Aromatic stability of Syrah and Petit Verdot tropical wines from Brazil.

The production of fine wines in the Sub-middle of the São Francisco River Valley, Northeast of Brazil, is relatively recent, about twenty-five years ago. This region presents different characteristics, with a tropical semiarid climate, in a flat landscape. Presenting high annual average temperature, solar radiation and water in abundance for irrigation, it?s possible the scaling the grape harvests for winemaking throughout the year, allowing to obtain until two harvests per year. Several factors may affect the aromatic compounds in wines, such as viticulture practices, climatic conditions, cultivars and winemaking process. This study aimed to evaluate the aromatic stability of Syrah and Petit Verdot tropical wines elaborated in two different periods in the year. The grapes were harvested in the first and second semesters of 2009, in June and November. The wines were elaborated and then, they were bottled and analyzed in triplicate, thirty days and one year after bottling, by gas chromatography with ionization detector flame (GC-FID), to evaluate the profile and the stability of the aroma compounds. Principal component analysis was applied to discriminate between wine samples and to find the compounds responsible by the variability. The results showed that Syrah and Petit Verdot tropical wines presented different responses, for stability of higher alcohols, esters and carboxylic acids.

Molecular survey and genetic characterization of tick-borne pathogens in dogs in metropolitan Recife (north-eastern Brazil).

To identify DNA of the main tick-borne pathogens in dogs from Recife (Brazil), polymerase chain reactions were carried out on blood samples of dogs treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco from March 2007 to June 2008. The detection of DNA was performed using specific primers. Amplicons were analyzed through electrophoresis and sequencing. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the UPGMA method, revealing that the sequences were closely related to those of strains from other geographic regions. Among the 205 blood samples analyzed, 48.78% was positive for Anaplasma platys; 38.04% was positive for Ehrlichia canis; 7.31% was positive for Babesia canis vogeli; and 0.49% was positive for Hepatozoon canis and Mycoplasma haemocanis. Coinfection of two or three pathogens was found in 23.9% (49/205) of the dogs. The subspecies B. canis vogeli was identified. Infection by H. canis and M. haemocanis is reported for the first time in dogs in the state of Pernambuco (Brazil). The data indicate that the main tick-borne pathogens in dogs in this region are E. canis and/or A. platys, followed by B. canis vogeli.

Phytosociology of the remaining xerophytic woodland associated to an environmental gradient at the banks of the São Francisco river - Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil1

Floristic and phytosociological surveys were carried out for 12 months in the Embrapa-SPSB, Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. A transect was laid on starting at the river bank extending for 790 m away from the river and divided into 140 10 × 10 m contiguous plots. In each plot, all standing plants, alive or dead, with stem diameter at soil level ? 3 cm and total height ? 1 m were sampled. Along this transect, an elevation range of 9.40 m was registered and five topographical environments were identified: riverside (MR), dike (D), floodable depression (DI), boundary terrace (TL) - all of them belonging to the fluvial terrace with Fluvic Neosol and Haplic Cambisol both silty textured eutrophic soils - and the inlander tableland (TS), with medium sandy-textured Red-Yellow Argisols. Fourty-eight species/morphospecies, distributed into 39 genera and 21 families, were identified. Four phytogeoenvironments (MR, D + TL, DI + TL, and TS) were registered based on environmental variations and floristic similarities among plots using cluster analyses. The MR environment showed the largest total density, total basal area, maximum and medium heights and maximum diameter. Moreover, it had 8.1% of plants with heights above 8 m against 0.6% for D + TL, 0.2% for DI + TL, and 0% for TS. The species with the largest importance value were Inga vera subsp. affinis (DC.) T.D. Pennington in MR, Mimosa bimucronata Kunth in D + TL and DI + TL and M. tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. in TS.

Nitrate and potassium concentration in fertigated soil cultivated with wine vines.

In the semiarid region of Brazil the use of irrigation systems for applying fertilizers in horticulture is the primary means for incorporating nutrients in the soil. However, this technique still requires its use in wine vines to be assessed. In view of this, this study aimed to assess nitrate and potassium concentrations in soil fertigated with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers in 3 wine grape growing cycles. A field experiment was conducted with ?Syrah? wine grapes, in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil; it assessed five nitrogen doses (0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 kg ha-1) and five K2O doses (0, 15, 30, 60 and 120 kg ha-1) applied by drip irrigation system with two emitters per plant, with a flow rate of 4 L h-1. The experimental design used was the factorial split-plot, making up 13 combinations arranged in 4 randomized blocks. Soil solution samples were collected weekly with the aid of porous cup extractors for all treatments and at depths of 0.4 and 0.6 m by determining nitrate and potassium concentrations and electrical conductivity. Increased levels of both nutrients in the irrigation water increased the availability of nitrate and potassium in the soil solution. The highest nitrate and potassium concentrations were found in the second growing cycle at both depths studied.

Produção e distribuição da biomassa de Jatropha curcas no Semiárido Brasileiro.

