scholarly journals Enhancement of Interplanting of Ficus carica L. with Taxus cuspidata Sieb. et Zucc. on Growth of Two Plants

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1276
Author(s):  
Xue Yang ◽  
Yuzheng Li ◽  
Chunying Li ◽  
Qianqian Li ◽  
Bin Qiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Soil Microorganisms ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Soil Enzyme ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Soil Enzyme Activities ◽  
Scale Establishment

Medicinal-agroforestry systems are one of the multi-functional medicinal plant production systems, gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to traditional monoculture systems. In this study, three planting patterns were established which included: (1) monoculture F. carica (MF); (2) monoculture T. cuspidata (MT); and (3) interplanting F. carica with T. cuspidata (IFT). The differences of growth biomass, photosynthesis, soil nutrients, soil enzyme activities, soil microorganisms, and main secondary metabolites of F. carica and T. cuspidata under the above three models were investigated. Compared with the MF and MT patterns, IFT pattern for 5 months significantly increased the plant growth biomass, photosynthesis, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and secondary metabolites content. The activities of acid phosphatase, sucrase, protease, polyphenol oxidase, urease, dehydrogenase, and catalase in soil of IFT were significantly higher than MF and MT patterns. Results showed that IFT pattern is preferred compared to the MF and MT patterns. Our result will help to provide a feasible theoretical basis for the large-scale establishment of F. carica and T. cuspidata mixed forests and obtain high-quality medicine sources for extracting important active ingredients, psoralen and paclitaxel, which are crucial to the long-term sustainable development and production of medicinal plants.

scholarly journals Plant secondary metabolites: antiparasitic effects and their role in ruminant production systems

2004 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spiridoula Athanasiadou ◽  
Ilias Kyriazakis
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Plant Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Antiparasitic Activity ◽  
Excessive Consumption ◽  
Therapeutic Properties ◽  
Nutritional Effects

The purported antiparasitic properties of plant secondary metabolites (PSM) have been the cause of controversy amongst the scientific community. Despite long-standing knowledge of the prophylactic and therapeutic properties of PSM-rich extracts, which comes mainly from ethnoveterinary sources, the scientific evidence of the antiparasitic effects of PSM is inconsistent. In the first part of the present paper the causes of this controversy are addressed, and the evidence available on the antiparasitic effects of PSM is critically examined. The focus is on examples of the antiparasitic activity of PSM against helminth nematodes. The conclusion is that PSM can have antiparasitic properties, which depend on their structure, level of ingestion and availability within the gastrointestinal tract of the animal. The second part is an appraisal of the potential role of PSM for parasite control in ruminant production systems. Despite their antiparasitic properties, PSM consumption does not necessarily have positive consequences in parasitised herbivores, as excessive consumption of PSM can adversely affect herbivore fitness and survival, through their anti-nutritional properties. For this reason it is suggested that the antiparasitic properties of PSM should be assessed at the same time as their anti-nutritional effects. The same measure, e.g. the performance of parasitised hosts, should be used when assessing these properties. The assessment of the costs and benefits suggests that parasitised herbivores can benefit from the long-term consumption of PSM only if the antiparasitic benefits outweigh the anti-nutritional costs of PSM. In addition, it is proposed that parasitised animals might be able to benefit from PSM consumption even if their performance is impaired, as long as the latter is a short-term compromise that leads to long-term benefits.

scholarly journals COCOA AND TOTAL SYSTEM YIELDS OF ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL AGROFORESTRY VS. MONOCULTURE SYSTEMS IN A LONG-TERM FIELD TRIAL IN BOLIVIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. SCHNEIDER ◽  
C. ANDRES ◽  
G. TRUJILLO ◽  
F. ALCON ◽  
P. AMURRIO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Trial ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Total System ◽  
Cocoa Production ◽  
Faster Development ◽  
Term Field

SUMMARYCocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is produced in systems of varying complexity ranging from monoculture with temporary shade to highly diverse agroforests. Producers have to weigh high cocoa yields in the short to medium term in monocultures against higher total system yields in the short term and sustainable production systems in the long term in conjunction with ecosystem services in agroforestry systems (AFs). More long-term data on the comparative agronomic, economic and ecological performance of differently managed cocoa production systems is required to make sound recommendations to farmers. This paper describes the only long-term field trial worldwide comparing different cocoa production systems under conventional and organic management. The factors (i) crop diversity (monoculture vs. agroforestry), (ii) management practice (conventional vs. organic) and (iii) cultivar are being tested in a full-factorial, randomized complete block design with four replications. First, results showed significantly faster development of trunk circumferences in monocultures (+21%) compared to AFs. Cocoa yields were 47% lower in the organic compared to the conventional monoculture. In the AFs, however, the organic–conventional yield gap was less pronounced (−16%) and statistically insignificant. The cumulative yields of all products harvested were significantly higher in the AFs (+161%) compared to the monocultures. The productivity of cocoa by-crops in AFs may contribute to local food security and risk distribution in smallholder contexts.

scholarly journals Effects of Tree Species and Soil Enzyme Activities on Soil Nutrients in Dryland Plantations

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1153
Author(s):  
Yage Li ◽  
Chun Han ◽  
Shan Sun ◽  
Changming Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Enzyme ◽  
Pinus Tabulaeformis ◽  
Soil Enzyme Activities ◽  
Caragana Korshinskii ◽  
Nitrogen Phosphorus

Long-term afforestation strongly changes the soil’s physicochemical and biological properties. However, the underlying mechanism of different tree species driving change in soil nutrients is still unclear in the long-term dryland plantations of the Loess Plateau, China. In this study, samples of surface soil (0–20 cm) and woody litter were collected from five plantations (≥50 years) of Caragana korshinskii, Armeniaca sibirica, Populus hopeiensis, Platycladus orientalis, and Pinus tabulaeformis and a natural grassland, and tested for the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, as well as the soil sucrase (SC), urease (UE), and alkaline phosphorus (ALP) activities. We found that soil nutrients, enzyme activities, and the litter’s chemical properties obviously varied among five tree species. C. korshinskii significantly increased the soil’s TC, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), and available potassium (AK) by 28.42%, 56.08%, 57.41%, 107.25%, and 10.29%, respectively, and also increased the soil’s available phosphorus (AP) by 18.56%; while P. orientalis significantly decreased soil TN (38.89%), TP (30.58%), AP (76.39%), TK (8.25%), and AK (8.33%), and also decreased soil OC (18.01%) and AN (1.09%), compared with those in grassland. The C. korshinskii plantation had higher quality litter and soil enzyme activities than the P. orientalis plantation. Moreover, 62.2% of the total variation in soil nutrients was explained by the litter’s chemical properties and soil enzyme activities, and the litter phosphorus (LP) and soil ALP had a more significant and positive impact on soil nutrients. Therefore, tree species, LP, and soil ALP were key factors driving soil nutrient succession in dryland plantations. The significantly positive nitrogen–phosphorus coupling relationship in the “litter–enzyme–soil” system revealed that the improving nitrogen level promoted the phosphorus cycle of the plantation ecosystem. Our results suggest that leguminous tree species are more suitable for dryland afforestation through the regulation of litter quality and soil enzyme activities.

scholarly journals Soil enzyme activities under long-term tillage and crop rotation systems in subtropical agro-ecosystems

2004 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elcio Liborio Balota ◽  
Miriam Kanashiro ◽  
Arnaldo Colozzi Filho ◽  
Diva Souza Andrade ◽  
Richard Peter Dick
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Soil Enzyme ◽  
Soil Enzyme Activities
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