Nutrients distribution in diseased coffee leaf tissue

Knowing the structure and distribution of nutrients in plant tissues can clarify some mechanisms of pathogen attack in plants and plant defense against infection, thus helping management strategies. The aim of this study was verify differences in distribution of mineral nutrients in coffee leaf tissues around foliar lesions of bacterial blight of coffee, blister spot, cercospora leaf, phoma leaf spot and coffee leaf rust. Fragments of leaf tissue surrounding the lesions were dehydrated in silica gel, carbon covered and subjected to X-ray microanalysis (MAX). Thirty-three chemical elements were detected in leaf tissue; however, there was variation in potassium and calcium contents surrounding the lesions. The highest potassium content was found in asymptomatic tissues surrounding the lesions, decreasing toward the transition zone and reaching minimum content in symptomatic tissues. The highest calcium content was found in symptomatic tissues, decreasing toward the transition zone and reaching minimum content in asymptomatic tissues. Therefore, MAX can be used to analyze the composition and distribution of nutrients in plant tissues and, if associated with mineral nutrition, it may help understand host-pathogen relationships and plant disease management.

Extrato metanólico de folhas de mandioca como alternativa ao controle da lagarta-do-cartucho e de formigas cortadeiras

The objective of this study was to characterize phenolic compounds and evaluate the effect, under laboratory conditions, of the cassava leaf powder methanol extract on the development of fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and of leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. The extract was incorporated into an artificial diet, to which the armyworm was exposed, at concentrations of 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 mg kg-1,in order to evaluate biological characteristics. Soon after the insects emergence, another experiment was conducted to verify the possible sub lethal activity of the extract; therefore, S. frugiperda couples were isolated in cages and eggs were collected and counted. The Manihot esculenta Crantz extract caused a reduction in the percentage of armyworm survival, as well as in the eggs number. Then, the same extract was solubilized in 10% ethanol and applied to ants; mortality was observed, compared to the control. It is possible to conclude that the M. esculenta Crantz leaf powder methanolic extract, containing gallic acid and catechin, is a promising alternative to control S. frugiperda and Atta sexdens rubropilosa.

Análise da expressão dos genes da subfamília DREB em resposta à seca em plantas de Coffea canephora Conilon

Coffea canephora is one of the most economically important coffee species and in Brazil, Conilon is the most widely cultivated plant of this species. Abiotic stresses such as temperature variations and drought periods are factors that significantly affect their production and tend to worsen with globally recognized climate changes. In an attempt to understand the molecular responses of coffee plants in water deficit conditions, recent studies have identified candidate genes (CGs) as CcDREB1D. This gene showed increased expression in response to drought in the leaves of clone 14 (drought tolerant) in relation to the clone 22 (sensitive to drought) of C. canephora Conilon. Based on these results, the identification of DREB genes and their subgroups (SGs) of C. canephora, the objective is to analyze in silico and also in vivo these genes expression in leaf and root of tolerant (14, 73 and 120) and sensitive clones (22) of C. canephora Conilon submitted or not to a water deficit. In silico expressions of all DREB genes were analyzed from the Coffee Genome Hub Database and in vivo expression was performed by the technique "reverse transcription-quantitative PCR" (RT-qPCR). In silico gene expression analysis was possible to identify DREB genes with potential responses to abiotic stresses, corroborating some validated in vivo results. In this analysis, several genes showed differential expression in response to drought among the SGs (IIV), the tolerant and sensitive clones and the leaf and root. These differentially expressed genes were identified as potential CGs and among them, it was found that most tolerant clones showed increased expression in relation to sensitive in response to drought, with higher expression levels for clones 14 and 73. These highest levels were observed in leaves compared to the roots and SG-I stood at greater number of genes expressed in response to drought. These results suggest that DREB CGs, as Cc05_g06840, Cc02_g03420 e Cc08_g13960, play an important role in the regulatory mechanisms of response to drought in C. canephora Conilon.