Extracting Crown Morphology with a Low-Cost Mobile Lidar Scanning System in the Natural Environment

To meet the demand for intelligent measurements of canopy morphological parameters, a mobile LiDAR scanning system with LiDAR and IMU as the main sensors was constructed. The system uses a LiDAR-IMU tight coupling odometry method to reconstruct a point cloud map of the area surveyed. After using the RANSAC algorithm to remove the map ground, the European clustering algorithm is used for point cloud segmentation. Finally, morphological parameters of the canopy, such as crown height, crown diameter, and crown volume, are extracted using statistical and voxel methods. To verify the algorithm, a total of 43 trees in multiple plots of the campus were tested and compared. The algorithm defined in this study was evaluated with manual measurements as reference, and the morphological parameters of the canopy obtained using the LOAM and LeGO-LOAM algorithms as the basic framework were compared. Experiments show that this method can be used to easily obtain the crown height, crown diameter, and crown volume of the area; the correlation coefficients of these parameters were 0.91, 0.87, and 0.83, respectively. Compared with the LOAM and LeGO-LOAM methods, they were increased by 0.004, 0.12, and 0.13 and 0.07, 0.15, and 0.04, respectively. The test results for this new system are positive and meet the requirements of horticulture and orchard measurements, indicating that it will have significant value as an application.

Growth features of apple varieties and forms with natural and compact crown types

This research explores the compactness of apple varieties and forms with different types of crown. Orchards on semi-vigorous rootstocks with density and high density planting systems are cost-effective in modern horticulture. For making such gardens, it is necessary to have trees with special compact crown shape. They ensure the high-quality fruits production, meeting the requirements of world standards. To date the most perspective apple varieties and forms for domestic intensive gardening from the rich gene pool of the Selection and Genetic Center of Federal State Scientific Institution «I. V. Michurin Federal Scientific Center» are identified. Varieties of folk domestic and foreign breeding took part in the creation of new genotypes. Apple varieties and promising forms (more than 160 genotypes), including from near and far abroad selection, were used as materials for crown features studying. We conducted our study by the following indicators: tree height, crown volume, “degree of compactness” and the shoot-forming ability. We found that the genotypes Sholokhovskoye, Zvezda Artemyeva, 25-7(11), 40-9(8), 36-8(21), 40-9(6), 8-7(72), 40-9(7), 36-8(17), 62-5(140) have optimal crown parameters. We recommend their use for industrial horticulture and further breeding to create restrained growth, low-volume crown, and a high degree of compactness varieties.

Agroecological coverings for the sustainable production of Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.)

Objective: To evaluate the influence of living and dead covers on the yield and quality of rambutan fruits (Nephelium lappaceum L.) in Soconusco, Chiapas, Mexico. Design / methodology / approach: Five treatments were evaluated, two live covers, two dead covers and an always clean control without covers. The following were evaluated: plant height, crown volume, fruit quality, fruit yield (t ha-1). The data were analyzed under a randomized block experimental design. Results: All the agroecological modalities of hedging evaluated produced fruits with the quality required for national and international commercialization. Study limitations / implications: The morphological and physiological response of the crop can change with the age of the tree. Findings / conclusions: An agroecological management strategy is presented to develop rambutan cultivation in Soconusco region.

Investigation of stem anatomy in relation to hydraulic conductance, vegetative growth and yielding potential of ‘Summit’ cherry trees grafted on different rootstock candidates

Severe climate alterations that seriously challenge fruit production, combined with the demand for healthy, pesticide-free fruits, continuously direct rootstock/cultivar selection towards high adaptable varieties breeding. This study aimed to investigate the rootstocks’ influence on the performance of grafted ‘Summit’ cherry trees, including potentially dwarfing Prunus cerasus, Prunus fruticosa and Prunus mahaleb rootstock candidates. Anatomical properties of rootstock and scion stems were investigated to determine variation among different rootstocks and scion-rootstock combinations and to establish the link between trunk hydraulic conductivity, effective tree crown volume and yielding potential. Cross-section anatomical characteristics varied significantly both in rootstock and scion stems, indicating a clear influence of rootstock genotype on grafted sweet cherry trees. It was observed that all investigated cherry rootstock candidates belong to the low-vigorous rootstocks, based on the estimated effective crown volume of grafted trees compared to ‘Gisela 5’, with values ranging from 0.86 to 2.97 m3 in the fifth year after planting. Results showed a statistically significant positive correlation between trunk hydraulic conductivity, effective tree crown volume and yielding potential, with correlation coefficients up to 0.96. Significantly higher effective crown volume and trunk hydraulic conductance of trees grafted on P. cerasus compared to the trees on control, as well as highest yielding potential, showed better adaptation of these rootstock candidates in the trial without irrigation implemented. It was found that PC_05_04 rootstock candidate could be considered as the most appropriate choice when raising the high-density sweet cherry plantations, due to assessed parameters of vegetative and generative growth.

