Smallholder tree planting is a pathway recognized within Forest Transition Theory (FTT), but its contributing factors are not fully explored at the household level. This study examines the effect of socio-economic and biophysical characteristics, access to extension services, land tenure, labour availability, and attitudes toward tree cover on smallholder planting and willingness to plant for environmental and economic purposes at the household level. Data was collected from 146 households in Mocoties, Merida, Venezuela. Logistic models revealed that area of property, area of productive land, presence of natural sources of water, gender of respondent, number of generations that have farmed the property, income, percent income from farming activities, land title, harvest rights, labour availability and attitudes toward tree cover have significant influence on smallholder’s tree planting and willingness to plant. Future research needs to focus on factors that affect environmentally motivated smallholder tree planting where fewer significant variables were found.

3 pp. / The influence of crop species, seed size, seed viability, seed depth,irrigation practices,stand establishment and uniformity, seeding equipment, planting date, crop variety, and planting configuration on optimum seeding rate for small grains is discussed.

No description available.

The yield of short-season hybrids is lower than long-season hybrids, mainly as a result of the low final leaf area developed by the short-season plants. This is due to the smaller plant stature and smaller leaf number and size of short-season adapted hybrids. In addition, in short-season areas the thermal-time available may be insufficient to mature grain of current maize hybrids. Maize hybrids which accumulate leaf area quickly, mature earlier, yield well and tolerate higher population densities better than the currently available hybrids would be more suitable for production in short-season areas. The "Leafy reduced-stature" maize hybrids, which have only recently been developed, have traits which address these criteria. There has been no previous effort to evaluate the effects of more than two plant population densities or the effects of planting patterns on the yield, yield components and vegetative growth of these hybrids. in 1995, field experiments were conducted at two sites near Montreal to compare the response of leafy reduced-stature (LRS), non-leafy normal stature (NLNS), and non-leafy reduced-stature (NLRS) maize hybrids to plant population densities and planting patterns. LRS maize hybrids showed the most rapid growth of the first ear, and the highest yield per single plant and per hectare at high plant population densities in paired rows. LRS hybrids also had longer grain filling periods, lower grain moisture contents and higher harvest indices than conventional (NLNS) hybrids. Rapid growth of the first ear and a higher harvest index are indications that LRS hybrids should be more tolerant of higher population densities than currently available hybrids. Therefore, LRS hybrids show promise for production in short-season areas at high plant population densities where maize cultivation is not currently economical due to shortness of the growing-season.

No description available.

A one year water table management field study was conducted on a Soulanges sandy loam soil in Soulanges county, Quebec. Two controlled water table levels, i.e. 0.5 m and 0.75 m from the soil surface, as well as free outlet conventional drainage treatments were established in monocropped corn (Zea mays L.) and corn intercropped with ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) plots. / Cropping system showed no significant effects on evapotranspiration, and on soil moisture distribution. It was observed that the 0.5 m and 0.75 m controlled water tables (CWT) provided the same soil moisture trends in both cropping systems. The soil moisture was always higher in controlled water table plots compared to freely drained plots. The water use efficiency of 0.75 m CWT in both cropping systems was high compared to 0.5 m CWT. / The soil moisture contents at three depths were only 2% to 10% less in intercropped plots compared to monocropped plots. The soil moisture was 12 to 13% higher in CWT plots compared to freely drained plots for both cropping systems. The soil moisture in 0.5 m CWT and 0.75 m CWT plots was not significantly different. The average water table levels in monocropped plots were not significantly different from intercropped plots.

No description available.

Traditional formalism of planting design within landscape architecture has two central faults; the objectification of plants and a focus on visual perception. This thesis proposes the correct appreciation of planting design is an aesthetic of engagement founded on interaction with the sublime in nature. Plants are the materiality of nature and design seeks to engender a phenomenological experience of landscape perceived through a series of events or encounters with the sublime. The aesthetic of engagement in planting design is articulated in four ways; direct engagement, indirect engagement, ethical engagement, and therapeutic engagement. Examples from contemporary projects verify an aesthetic of engagement for planting design. This thesis fills a gap in knowledge by providing a philosophical conceptualization of the aesthetics of planting design and a language through which to carry on dialogue over its presence. / The formalist tradition -- Sublime foundations of contemporary planting design -- The aesthetics of engagement -- A concluding example. / Department of Landscape Architecture

The above-ground part of a plant has an important contribution to plant development and yield production. Physiological activities of a plant canopy highly correlate to morphology of plant vegetation. Obviously, leaf area index is a good indicator for leaf area, but does not provide any information about the spatial architecture of plant canopy. With the development of fractal theory, a quantitative toot is now available for the investigation of complex objects and shapes such as plant structure. Vegetation structure of corn ( Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merr.] plants might be affected by the plant population density (low, normal, high) of each crop and corn-soybean intercropping. Skeletonized leaf-off images provided acceptable information to estimate the fractal dimension of the soybean plant 2-dimensionally, using the box-counting method. Fractal dimension varied among soybean treatments, with rankings: low > normal > intercrop > high, in the overall mean and normal ≈ intercrop ≈ low > high, in the slope of time plots. An adjustment of field corn plants to treatments, by changing the orientation of the plane of developed leaves with respect to the row, was observed. Thus, the fractal dimension of corn plant skeletal images from each of two sides, side I (parallel to row) and side 2 (perpendicular to row), was analyzed. On the basis of overall means of fractal dimension, treatments were ranked as: high > normal ≈ intercrop ≈ low for side 1 and intercrop > low ≈ normal > high for side 2. In both cases of soybean and corn plants, leaf area index, plant height and number of leaves (only in case of soybean plant) increased over the experiment for all the treatments, indicating a positive correlation with fractal dimension. In contrast, light penetration decreased during crop development, indicating a negative correlation with fractal dimension. Furthermore, a modified version of the Beer-Lambert equation, in which fractal dimension mu

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1989. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.