Projects promoting bees in urban areas are initiated in cities around the world but evidence-based conservation concepts at a city-wide scale are scarce. We developed a holistic approach for ...assessment of bee and flowering plant diversity in a medium-sized city. In addition to standard mapping approaches in bee hotspots, we initiated citizen science projects for participative urban bee research to be able to collect comprehensive bee data across the entire city. We identified 22 hotspots of bee diversity, analyzed connectivity between those hotspots and evaluated the impact of flower patches planted in collaboration with the municipal gardens department as stepping stones for oligolectic bee species throughout the city. Participation by urban citizens in bee identification trainings was high (c. 630 persons) but their subsequent contribution through observation reports was relatively low (1,165 records by 140 observers). However, we identified a total of 139 bee taxa, seven of them only discovered by citizen scientists. Total species richness was higher in extensively managed orchards than in semi-natural and wasteland areas. Half of the stepping stone flower patches were occupied by the target oligolectic bee species in the year of planting. After 3 years, all but two species could be confirmed. We suggest a 5-step concept for bee management in cities: (1) identification of bee hotspots combined with standardized surveys, especially of rare species; (2) training of citizen scientists at two different levels for comprehensive surveys in all parts of the city: (a) half-day introductions to wild bee diversity, ecology and conservation in order to create more awareness and (b) 2-weeks workshops for in-depth training of a small number of dedicated citizen scientists; (3) extensive management of existing habitats and special conservation programs for very rare species; (4) creation of high-value habitats which take into account the varied resource needs of bees within flight ranges of only a few hundred meters; (5) creation of stepping stone habitats as floral and nesting resources, integrating educative and participative aspects.
To find out the effect of drip fertigation scheduling on fertilizer use efficiency, leaf nutrient status, yield and quality of 3-year-old ‘Shweta’ guava (
Psidium guajava
L.) under meadow orcharding, ...16 treatment combinations were tried. Treatments comprises with four irrigation (basin (I
0
), 50 % (I
1
), 75 % (I
2
) and 100 % (I
3
) irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation) and four fertigation levels basal dose (F
0
), 50 % (F
1
), 75 % (F
2
) and 100 % (F
3
) water soluble fertilizers. The experiments were laid out in factorial randomized block design. Seventy five percentage irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation through drip resulted in maximum yield with quality fruits, leaf nutrient status and fertilizer use efficiency with highest net return (Rs. 2,12,372.17). Use of 45, 20, 20 g NPK/plant/year produced fruit yield (29.81 t/ha), quality of fruits with maximum net return (Rs. 2,12,550.62). However, F
1
(30, 10, 10 g NPK/plant/year) exhibited highest fertilizer use efficiency (101.97 kg/ha). Interaction effect of irrigation and fertigation levels showed that 75 % irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation +75 % water soluble fertilizer produced maximum fruit yield (32.79 t/ha) with quality fruits and highest net returns (Rs. 2,44,073.07). However, maximum fertilizer use efficiency (103.23 kg/ha) was obtained in 75 % irrigation of irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation + 30, 10, 10 g NPK/plant/year water soluble fertilizer.
There was substantial variation in the timing of lateral long-shoot initiation in a Pinus radiata D. Don clone, associated with ramet size. Grafted meadow orchard ramets aged 2, 3, and 4 years from ...planting (with respective heights approximately 1, 2, and 4 m) were sampled on 19 February and 31 March. On 19 February, microscopic examination revealed that vegetative and female strobili primordia were differentiating on 4-year-old ramets, but 2-year-old tamers had not initiated any lateral long-shoot primordia. The 3-year-old ramets had vegetative and undifferentiated long-shoot primordia but no female strobili. On 31 March, buds on the 2-year-old ramets contained lateral long-shoot primordia in early stages of differentiation. At this time strobili primordia of the 2-year-old ramets were similar in size and state of bract formation to those of the 4-year-old ramets 6 weeks earlier. Application of GA sub(4/7) on 19 February stimulated only the 2-year-old ramets to form female strobili.
