Biological and economic values of Dipterocarpaceae, the main timber forest product of Indonesia

Dipterocarpaceae is known as a very important tree family both biologically and economically. Its distribution around the world covers the areas of Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi, Maluku to Papua. Dipterocarpaceae family has a high economic value, such as producing wood, balsam, resin, charcoal, fat, fruit, bark, essential oil, and camphor. Its products have very important roles for domestic use and export needs. As representatives of Dipterocarpaceae, the economic value of Shorea Roxb. ex Gaertner f, Dipterocarpus Gaertner f, and Dryobalanops Gaertner f will be discussed. Considering the very important role of Dipterocarpaceae, both biologically and economically, it is necessary to handle it sustainably, through the following actions such as conservation of genetic resources, seed physiology, seed handling, seedling ecology, root symbiosis and nutrition, pest and disease, management of natural forest, and plantation, and also non-timber forest product from Dipterocarpaceae. Dipterocarpaceae dikenal sebagai famili pohon yang sangat penting baik secara biologis maupun ekonomis. Penyebarannya di seluruh dunia meliputi wilayah Semenanjung Malaysia, Filipina, Sumatera, Kalimantan, Jawa, Sulawesi, Maluku hingga Papua. Famili Dipterocarpaceae memiliki nilai ekonomi yang tinggi, seperti menghasilkan kayu, balsam, damar, arang, lemak, buah, kulit kayu, minyak atsiri, dan kapur barus. Produk-produknya memiliki peran yang sangat penting untuk kebutuhan domestik dan ekspor. Sebagai perwakilan Dipterocarpace, nilai ekonomi Shorea Roxb. ex Gaertner f, Dipterocarpus Gaertner f, dan Dryobalanops Gaertner f akan dibahas. Mengingat peranan Dipterocarpaceae yang sangat penting, baik secara biologis maupun ekonomis, maka perlu dilakukan penanganan secara berkelanjutan, melalui tindakan-tindakan seperti konservasi sumber daya genetik, fisiologi benih, penanganan benih, ekologi semai, simbiosis dan nutrisi akar, hama dan penyakit, pengelolaan hutan alam, dan perkebunan, serta hasil hutan bukan kayu dari Dipterocarpaceae.

Design, Simulation and Experimentation of an Axial Flow Sunflower-Threshing Machine with an Attached Screw Conveyor

Sunflower threshing is one of the most interesting field processes for making the sunflower ready for seed handling, drying, cleaning and oil extraction. One of the biggest problems observed during the sunflower threshing process is the accumulation of threshed crop on the first third of the threshing roller and passing off some unthreshed parts of sunflower heads. To solve the aforementioned problem and optimize the efficiency of the sunflower threshing process, this research was focused on devising and testing a sunflower threshing machine with a close threshing box system equipped with a screw conveyor that evenly distributed the feedstock of sunflower heads on the entire length of the threshing roller. The machine was tested to assess the seed damage rate, unthreshed seed percentage, threshing efficiency, machine productivity, power requirements and specific energy consumption. The evaluation was done under different roller rotational speeds (150, 200, 250 and 300 rpm) and feeding rates (600, 700, 800 and 900 kg/h). The obtained results revealed that the threshing evaluation parameters were affected significantly by the roller rotational speed and feeding rate. The threshing efficiency was observed to rise with the rise in the roller rotational speed, and it also rose with the increasing feed rate up to 800 kg/h and then started to descend. The unthreshed seed percentage decreased with the increase in the roller rotational speed for all feed rates, and it decreased with the increasing feed rate up to 800 kg/h and then started to increase at the higher feed rates. The damaged seed percentage, power requirement and machine productivity increased with the increase of the roller speed and feed rate. The Buckingham π theorem was followed to find an equation to predict the threshing efficiency, resulting in an equation with an R2 value of 0.9309. With elimination of the blockage problem and better threshing efficiency, this machine could be a good choice for small- to medium-sized sunflower farms.

Morphometry of castor bean seeds from the Durango State’s arid zone, Mexico

Ricinus communis yields oilseeds of great commercial importance to industry. The aim of this study was to generate morphometric information on seed size and shape of wild castor bean accessions collected in the Durango State’s arid zone, Mexico. Bivariate scatter plots were used to identify possible relationships between seed morphometric attributes. Principal component analysis allowed the identification of three seed groups that are highly dependent on shape attributes and volume. One group involves seeds with high volume, low eccentricity, high roundness and medium flatness. Another group includes seeds with medium volume, high eccentricity, medium roundness and high flatness. The last group involves seeds with small volume, eccentricity, roundness, and flatness with high dispersion. Relationships between seed area or volume with the axes of the seeds suggest that their shapes are complex. Knowledge of seed sizes and shapes can be helpful to design technical innovation for R. communis seed handling and storage in natural ecosystems and agricultural farms.

