Consider in R2 the standard lattice L = Z×Z and the origin (0,0). A point (m,n) ∈ L−{(0,0)} is said to be visible if the segment connecting the origin and (m,n) does not contain any other lattice points. Visibility problems have been studied since a century. Perhaps the most celebrated problems are the visible version of Gauss circle problem and the so-called orchard problem (see other problems...

The effects of supplemental mass pollination (SMP) were studied in two Pinus sylvestris seed orchards differing in pollen production. Pollen was dusted over the whole tree during the period of peak female receptivity using a pressurized backpack sprayer. The success of SMP was assessed by means of allozyme markers. In the orchard with high pollen production, detectable differences in SMP succes...

Input requirements in an orchard vary in space and time due to the variability of climate, soil and plant growth. Measurements were carried out in Prunus domestica (plum) orchard in the Werder fruit production area in Brandenburg, Germany. Soil zones in the orchard were identified by means of electrical conductivity. Plant data were captured on the tree and organ level: laser-scanner hits show ...

In recent years, both airborne and terrestrial laser scanning developed to a standard technique for acquiring information on terrestrial landscapes. Here forest inventory and orchard management is considered. Inventory and parameterization of individual trees in orchards and forests are of large interest in nowadays society because of the potential of economical maximization of orchard producti...

Orchard workers in north China are highly exposed to orchard pollens, especially peach and other Rosaceae family pollens during pollination season. The aim of this study was to investigate whether occupational allergy to peach tree pollen as a member of Rosaceae family is IgE-mediated and to evaluate the cross-reactivity among Rosaceae family pollens. Allergen skin test and conjunctival challen...

Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot threatened by habitat loss, which is detrimental to the future survival of forest-dwelling herpetofauna. For conservation purposes, it is essential to determine how species respond to different types of anthropogenic habitat alteration. We conducted standardized field surveys (a variation of visual encounter survey) to assess species richness, abundance and ...

Carotenoids produce the brilliant red, orange, and yellow colors of many animals. However, melanin pigments can also confer some of these same hues. Because carotenoid and melanin colors are produced in different ways and may serve different signaling functions, either within or between species, it is important to establish whether one or both types of pigment are responsible for coloration. We...

Information gathering and processing in horticulture helps optimise control processes and can enable more precise farm management. Robotics and automation are helping make high resolution, timely, farm wide measurements for tasks such as yield estimation, crop health and soil analysis. An efficient means of storing and processing such information is to discretise it to individual trees. To auto...

The blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria (Say), is a solitary bee that is an excellent pollinator of tree fruit orchards. Due to the annual rising costs of honey bee hive rentals, many orchardists are eager to develop management tools and practices to support O. lignaria as an alternative pollinator. Establishing O. lignaria pollination as a sustainable industry requires careful consideration of bo...