Interação entre Sorgo Sacarino e plantas daninhas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Greening a Brazilian cotton seed processing company: from challenges to strategic opportunities

This paper aims to shed light on a current and important theme that has been gaining increasing importance for governments, society and companies: the greening of agricultural companies in developing countries. The research objective is to classify a Brazilian cotton seed processing company in the evolutionary stages of environmental management: reactive, preventive or proactive. Design/methodology/approach– A case study was conducted in a Brazilian cotton seed processing company.Findings– The main results are: the studied company is positioned in the preventive stage of environmental management; this company is investing in operational green practices; environmental management in this company is motivated by various factors aiming at an increased competitive advantage. Finally, it can be concluded that this company is looking for green opportunities towards the proactive environmental management stage.

Phenolic compounds influence seed dormancy of palicourea rigida h.b.k. (rubiaceae), a medicinal plant of the brazilian savannah

Palicourea rigida H.B.K. (Rubiaceae), a medicinal species commonly known as douradinha, has wide distribution across ecosystems in Central and South America. This species exhibits seed dormancy delaying germination until optimal conditions for seedling growth and development are in place. While dormancy ensures species survival, it also presents a technical problem for developing P. rigida’s plant production program. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate if secondary metabolites present in seeds influence the seed dormancy of P. rigida. Mature fruits were harvested from the native habitat, in the savanna region of the State of Minas Gerais during February 2009, 2010 and 2011. The content of phenolic compounds in the seed of P. rigida was measured, and the allelopathic effects were assessed using the germination of lettuces as model to detect phytotoxicity. The P. rigida seeds geminated at rates varying between 7% and 31% with a Seed Germination Index (SGI) of 0.09. Data suggest that the phenolic compounds present in the seeds may be responsible for seed dormancy.

Periods of weed interference in chicory cultivars development in indirect sowing system

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is an important broadleaves vegetable, consumed in salads and recognized by nutritional, pharmacological properties and its low calorie value. With the objective of assessing weeds interference periods over chicory crop in indirect sowing, two experiments were carried out at Garça County, São Paulo State, by using “Folhas Amarelas - Radiche” and “Folha Larga” cultivars and spacing of 0.25×0.25 m. Treatments consisted of checks with and without weeds and infestation control periods, so that crop was maintained in presence or absence of coexistence with weeds until 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days after seedlings transplant (DAST). Results demonstrated that “Folhas amarelas - Radiche” and “Folha Larga” chicory cultivars transplanted on winter, allowed occurrence of initial period of cohabitation with weeds (6 and 5 IPCW) greater than final period (14 and 9 FPCW), conferring, respectively, the establishment of critical periods for weed control (CPWC) in intervals of 6th to 14th and 5th to 9th days after crop transplant. Medium reduction of yield in function of weeds interference during the whole crop cycle was about 52.0% and 54.4%, respectively, for “Folhas amarelas - Radiche” and “Folha Larga” cultivars. It is important to mention that these results indicated the real need for conducting early weed control in chicory crop cultivation, even when carried out in indirect sowing system, as well as it characterizes the importance of a greater number of regional information to successfully consolidate management alternatives, less costly and more efficient in order to guarantee superior yields.

Germination of Cochlospermum regium Seeds: Influence of Seed Size, Vials, Vial Sealing In vitro, and Substrate In vivo

Aims: This work aimed to assess how seed size, vials, vial sealing (in vitro), and substrate (in vivo) affect C. regium germination and emergence. This study shall contribute to the viable production of C. regium seedlings. Study Design: The experimental design used in these experiments was randomized. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Plant Biotechnology, Universidade de RibeirãoPreto, between March 2010 and December 2010. Methodology: This work has evaluated how seed size, vials, vial sealing (in vitro), and substrate (in vivo) influence the germination and emergence of C. regium. Results: The results showed that cultivation of C. regium seedlings from seeds is viable, irrespective of seed size. Vial oxygenation is an important parameter to consider in vitro, to obtain a larger number of normal seedlings. As for in vivo conditions, germination should be conducted in sand, to ensure a greater amount of young seedlings. Conclusion: The results presented here attested that it is possible to produce C. regium seedlings from seeds of any size both in vivo and in vitro conditions. In vitro, it is important to consider vial oxygenation, in order to obtain a greater amount of normal seedlings. In vivo, germination should be conducted in sand, to ensure production of a large quantity of seedlings.