Control of Seed-borne Disease (Octomeles Sumatrana) during Storage

The forest tree species that are widely grown to produce pulp and paper raw materials are Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus spp. One alternative species is binuang bini (Octomeles sumatrana) which can be developed for plantations. To maintain high seed viability, it is necessary to know the handling of seeds and control of seed-borne diseases during storage. The purpose of this study was to determine the method of the effective technique to control the seed-borne diseases of binuang bini during seed storage. The techniques for Seed disease kontrol methods in seed storage are carried out using chemical and natural fungicide. The results showed that the pure live seed was influenced by a single factor of fungicide and storage room, interactions between fungicides and storage room, interactions between fungicides and storage periods as well as interactions between fungicides and storage space and storage periods. Seed handling of binuang bini can be conducted effectively and efficiently by storing the seed in refrigerator for 3 months without using fungicides, but it will be better if the seed is given benomil fungicide and stored in airconditioned room (temperature of 18℃-20℃ and relative humidity of 50%-60 %).

Flash Flaming Improves Flow Properties of Mediterranean Grasses Used for Direct Seeding

The demand for native grasses is increasing in restoration and agriculture, though their use is often limited due to seed handling challenges. The external structures surrounding the grass seed (i.e., the floret) possess hairs, awns, and appendages which create blockages in conventional seeding equipment. Flash flaming is a patented technology which allows precision exposure of floret material to flames to singe off hairs and appendages. We used two grasses native to Mediterranean ecosystems of Western Australia (Amphipogon turbinatus R.Br. and Neurachne alopecuoidea R.Br.) to evaluate the effects of different flaming techniques on flow properties and germination. Flaming significantly improved flowability in both species and had both neutral (A. turbinatus) and negative (N. alopecuroidea) effects on germination. Flaming torch size influenced germination, though flaming temperature (low or high) and whether this was kept constant or alternating had no effect. The best evaluation of germination following flaming was achieved by cleaning flamed florets to seed and/or germinating in the presence of karrikinolide (KAR1) or gibberellic acid (GA3). We suggest that flaming settings (particularly torch size) require species-specific evaluation and optimisation. Removing seeds from flamed florets and germination testing this material in the presence of stimulants may be a useful protocol for future flaming evaluations.

Pengaruh berbagai Asal Benih Induk dan Media Tanam terhadap Pertumbuhan Jambu Mete

<p>Common problems in cashew tree development are low plant productivity caused by the use of unqualified seeds and limited knowledge of seed handling. This research was aimed to study the role of the mother tree on the growth of cashew seeds and study the seedling and growth of cashew trees in several planting media. The method used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD), consisting of two treatment factors and 4 replications. The first factor was the planting medium consists of 4 types: soil; soil: manure (2: 1); husk charcoal: manure (2: 1); soil: charcoal husk: manure (1: 1: 1). While the second factor was the origin of the seeds from the parent tree with fruit colors red, green, yellow, pink. The results showed that the planting soil medium was very significantly affected by increasing plant growth, namely plant height, number, and leaf area. The interaction between media and seed origin was not significantly affected plant growth. The best seed growth was found on soil media, plant height reaches 31.750 cm, number of leaves with 19 leaves, with an area of 48.437 cm².</p>

Frugivory and seed dispersal in a hyperdiverse plant clade and its role as a keystone resource for the Neotropical fauna

Background and Aims Much of our understanding of the ecology and evolution of seed dispersal in the Neotropics is founded on studies involving the animal-dispersed, hyperdiverse plant clade Miconia (Melastomataceae). Nonetheless, no formal attempt has been made to establish its relevance as a model system or indeed provide evidence of the role of frugivores as Miconia seed dispersers. Methods We built three Miconia databases (fruit phenology/diaspore traits, fruit–frugivore interactions and effects on seed germination after gut passage) to determine how Miconia fruiting phenology and fruit traits for &gt;350 species interact with and shape patterns of frugivore selection. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of animal gut passage/seed handling on Miconia germination. Key Results Miconia produce numerous small berries that enclose numerous tiny seeds within water- and sugar-rich pulps. In addition, coexisting species provide sequential, year long availability of fruits within communities, with many species producing fruits in periods of resource scarcity. From 2396 pairwise interactions, we identified 646 animal frugivore species in five classes, 22 orders and 60 families, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and ants that consume Miconia fruits. Endozoochory is the main dispersal mechanism, but gut passage effects on germination were specific to animal clades; birds, monkeys and ants reduced seed germination percentages, while opossums increased it. Conclusions The sequential fruiting phenologies and wide taxonomic and functional diversity of animal vectors associated with Miconia fruits underscore the likely keystone role that this plant clade plays in the Neotropics. By producing fruits morphologically and chemically accessible to a variety of animals, Miconia species ensure short- and long-distance seed dispersal and constitute reliable resources that sustain entire frugivore assemblages.