ESTIMATION OF SHEA TREES (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. GAERTN.) FRUIT PRODUCTION BY ASSESSING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN YIELD PARAMETERS AND DENDROMETRIC FEATURES IN NORTHERN OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE

Vitellaria paradoxa, commonly known as the shea tree, is a tree of the family Sapotaceae and represents a traditional African food plant. It has been claimed to have the potential to improve nutrition, boost food supply, foster rural development, and support sustainable land care. Despite its multiple potentials, statistical data relating to its production are non-existent and/or unexploited in several African communities. To contrast this tendency, the present study aims to assess the intra-seasonal variation in fruit production of a sample of 115 shea trees and then to establish a correlation between yield parameters and several dendrometric features. Dendrometric (i.e. tree height, trunk girth, and crown basal area) and pomological (i.e. fruit and nut length and width) parameters, as well as yield parameters by monitoring daily fallen fruit from each sampled shea tree, carried out for five years consecutively, were considered for this study. The results showed inter-year fluctuation of shea fruit/nut number and shea fruit/nut weight. In addition, the results showed a significant increase in the annual average of shea fruit/nut yield per tree and as well per girth and/or crown basal area interval class, randomly generated by Sturge and Yule's formula. Interestingly, potentially high producing trees emerged within each considered interval class. Then, observed intraclass variation between trees determining shea yield can be exploited in selecting elite shea trees.

NILAI BUDAYA PALI DAYAK NGAJU (CULTURAL VALUE AS REPRESENTED IN THE PALI OF DAYAK NGAJU)

Cultural Values as Represented in the Pali of Dayak Ngaju Community. This research aims to (1) describe the cultural values as represented in the pemali belonging to the Dayak Ngaju community towards nature, (2) describe the cultural values as represented in the pemali belonging to the Dayak Ngaju community towards the human interaction, (3) describe the cultural values as represented in the pemali belonging to the Dayak Ngaju community towards the spiritual performance. This research uses (1) recording techniques, both audio and audiovisual, (2) recording, (3) in-depth interviews, (4) literature study and documentation analysis.The results of the study show that the representation of cultural values of the pemali of the Dayak Ngaju Community in relation to nature includes: (1) the prohibition of not asking for permission when going to farming; (2) prohibition to kill animals carelessly while hunting; (3) prohibition of burning forest carelessly; (4) mapas lewu 'cleaning the village'; (5) manyanggar (‘someone should excuse me from the forest rangers’ otherwise it can cause danger and take victims); (6) prohibition of making images (statues) of animals carelessly in a forest inhabited by supernatural beings. The representations of cultural values of the pemali of the Dayak Ngaju Community concerning the human interactions, including: (1) prohibitions against marrying in the wrong lineage or the same lineage; (2) prohibition to take or interfere with the rights of others; (3) prohibition of entering another's house without permission; (4) prohibition to pick up the fallen fruit without the owner's consent; and (5) prohibition to swear/curse children carelessly.The representations of cultural values of the pemali of the Dayak Ngaju Community to the spiritual performance, including (1) the obligation to provide food to village guards (Pakanan Patahu); (2) the duty to always remember the Almighty while earning a living; (3) prohibition to laugh at broomstick; (4) prohibition of picking sawang leaves in front of the sangar patahu. Key words: value, representation, multiplier, dayak ngajuAbstrak Nilai Budaya Pali Dayak Ngaju. Tujuan Penelitian ini adalah (1) mendeskripsikan representasi nilai budaya pemali masyarakat Dayak Ngaju terhadap alam. (2) Mendeskripsikan representasi nilai budaya pemali masyarakat Dayak Ngaju terhadap interaksi sesama manusia. (3) Mendeskripsikan representasi nilai budaya pemali masyarakat Dayak Ngaju terhadap kemampuan spritual.Metode atau teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan: (1) teknik perekaman, baik audio maupun audiovisual, (2) pencatatan, (3) wawancara yang mendalam, (4) studi kepustakaan dan analisis dokumentasi.Hasil penelitian menunjukan representasi nilai budaya pemali masyarakat Dayak Ngaju yang berhubungan dengan alam meliputi: (1) larangan tidak permisi jika hendak berladang; (2) tidak boleh membunuh binatang sembarangan saat berburu; (3) tidak boleh membakar hutan sembarangan; (4) mapas lewu ‘membersihkan Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra dan Pembelajarannya Vol 11, No 2, Oktober 2021 ISSN 2089-0117 (Print) Page 286 - 300 ISSN 2580-5932 (Online) Sugara,/ Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra dan Pembelajarannya 11 (2) 2021, 286 - 300 Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra dan Pembelajarannya ǀ 287 kampung’; (5) manyanggar ‘harus permisi dengan penjaga-penjaga hutan’ kalau tidak dapat menimbulkan bahaya dan memakan korban; (6) jangan membuat gambar (patung) hewan sembarangan di dalam hutan yang ada penunggunya.Representasi nilai budaya pemali Dayak Ngaju yang berhubungan dengan interaksi sesama manusia meliputi: (1) Tidak boleh menikah salah silsilah atau dalam satu garis keturunan yang sama; (2) tidak boleh mengambil atau mengganggu hak orang lain; (3) tidak boleh masuk rumah orang lain tanpa permisi; (4) tidak boleh mangambil buah yang jatuh tanpa izin pemiliknya; dan (5) tidak boleh menyumpahi/mengutuk anak sembarangan.Representasi nilai budaya pemali Dayak Ngaju yang berhubungan dengan kemampuan spritual adalah (1) tidak boleh tidak memberi makanan untuk penjaga kampung (Pakanan Patahu); (2) tidak boleh lupa dengan Sang Maha Kuasa saat mencari nafkah; (3) tidak boleh menertawakan sapundu; (4) tidak boleh memetik daun sawang di depan sangar patahu. Kata-kata kunci: nilai, representasi, pali, dayak ngaju

