CountShoots: Automatic Detection and Counting of Slash Pine New Shoots Using UAV Imagery.

The density of new shoots on pine trees is an important indicator of their growth and photosynthetic capacity. However, traditional methods to monitor new shoot density rely on manual and destructive measurements, which are labor-intensive and have led to fewer studies on new shoot density. Therefore, in this study, we present user-friendly software called CountShoots, which extracts new shoot density in an easy and convenient way using unmanned aerial vehicles based on the YOLOX and Slash Pine Shoot Counting Network (SPSC-net) models.

: An R Package and Tool for Extracting Tree Spectra from UAV-Based Remote Sensing.

The development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing has been increasingly applied in forestry for high-throughput and rapid acquisition of tree phenomics traits for various research areas. However, the detection of individual trees and the extraction of their spectral data remain a challenge, often requiring manual annotation. Although several software-based solutions have been developed, they are far from being widely adopted.

Enabling Breeding Selection for Biomass in Slash Pine Using UAV-Based Imaging.

Traditional methods used to monitor the aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) of slash pine () rely on on-ground measurements, which are time- and cost-consuming and suited only for small spatial scales. In this paper, we successfully applied unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) integrated with structure from motion (UAV-SfM) data to estimate the tree height, crown area (CA), AGB, and BGB of slash pine for in slash pine breeding plantations sites. The CA of each tree was segmented by using marker-controlled watershed segmentation with a treetop and a set of minimum three meters heights.

Non-destructive Measurements of Chlorophyll and Nitrogen Content Under Drought Stress Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

Drought is a climatic event that considerably impacts plant growth, reproduction and productivity. is a tree species with high economic, edible and medicinal value, and has drought resistance. Thus, the objective of this study was to dynamically monitor the physiological indicators of in real time to ensure the selection of drought-resistant varieties of .

Spectrometric Prediction of Nitrogen Content in Different Tissues of Slash Pine Trees.

The internal cycling of nitrogen (N) storage and consumption in trees is an important physiological mechanism associated with tree growth. Here, we examined the capability of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to quantify the concentration across tissue types (needle, trunk, branch, and root) without time and cost-consuming. The NIR spectral data of different tissues from slash pine trees were collected, and the concentration in each tissue was determined using standard analytical method in laboratory.

Resolving the invasion paradox: pervasive scale and study dependence in the native-alien species richness relationship.

The degree to which plant communities are vulnerable to invasion by alien species has often been assessed using the relationship between native and alien plant species richness (NAR). Variation in the direction and strength of the NAR tends to be negative for small plot sizes and study extents, but positive for large plots and extents. This invasion paradox has been attributed to different processes driving species richness at different spatial scales.

Intensified agriculture favors evolved resistance to biological control.

Increased regulation of chemical pesticides and rapid evolution of pesticide resistance have increased calls for sustainable pest management. Biological control offers sustainable pest suppression, partly because evolution of resistance to predators and parasitoids is prevented by several factors (e.g.

Apparent Acquired Resistance by a Weevil to Its Parasitoid Is Influenced by Host Plant.

Field parasitism rates of the Argentine stem weevil Listronotus bonariensis (Kuschel; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by Microctonus hyperodae Loan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are known to vary according to different host Lolium species that also differ in ploidy. To further investigate this, a laboratory study was conducted to examine parasitism rates on tetraploid Italian Lolium multiflorum, diploid Lolium perenne and diploid hybrid L. perenne ×L.