Pruning and Sunlight Boost Kayu Ules Fruit Yield in South Central Timor

Image: article cover, from Dani and Siswadi (2020), Jurnal Wasian, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

A research team from the Kupang and Banjarbaru Forestry and Environmental Research and Development Centres studied the fruit productivity of kayu ules (Helicteres isora) in its natural habitat in South Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. This shrub, with 5 to 15 main stems, is known as a raw material for traditional herbal medicine, yet information on its fruit yield in open and shaded areas remains scarce. The findings were published in the Journal Wasian in 2020.

The study found that plants growing in open spaces had better fruit characteristics than those growing under tree shade. Fruit in open areas measured 46.94 cm in length with a diameter of 6.41 mm, a post-harvest fruit weight of 0.94 g, and an oven-dry weight of 0.89 g. Meanwhile, fruit under shade measured 44.16 mm in length, 5.73 mm in diameter, 0.87 g post-harvest weight, and 0.81 g oven-dry weight. The moisture content of fruit in open areas was also lower, at 5.57 per cent, compared with 6.95 per cent under shade. Pruning technique significantly affected the number of shoots and fruit, and there was an interaction between treatments on fruit number.

For forest-edge communities in South Central Timor, these findings offer simple guidance: opening the canopy and pruning plants can help increase kayu ules fruit yields. Longer and heavier fruit means more raw material for herbal medicine, so the potential of this plant as a source of livelihood for local people can be further developed.

Source and how to cite

This story is based on the research article The Effect of Tree Shade and Pruning Techniques on Screw Tree (Helicteres isora Linn.) Fruit Productivity in the Natural Habitat by Dani Pamungkas Dani and Siswadi Siswadi Siswadi, published in Jurnal Wasian Vol. 7 No. 2 (2020). The full article is free to read on the Jurnal Wasian website.

Cite the original article (APA 7):

Dani, D. P., & Siswadi, S. S. (2020). The Effect of Tree Shade and Pruning Techniques on Screw Tree (Helicteres isora Linn.) Fruit Productivity in the Natural Habitat. Jurnal Wasian, 7(2), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.62142/f0gzy134

If you use these findings in coursework, a thesis or other writing, cite the original article above, not this news story. The original article is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.