonized by AMCC100017 were increased compared to control plants, but the activities of POD and MDA contents were decreased. AMCC100017 strain affected the antioxidant capacity and stress resistance of plants. AMCC100017 strain increased the content of soluble protein and soluble sugar in plants, improved plant metabolic activity and stress resistance. Therefore, AMCC100017 not only increased IAA content and photosynthetic efficiency to promote M. robusta growth, but also affected plant through multiple metabolic pathways.展开更多
Developing appropriate control measures for the Mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla robusta Moore has become increasingly important due to the severe damaging effect of the pest on the establishment of the saplings of Swi...Developing appropriate control measures for the Mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla robusta Moore has become increasingly important due to the severe damaging effect of the pest on the establishment of the saplings of Swietenia mahagoni Jacq （Sapindales： Meliaceae）. Existing management methods are largely limited to silvicultural practices and spraying of chemical insecticides. To identify a potential fungal biocontrol agent, we compared the virulence of six native and two standard ARSEF isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae Metsch. against this pest. The average survival time and conidial yield of IWST-Ma7 was higher （6.2 to 7.3 days and 4.9 to 4.7 x 105 conidia/ml） than the standards. Sig- nificant difference in sporulation on the cadavers between isolates, doses and incubation periods were substantiated for the selection of potential strain. The mycotoxic effects of crude soluble protein extract when in- corporated in the artificial diet, the ARSEF 2596 and ARSEF 3603 showed LDs0 value of 3.7% and 5.6%. However, IWST-Ma7 was highly lethal with significant lowest LDs0 value of 2.6%. The enzyme activity of IWST-Ma7 was highest for chitinase, CDA, protease and lipase viz., 1.90 U/mg, 1.80 U/mg, 0.98 U/mg and 0.80 U/mg respectively. However the enzyme activity of chitinase and Chitin deacetylase assay for all the isolates was significantly higher than protease and lipase activity. The ITS regions （5.8S rDNA and 28S rDNA） of seven isolates of M. anisopliae were amplified using the ITS1 and ITS4 primers which was a unique fragment of approximately 550 bp. Based on ITS regions, phy- logenetic tree have been constructed and the isolates have been grouped in to 5 clades. The virulence and mycotoxic effects of different isolates could rationally be used to employ them for the management of the mahogany borer.展开更多
基金the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) for funding the Agri-Aqua Value Chain Laboratory as a program, which enabled the conduct of this study
文摘Elevation can affect agricultural outputs,affecting farms’productivity and efficiency.This article identified the significant production inputs influencing productivity and factors influencing technical efficiency(TE)and determined the average TE scores of Robusta coffee farms at varying elevations in Sultan Kudarat,Philippines.Cross-sectional data from the Mahintana Foundation,Inc.using random stratified sampling and power analysis from September 9,2021,to January 13,2022,were used to analyze 604 farms from areas ranging from 0.33 to 1284.18 above mean sea level(amsl),classified as low,medium,and high elevation.Open-Data-Kit-based(ODK)mobile data collection systems were utilized to precisely determine the farms’coordinates and elevation.Using stochastic frontier analysis,results showed that increasing the total fertilizer amount and total trees by 1%significantly increased yield by 0.20%and 0.79%,respectively.Meanwhile,increasing the total land area by 1%,including areas unutilized for coffee farming,decreases total yield by 0.11%.Regarding TE,results showed that TE decreases by approximately 0.58%at high elevations.Meanwhile,increasing net income from coffee farming alone by 1%significantly increases TE by 0.00008%.With an average TE of 0.60,0.77,and 0.63 in low,medium,and high elevations,farms may be incentivized to improve farming practices to increase their TE further.TE improvement recommendations include promoting coffee-agroforestry systems and ecolabelling at medium elevations,such as shade-grown coffee,to promote sustainable production in Robusta coffee farms by assigning a premium to consumers demanding environmental conservation.
文摘[Objective] This study was conducted to compare leaf anatomical structure of Malus sieversii and M. robusta under different salt concentration levels to determine their tolerance to salt and thus to provide rootstock materials for apple production in salinized soil in Southern Xinjiang. [Method] The experiment was conducted with M. sieversii and M. robusta as test materials. Salt stress was simulated using 8 g/L of NaCI solution, and Hoagland nutrient solution was used instead of NaCI solution as control group （CK）. Samples were collected on the 20^th d of treatment, sliced through paraffin processing. The prepared paraffin sections of M. sieversii and M. robusta were then observed under a light microscope for anatomical structures of leaf, upper epidermis, lower epidermis, palisade tissue and spongy tissue. [Result] Compared with the control, the leaf, upper epidermis, lower epidermis and spongy tissue of M. sieversii and M. robusta under salt stress were thickened at different degrees, while the thickness of the palisade tissue was decreased. Moreover, high salt concentration caused severer damage to the cell structure of M. sieversii than to that of M. robusta, as M. robusta cells maintained better structural integrity. [Conclusion] M. robusta has higher adaptability to salt stress than M. sieversii.
