Search

We propose a novel photogrammetric method for field plot inventory, designed for simplicity and time efficiency on-site. A prototype multi-camera rig was used to acquire images from field plot centers in multiple directions. The acquisition time on-site was less than two minutes. From each view, a point cloud was generated using a novel, rig-based matching of detected SIFT keypoints. Stems were detected in the merged point cloud, and their positions and diameters were estimated. The method was evaluated on 25 hemi-boreal forest plots of a 10-m radius. Due to difficult lighting conditions and faulty hardware, imagery from only six field plots was processed. The method performed best on three plots with clearly visible stems with a 76% detection rate and 0% commission. Dieameters could be estimated for 40% of the stems with an RMSE of 2.8-9.5 cm. The results are comparable to other camera-based methods evaluated in a similar manner. The results are inferior to TLS-based methods. However, our method is easily extended to multiple station image schemas, something that could significantly improve the results while retaining low commission errors and time on-site. Furthermore, with smaller hardware, we believe this could be a useful technique for measuring stem attributes in the forest.

Diameter at breast height has been estimated from mobile laser scanning using a new set of methods. A 2D laser scanner was mounted facing forward, tilted nine degrees downwards, on a car. The trajectory was recorded using inertial navigation and visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping). The laser scanner data, the trajectory and the orientation were used to calculate a 3D point cloud. Clusters representing trees were extracted line-wise to reduce the effects of uncertainty in the positioning system. The intensity of the laser echoes was used to filter out unreliable echoes only grazing a stem. The movement was used to obtain measurements from a larger part of the stem, and multiple lines from different views were used for the circle fit. Two trigonometric methods and two circle fit methods were tested. The best results with bias 2.3% (6 mm) and root mean squared error 14% (37 mm) were acquired with the circle fit on multiple 2D projected clusters. The method was evaluated compared to field data at five test areas with approximately 300 caliper-measured trees within a 10-m working range. The results show that this method is viable for stem measurements from a moving vehicle, for example a forest harvester.

RESUMOA obtenção de correlações adequadas entre características fitotécnicas, como massa de folha 'D' e diâmetro do talo com produção do abacaxizeiro podem predizer com exatidão o período adequado para indução floral e obtenção de máxima produtividade. Tais informações ainda são consideradas escassas para a cultivar 'Vitória'. Neste sentido, objetivou-se com este estudo correlacionar e relacionar características fitotécnicas e nutricionais com a produção do abacaxizeiro 'Vitória' irrigado na região Norte do Estado de Minas Gerais. Para tanto, foram coletadas, aleatoriamente, 75 plantas durante o período de indução floral de lavoura irrigada com pivô central. Após a coleta, as partes das plantas foram compartimentalizadas em folhas D, folhas totais, talo, fruto e raízes para estimativa da massa da matéria fresca e seca. Além destes, foram estimados o diâmetro do talo, comprimento da folha D, teor de macronutrientes e micronutrientes na folha D e índice de colheita. Por meio da análise de variância observou-se correlação significativa entre a maioria das características e a produção de frutos, destacando-se as maiores correlações positivas entre a massa da matéria fresca e seca da folha D (fresca r = 0,82; seca r = 0,84), diâmetro do talo (r = 0,82) e diâmetro do fruto (r = 0,93) com a massa dos frutos. Para obtenção da massa do fruto igual ou superior a 1,2 kg planta-1 sugeriu-se a indução floral de plantas de abacaxizeiro 'Vitória' com massa mínima de 70 g de matéria fresca de folha D ou de plantas com diâmetro do talo mínimo de 8,5 cm. ABSTRACTObtaining an adequate correlation between such phytotechnical characteristics as the weight of the D leaf or the stem diameter and production in the pineapple can accurately predict the appropriate period for flower induction, and result in maximum productivity. Such information is still considered as scarce for the Victória cultivar. The aim of this study therefore was to correlate and relate phytotechnical and nutritional characteristics to production, in irrigated Victória pineapple in the north of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. To do this, 75 plants were randomly collected during the period of flower induction from a crop under central-pivot irrigation. After collection, the plants were separated into their various parts: D leaves, total leaves, stem, fruit and roots, in order to estimate the weight of fresh and dry matter. In addition, the stem diameter, the length of the D leaf, the macro and micronutrient content of the D leaf, and the harvest index were all estimated. Using variance analysis, a significant correlation was seen between the majority of characteristics with fruit production, especially the high positive correlation between the fresh and dry weight of the D leaf (fresh r = 0.82, dry r = 0.84), diameter of the stem (r = 0.82) and diameter of the fruit (r = 0.93) to fruit weight. In order to obtain a fruit weight greater than or equal to 1.2 kg plant-1, flower induction in the 'Vitória' pineapple was suggested for those plants having a minimum weight for D leaf fresh matter of 70 g, or with a minimum stem diameter of 8.5 cm.

A recent increase in published studies of lianas has been paralleled by a proliferation of protocols for censusing lianas. This article seeks to increase uniformity in liana inventories by providing specific recommendations for the determination of which taxa to include, the location of diameter measurement points on individual stems, the setting of minimum stem diameter cutoffs, the treatment of multiple-stemmed and rooted clonal groups, and the measurement of noncylindrical stems. Use of more uniform liana censusing protocols may facilitate comparison of independently collected data sets and further our understanding of global patterns in liana abundance, diversity, biomass, and dynamics.

Foram avaliados o crescimento e o desenvolvimento da cultivar de algodoeiro IAC 23 em espaçamentos ultra-adensado, adensado e convencional entre fileiras e com número variado de plantas por metro linear. O experimento foi implantado na área experimental da Universidade de São Paulo/Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba (SP), no ano agrícola 2001/2002. O delineamento experimental compreendeu um esquema fatorial, em blocos ao acaso, com 4 repetições, sendo três espaçamentos entre linhas (0,38; 0,76 e 0,95 m) e quatro densidades de plantas por metro linear (5, 8, 11 e 14). Os parâmetros avaliados foram: índice de área foliar (IAF) e massa seca da parte aérea em todos os estádios da cultura (aparecimento do primeiro botão floral; abertura da primeira flor; maturação fisiológica; primeiro capulho; completa maturação); altura média de plantas, altura de inserção do 1.º ramo frutífero, diâmetro do caule, número de ramos vegetativos e frutíferos e número de internódios, verificados por ocasião da colheita. Nas condições estudadas, a cultivar completou seu ciclo em 161 dias. Constatou-se interação significativa entre espaçamento e densidade para altura média das plantas, número de ramos frutíferos e de internódios e que diferentes configurações de semeadura alteram o crescimento e o desenvolvimento do algodoeiro.The growth and development of cotton IAC 23 under ultra-narrow, narrow and conventional rows and different numbers of plants for linear meter have been evaluated. The experiment was lead in the experimental area of the University of São Paulo/ESALQ, Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brasil, in 2001/2002. The experimental design was a randomized complete block, in factorial scheme, with 4 replications, being three rows (0.38; 0.76 and 0.95 m) and four densities of plants for linear meter (5, 8, 11 and 14). They were analyzed: leaf area index (LAI) and plant shoot dry mass in all phenological phases (emergence of first flower buds, opening of first flower; physiological maturation; first open boll; complete maturation); average plant height, insertion of the first fruit branch, stem diameter, number of vegetative and fruit branches and number of internodes, were estimated by harvest occasion. Under the studied conditions, the cultivar completed its cycle in 161 days. Interaction between rows and densities of plants occurred to average plant height; number of fruit branches and internodes. Different configurations of rows modified the growth and the development of the cotton plants.

