International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture

International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 13 (3), pp. 001-011, March, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Woody Species for Urban Forestry in Lomé: A Case Study

Radji Raoufou*, Kokou Kouami and Akpagana Koffi

Laboratory of Plant Biology and Ecology, BP 1515 Lomé - Togo.

Accepted 23 November, 2024

Many studies have been conducted on the flora of Togo. However, none of them is devoted to the ornamental flora horticulture. This survey aims to establish an inventory of the woody plant species in urban forests of Lomé, the capital town of Togo. It covers the trees planted along the avenues, in the gardens, courtyards, shady trees and trees used as fences for houses or trees at the seaside. In total, 297 plant species belong to 141 genera and 48 families were recorded. They are dominated by 79% of dicotyledonous, 13% of monocotyledonous and 8% of gymnosperms. Families that are best represented in terms of species are those of the Euphorbiaceae, Arecaceae and Acanthaceae. Alien species represent 69% and African species represent 31% out of which 6% are from Togo. According to the current threatening of the natural habitat by human activities, African native plant species could be more useful for ornamental purposes than exotic plants.

Key words: Ornamental horticulture, plant flora, green areas, valorisation, native flora.
 

International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-006, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluating Pollen Isolation Methods and Their Role in Eucalyptus Inter-Species Hybridization 

Girijashankar V

ITC R&D Centre, Shameerpet, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Corresponding author. E-mail:  [email protected]

Accepted 4 November, 2024

The ultimate test for utility of a pollen sample is the seed yield following control pollination (CP). In the present study, two different methods of eucalyptus pollen isolation (PI) namely: wet-lyophylisation (WL) and conventionally dry-sieving (DS) were followed. The pollen thus isolated was used to carry interspecific hybridization in order to evaluate and compared the efficiency the above two methods of PI in eucalyptus. Apart from testing the efficiency of the above two methods of PI, CP was carried to generate new combinations of alleles towards developing hybrid eucalyptus for commercial use. Wide-interspecific hybridization was performed between important eucalyptus species following a partial diallel mating design. Pollen from three paternal species namely E. globulus (5 trees), E. pellita (1 tree) and E. urophylla (1 tree) were used to CP three elite commercial clones of E. camaldulensis. Except in few occasions, the percent capsule set and number of seeds obtained per 10 capsule (≥30 seeds) with the PI through WL method was comparatively high and significantly different from conventional DS method (≤30 seeds) at P<0.01. The results of this experiment prove that the method of PI affects the outcome of wide-interspecific hybridisation in eucalyptus.

Key words: Wet-lyophylisation, pollen isolation, control pollination, interspecific hybridization, eucalyptus.

International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Variability of Minor Components in Olive Fruits: A Study of Cultivars in Tunisia's Unique Microclimate

Ouni Youssef1*, Flamini Guido2, Douja Daoud1 and Zarrouk Mokhtar1

1Laboratoire Caractérisation et Qualité de l’huile d’Olive, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cedria, B. P. 901, 2050
Hammam-Lif, Tunisia.
2Dipartimento di Chimica Bioorganicae Biofarmacia, via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy.

Accepted 25 October, 2024

This paper evaluates the usefulness of three chemical parameters (composition of volatiles compounds, total phenols and fatty acids) as a tool to discriminate the olive oils obtained from three varieties (Oueslati, Chemlali and Chetoui). These varieties are included among the cultivars permitted by the disciplinary for the production of the ‘‘Kairouan olive oil’’, a Tunisian protected designation of origin (PDO) product. The olives were collected during the year crop 2009/2010 from the same orchard (calcareous soil), in order to eliminate geographical and climatic influences. Analysis of the effect of cultivar on the different analytical values, revealed statistically significant differences in some parameters, mainly in free fatty acid and phenol contents and oxidative stability. Furthermore, most of the quality indices and fatty acid composition showed significant variations among olive varieties. Oueslati variety had the highest values of oleic acid, whereas Chetoui was noteworthy for its high content of phenolic compounds. The major volatile component was the C6 aldehyde fraction whose content varied greatly between the different varieties: the (E)-2-hexenal content ranged from 20.9% in the oil obtained from the Oueslati variety to 7.7% in the case of Chemlali one; the amount of hexanal ranged from 10.2% in Oueslati to 3.7% in Chetoui. These results suggest that the genetic factor (cultivar) influences the volatiles formation.

Key words: Cultivar, volatiles, quality indices, phenols.
 