Study of cherry agrobiological and biochemical values depending on the breeding method

In 2018–2020, in the Federal Research Centre of Horticulture in the Leninsky district of the Moscow region, a research study into the growth, production and biochemical processes of ungrafted and grafted cherry trees was performed. The planting plan was 5×2.5 m, the age of the trees — 17-19 years. Three varieties of cherries (Rusinka, Volochaevka, Apukhtinskaya), grafted on clonal rootstock (AVCH-2, Moskoviya Izmailovskiy) and own-root, propagation-grown by herbaceous cuttings, were selected as the study objects. Biochemical studies involved determining the total antioxidant status of the alcoholic extract, the chlorophylls (a and b) and carotenoids content, the total of phenolic compounds, rutin and quercetin in the leaves. The study aimed to assess the agrobiological and biochemical parameters of grafted and own-root cherry varieties and to identify the optimal growing technique for promising ones. It was found that the variety, rootstock and breeding method influenced the growth and development of cherry trees. The linear and radial growth improved for the trees grafted on the AVC-2 and Moskoviya rootstocks and the height and crown volume thinned for the own-root trees and in those grafted on the Izmailovskiy rootstock. Depending on the variety, stock and growing technique of seedlings, the productivity of trees ranged from 3.5 (Rusinka, own-root) to 11.6 kg/tree (Apukhtinskaya, own-root). The advantage of own-root trees compared to grafted ones was revealed for Apukhtinskaya and Volochaevka varieties. The Rusinka variety showed the highest productivity when grafted on the Izmailovsky rootstock (5.5 kg/tree). To increase the yield per garden when cultivating the Apukhtinskaya and Volochaevka varieties, it is beneficial to use own-root seedlings grafted on the Moskoviya and Izmailovskiy rootstocks. For the Rusinka variety, the optimal result can be achieved when growing seedlings grafted on the Izmailovsky rootstock. The biochemical studies allowed the influence of rootstock on the photosynthetic, antioxidant systems and the synthesis of phenol compounds in the cherry leaves to be determined. It was shown that the antioxidant activity and the accumulation of phenol compounds in the leaves were the highest for the own-root plants of the most winter-hardy Rusinka variety and the Rusinka/Izmailovskiy graftedrootstock combination. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were the highest in the leaves of the Apukhtinskaya variety own-root trees, Apukhtinskaya/Izmailovskiy and Rusinka/Izmailovskiy grafted-rootstock combinations with increased productivity. Notably, the biochemical values decreased for all varieties grafted on the AVC-2 rootstock.

Production efficiency of cultivation of plum varieties under arid conditions of the Astrakhan region

Purpose. The study of biometric growth indicators, the peculiarities of the passage of the main phenological phases of development, the study of early maturity, yield and commercial qualities of fruits of various varieties of plum, substantiation of the possibility and economic feasibility of their use for setting up intensive plantings in the arid conditions of the Astrakhan region. Methods. Research is carried out in the arid conditions of the Northern Caspian region, in the laboratory of fruit and horticultural crops of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Caspian Agrarian Federal Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, to study the most promising variety-rootstock combinations of plums, according to the method of variety study of fruit crops for subsequent selection and recommendation of the most promising for industrial gardening. Results. Based on the data obtained and analyzed, the highest level of profitability was obtained for varieties of plum Kubanskaya rannyaya (71.4 %) with a productivity of 2.48 kg/m3 of crown volume, and a payback of 1.79 rubles. for 1 rub. invested costs, and Anna Szpet (77.3 %) with a productivity of 1.07 kg/m3 of crown volume, with a payback of 1.77 rubles. for 1 rub. investment costs. Comparing the research results, it is concluded that the Kubanskaya rannyaya variety, which is the most profitable for industrial cultivation, has a higher productivity potential and more efficiently uses the planting area in comparison with other studied varieties. This variety can be recommended for intensive gardens in the Astrakhan region. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that, despite the wide assortment of plums that exists today, for each zone it is necessary to select both varieties and rootstocks for stable and economically viable fruit production.

Mimosa scabrella Benth. planted for forest restoration in southern Brazil

Tropical trees planting resurgent in a global warming scenario, and this activity relies on information about forest species ecology and its different functional traits. we evaluated the initial performance of Mimosa scabrella using the Generalized Linear Models (GLM) technique to fit mathematical models for collar diameter growth x height, and for crown projection area x collar diameter in a forest restoration planting. The following variables were obtained in the first four years after planting: collar diameter (mm), total height (m), crown projection area (m²) and crown volume (m³). The models fitting was performed by GLM on Gamma, Normal and Poisson distribution, identity and logarithmical join function, and they were analyzed based on Akaike and Bayesian Information Criteria, standard deviation of the estimate and determination coefficient. M. scabrella showed an excelled performance on the 48 months of age, with average increment of 200.28 mm in collar diameter, 6.88 m in total height, 2.95 m² in crown projection area and 83.41 m³ in crown volume. Its growth reduced only on periods of frost occurrence, but it restarted after these climatic events. The species growth, as well as its high survival rates and resprouting, allow its recommendation as a shady species of fast canopy fulfillment in forest restoration projects.