Estudou-se o efeito da inoculação com o fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA), Glomus macrocarpum, da fumigação do substrato e da adição de fósforo solúvel (60, 120, 240 e 480 mg kg-1 de P no solo) sobre as variáveis altura, número de folhas e diâmetro do caule de plantas de mamoeiro cv. Sunrise Solo.O FMA edoses crescentes de fósforo, isoladamente, exerceram efeitos significativos sobre essas variáveis. Não houve efeito significativo do fator fumigação do substrato. O efeito da inoculação foi mais acentuado no tratamento com adição de 60 mg kg-1 de P no solo. A inoculação com G. macrocarpum reduziu a necessidade de fósforo para o mamoeiro, tanto que as variáveis estudadas em plantas inoculadas na ausência de adubação fosfática não diferiram de plantas não inoculadas em substrato adicionado de mais de 240 mg kg-1 de P no solo.The effects of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), substratum fumigation, and addition of soluble phosphate on papaya plant cultivar "Sunrise Solo" parameters (height, leaf number, and stem diameter) were studied. Separate treatments with AMF inoculation (Glomus macrocarpum) and increasing phosphorus levels (60, 120, 240, and 480 mg kg-1 of P in soil) influenced these parameters significantly, while the factor substratum fumigation had no significant effect. The inoculation effect was most expressive when 60 mg kg-1 of P in soil was added. Such was the reduction in phosphorus requirement of papaya by Glomus macrocarpum inoculation, that the studied parameters between inoculated plants without phosphate addition and not-inoculated ones in substratum enriched with over 240 mg kg-1 of P in soil did not differ.

As palmeiras apresentam grande demanda por nutrientes. Por este motivo, o efeito da adubação NPK no crescimento de pupunheiras (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) foi estudado durante 30 meses (11/90 a 04/93) em experimento conduzido a campo em solo Aluvial álico (corrigido por meio de calagem) em Ubatuba, SP (clima "Cfa"). Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com uma repetição, em esquema fatorial fracionado (½ de 4³), com tratamentos dispostos em dois blocos, parcelas úteis de 24 plantas e bordaduras duplas ao redor. Foram testadas quatro doses de nitrogênio (0, 100, 200 e 400 kg ha-1 ano-1 de N), fósforo (0, 50, 100 e 200 kg ha-1 ano-1 de P2O5) e potássio (0, 50, 100 e 200 kg ha-1 ano-1 de K2O), aplicadas em faixa e divididas em cinco aplicações anuais, utilizando como fontes nitrocálcio, superfosfato triplo e cloreto de potássio. As plantas foram cultivadas no espaçamento de 2 × 1 m, e avaliadas periodicamente quanto ao diâmetro da haste principal, número de perfilhos e porcentagem de plantas perfilhadas. Em solo arenoso e de baixa fertilidade, a pupunheira apresenta resposta linear, positiva e significativa de crescimento às adubações com nitrogênio (N) e potássio (K) e ausência de resposta ao fósforo (P). As primeiras respostas significativas ocorreram três meses depois de iniciadas as adubações diferenciadas. Não houve interações significativas entre N, P e K. O crescimento máximo foi obtido com doses anuais de 400 kg de N, 0 kg de P2O5 e 200 kg de K2O por hectare.Palms have high nutrient demand. For this reason, the effects of NPK fertilization on the initial growth of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth) were studied in a field experiment, from November 1990 to April 1993. The trial was set up on an allic, previously limed soil, in Ubatuba, SP, Brazil (23º27'S, 45º04'W, 6 m asl; "Cfa" climate). A fractional factorial experimental design (½ of 4³) was utilized, with two blocks, one replication, 24 inner plants per plot and double border rows. Treatments were composed of four rates of nitrogen (0 to 400 kg N ha-1 year-1), phosphorus (0 to 200 kg P2O5 ha-1 year-1) and potassium (0 to 200 kg K2O ha-1 year-1), applied in stripes and divided in five annual applications. The fertilizers used were: calcium nitrate, triple super phosphate and potassium chloride. Plants were cultivated in a 2 × 1 m array, and periodically evaluated in relation to diameter of main stem, number of offshoots and percentage of plants with offshoots. In this sandy and low fertility soil, peach palm growth responses in relation to N and K amendments were linear and positive. Initial responses were observed three months after fertilizer application. No isolated effects of P fertilization, nor significant interactions among fertilizers were observed. Maximum growth responses were reached with 400 kg N ha-1 year-1, 0 kg P2O5 ha-1 year-1 and 200 kg K2O ha-1 year-1.

Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality; 87; 168-174, A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effect of fertilisers on the growth and physiological response of Solanum nigrum. The experiment was laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design with five treatments: Control (T1); 100 kg N/ha (T2); 8.13 t manure/ ha (T3); 100 kg N/ha + 8.13 t manure/ ha (T4) and 50 kg N/ha + 4.07 t manure/ ha (T5). Plant height, total number of leaves, chlorophyll, moisture, root: shoot ratio, leaf area and stem diameter were measured using standard growth indicator methods. Fertilisers improved the yield, quality and growth of Solanum nigrum. Application of 100 kg N/ha produced the best total number of leaves; root: shoot ratio and stem diameter values; 100 kg N/ha + 8.13 t manure/ha produced the best chlorophyll values and 50 kg N/ha + 4.07 t manure/ha increased moisture, leaf area and plant height. The control showed signs of nutrient stress and inorganic fertiliser applied independently did not significantly affect the growth parameters. Although parameters responded differently to each fertiliser treatment, applying a combination of organic and inorganic fertiliser may be a good option to poor resource farmers who may not be able to afford inorganic fertilisers.

Resumen Se hizo una caracterización morfológica de 12 genotipos de chile dulce con frutos de forma cónica cultivados en invernadero, tanto a nivel cualitativo (cinco variables) como cuantitativo (ocho variables). Se presentaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre genotipos en el caso de las variables cuantitativas. Los datos muestran una amplia variabilidad en cuanto a la altura de la planta (1,26-1,71 m), área foliar (100,49-158,91 cm2), diámetro del tallo (12,5115,83 mm), longitud del tallo (25,75-36,88 cm), ancho del fruto (4,97-6,19 cm), longitud del fruto (11,24-19,43 cm), relación largo/ancho del fruto (1,82-3,49) y espesor de la pared del fruto (4,06-5,44 mm). Esta información es útil para los productores en el proceso de selección del genotipo que utilizarán en su sistema productivo, según el nicho de mercado de interés. Abstract A morphological characterization of 12 sweet pepper genotypes of conical fruit shape grown under greenhouse conditions was conducted, considering both qualitative (five) and quantitative (eight) variables. There were statistically significant differences between genotypes for quantitative variables. Data show a wide variability with respect to plant height (1,26 - 1,71 m), foliar area (100,49 - 158,91 cm2), stem diameter (12,51 - 15,83 mm), stem length (25,75 - 36,88 cm), fruit width (4,97 - 6,19 cm), fruit length (11,24 - 19,43 cm), fruit length/width ratio (1,82 - 3,49), and fruit wall thickness (4,06 - 5,44 mm). This information is useful for growers to choose the best variety for their particular market purposes.

