Pinus nigra and Robinia pseudoacacia are exotic trees used for afforestation in Hungary. Pinus nigrawas non-invasive, however R. pseudoacacia escaped from cultivation and invaded several vegetation types including pine plantations. It has recently been planned to cut P. nigra plantations and replace them by native tree stands, especially in nature reserves. The scattered presence of R. pseudoac...

Important roles for biotic agents in integrated weed management include preventing seed production and weed emergence from the seed bank. Seed-attacking microorganisms have been described for a limited number of economically important weeds and serve as examples illustrating the potential for reducing weed seed production. Innundative releases of seed-feeding insects have also successfully redu...

Defining sustainable agricultural practices requires an understanding of both aboveand below-ground consequences to management strategies. While alternatives to biocides are sought for the control of weeds, insects and pathogens, biocide use will continue with the goal of reducing quantities used in an integrated approach. The impact of three fungicides on plant growth, seed yield, seed nutrien...

Population genetics models typically consider a fixed population size and a unique selection coefficient. However, population dynamics inherently generate noise in numbers of individuals and selection acts on various components of the individuals’ fitness. In plant species with seed banks, the size of both the aboveand below-ground compartments present noise depending on seed production and the...

Smallholder farmers around the world obtain their seed from various sources, which can vary over time. In some countries, smallholder are gaining ground as local producers and sellers. This study focuses on production marketing operations, achievements, challenges of a particular type such producers—community banks—which new players in market. Pioneer case studies presented countries where grai...

Nepeta species are widely used as medicine plants because of their anti-spasmodic, diuretic, anti-septic, anti asthmatic anti spasmodic, and tonic effects. Nepeta species also have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activities. Germination and seedling growth are two important stages of the plant development and plant survival. Soil texture is one of the environmental...

Rapid deforestation has fragmented habitat across the landscape of Madagascar. To determine the effect of fragmentation on seed banks and the potential for forest regeneration, we sampled seed viability, density and diversity in 40 plots of 1 m in three habitat types: forest fragments, the near edge of continuous forest, and deforested savanna in a highly fragmented dry deciduous forest landsca...

Seed germination in Ludwigia was greatly influenced by seed age and soil type. In Ludwigia abyssinica germination was not influenced by seed age and soil texture. Freshly shed seeds and six month old seeds of Ludwigia decurrens variety B showed a very low percentage germination on all the germination media, and six month old seeds germinated significantly earlier than freshly shed seeds. Some s...

1 We examined how seed size and seedling growth rate influence recruitment success of neotropical pioneer species. We investigated the soil seed bank, and followed seedlings from emergence and establishment to the sapling stage in artificially created gaps in secondary forest on the Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Panamá. 2 To simulate microsite variation within gaps, litter addition/removal an...

Predicting the population dynamics of annual plants is a challenge due to their hidden seed banks in the field. However, such predictions are highly valuable for determining management strategies, specifically in agricultural landscapes. In agroecosystems, most weed seeds survive during unfavourable seasons and persist for several years in the seed bank. This causes difficulties in making accur...