Refining tree size and dose-response functions for control of invasive Pinus contorta

Exotic conifers are rapidly spreading in many regions of New Zealand, as well as in many other countries, with detrimental impacts on both natural ecosystems and some productive sector environments. Herbicides, in particular the active ingredient (a.i.) triclopyr, are an important tool to manage invasive conifers, yet there is a paucity of information that quantifies the amount of herbicide required to kill trees of different sizes when applied as a basal bark treatment. Two sequential experiments were conducted to define the amount of triclopyr required to kill individual invasive Pinus contorta trees of different sizes when applied in a methylated seed oil to bark (either the whole stem or base of the tree) and to determine which tree size variates (height (HT), diameter at breast height (DBH), crown diameter (CD)), or derived attributes (crown area, crown volume index) best characterised this dose-response relationship. The outcomes of the dose-response research were compared to field operations where triclopyr was applied to the bark of trees from an aerial platform. Applying the herbicide to the whole stem, as opposed to the base of the tree only, significantly increased treatment efficacy. The tree size variates DBH, CD, crown area and crown volume index all provided good fits to the tree mortality data, with >91% prediction accuracy. Of these variates, crown diameter provided the most practical measure of tree size for ease of in-field calculation of dose by an operator. Herbicide rates used in field operations were 7 to 8 times higher than lethal doses calculated from experimental data. Our results highlight the potential for substantial reductions in herbicide rates for exotic conifer control, especially if dose-response data are combined with remotely sensed quantitative measurements of canopy area or volume using new precision technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles.

Economic Effectiveness and Agricultural Indicators of Combinations Grafting-Varieties of Apple Plants

Research was carried out in the north-eastern part of the republic, in the Khuba-Khachmaz zone. Was carried out a comparative analysis of apple varieties on the different grafting and landing schemes. Namely, on the generative rootstock in the gardens, established in the village of Timiryazev of the Khuba region, according to the scheme 5x4m, in the village of Yeni Hayat of the Khusar region on the grafting M9 according to the scheme 4х1,25м and in the village of Dashliyatakh of the Shabran ragion on the grafting MM106 according to the scheme 5x3 m. The agricultural yield was calculated to the formula, proposed by A.S Ovsyannikov by the formula; Уa= Уs х Sa х N : 100; here Уs - Specific productivity, kg / m2 crown projection; Sa - area occupied by crown projection, м2; N – Number of trees per hectare; 100- for transfer of kg, in centners / hectare. To determine the optimum area for plant nutrition were used generally accepted formula: Sop = (D- 0,3) x (D+2)м2 ; D is the diameter of the crown in the period of full fruiting, м; 2- necessary gleam between rows, м; 0,3- the possibility of penetration of branches into the crown of a neighboring tree, м. Economic efficiency was determined by the method proposed by P. V.Dubrava. The results of research is different combinations varieties-grafting. It was determined that all varieties shows high profitability on different grafting. Also, identified a significant impact of the grafting both to the morphometric parameters, to the productivity and economic productivity of varieties. Varieties on the generative rootstock having a relatively large area of crown projection (11.3 m2), respectively, reduce the productivity of the crown to 3.63 kg / m2, against of, having the smaller area of the crown projection (2.43 ... 7.96 m2) and accordingly high productivity (11.70 ... 5.40 kg / m2) on the clonal grafting as M9 and MM106. Relatively less crown volume creates conditions for reducing the area of supply trees, thereby increase the number of trees per unit area and, accordingly, an increase the agrecultural harvest per hectare. This helps to increase the level of net income of varieties on clonal grafting. They have a net income of 3622.97 .... 16335.91 AZN is more than in the varieties of generative rootstock (3029.57 AZN). Accordingly, indicators of agrcultural produoctivity, in varieties on clonal grafting, vastly more (correspondingly 598.92 ... 352.56 center / ha) than in the varieties on the generative rootstock (247.87 center / ha). At the same time, high and high quality productivity of varieties on clonal grafting contributes to the increase in net income and, together with them, the profitability of production. It should be noted that, the profitability of farming in gardens on generative grafting is 100.06%, then this indicator in apple gardens, on clonal grafting is much higher and amounts of 147.54% on MM106 and 381.14% on M9.