UMR1334 AGAP : Equipe AFEF ‘Architecture et Fonctionnement des Espèces fruitières’ ; Team AFFS ‘Architecture and Functioning of Fruit Species’; Premise of the study: Accurate and reliable predictive models are necessary to estimate nondestructively key variables for plant growth studies such as leaf area and leaf, stem, and total biomass. Predictive models are lacking at the current-year branch scale despite the importance of this scale in plant science. [br/]Methods: We calibrated allometric models to estimate leaf area and stem and branch (leaves + stem) mass of current-year branches, i.e., branches several months old studied at the end of the vegetative growth season, of four mango cultivars on the basis of their basal cross-sectional area. The effects of year, site, and cultivar were tested. Models were validated with independent data and prediction accuracy was evaluated with the appropriate statistics. [br/]Key results: Models revealed a positive allometry between dependent and independent variables, whose y -intercept but not the slope, was affected by the cultivar. The effects of year and site were negligible. For each branch characteristic, cultivar-specifi c models were more accurate than common models built with pooled data from the four cultivars. Prediction quality was satisfactory but with data dispersion around the models, particularly for large values. [br/]Conclusions: Leaf area and stem and branch mass of mango current-year branches could be satisfactorily estimated on the basis of branch basal cross-sectional area with cultivar-specifi c allometric models. The results suggested that, in addition to the heteroscedastic behavior of the variables studied, model accuracy was probably related to the functional plasticity of branches in relation to the light environment and/or to the number of growth units composing the branches.

The identification of a reliable and practical water stress indicator and the corresponding threshold value, for irrigation scheduling, is a classical concern in water management in agriculture. This is not well solved for woody crops, especially those not traditionally irrigated, usually with large roots systems. Aiming to contribute to these studies, we measured water fluxes and some water stress indicators in an olive grove in south Portugal, during successive stress cycles. We report the first preliminary results during a stress cycle in August-September 2011, using sap flow, leaf water potential at predawn, stem diameter variations and soil water content, from which some indicators were derived. From the preliminary information obtained we could not identify a threshold value but very good relationships were found, between the selected automated and not automated variables, useful for farmers and engineering applications. These first encouraging results need confirmation and further analysis

A comprehensive laboratory study on the hydraulic resistance characteristics due to a group of slender cylindrical members representing flexible plantation has been carried out in a laboratory open channel. The model stem group comprised of individual members arranged in a tandem configuration. The tests with model vegetation were carried out by adopting different sizes for the individual stems and concentrations which were chosen in such a way that they would fall into practical ranges of vegetations in coastal forestry. The results indicate that the flow resistance varies with stem concentration, stem diameter and elastic properties of the individual members and the flow velocity. Based on the flume data, the Manning's n, for various flow conditions as well as for vegetative parameters was determined. A new empirical equation is proposed for evaluating the Manning's n friction coefficient for partially submerged flow when, the depth of flow is greater than 0.8 times the un-deflected plant height. It is expected that the Manning's n thus determined will be useful in modelling shallow flows using shallow water equations. � 2011 International Association for Hydro-environment Engineering and Research, Asia Pacific Division.

Zbog sve veće i značajnije pojave štetnika kukuruzu, sjeme hibrida potrebno je zaštititi od napada štetnika, te se sjeme kukuruza tretira odgovarajućim insekticidima. Izborom boljih tehnoloških rješenja i izborom odgovarajućeg insekticida za tretiranje sjemena kukuruza, značajno se može smanjiti napad štetnika i na taj način unaprijediti proizvodnja kukuruza. Cilj istraživanja je da se na osnovi rezultata dobiju spoznaje o utjecaju tretmana na kvalitetu sjemena hibrida kukuruza te dobiju pretpostavke za poboljšanje uvjeta skladištenja i očuvanja kvalitete sjemena. U poljskim uvjetima istražiti i provjeriti nema li tretirano sjeme insekticidima negativan fitotoksičan utjecaj na rast i razvoj biljaka. Dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na vrlo značajan utjecaj tretmana sjemena insekticidima na energiju klijanja te ne standardnu klijavost. Također utvrđen je vrlo značajan utjecaj načina skladištenja tretiranog sjemena na kvalitetu sjemena. Promatrajući utjecaj tretiranih hibrida na energiju klijanja i standardnu klijavost utvrđen je vrlo značajan utjecaj hibrida. Najveća kvaliteta sjemena tijekom istraživanja bila je kod sjemena hibrida „H2“ a zatim kod sjemena hibrida „H1“, dok je kod hibrida „H3“ i „H4“ kvaliteta sjemena bila manja. Iz istraživanja je vidljivo da su hibridi „H2“ i „H1“ pogodniji za tretiranje sjemena sa insekticidima od hibrida „H3“ i hibrida „H4“. U terenskim promatranjima i istraživanjima dobiveni rezultati ukazuju na vrlo značajan utjecaj tretiranog sjemena na visinu nadzemnog dijela, masu nadzemnog dijela biljke, debljinu stabljike te vrlo značajan utjecaj na sklop biljaka. Pozitivan utjecaj tretmana sa insekticidima „T1“ i „T3“ vidljiv je kod svih provedenih terenskih istraživanja. Biljke tretirane uz uobičajeni fungicid i insekticidima „T1“ i „T3“ imale su veću visinu nadzemnog dijela biljke, veću masu nadzemnog dijela stabljike, veću debljinu stabljike te bolji sklop biljaka od tretmana kontrole „K“ na svim lokalitetima istraživanja.

