Climate seasonality limits leaf carbon assimilation and wood productivity in tropical forests.

The seasonal climate drivers of the carbon cy- cle in tropical forests remain poorly known, although these forests account for more carbon assimilation and storage than any other terrestrial ecosystem. Based on a unique combina- tion of seasonal pan-tropical data sets from 89 experimental sites (68 include aboveground wood productivity measure- ments and 35 litter productivity measurements), their asso- ciated canopy photosynthetic capacity (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and climate, we ask how carbon assimilation and aboveground allocation are related to climate seasonal- ity in tropical forests and how they interact in the seasonal carbon cycle. We found that canopy photosynthetic capacity seasonality responds positively to precipitation when rain- fall is < 2000 mm yr-1 (water-limited forests) and to radia- tion otherwise (light-limited forests). On the other hand, in- dependent of climate limitations, wood productivity and lit- terfall are driven by seasonal variation in precipitation and evapotranspiration, respectively. Consequently, light-limited forests present an asynchronism between canopy photosyn- thetic capacity and wood productivity. First-order control by precipitation likely indicates a decrease in tropical forest pro- ductivity in a drier climate in water-limited forest, and in cur- rent light-limited forest with future rainfall < 2000 mm yr-1.

Assessment of Injuries Caused by Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) on the Incidence of Bunch Rot Diseases in Table Grape.

Resumo: Anastrepha fraterculus (. Wied) é a principal praga de uvas de mesa (Vitis vinifera) na Região Sul do Brasil. Neste estudo, o objetivo foi investigar o efeito da punção de frutas por fêmeas adultas e infestação larvária por A. fraterculus na ocorrência da doença podridões na uva (cultivar "Itália"). Abstract: Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) is the main insect pest of table grapes (Vitis vinifera) in the Southern Region of Brazil. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of fruit puncturing by adult females and larval infestation by A. fraterculus on the occurrence of bunch rot disease in the grape (cultivar ?Itália?) by evaluating grapes (a) punctured for oviposition by females of A. fraterculus, sterilized in laboratory with novaluron (40 mg L−1) and further spray-inoculated separately with Botrytis cinerea (1 × 106 conidia mL−1), Glomerella cingulata (1 × 106 conidia mL−1), and bacteria and yeast that cause sour rot (1 × 105 cells mL−1), (b) grapes punctured for oviposition by non-sterilized females with pathogen spraying, (c) grapes with mechanical wounds and pathogen spraying, (d) grapes with no wounds and with pathogen spraying, (e) grapes punctured for oviposition by A. fraterculus chemically sterilized in laboratory with novaluron, (f) grapes punctured for oviposition by A. fraterculus non-sterilized in laboratory with novaluron, (g) grapes with mechanical wounds, and (h) grapes with no sterilization or pathogen spraying. Our data indicated that the mechanical and oviposition wounds caused by A. fraterculus increased the percentage of grapes infected by B. cinerea, G. cingulata, and microorganisms of acid rot. The grape puncturing by A. fraterculus and the mechanical wound allows the penetration of B. cinerea and microorganisms leading to acid rot. We conclude that the fruit fly A. fraterculus may facilitate phytopathogens penetration leading to bunch rots in the table grape Itália.

Performance and quality of wood in a clone of Eucalyptus in monoculture and silvipastoral system.

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de avaliar e comparar o desempenho e as variações na qualidade da madeirade árvores de eucalipto implantadas em sistema silvipastoril e em monocultivo. Os dados foram coletados em 13 árvores amostras aos 36 meses de idade, selecionadas em função do intervalo de confiança da média dos diâmetros a altura do peito (DAP), e da posição das árvores na faixa de plantio no sistema silvipastoril, com face de exposição sul, norte e central. Foram avaliadas as variáveis DAP, altura total e altura comercial, volume e conicidade do tronco, densidade básica e deslocamento da medula. Concluiu-se que no sistema silvipastoril as árvores apresentaram maior DAP, menor altura total e maior conicidade do tronco que no monocultivo. O DAP não diferiu em relação à posição na faixa de plantio, porém as árvores com face de exposição norte foram mais baixas e cônicas. A densidade básica e o deslocamento da medula não foram influenciados pelo sistema de cultivo.

