Optimisation of productivity costs and ecological benefits of shade cocoa farming uncovered

Coffee bean borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) is the primary pest of coffee plants that can cause damage and decrease the quantity and quality of production up to 20 -30%. The aim of the study was to determine the diversity of attacks of robusta coffee powder pests on four types of shade plants....

Intercropping and agroforestry systems provide sustainable land and resource use efficiency, however, shading conditions generated by the base crop or tree cover is a restricting factor on the growth of the intercrop and productivity of the system. Hence, a two-year field experiment was carried out ...

Purpose: Syzygium zeylanicum (L.) DC. grows naturally in some of the Asian countries including Sri Lanka. In the Belihuloya region the S. zeylanicum trees are naturally grown with specific characteristics than the rest of the country and in other countries. It is scientifically identified as a...

Green roofs help ameliorate some of the adverse social, economic and environmental effects of urbanisation. However, green roofs are harsh environments for plants, as they must cope with shallow soils, low nutrient availability, high solar radiation, low water availability and high...

Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) are an important mechanism of species coexistence in forest communities. However, evidence remains limited for how light availability regulates PSFs in species with different shade tolerance via changes in plant-microbial interactions. Here we tested in a glasshouse...

Flood events in riparian forests of southern Brazil, can be characterized as unpredictable and of low magnitude with an average duration of less than 15 days. Inga marginata is an evergreen tree which grows in Southeast South America on a wide range of environments, including riparian forests. In...

Araucaria angustifolia is an ecologically and commercially important species of the Atlantic Forest. However, its ability to regenerate continuously under the shade of the canopy in the rainforest is uncertain. The aims were: to evaluate the morpho-physiological responses of araucaria to different...

This study aimed to analyze the structure and density of non-glandular trichomes and the area of cocoa leaves, and the differences of xylem vessel structures on various shade tree composition. The leaf area and length, and trichomes were observed. The xylem vessel structure was observed from the...

The subtropical riverine forests present a variation in soil water availability throughout the year, following precipitation seasonality. The objective of this work was to evaluate the responses of Cordia americana to different light intensities combined with soil flooding. Seedlings were...