Weed Management and Economic Analysis of a Robotic Lawnmower: A Case Study in a Japanese Pear Orchard

The use of robots is increasing in agriculture, but there is a lack of suitable robotic technology for weed management in orchards. A robotic lawnmower (RLM) was installed, and its performance was studied between 2017 and 2019 in a pear orchard (1318 m2) at Ibaraki University, Ami. We found that the RLM could control the weeds in an orchard throughout a year at a minimum height (average weed height, WH: 44 ± 15 mm, ± standard deviation (SD) and dry weed biomass, DWB: 103 ± 25 g m−2). However, the RLM experiences vibration problems while running over small pears (33 ± 8 mm dia.) during fruit thinning periods, which can stop blade mobility. During pear harvesting, fallen fruits (80 ± 12 mm dia.) strike the blade and become stuck within the chassis of the RLM; consequently, the machine stops frequently. We estimated the working performance of a riding mower (RM), brush cutter (BC), and a walking mower (WM) in a pear orchard and compared the mowing cost (annual ownership, repair and maintenance, energy, oil, and labor) with the RLM. The study reveals that the RLM performs better than other conventional mowers in a small orchard (0.33 ha). For a medium (0.66 ha) and larger (1 ha) orchard, the RLM is not more cost-effective than RM and WM. However, the existing RLM performed weed control well and showed promise for profitability in our research field. We believe that, if field challenges like fallen fruit and tree striking problems can be properly addressed, the RLM could be successfully used in many small orchards.

Potential impact of mammal defaunation on the early regeneration of a large-seeded palm in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Defaunation, the decline in animal species and populations, is biased towards large-bodied animals that have unique roles as dispersers of large seeds. However, it is speculated that these roles may still be performed by smaller animals, such as small mammals like rodents and marsupials, that thrive in defaunated sites. We investigated if small mammals can disperse the large-seeded palm Attalea dubia. We performed the study in a well-conserved Atlantic Forest remnant in southeast Brazil that still harbours large mammals, such as tapirs. Focal observations showed that capuchin-monkeys consumed the mesocarp of the fruits and dropped the seeds beneath the plant crown thereafter. Mammals preyed on ca. 1% and removed ca. 15% of the fallen fruit/seed and deposited them up to 15 m away. Amongst them, small mammals (< 1 kg), such as the squirrel Guerlinguetus brasiliensis and non-identified nocturnal Sigmodontinae, as well as the marsupial Philander frenatus performed the bulk of interactions. Dispersal enhances recruitment, but the short distances of seed removal did not match the current spatial distribution of palm seedlings and juveniles. Recaching rates of hoarded seeds were small (2%) and unlikely to increase distances of seed dispersal achieved. Short distances of dispersal would increase plant clumpiness and negative density-dependent effects with time. Although small mammals can provide legitimate dispersal, they cannot fully replace larger frugivorous mammals and maintain long-distance seed dispersal that feeds plant metapopulation dynamics and seed gene flow.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of mangaba

The present study aimed to assess the behavior of bioactive compounds and total antioxidant activity of two mangaba varieties (H. speciosa var. gardneri and H. speciosa var. cuyabensis) during storage, in two ripening stages. The fruit were harvested from the Germplasm bank of the School of Agronomy, at two ripening stages: “mature green” (mature fruit picked from the tree) and “fallen” (ripe fruit collected from the ground). After collection, they were transported to the laboratory, washed under running water, immersed in chlorine solution at 100 mg L-1 for 10 minutes, left to dry and stored under ambient conditions (22±1ºC and 90±5% RH). The fruit were analyzed to determine ascorbic acid content, total extractable polyphenols, yellow flavonoids and antioxidant activity using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid). Analyses were performed daily until the mangaba were unfit for sale, using 3 repetitions with 3 fruit each. The maximum conservation time was eight days for “mature green” and two days for “fallen" fruit. The cuyabensis variety exhibited greatest ascorbic acid content at both ripening stages, in addition to higher antioxidant activity, and was therefore found to have the best potential to be marketed as a “superfruit”.

Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?

Background The main aim of the study was to analyse the influence of fleshy fruits (plums) on the post-metamorphic growth and feeding behaviour of the green toad Bufotes viridis. We tested the following two hypotheses: (1) juveniles of the green toad are characterised by faster growth in conditions involving fallen plums Prunus cerasifera due to the associated presence of more varied food such as invertebrates; (2) green toads exhibit more active feeding behaviour in the presence of fleshy fruits. Methods A total of 120 fresh metamorphs of the green toad were randomly assigned to one of four groups: two experimental groups with fleshy plums and two other groups as controls (without fruits). Each group was kept in an enclosure to which wild invertebrates had free access. Each individual toad was measured for snout-vent length (mm) and body mass (g) every other day for 30 days. In order to determine whether fallen plums influence the feeding behaviour of toads, the number of active and hidden (under an artificial shelter) individuals was also noted. Results The results showed that green toads from both enclosures with plums were characterised by more rapid growth than individuals from the control treatments. Simultaneously, in the enclosure with fleshy fruits, greater species richness of wild invertebrates was observed. No differences in active feeding behaviour were noted between control groups and groups with plums. Discussion Fleshy fruits, upon falling, attract many types of invertebrates; thus they may represent good dietary supplements for fresh amphibian metamorphs. Therefore, the presence of fruit trees close to a breeding site might influences the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians, but not their feeding behaviour. The presence of insects associated with fallen fruit seems to favour the occurrence of amphibian populations, which is particularly important, since, due to political and social pressure, numbers of fruit trees are currently being reduced. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the potential influence of the presence of fruit trees on the growth and behaviour of anurans.