Surface wettability of Brazilian tropical wood flooring treated with He plasma.

This study investigated the effect of plasma treatment on changes of surface wettability of wood flooring from two Brazilian tropical species, Hymenaea spp. (rode locus) and Tabebuia spp. (lapacho). Wood flooring samples were plasma treated at low pressure in a helium atmosphere. Energy level was set at 100 W and four glow discharge times (5, 15, 30 and 45 s) were tested. Changes in wettability were investigated by measuring apparent contact angle, droplet volume and spreading contact area. The results showed less susceptibility of lapacho wood to the plasma treatments, while reduction of apparent contact angle in rode locus wood reached up to 76% for longer discharge times. In general, discharge time of 15 s produced the same effect as discharge of 45 s on wettability, which is important for industrial applications. Visual analyses revealed increase of water droplet spreading on lapacho wood surface, even though the variation of spreading contact area was not significant. Plasma treatment is feasible to improve wettability of tropical woods. Nevertheless, these findings should be investigated further due to the intrinsic characteristics of woods from tropical species.

Identification of sources of resistance to anthracnose stalk rot in maize.

O uso de cultivares resistentes é a principal medida para o manejo da antracnose do colmo em milho. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se identificar linhagens com níveis de resistência à antracnose do colmo, similar ao híbrido 2B710, considerado resistente. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos na Embrapa Milho e Sorgo. No primeiro experimento, foram avaliados 234 linhagens e os híbridos BRS1010 (suscetível) e 2B710 (resistente). Foi realizada inoculação artificial com um isolado de C. graminicola, na fase de pré-pendoamento e, após 30 dias, foi realizada a avaliação da severidade da antracnose no colmo. O segundo experimento foi conduzido com 48 linhagens e os híbridos inoculados com dois isolados de C. graminicola. No primeiro experimento, os genótipos formaram oito grupos com base na severidade da doença e as linhagens do último grupo foram consideradas as mais resistentes, incluindo o híbrido 2B710, em que os genótipos apresentaram valores de severidade entre 11,50 a 23%. No segundo experimento, houve interação entre os fatores linhagens e isolados e, de modo geral, as linhagens apresentaram a mesma tendência de reação obtida no primeiro experimento, no entanto, a severidade da doença foi maior para a maioria das linhagens, mesmo quando utilizado o outro isolado. Com isso, foi possível realizar a seleção de linhagens com bons níveis de resistência, as quais podem ser utilizadas em programas de melhoramento, em estudos de herança, desenvolvimento de híbridos e identificação de marcadores moleculares, associados com resistência à antracnose do colmo.

First report of Phaeocytostroma ambiguum causing maize stalk Rot in Brazil.

2016

Combined effects of soil biotic and abiotic factors, influenced by sewage sludge incorporation, on the incidence of corn stalk rot.

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the combined effects of soil bioticand abiotic factors on the incidence of Fusarium corn stalk rot, during four annual incorporations of two typesofsewagesludge intosoil ina 5-years field assay under tropical conditions and topredict the effectsof these variables on the disease. For each type of sewage sludge, the following treatments were included: control with mineral fertilization recommended for corn; control without fertilization; sewage sludge based on the nitrogen concentration that provided the same amount of nitrogen as in the mineral fertilizer treatment; and sewage sludge that provided two, four and eight times the nitrogen concentration recommended for corn. Increasing dosages of both types of sewage sludge incorporated into soil resulted in increased corn stalk rot incidence, being negatively correlated with corn yield. A global analysis highlighted the effect of the year of the experiment, followed by the sewage sludge dosages. The type of sewage sludge did not affect the disease incidence. Amultiple logistic model using a stepwise procedure was fitted based on the selection of a model that included the three explanatory parameters for disease incidence: electrical conductivity, magnesium and Fusarium population. In the selected model, the probability of higher disease incidence increased with an increase of these three explanatory parameters. When the explanatory parameters were compared, electrical conductivity presented a dominant effect and was the main variable to predict the probability distribution curves of Fusarium corn stalk rot, after sewage sludge application into the soil.