Changes in stem diameter of orchid plants were investigated in a control growing climate. Previous studies have focused on stem diameter in relation to plant water on terrestrial plants in order to schedule the irrigation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the ability of the strain gauges to capture changes in the epiphytes plant stem. Experiments were carried out by using the sympodial orchid, Dendrobium Sonia in a stressed condition. From the findings, the sensor can detect changes in the plant stem and the result can easily be used as a reference for further studies for the development of a proper watering system., {"references":["Jordi Doltra, José Antonio Oncins, Joan Bonany and Moshe Cohen,\n\"Evaluation of plant-based water status indicators in mature apple trees\nunder field conditions,\" Irrigation Science, vol.5, no.4, pp.351-359,\n2006.","F. Moreno, W. Conejero, M.J. Martin-Palomo, I.F. Giron, A.Torrecillas,\n\" Maximum daily trunk shrinkage refernces values for irrigation\nscheduling in olive trees\", Agricultural Water Management 84, pp. 290-\n294, 2006.","D.S. Intrigliolo, J.R. Castel, \" Crop load effects maximum daily trunk\nshrinkage of plum trees\", Tree Physiology 27, pp. 89-96, 2007.","W. Conejero, J.J. Alarcon, Y. Garcia-Orellana, J.M. Abrisqueta,\nA.Torrecillas, \" Evaluation sap flow and trunk diameter sensors for\nirrigation scheduling in early maturing peach trees\", Tree Physiology\n27, pp. 1753-1759, 2007.","J.E. Fernandez, M.V. Cuevas, \"Irrigation scheduling from stem\ndiameters variations : A review\", Agricultural and Forest Meteorology\n150, pp. 135-151, 2010.","R.B. Thompson, M. Gallardo, L.C. Valdez, M.D. Fernandez, \" Using\nplant water status to define threshold values for iriigation management of\nvegetable crops using soil moisture sensors-, Agriculturel Water\nManagement 88, pp. 147-158, 2007.","Tom De Swaef, Kathy Steppe, Raoul Lemeur, \" Determining reference\nvalue for stem water potential and maximum daily trunk shrinkage in\nyoung apple tree based on plant response to water deficit\", Agricultural\nWater Management 96, pp. 541-550, 2009.","Klepper B, Browning VD, Taylor HM, \"Stem diameter in relation to\nplant water status,\" Plant Physiol vol.48, pp. 683-685, 1999.","S.O. Link, M.E. Thiede and M.G. van Bavel, \"An improved strain-gauge\ndevice for continuous field measurement of stem and fruit diameter\"\nJournal of Experimental Botany, vol. 49, no. 326, pp. 1583-1587,\nSeptember 1998.\n[10] E. Fereres, D.A. Goldhamer, \"Suitability of stem diameter variationsand\nwater potential as indicators for iirigation scheduling of almond trees\",\nJournal of Horticultural and Biotechnology78 (2), pp. 139-144, 2003."]}

9 pages, 7 figures., Sap flux (Q) and trunk diameter variation (TDV) are among the most useful plant-based measurements to detect water stress and to evaluate plant water consumption. The usefulness of both methods decreases, however, when applied to species that, like olive, have an outstanding tolerance to drought and a remarkable capacity to take up water from drying soils. Evidence shows that this problem is greater in old, big trees with heavy fruit load. Our hypothesis is that the analysis of simultaneous measurements of Q and TDV made in the same trees is more useful for assessing irrigation needs in old olive orchards than the use of any of these two methods alone. To test our hypothesis, we analysed relations between Q, TDV, midday stem water potential ( stem), relative extractable water and atmospheric demand in an olive orchard of 38-year-old ‘Manzanilla’ trees with heavy fruit load. Measurements were made during one irrigation season (May–October), in fully irrigated trees (FI, 107% of the crop evapotranspiration, ETc, supplied by irrigation), and in trees under two levels of deficit irrigation (DI60, 61% ETc; DI30, 29% ETc). Time courses of Q and TDV measured on days of contrasting weather and soil water conditions were analysed to evaluate the usefulness of both methods to assess the crop water status. We calculated the daily tree water consumption (Ep) from Q measurements. For both DI treatments we calculated a signal intensity by dividing daily Ep values of each DI tree by those of the FI tree (SI−Ep ).Wedid the same with the maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) values (SI−MDS). Neither SI−Ep nor SI−MDS rendered useful information for assessing the crop water needs. On the contrary, the daily difference for maximum trunk diameter (MXTD) between each of the DI trees and the FI tree (DMXTD) clearly indicated the onset and severity of water stress. A similar analysis with the Ep values, from which DEp values were derived, showed the effect of water stress on the water consumption of the trees. We concluded that the simultaneous use of DMXTD and DEp values provides more detailed information to assess water needs in mature olive orchards than the use of Q or TDV records alone., This work was funded by the IFAPA, Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía, research project ref. C03-056, and by the CICYT/FEDER, research projects AGL2004- 0794-CO3-02/AGR and AGL2007-66279-CO3-02.