基金supported by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
文摘Diversity and regeneration of woody species were investigated in two ecological niches viz. gap and intact vegetation in old-growth seasonally dry Shorea robusta （Gaertn. f.） forests in Nepal. We also related varieties of diversity measures and regeneration at- tributes to gap characteristics. Stem density of tree and shrub components is higher in the gap than in the intact vegetation. Seedling densities of S. robusta and Terminalia alata （B. Heyne ex Roth.） are higher in the gap than in the intact vegetation, while contrary result is observed for T. bellirica （Gaertn. ex Roxb.） and Syzigium cumini （L. Skeels） in term of seedling density. The complement of Simpson index, Evenness index, and species-individual ratio in the seedling layer are lower in the gap than the intact vegetation. Gap size can explain species richness and species establishment rate. Gaps created by multiple tree falls in different years have higher seedling density of S. robusta than gaps created by single and/or multiple tree falls in the same year. In conclusion, gaps maintain species diversity by increasing seedling density, and favor regeneration of Sal forests. In addition to gap size, other gap attributes also affect species diversity and regeneration.
基金financially supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2018YFD1000100)Science and Technology Program of Yunnan Province (Grant No. 2019ZG002-1-03)+2 种基金Ministry of Agriculture of China (Grant No. CARS-27)Major Applied Agricultural Technology Innovation Projects of Shandong Province (Grant No.SD2019ZZ009)Melon and Vegetable Industry Technology Collaborative Innovation Center of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region(Grant No. 2017DC55)。
文摘Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) located in rhizobacteria soil are beneficial to plant growth and development. A PGPR strain AMCC100017 of Brevibacillus laterosporus synthesizes the plant hormone IAA in a tryptophan-dependent manner. In this study, the AMCC100017 strain was used to treat Malus robusta, an excellent natural rootstock for apple production, and assess its ability to promote growth. The fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and lateral root growth of M. robusta were significantly increased with treatment. The presence of the AMCC100017 strain increased IAA content in M. robusta and promoted root secretion of tryptophan. Colonization of the strain in the roots allowed continuous synthesis of IAA and promoted plant growth. In addition, the photosynthetic efficiency in leaves increased after microbial treatment, and the utilization of nitrogen, zinc, iron, copper and magnesium in leaves was increased, which was conducive to photosynthesis.Interestingly, the activities of CAT and SOD, as well as the contents of ROS in plants colonized by AMCC100017 were increased compared to control plants, but the activities of POD and MDA contents were decreased. AMCC100017 strain affected the antioxidant capacity and stress resistance of plants. AMCC100017 strain increased the content of soluble protein and soluble sugar in plants, improved plant metabolic activity and stress resistance. Therefore, AMCC100017 not only increased IAA content and photosynthetic efficiency to promote M. robusta growth, but also affected plant through multiple metabolic pathways.
文摘Developing appropriate control measures for the Mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla robusta Moore has become increasingly important due to the severe damaging effect of the pest on the establishment of the saplings of Swietenia mahagoni Jacq （Sapindales： Meliaceae）. Existing management methods are largely limited to silvicultural practices and spraying of chemical insecticides. To identify a potential fungal biocontrol agent, we compared the virulence of six native and two standard ARSEF isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae Metsch. against this pest. The average survival time and conidial yield of IWST-Ma7 was higher （6.2 to 7.3 days and 4.9 to 4.7 x 105 conidia/ml） than the standards. Sig- nificant difference in sporulation on the cadavers between isolates, doses and incubation periods were substantiated for the selection of potential strain. The mycotoxic effects of crude soluble protein extract when in- corporated in the artificial diet, the ARSEF 2596 and ARSEF 3603 showed LDs0 value of 3.7% and 5.6%. However, IWST-Ma7 was highly lethal with significant lowest LDs0 value of 2.6%. The enzyme activity of IWST-Ma7 was highest for chitinase, CDA, protease and lipase viz., 1.90 U/mg, 1.80 U/mg, 0.98 U/mg and 0.80 U/mg respectively. However the enzyme activity of chitinase and Chitin deacetylase assay for all the isolates was significantly higher than protease and lipase activity. The ITS regions （5.8S rDNA and 28S rDNA） of seven isolates of M. anisopliae were amplified using the ITS1 and ITS4 primers which was a unique fragment of approximately 550 bp. Based on ITS regions, phy- logenetic tree have been constructed and the isolates have been grouped in to 5 clades. The virulence and mycotoxic effects of different isolates could rationally be used to employ them for the management of the mahogany borer.
