Yield and economic evaluation of wild almond seeds in Karebass site, Cheharmahal & Bakhtiari, Iran

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

2 Assistant Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

3 Ph.D. Student, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

4 Assistant Prof., Research Division of Natural Resources, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, AREEO, Shahrekord, Iran

Abstract

Wild almond (Amygdalus arabica Olivier) is one of the main forest trees with high non-wood values in Zagros Mountains of Iran. The study carried out in Karebass area, Cheharmahal & Bakhtiari province and measured seed production capacity in wild almond across eight crown diameter classes (0.5 to 4 m) at individual level. Five trees were chosen in each crown diameter class randomly at different geographical aspects (mainly north and southwards). All major tree dimensions including cross crown diameters, height, sprouts numbers, diameter of thickest sprout at soil lever as well as the total amount of produced seeds were measured in situ and/or ex situ. The values were checked for normal distribution, and analysis of variance of growth characteristics, seed size and total yield were carried out across different crown classes and geographical aspects. Moreover, the significance of differences was assessed separately using a Duncan multiple range test. The results showed that the diameter of thickest sprouts, shrub height, and total seed yield were highly regulated (99% confidence interval) by crown diameter classes. Potential yearly seed yield in the study site was assessed to be 12.4 tons. The fruit and seed yields have been speculated as the main source of income for local inhabitants.

Keywords


- Alvani-Nejad, S., 1999. Survey factors affecting the distribution of peanuts in two different regions of the province. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, 144p (In Persian).
- Jazirehi, M.H. and Ebrahimei Rostaghi, M., 2003. Silviculture in Zagros. University of Tehran Press, 560p (In Persian).
- Ghanbari, S., Zobeiri, M., Heshmatol-Vaezin, S.M. and Shamekhi, T., 2011. Estimation of fruit production of Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) and Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) in Arasbaran forests. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 18(4): 609- 620 (In Persian).
- Hamzeh-Pour, M., Bordbar, S.K., Joukar, L. and Abbasi, A.R., 2005. The potential of rehabilitation of wild pistachio forests through straight seed sowing and seedling planting. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 14(3): 207-220 (In Persian).
- Hossein-Zadeh, J. and Tahmasebi, M., 1995. Economic and social value of forests mastic (Ilam). Proceedings of First National Seminar on Mastic. Published by Ilam Livestock and Natural Resources Research Center, 116p (In Persian).
- Iranmanesh, Y. and Jahanbazi Goujani H., 2006. Comparison of wild almond plantation on north and south aspects of degraded forest in Zagros region of Iran. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 14(3): 19-31 (In Persian).
- Jahanbazi Goujani, H., Hosseini Nasr S.M., Sagheb Talebi, K. and Hojati, S.M., 2014. Tolerance comparison of four wild almonds to salinity in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Journal of Natural Environment, 67(3): 267-278 (In Persian).
- Jahanbazi Goujani, H., Iranmanesh, Y. and Talebi, M., 2006a. Seed production potential of pistachio forests of Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari province and its economical effects on dwellers welfare. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 14(2): 159-167 (In Persian).
- Jahanbazi Goujani, H., Jalili, A. and Talebi, M., 2006b. Evaluation of forest ecosystems in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari province. Final Report of Research Project, Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, 77p (In Persian).
- Kester, D.E. and Gradziel 1996. Almonds, In: Janick, J. and Moore, J.N. (Eds.), Fruit Breeding, Vol III. Nuts, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1-97
- Klemmedson, J.O. and Wienhold, B.J., 1992. Aspect and species influcnces on nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation in Arizona chaparral soil plant syslems. Arid Soil Research and Rehabilitation, 6: 105-116.
- Madam, B., Rahemi, M., Mousavi, A. and Martinez-Gmez, P., 2011. Evaluation of the behavior of native Iranian almond species as rootstocks. International Journal of Nuts and Related Sciences, 2(3): 29-34.
- Mozaffarian, V., 2003. Trees and Shrubs of Iran. Publications of Farhang-e-Moaser, 743p (In Persian).
- Osem, Y., Sternbberg, M., Perevolotsky, A. and Kige, J., l999. Species omposition and abundance ofannual plants in the seed bank and in the vegetationin a semiarid region in the northern Negev asaffected by sheep grazing. Ecology and Environment, 5: 180-189.
- Sabeti, H., 1994. Forest Trees and Shrubs of Iran.  Published by Yazd University, 2th edition, 876p (In Persian).
- Safari, K. 2013. Seed germination and seedling growth of four wild almond species (Amygdalus houssknechtii Born, A. elaegnifolia Spach, A. scoparia Spach, A. arabica Oliv). M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Science, Shahrekord University, 62p (In Persian).
- Salarian, A., Mataji, A. and Iranmanesh, Y., 2008. Investigation on site demand of Almond (Amygdalus scoparia Spach.) in Zagros forests (Case study: Karebas site of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Researches, 16(4): 542-528 (In Persian).
- Wilson, S.D. and Tilman, D., 1993. Plant competitionand resource availability in response to disturbance and fertilization. Ecology, 74: 599-611.