Entre os estresses bióticos, os insetos-praga são considerados uma grande ameaça ao aumento da produção orizícola mundial e entre os grupos mais destrutivos encontra-se as brocas-do-colmo. Devido ao comportamento da lagarta D.saccharalis em alojar-se no interior do colmo de plantas de arroz e pela dificuldade de ser controlada por meio de produtos químicos, a utilização de cultivares resistentes a esta praga constitui-se em um método de controle viável isto porque não onera os custos de produção e é seguro ao ambiente. Este trabalho teve como principais objetivos observar a resposta de 34 acessos de arroz ao ataque da broca-do-colmo D. saccharalis, avaliando e descrevendo características morfológicas das plantas associadas à resistência de arroz a esta broca-docolmo e analisar, através de marcadores microssatélites, a diversidade genética destes acessos. O experimento foi conduzido em casa telada da Embrapa Arroz e Feijão utilizando delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Durante a avaliação das plantas foram determinados alguns caracteres quantitativos e qualitativos dos acessos de arroz relacionados ao ataque de lagartas de D. saccharalis. Os caracteres quantitativos foram o número de lagartas vivas/colmo, o peso de lagartas sobreviventes, o diâmetro interno do colmo, o número de colmos atacados e a percentagem de colmos atacados. Já os caracteres qualitativos foram o tipo de lígula e pubescência do limbo foliar. Os acessos mais favoráveis a sobrevivência de lagartas foram IAC 47 e Ti Ho Hung que apresentaram em média 10,37 e 10,25 lagartas. As lagartas com maior peso (0,0986 g e 0,0862 g) foram encontradas em duas VT Canela de ferro (CA 780099 e CA 790164). O maior valor de diâmetro interno do colmo foi encontrado em duas VT Canela de ferro (CA 790164 e CA 980007) que apresentaram 3,18 mm. Os acessos introduzidos Ti Ho Hung e Chiang an Tso Pai Ku apresentaram em média os colmos mais danificados (7,04 colmos para as duas cultivares). A percentagem de ataque entre as LCI variou entre 49% a 93% nos acessos C 409 e Ti Ho Hung. Entre os acessos que compõe o estrato das LCB a percentagem de ataque variou de 45% a 88% em Bonança e IAC 47. Já entre as VT Canela de ferro , os acessos que apresentaram os valores de menor e maior número de colmos danificados foram CA 790167 e 810055 (95 e 57%, respectivamente). O número de lagartas sobreviventes apresentou correlação positiva e significativa com o peso médio de lagartas e número de colmos atacados. O diâmetro interno do colmo apresentou uma correlação positiva e significativa com o peso médio de lagartas. Neste sentido, as lagartas mais pesadas foram encontradas nos acessos com o maior diâmetro de colmo, mostrando o efeito positivo desta característica. Os caracteres qualitativos que predominaram entre os acessos de arroz foi pubescência do limbo foliar do tipo glabra e o formato da lígula do tipo fendida. Para análise molecular dos acessos de arroz foram utilizados 24 marcadores microssatélites. O PIC identificado por este conjunto de marcadores variou de 0,10 (RM 171) a 0,87 (OG 106), com média de 0,63. O número de alelos detectados ficou compreendido entre quatro (RM 171) e 28 (RM 14), totalizando 243 alelos e média de 10,12 alelos/loco e entre os alelos identificados 92 foram privados. O marcador que detectou o maior número de alelos privados foi o RM 14 com treze alelos e os acessos com os maiores números de alelos privados foram IR 42 e TKM 6. O valor combinado de P.I. foi de 1,005x10-18 e através da análise fatorial de correspondência (AFC) observou a distribuição espacial da variabilidade genética do conjunto de acessos analisados e verificou-se que as LCI TKM 6 e IR 42 distinguiram-se dos demais acessos. As demais cultivares e linhagens introduzidas formaram um grupo com maior similaridade genética entre si, da mesma maneira, as variedades tradicionais e as cultivares brasileiras encontraram-se mais próximas. O dendrograma obtido produziu um coeficiente cofenético r=0.82 e a distância genética média de Rogers-W foi de 0.62 e este valor foi utilizado como ponto de corte para a identificação de grupos mais similares. Observou-se a formação de cinco grupos distintos. Porém, apesar da presença destes cinco grupos, quatro acessos permaneceram não-agrupados ou isolados, que foram Primavera, Canela de Ferro - CA 220268, Su Yai 20 e TKM 6. Com exceção do acesso Ti Ho Hung, as demais LCI apresentaram características morfológicas (folhas pilosas e diâmetro interno do colmo menor que 2,5mm) semelhantes e se mantiveram agrupadas nas análises moleculares. De forma geral, as VT Canela de Ferro apresentaram-se semelhantes quanto à resposta ao ataque de D. saccharalis. As plantas destes acessos possuem folhas lisas e colmos com diâmetro interno maior que 2,5 mm. Somente um acesso (CA 220268) apresentou diâmetro interno do colmo menor que 2,5 mm e não se associou ao grupo das Canelas de Ferro nas análises moleculares. As LCB mostraram-se menos atacadas que as VT Canelas de Ferro . Porém, as características morfológicas das plantas de alguns acessos das LCB foram semelhantes as das VT Canela de Ferro , como nos acessos IAC 47, Caiapó e Confiança que apresentaram diâmetro interno do colmo maior que 2,5 mm e folhas com pubescência do limbo foliar do tipo glabra. Os resultados obtidos nesse trabalho indicam que as características morfológicas e análises moleculares foram capazes de separar os acessos de arroz em diferentes grupos. Com relação às características morfológicas, foi possível separar os acessos em grupos que responderam de forma diferente ao ataque da broca-do-colmo D. saccharalis. A análise molecular dos acessos permitiu avaliar com alto grau de detalhamento o nível da variabilidade genética existente entre os acessos, além de permitir a determinação da relação genética entre eles. A verificação da presença de variabilidade genética expressiva entre os 34 acessos fornece indícios de que estes podem ser utilizados pelos programas de melhoramento do arroz no Brasil como uma alternativa para aumentar a base genética dos acessos de arroz brasileiros, permitindo o surgimento de novas combinações alélicas e adaptações a ambientes específicos, o que pode proporcionar, por exemplo, uma redução da vulnerabilidade a insetos-praga. Among the biotic stresses, insect pests are considered a major threat to to increasing world rice production and the stem borers are one of the most destructive pests. Due to the behavior of the caterpillar in D. saccharalis in staying inside the stems of rice plants and the difficulty to be controlled by chemicals, the use of cultivars resistant to this pest is in a viable method of controlling this not imposed because of production costs and is environmentally safe. This study had as main objective to observe the response of 34 accessions of rice to the attack of stem borer D. saccharalis, assessing and describing the morphological characteristics of plants associated with resistance to this rice-stem borer and analyze, using microsatellite markers, the genetic diversity of these accessions. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse condition at Embrapa Rice and Beans Research Center using randomized complete block design with four replications. During the assessment of some plants were determined quantitative and qualitative characters of rice accessions related to the attack of larvae of D. saccharalis. The quantitative characters were the number of living larvae/stem, weight of surviving worms, the inner diameter of the stem, stem attacked number and percentage of stems attacked. The qualitative characters were the kind of ligule and pubescence of the leaf. Accesses more favorable survival of larvae IAC 47 and Ti Ho Hung showed that on average 10.37 and 10.25 larvae. Larvae with greater weight (0,0986 g e 0,0862 g) were found in two VT "Canela de Ferro" (CA 780099 and CA 790164). The highest inner diameter of the stem was found in two VT "Canela de Ferro" (CA 790164 and CA 980007) that showed 3.18 mm. The accessions introduced Ti Ho Hung and Chiang an Tsao Pai Ku showed an average in the most damaged stalks (7,04 stems for both cultivars). The percentage of attack between the LCI ranged from 49% to 93% in accesses C 409 and Ti Ho Hung. Among the hits that make up the stratum of the LCB the percentage of attack ranged from 45% to 88% at Bonança and IAC 47. Among the VT "Canela de Ferro", the hits that showed the values smaller and larger numbers of stems were damaged CA 790167 and CA 810055 (95 and 57% respectively). The number of surviving worms showed significant positive correlation with the average weight of larvae and number of stems attacked. The inner diameter of the stem showed a significant positive correlation with the average weight of larvae. In this sense, the larvae were found in the heaviest hits with the largest stem diameter, showing the positive effect of this feature. The qualitative characters that predominated among accessions of rice was pubescence of the leaf type flat and shape of ligule type split. For molecular analysis of rice accessions were used 24 microsatellite markers. The PIC identified by this set of markers ranged from 0.10 (RM 171) to 0.87 (OG 106), averaging 0.63. The number of alleles was between four (RM 171) and 28 (RM 14), totaling 243 alleles with an average of 10.12 alleles/locus and between alleles 92 were private. The marker that detected the highest number of private alleles was RM 14 with thirteen alleles and the accessions with the highest numbers of private alleles were IR 42 and TKM 6. The combined value of PI was 1.005 x10-18 and by correspondence factor analysis (CFA) showed the spatial distribution of genetic variation within the set of accessions analyzed and verified that the LCI IR 42 and TKM 6 were distinguished from other accesses. The other cultivars and lines introduced formed a group with high genetic similarity between them, the same way, the traditional varieties and cultivars in Brazil found themselves closer. The dendrogram produced a cophenetic coefficient r = 0.82 and the average genetic distance of Rogers-W was 0.62 and this value was used as the cutoff point for identifying groups most similar. We observed the formation of five distinct groups. However, despite the presence of these five groups, four accessions remained non-grouped or isolated, which were Primavera, "Canela de Ferro - CA 220268, Su Yai 20 and TKM 6. With the exception of access Ti Ho Hung, the other LCI morphological traits (hairy leaves and stem inner diameter smaller than 2.5 mm) remained similar and grouped into the molecular analysis. Overall, the VT "Canela de Ferro" were similar for response to attack D. saccharalis. Plants of these accessions have smooth leaves and stems with an internal diameter larger than 2.5 mm. Only one access (CA 220268) had an inner diameter of the stem smaller than 2.5 mm and not associated with the group of "Canela de Ferro" in the molecular analysis. The LCB were less attacked the VT "Canela de Ferro". However, the morphological characteristics of plants of some accessions of LCB were similar to those of VT "Canela de Ferro", as in access IAC 47, Caiapó and Confiança showed that inner diameter greater than 2.5 mm stem and leaves with pubescence of the leaf type flat. The present results indicate that the morphological and molecular analysis were able to separate the accessions of rice in different groups. With respect to morphological characteristics, we separated the accessions into groups that responded differently to the attack of stem borer D. saccharalis. Molecular analysis of the access allowed to evaluate high degree of detail the level of genetic variability among accessions, and allows the determination of the genetic relationship between them. The verification of the presence of significant genetic variability among 34 accessions provides evidence that these can be used by the rice breeding programs in Brazil as a way to increase the genetic base of Brazilian accessions of rice, allowing the emergence of new allele combinations and adaptations to specific environments, which can provide, for example, a reduction of vulnerability to insect pests.