International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-006, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Enhancing Germination and Seedling Development in African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa): Strategies to Overcome Dormancy

A. I. Okunlola*, R. A. Adebayo and A. D. Orimogunje

Department of Crop Soil and Pest Management, Federal University of Technology,
P. M. B. 704, Akure Ondo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 22 November, 2024

An experiment was conducted under a net house in the department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management of the Federal University of Technology Akure. This was to investigate the most effective pre-sowing treatments to break seed dormancy, to stimulate seed germination and to identify morphological traits for the assessment of Parkia biglobosa seedling vigour. Matured seeds of P. biglobosa were collected from farmers in Akoko in Southwest Nigeria, dried at room temperature and tested for viability by floatation. The seeds were then subjected to pre-treatment that includes: soaking in 100% sulphuric acid for one minute, mechanical scarification with sandpaper, soaking in boiling water for two minutes, soaking in cold water (at room temperature) for 24 h. At 12 weeks, the seedlings growth parameters were assessed: seedling height, leaf production, and diameter and branch production. Result obtained shows that all the treatments except soaking in boiling water improved seed germination and reduced Mean Germination Time (MGT). The mechanical scarification appeared to be the most effective method of pre-treatment having the highest germination percentage 91.7%. Plant height appeared to be the strongest morphological trait to identify vigorous seedlings of P. biglobosa. Higher value of plant heights, number of leaves, branches and stem girth were recorded on the seedlings treated with scarification while hot water treated seeds performed low. This study revealed that seeds mechanically scarified improved seed germination and seedling growth. It is therefore recommended that mechanical scarification of the seeds of P. biglobosa may be effective for breaking dormancy and improving the seedling vigour which can enhance the domestication and cultivation of these valuable seeds in the environment.

Key words: Parkia biglobosa, seed pre-treatment, mean germination time, seedling vigour index, scarification, morphological traits.
 

International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-007, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Exploring the Marketing Dynamics of Non-Timber Forest Products in Osun State, Nigeria

Aiyeloja, Adedapo Ayo1* and Ajewole, Opeyemi Isaac2

1Department of Forestry and Wildlife, University of Port Harcourt. Nigeria.
2Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, University Of Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.

Accepted 10 October, 2024

Research on markets and marketing of some non-timber forest products (NTFPs) was carried out in selected locations of Osun State. The NTFPs considered are chewing sticks such as Massularia acuminata and bush meat like Thryonomys swinderianus, representing both the flora and fauna aspects of NTFPs, respectively. Five Local Government Areas were randomly selected, namely; Odo-otin, Boripe, Iwo, Irewole and Atakunmosa for the research purpose. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered, 150 questionnaires for each of the NTFPs. Each NTFPs was further subdivided to production, marketing and usage or consumption with 50 questionnaires for each unit. It was gathered from the result that M. acuminata tops the list of the well favoured chewing sticks. Other types of chewing sticks that rank high include fagara ( Zanthophylum zanthoxonoides) and Ira (Rauwolfia vomitora). Bush meat is also cherished by people most especially in urban centres where it is regarded as a delicacy. Despite the preference of bush meat, the rate of consumption is still low relative to other animal protein sources. Apart from these two NTFPs, several others of economic, nutritional and medicinal importance exist. A list of some of them is made with their uses. NTFPs are grossly affected by seasonal changes and this in turns affect their availability and prices. In all, considering NTFPs in the light of economic gain alone will be parochial even though analysis for the marketing of the two NTFPs shows that they are viable business ventures. The values should extend beyond the economic gain to other values which are indispensable to the existence of man. A major but neglected aspect is the medicinal aspect of NTFPs.

Key words: Forest products, NTFP, marketing, Nigeria.
 

International Journal of Agroforestry and Silviculture ISSN: 2375-1096 Vol. 13 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Impact of Forest Landscape Degradation on Insect Pest Dynamics and Farmer Perceptions in Southern Cameroon

KEKEUNOU Sévilor1,2*, MESSI Jean2, WEISE Stephan 1, TINDO Maurice1

1International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Humid Forest Eco-regional Centre, Yaounde, Cameroon.
2Zoology laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon.

Accepted 16 October, 2024

Group surveys were conducted in five villages in each of the three resource-use zones of the humid forest zone of Southern Cameroon, to assess insect pests’ incidence and the variation due to forest landscape degradation in the agricultural production systems. 389 farmers were interviewed. The results show that: (1) In annual crop systems, insect pests in general rank together with vertebrate pests and diseases amongst the most important agronomic constraints. No differences were found between the intensification zones, except for weeds, which appeared to be a greater constraint in the slightly degraded area. Within the insect pest, the greatest damage to crops according to farmers originated from borers and scales, followed by variegated grasshopper. Only the termites showed a difference between zones - the problem being greatest in the high -degraded areas. (2) In the young perennial crop systems, all the categories of agronomic constraints were equally important. Within the insect pest, mirids were identified as the greatest constraint, followed by borers and caterpillars. There were more variations in the responses according to zones compared to annual crops. Termites and scales were relatively more important in the high-degraded area. In term of control strategy, we recommended an integrated pest management.

Key words: Farmers, pest, insect, annual crop, perennial crop, integrated pest management.