This chapter focuses on the fundamentals of pruning sweet cherry orchards. The fundamentals of training and pruning contemporary sweet cherry orchards usually incorporate plant materials or techniques that promote: early fruiting for a more rapid return on investment; optimization of light...

This chapter focuses on deterring host landing and establishment of plant pests by: (i) reflective mulch (silver plastic as a soil cover); (ii) reflective coating (spray plants with aluminium silicate clay mineral); (iii) combining methods (i) and (ii); and (iv) reflective cladding materials,...

The pre-nursery is a key part of the double-stage nursery and is the major difference between single- and double-stage nurseries. The activities involve the preparation of small planting bags, which are close-packed (no spacing). Thus, the area needed is minimal. Abnormal palms are easily observed...

Nursery screening of seedlings is currently the fastest and easiest method to screen the realistic biopesticide effectiveness. The nursery screening process takes about 6 months to 1 year. Certain critical parameters are required for efficient nursery screening, including: shading, Ganoderma rubber ...

Parameters critical in the nursery for successful screening include: the level of shade; the inoculation stage; and the inoculation process as well as the trial conditions. Similar to the process in the laboratory, each parameter in the nursery should be as standardized as possible. However,...

This chapter is separated into two parts, the first focusing on the truly tropical vegetable species, and the second on vegetable species introduced to the tropics from more temperate climates. The importance of breeding and, particularly, of good horticultural management and practice to produce...

Care of the body, through skin hygiene, evacuation and actions that regulate body temperature, is important for survival. The acts of body care such as scratching, shaking and licking are usually brief, but these acts are numerous and their total occurrences, per day, constitute a significant...

A model of shading and water balance in agroforestry systems is described. The model can be used to investigate the effects of tree root and canopy management on system productivity, trade-offs in productivity and enhancement of system efficiency by helping users to develop hedgerow intercropping...

This chapter focuses on the adaptation of crops to their habitat, and specifically to shade. It also examines adaptation parameters (leaf morphology and anatomy, chloroplast structure and characteristics, chlorophyll content and fluorescence, and net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance) that...

This article gives an overview on several aspects of intensive farming system for dairy cows. Focus is given on how heat stress affects production, health and reproduction in dairy cows and the measures that can be used to mitigate it. Topics discussed also include seasonal production patterns,...