In this study, the performance of a selected microbial consortium (Scutellospora calospora + Azotobacter chroococcum + Bacillus coagulans + Trichoderma harzianum) on Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. was evaluated through large-scale nursery trials at three locations in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India. At each location, 500 inoculated and 500 uninoculated seedlings were cultivated. The increase in plant dry biomass of inoculated plants was 31% (mean of three locations) compared with uninoculated plants. The seedlings inoculated with microbial consortium under large-scale nursery trials were planted in wasteland at three locations, and their growth was monitored for nearly 6 years. At the end of the study, field growth of inoculated trees, measured as the biovolume index, was 52% higher than that of uninoculated trees. This study shows that the selected microbial consortium enhances nursery quality and midterm field growth of Acacia auriculiformis plantations on dry wasteland.
Functional structural botanical tree models are one of the most difficult models in biology. We introduce IMapple, a model for 'Golden Delicious' apple (Malus × domestica) trees based on source-sink descriptions of plant resources. Our model uses precise geometrical representations with high quality polygonal meshes and geometric details. We introduce a novel simulation algorithm that provides detailed information about leaf irradiance by simulating direct illumination and self-shadowing. This provides information about incoming light and energy that is distributed by a sourcesink mathematical model. Our model aims to be parametric, highly interactive, and usable. Information about the qualitative and quantitative relationships of different parts of the model is provided interactively via a simple graphical user interface or directly from measured data. The simulation runs in 3D, at interactive framerates, and allows for fast experimentation and visual evaluation.
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