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Our study on maturity indices of Aesculus indica Colebr. seeds was conducted under temperate Kashmir conditions in 2006. Seed collection was started from 15 July and continued until the maturation of seeds in December. The seeds were harvested fortnightly from identified trees and on each collection date maturity indices, viz. seed color, seed weight, moisture content, seed dimension, specific gravity and germination percentage were recorded. The study revealed that at the time of maturity (Nov.-Dec.) the seed color was a shiny chocolate brown, with a moisture content of 58.37% and a specific gravity of 0.82. Germination was maximum (80%) at its maturity with a maximum seed weight of 52.03 g per seed. We recommend that the seeds should be collected before their natural disposal.

In Norway, 84% of the productive forest is privately owned, and these forests dominate the supply of timber to industries. However, during last 80 years, annual forest growth has seen a substantial upsurge while annual timber harvest has been rather stable, generating an increasing potential for timber supply. In this study, we provide new insights to better understand Norwegian non-industrial private forest owners’ timber harvesting decisions. This was achieved by comparing the outcomes of two different statistical approaches (i.e., a combination of probit-linear models with a tobit model). These approaches are commonly applied in timber supply studies, but to the best of our knowledge have never been compared on the same dataset. The survey utilized for this study constitutes a population of Active and Inactive forest owners, based on whether the owner had harvested timber for sale during the last fifteen years. Two gross samples of 1500 and 1650 were drawn, with response rates of 56% and 49% for the Active and Inactive owner samples, respectively. The study results reveal that the average holding size varied from 25.2 ha for Inactive to 49.5 ha for both samples and 73.8 ha for Active owners. The probit model analysis indicated that knowledge of forest fund and financial objectives had the most significant impact on the willingness to harvest, with marginal effects of 11% and 12%, respectively. In the linear regression, being a male owner increased the historical timber supply by 1.48 m3 ha−1 year−1 compared to female ownership. In the second regression pathway (tobit model), the two variables male forest owner and owning forests for financial objectives triggered the supply of timber by 1.85 m3 ha−1 year−1 and 1.25 m3 ha−1 year−1, respectively. Timber prices were significant in the linear model (elasticity 1.18) and tobit model (elasticity 0.66), whereas they were non-significant in the probit model. Our study concludes that Active owners had a better understanding of acknowledging forests for economic security. Policy-makers and extension services should recognize that the Inactive forest owner group may require different actions than Active owners.

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Modern nursery methods of seedling production in different sized root trainers, were compared by raising seedlings of Pinus wallichiana involving costs incurred and benefits received. In order to provide a common basis for the comparisons, the study involved the raising of 1000 seedlings annually on a continuous basis for seven years. A relative economic analysis of raising P. wallichiana seedlings in 300, 150 and 100 cm 3 root trainers was carried out and we estimated that the root trainers of 300 cm 3 capacity recorded the highest total input cost of Rs. 35571 and Rs. 40018 for 1000 seedlings produced annually at discount rates of 12% and 6%. Seedlings raised in 100 cm 3 root trainers recorded the lowest total input cost of Rs. 23390 and Rs. 27737 per 1000 seedlings annually at discount rates of 12% and 6%. Hence, returns per rupee invested in raising seedlings in the 100 cm 3 root trainers accounted for the maximum benefit-cost ratio (i.e., 1.56 and 1.61) at discount rates of 12% and 6%. Thus seedlings raised in 100 cm 3 and 150 cm 3 root trainers were found to be most cost effective when compared with seedlings grown in 300 cm 3 root trainers. The results can be attributed to the larger number of cells per tray (higher growth density) in the 100 and 150 cm 3 root trainers, compared to the number of seedlings in the 300 cm 3 root trainers.