塊根の肥大特性の異なる甘藷品種シロユタカとミナミユタカを材料として, 生育の進行に伴う茎葉の発達形態と塊根肥大との関係を明らかにし, さらに品種による特徴の差異を比較した. シロユタカは生育初期に茎葉の発達が著しく促進されたが, これは移植後30日から60日にかけて株元に形成された1次分枝および2次分枝の生長が著しいことによるものであった. これに対してミナミユタカは2次分枝の形成がごく少なく, 茎葉の初期生育はシロユタカに劣っていた. その後, 1次分枝の枯死による乾物重の減少はあるものの, 生育後期までシロユタカの茎葉はミナミユタカより優勢であった. このことに対応して, 塊根の肥大もまた生育初期からシロユタカが優り, その差は生育が進むにつれて拡大する傾向となった. 一方, 株元近傍における分枝の発達と主茎基部直径の増大との間には密接な関係が認められ, 1次分枝および2次分枝を多数形成するシロユタカの方が直径の増大はより著しかった. また, このような直径の増大は2次維管束幅の増大によるものであった. 以上のことから, シロユタカではより早い時期に株元近傍に分枝が多数形成することによって生育初期の茎葉の発達が優勢となり, このことが塊根の肥大にとって有利に働いたのではないかと推察された. また, これと関連して主茎基部直径の増大が物質転流の上から意義があるのではないか考えられた., This study was conducted to present a quantitative analysis of the branching pattern of the sweet potato over growth time and its varietal differences of the two cultivars, Shiroyutaka and Minamiyutaka. 1. Primary and secondary branches in Shiroyutaka were developed significantly during 30 to 60 days after planting. Most of such branches were formed at the base of the plant, and they tended to have grown more rapidly than in the branches formed on the other part of the plant axes. In Minamiyutaka, on the other hand, branching ability was relatively low, especially very few branches were formed at the base of the plant. Based on the difference in such a branching habit of the two cultivars, the dry matter of the vegetative top in Shiroyutaka showed heavier than that of Minamiyutaka through all the growth period. 2. The diameter at the base of the main stem was observed to increase in close relation to the development of the branches formed at the base of the plant. Shiroyutaka, compared with Minamiyutaka, increased its diameter significantly during the growth periods of both primary and secondary branches. This increase was owed mainly to the increase in the secondary vascular tissues. 3. The tuberous root yields in Shiroyutaka were higher than in Minamiyutaka through each time of the growth stage. Based on these results, it is suggested that early development of the branches formed at the base of the plant promoted the growth rate of the vegetative top and the yield of tuberous roots. Additionally, the increase in diameter at the base of the main stem might have some advantage in relation to the translocation of the substance.

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:24:38Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:35:44Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-77950852656.pdf: 520022 bytes, checksum: 9888aa89d8ed86e5a6af4c8cd21eebab (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:24:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-03-01 The present work had as objective the study of clones of Eucalyptus grandis and E. grandis × E. urophylla under boron suppression on growth in height and diameter, development of symptoms of deficiency, boron content in leaf and polyols production. Plants were cultivated in pots with quartz in a greenhouse using two levels of boron per solution (0 and 0.5 mg L-1 of B). The 32 treatments followed a factorial scheme: 16 × 2 -16 clones and two doses of boron in a randomized block experimental design, with fve repetitions, totaling 160 plots. Plants were evaluated weekly for deficiency symptoms and monthly for height, stem diameter and leaf content of boron in different plant parts. The content of polyols was measured in two occasions: at 162 days and 192 days after starting the experiment. Decrease of growth and quick development of deficiency symptoms 40 days after boron suppression were observed, as well as a decrease of polyols synthesis. Foliar analysis, with boron supplement, resulted in the presence of mannitol and sorbitol in high enough concentration so that the evaluated plants could be considered rich in those polyols. Under boron suppression, boron levels in different portions of branches and stems of plants, as well as the presence of mannitol and sorbitol, indicated a conditional mobility of boron in Eucalyptus. Doutora da Faculdade de Ciěncias Agrárias Universidade de Marília, Rua Hygino Muzzi Filho, n.1001, Marília, SP - 17525-902 Livre Docente do Departamento de Genética Instituto de Biociěncias Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Jr., s/n, Botucatu, SP - 18618-000 Gerente Geral de Biotecnologia da Fibria Celulose S.A., Rod. General Euryale de Jesus Zerbini - Km 84, Jacareí, SP - 12340-010 Livre Docente do Departamento de Genética Instituto de Biociěncias Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Jr., s/n, Botucatu, SP - 18618-000

O estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o desenvolvimento e a produtividade da cultura da mamoneira cultivar Guarani, influenciada por diferentes populações de plantas, em sequeiro. O experimento foi realizado em Bom Jesus (GO). Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Foram realizados cinco tratamentos: Tratamento nº 1- 1 x 1 m com 10.000 plantas ha-¹; Tratamento n.º 2- 0,90 x 0,70 m com 15.873 plantas ha-¹; Tratamento nº 3- 1 x 0,50 m com 20.000 plantas ha-¹; Tratamento nº 4- 0,90 x 0,50 m com 22.222 plantas ha-¹; Tratamento nº 5- 1,50 x 0,50 m com 13.333 plantas ha-¹. Foram colhidos dados de altura de plantas, altura de inserção do 1º racemo, número de racemos por planta, comprimento de racemos, diâmetro caulinar e produtividade. A altura do primeiro racemo, o número de racemos por planta e o diâmetro do caule foram influenciados pelas diferentes populações de plantas; para altura de planta, comprimento de racemos e produtividade, não houve qualquer efeito significativo entre os tratamentos. The experiment was carried out in Bom Jesus, Goiás State, Brazil, with the objective to evaluate the growth and yield of the castor crop bean, cultivar Guarani, influenced by different population, of plants under rainfed condition. A randomized block design was used. Five treatments had been carried through: Treatment nº 1 - 1 x 1 m with 10,000 plants ha-¹; Treatment nº 2 - 0.90 x 0.70 m with 15,873 plants ha-¹; Treatment nº 3 - 1 x 0.50 m with 20,000 plants ha-¹; Treatment nº 4 - 0.90 x 0.50 m with 22,222 plants ha-¹; Treatment nº 5 - 1,50 x 0,50 m with 13,333 plants ha-¹. Data of height of plants, first raceme height, number of raceme per plant, length of raceme, stem diameter, and yield were collected. The first raceme height, the number of raceme per plant and the stem diameter were influenced by different population of plants. However for the height of plant, length of raceme and yield, there was no significant effect among the treatments.