RESUMO: Com o objetivo de avaliar a produção e distribuição da biomassa da parte aérea de diferentes genótipos de pinhão-manso no semiárido brasileiro, foi implantado um experimento na Fazenda Gabriela, localizada no município de Santa Maria da Boa Vista, Pernambuco. O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos casualizados, com dez tratamentos (genótipos de pinhão-manso) e três repetições, em parcelas lineares de seis plantas, com bordadura simples e espaçamento de 3,0 x 2,0 m. Foram aplicadas uma adubação correspondente a 150 g de NPK (06:24:12) por cova no plantio e duas adubações de cobertura com 150 g.planta-1 de NPK (10:10:10) aos seis e aos doze meses de idade. As plantas foram irrigadas semanalmente por gotejamento com uma aplicação média de 20 litros de água por planta durante o período de estiagem da região. Aos 24 meses de idade, foi medida a altura total das plantas, o diâmetro médio das bifurcações a 1,30 m da superfície do solo e o número de bifurcações a 0,5 m de altura. Foram feitas 26 colheitas semanais de frutos/sementes. Os frutos foram colhidos maduros, antes de sua queda ao chão, durante sete meses. Os genótipos apresentaram elevada uniformidade agronômica, exceto para a variável número de bifurcações, onde o genótipo 1701 foi superior aos genótipos 1501, 1602, 1703 e 1601. A produção de biomassa dos genótipos em condições irrigadas no semiárido é elevada e a distribuição da biomassa dos genótipos nos diferentes componentes seguiu a ordem decrescente: raiz>frutos>galhos grossos>folhas>casca>galhos finos. ABSTRACT: In order to assess production and distribution of biomass shoots of different genotypes of Jatropha curcas under irrigation in the semiarid region of Pernambuco, Brazil, an experiment was established in Gabriela Farm, in the municipality of Santa Maria da Boa Vista-PE. The experimental design was randomized blocks with ten treatments (genotypes of Jatropha curcas), and three replications in row plots of six plants, with a single border and spacing of 3.0 x 2.0 m. Plants were fertilized with 150 g of NPK (06:24:12) at planting time, and a topdressing with 150 g.planta-1 NPK (10:10:10) applied at six and twelve months of age. The plants were irrigated weekly using a dripping system with an average water application of 20 l.plant-1 during the dry period of the region. At 24 months of age, the overall height of the plants, the average diameter of bifurcations at 1.30m from the soil level and the number of bifurcations at 0.5 m of height were evaluated. Twenty six fruit/ seed harvests were done weekly. Fruits were harvested ripe, before falling on the ground, for seven months. To determine dry biomass, the plants were cut at 0.30 m from soil level. The genotypes showed high agronomic uniformity, except for the variable number of bifurcations, where the genotype 1701 was superior to the genotypes 1501, 1602, 1703 and 1601. Biomass production of genotypes in irrigated conditions in the semiarid region is high and the distribution of biomass followed the decreasing order: root>fruit>thick branches>leaves>bark>thin branches.

Productive performance and parasitological control of kids supplemented with umbu fruits (Spondias tuberosa Arruda).

Native fruits from Caatinga vegetation can be an important alternative to improve the productive performance of kids in the semi-arid region of Brazil. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with Umbuzeiro fruits in natura over the weight gain and anthelmintic control of kids kept in Buffel grass pasture in the semi-arid zone of Pernambuco, Brazil. Twenty-four castrated, crossbreed kids were allocated into three treatments: 1) Control (n = 8) fed exclusively with Buffel grass; 2) Umbu 1x (n = 8) fed with fruits once a week and 3) Umbu 3x (n = 8) fed with fruits for three times a week. The following parameters were evaluated: variation of body weight, faecal egg counts (FEC) and coproculture. Overall, the average consumption of Umbu fruits in natura was 1.48 kg/animal/day, which corresponded to 133.5 g daily dry matter intake (DMI/animal/day). There were no significant difference (P>0.05) for any parameters evaluated. During the experimental period, the overall daily weight gain was variable between 108.75 to 116.70 g/animal/day and the average FEC was 436 eggs. In the present study, the goat kids supplemented with fresh umbu fruits showed a good productive performance, however the supplementation with umbu did not control the infestation of gastrointestinal nematodes in kids.

Planting times and spacing of carrot crops in the São Francisco Valley, Pernambuco state, Brazil.

Climate variations over the year and plant density tend to strongly affect the agronomic performance of carrot crops. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the performance of the cultivar Brasilia in crops under mild (winter) and high (summer) temperatures. An experiment was conducted from May 2011 to February 2012, using a randomized block design and treatments arranged in split plot, with three replications. The plots consisted of planting seasons (winter and summer) and the subplots of plant spacing (4, 6, 8 and 10 cm). The height of plants presented a linear decrease, from 53.4 to 51.0 cm, with an increase in spacing in summer planting, while in winter the greatest height (50.7 cm) was obtained with spacing of 8.0 cm between plants. The lowest commercial yields were found in summer crops and with the widest spacing between plants. The smallest spacing between plants (4 cm) had yields of 45.9 Mg ha -1in summer and of 63.1 Mg ha-1 in winter crops. The winter planting had higher fresh root weight (89.9 g root - 1 ) compared to the summer (81.4 g root - 1 ), reaching higher weight with increasing plant spacing. Higher yields are achieved with plant spacing of 4 cm during winter. The carrot can be grown throughout the year in the Submiddle of the São Francisco Valley.