Expansive soils cover about 20% of the land area of India. These soils undergo volume change due to moisture fluctuations. Therefore, lightly loaded structures and pavements are often severely affected. While several chemical stabilization techniques are available to treat these soil deposits, under-reamed piles are often used as a foundation alternative. One to two bulbs of diameter larger than the stem diameter of the piles are provided below the unstable zone. One of the important aspects of the design of underreamed piles is the estimation of uplift force that gets generated due to heaving of the soil within the active zone. Quite often, the tensile forces developed on the shaft of the pile due to heaving of soil can be high enough to crack the pile shaft. An understanding of the uplift force on the pile is therefore very important. The uplift force on the pile depends on the interface friction of the pile and the magnitude of swell. Interface direct shear tests were conducted to determine the interface friction between soil and concrete surface. Oedometer swell tests were also conducted to evaluate the magnitude of swell under different surcharge pressures. The PIES (Piles in Expansive Soils) program, developed in the University of Sydney, Australia, was used to study the behaviour of piles. The results indicate that the uplift force on the pile is not constant, as is normally assumed in the design, but initially increases to reach a maximum. After reaching the maximum, the uplift force decreases as the depth increases. Parametric studies have been done to understand the influence of load on pile and the influence of swelling pressure of soil on the pile uplift behaviour for a case study. � 2010 CAFET-INNOVA TECHNICAL SOCIETY. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) (Glomus mosseae, Glomus etinicatum, Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus Caledonium) on plant development of soilless grown muskmelon was investigated. Plants were cultivated in a plastic house, in perlite substrate. Investigated plant growth parameters were plant height, stem diameter, number of leaf, fresh weights of root, stem and leaves. Results showed that all mycorrhiza species increased the plant growth of melon plant in comparison to non inoculated control plants. However, among AM fungi species the better plant growth was obtained with Glomus coledonium and Glomus fasciculatum.

10 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, 55 references., Plant age and size, seasonal growth patters and crop load, among other factors, have been reported to decrease the usefulness of trunk diameter variation (TDV) derived indices as water stress indicators in olive trees. Our hypothesis, however, is that indices derived from TDV records in old, big olive trees are sensitive enough to detect levels of water stress in trees of orchards under deficit irrigation that, although severe, are below the threshold for fruit shrivelling. This is of importance for the production of good quality oils, since fruit shrivelling may affect oil quality. The aim of this work was to assess different TDVderived indices as water stress indicators in 40-year-old ‘Manzanilla’ olive trees with heavy crop load. We derived the maximum daily shrinkage (MDS), daily growth (DG) and daily recovery (DR) from TDV records taken during the 2008 dry season both in well-irrigated FAO trees and in deficit-irrigated RI trees. Measurements of volumetric soil water content ( v), leaf water potential ( l), stomatal conductance (gs), net CO2 assimilation rate (A), water and oil accumulation in the fruits and yield parameters were made for both treatments. The trunks did not grow during the experimental season, either in the FAO or RI trees, likely because of the heavy crop load. Therefore, DG was useless as water stress indicator. For MDS and DR, which were responsive to the increase of the trees’ water stress, we calculated the variability, quantified by the coefficient of variation (CV), the signal intensity (SI) and the sensitivity (SI/CV) values. In addition, we derived reference equations for irrigation scheduling from the relationships between MDS values in the FAO trees and main meteorological variables. Values both of SI-MDS and SI-DR were steady until September 9, despite of increasing differences in v between treatments from early in the dry season. The l vs v values showed an outstanding capacity of the RI trees to take up water from the drying soil, and the l vs gs values showed a near-isohydric behaviour of those deficit-irrigated trees. These results explain, at least in part, the lack of response of MDS and DR on that period. Both SI-MDS and SI-DR peaked for the first time on September 9, 16 days before the appearance of fruit shrivelling. Our results suggest that using TDV-derived indices as water stress indicators for irrigation scheduling in old olive orchards with medium to low plant densities, i.e. with large root zones, may be useless in case the irrigation strategy is aimed at keeping the soil close to field capacity. Nevertheless, the MDS and DR indices may be useful indicators for the avoidance of fruit shrivelling in deficit irrigated olive orchards for the production of good quality oil. Reliable reference equations for scheduling irrigation with the signal intensity approach were obtained from the regression of MDS values vs the daily maximum values of both the air temperature and the vapour pressure deficit of the air., The ECOSAT project, to which this work belongs, is funded by Verdtech Nuevo Campo S.A., Agencia de Innovación y Desarrollo de Andalucía (IDEA), Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA), Fundación Caja Rural del Sur and WWF/Adena. Both the IDEA and CTA belongs to the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa of the Junta de Andalucía.

New airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measurement systems, like the FLI-MAP 400 System, make it possible to obtain high density data containing far more information about single objects, like trees, than traditional airborne laser systems. Therefore, it becomes feasible to analyze geometric properties of trees on the individual object level. In this paper a new 3-step strategy is presented to calculate the stem diameter of individual natural trees at 1.3m height, the so-called breast height diameter, which is an important parameter for forest inventory and flooding simulations. Currently, breast height diameter estimates are not obtained from direct measurements, but are derived using species dependent allometric constraints. Our strategy involves three independent steps: 1. Delineation of the individual trees as represented by the LiDAR data, 2. Skeletonization of the single trees, and 3. Determination of the breast height diameter computing the distance of a suited subset of LiDAR points to the local skeleton. The use of a recently developed skeletonization algorithm based on graph-reduction is the key to the breast height measurement. A set of four relevant test cases is presented and validated against hand measurements. It is shown that the new 3-step approach automatically derives breast height diameters deviating only 10% from hand measurements in four test cases. The potential of the introduced method in practice is demonstrated on the fully automatic analysis of a LiDAR data set representing a patch of forest consisting of 49 individual trees.

New airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) measurement systems, like the FLI-MAP 400 System, make it possible to obtain high density data containing far more information about single objects, like trees, than traditional airborne laser systems. Therefore, it becomes feasible to analyze geometric properties of trees on the individual object level. In this paper a new 3-step strategy is presented to calculate the stem diameter of individual natural trees at 1.3m height, the so-called breast height diameter, which is an important parameter for forest inventory and flooding simulations. Currently, breast height diameter estimates are not obtained from direct measurements, but are derived using species dependent allometric constraints. Our strategy involves three independent steps: 1. Delineation of the individual trees as represented by the LiDAR data, 2. Skeletonization of the single trees, and 3. Determination of the breast height diameter computing the distance of a suited subset of LiDAR points to the local skeleton. The use of a recently developed skeletonization algorithm based on graph-reduction is the key to the breast height measurement. A set of four relevant test cases is presented and validated against hand measurements. It is shown that the new 3-step approach automatically derives breast height diameters deviating only 10% from hand measurements in four test cases. The potential of the introduced method in practice is demonstrated on the fully automatic analysis of a LiDAR data set representing a patch of forest consisting of 49 individual trees.

Salinity stress affects photosynthate partitioning between sources and sinks of plants, but how it affects these systems is less well understood. Because sources and sinks are closely tied, any adverse effect under suboptimal conditions on one of these is often misinterpreted for an effect on the other. Carbon partitioning is indispensable for stress resistance and good plant growth. In the present study, carbon partitioning in tomato plants ( Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Momotarou) in a saline (NaCl) environment was studied by feeding radioactive 11 C and stable 13 C isotopes. Pulse-chases were conducted to measure the spatial and temporal distribution of 13 C. 13 C was measured by a standard conventional technique, but 11 C distribution was monitored using a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS). Salt stress resulted in reduced carbon translocation toward roots. The majority of the photosynthate accumulated in the leaf. We also observed that the reduction in translocation of carbon occurred well before the salt stress symptoms of reduced photosynthesis and reduced plant growth in salt-exposed plants. The effect on sink activity was also shown by a decrease in stem diameter. In addition, PETIS analysis of 11 C translocation indicated that carbon translocation to roots was inhibited under salt conditions without a direct effect on leaf Na accumulation or osmotic stress. These results suggest that NaCl has direct effects on plants, inhibiting carbon partitioning within a few hours of salt exposure without inhibition of source activity.

International audience; Plant and surrogate stems exhibiting specific combinations of physical cues were used to determine which plant-related stimuli influence the oviposition of Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The number of eggs and egg batches laid per female increased with an increase in diameter of both natural and artificial stems. Direct observations of the oviposition behaviour (walking, antennating, and sweeping with the ovipositor) indicated that the female moths preferred oviposition supports with a large diameter and non-pubescent or smooth surfaces over pubescent or rough ones. Pubescence and rough surfaces significantly affected the behavioural steps leading to oviposition by interfering with the ovipositor sweep process necessary to find a suitable oviposition site. Furthermore, more eggs and egg batches were laid on soft than rigid supports. The rigidity of the support affected the proper insertion of the ovipositor for egg deposition. Our results underline the importance of physical stimuli in B. fusca's choice of an oviposition site, which may facilitate the identification of potential host plants or preferred oviposition sites on a plant for this species.

Measuring plant height (y) and canopy diameter (x) in trees may not be an easy task, but stem diameter (z) can be more easily evaluated. This work's objective was two-fold: evaluate the growth of species adapted to the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region in the first two years of age, and obtain linear equations to estimate y and x from z, in those species. A random block design with four replications was employed. The values for x, z, and y were measured biannually from October/2003 to March/2005. Prosopis juliflora and Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia showed the highest stem diameter and plant height values, respectively, and both showed the highest canopy diameter. In the equations to estimate plant height from the stem diameter the value of the coefficient of determination (R²) ranged from 0.76 (Tamarindus indica and Leucaena leucocephala) to 0.92 (Prosopis juliflora and Azadirachta indica). In the equations that allowed to estimate the crown diameter from the stem diameter the R² value ranged from 0.70 (Leucaena leucocephala) to 0.92 (Azadirachta indica). A mensuração da altura da planta (y) e do diâmetro da copa (x) em árvores pode não ser tarefa fácil, mas o diâmetro do caule (z) pode ser avaliado mais facilmente. Este trabalho teve por objetivos avaliar o crescimento de espécies adaptadas ao Semi-Árido brasileiro, nos primeiros dois anos de idade, e obter equações lineares para estimar y e x a partir de z, nessas espécies. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Os valores de x, z e y foram medidos semestralmente de outubro/2003 a março/2005. Prosopis juliflora e Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia apresentaram os maiores diâmetros do caule e altura da planta, respectivamente, e ambas apresentaram o maior diâmetro da copa. Nas equações para estimar a altura da planta a partir do diâmetro do caule, o valor do coeficiente de determinação (R²) variou de 0,76 (Tamarindus indica and Leucaena leucocephala) a 0,92 (Prosopis juliflora and Azadirachta indica). Nas equações que permitiram estimar o diâmetro da copa a partir do diâmetro do caule, o valor de R² variou de 0,70 (Leucaena leucocephala) a 0,92 (Azadirachta indica).

Growth of seven perennial plant species adapted to the Brazilian Semi-Arid. Abstract - Measuring plant height (y) and canopy diameter (x) in trees may not be an easy task, but stem diameter (z) can be more easily evaluated. This work's objective was two-fold: evaluate the growth of species adapted to the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region in the first two years of age, and obtain linear equations to estimate y and x from z, in those species. A random block design with four replications was employed. The values for x, z, and y were measured biannually from October/2003 to March/2005. Prosopis juliflora and Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia showed the highest stem diameter and plant height values, respectively, and both showed the highest canopy diameter. In the equations to estimate plant height from the stem diameter the value of the coefficient of determination (R2) ranged from 0.76 (Tamarindus indica and Leucaena leucocephala) to 0.92 (Prosopis juliflora and Azadirachta indica). In the equations that allowed to estimate the crown diameter from the stem diameter the R2 value ranged from 0.70 (Leucaena leucocephala) to 0.92 (Azadirachta indica). Crescimento de sete espécies vegetais perenes adaptadas ao Semi-Árido brasileiro. Resumo - A mensuração da altura da planta (y) e do diâmetro da copa (x) em árvores pode não ser tarefa fácil, mas o diâmetro do caule (z) pode ser avaliado mais facilmente. Este trabalho teve por objetivos avaliar o crescimento de espécies adaptadas ao Semi-Árido brasileiro, nos primeiros dois anos de idade, e obter equações lineares para estimar y e x a partir de z, nessas espécies. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Os valores de x, z e y foram medidos semestralmente de outubro/2003 a março/2005. Prosopis juliflora e Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia apresentaram os maiores diâmetros do caule e altura da planta, respectivamente, e ambas apresentaram o maior diâmetro da copa. Nas equações para estimar a altura da planta a partir do diâmetro do caule, o valor do coeficiente de determinação (R2) variou de 0,76 (Tamarindus indica and Leucaena leucocephala) a 0,92 (Prosopis juliflora and Azadirachta indica). Nas equações que permitiram estimar o diâmetro da copa a partir do diâmetro do caule, o valor de R2 variou de 0,70 (Leucaena leucocephala) a 0,92 (Azadirachta indica).