Nitrogen and potassium concentrations in the nutrients solution for melon plants growing in coconut fiber without drainage

With the objective of evaluating the effects of N and K concentrations for melon plants, an experiment was carried out from July 1, 2011 to January 3, 2012 in Muzambinho city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The Bonus no. 2 was cultivated at the spacing of 1.1 × 0.4. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme with four N concentrations (8, 12, 16, and 20 mmol L-1) and four K concentrations (4, 6, 8, and 10 mmol L-1). The experimental plot constituted of eight plants. It was observed that the leaf levels of N and K, of N-NO3 and of K, and the electrical conductivity (CE) of the substrate increased with the increment of N and K in the nutrients' solution. Substratum pH, in general, was reduced with increments in N concentration and increased with increasing K concentrations in the nutrients' solution. Leaf area increased with increments in N concentration in the nutrients solution. Fertigation with solutions stronger in N (20 mmol L-1) and K (10 mmol L-1) resulted in higher masses for the first (968 g) and the second (951 g) fruits and crop yield (4,425 gm-2). © 2013 Luiz Augusto Gratieri et al.

Time-course morphological and functional disorders of the kidney induced by long-term high-fat diet intake in female rats

BackgroundEvidence is emerging that highlights the far-reaching consequences of a high-fat diet (HFD) on kidney morphology and function disorders.MethodsThe present study was performed on 3-, 5-, 7- and 9-week-old HFD female rats compared with the appropriate gender and age-matched animals. We evaluated the kidney expression of angiotensin type II receptor and fibrotic and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical and histological techniques, in parallel with kidney function.ResultsIn the current study, the time-course HFD-treated group showed, by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analysis, an early time-course increase in the expression of transforming growth factor β-1 (TGFβ-1) in the entire kidney of HFD-treated rats, compared with that observed in the control group. Simultaneously, the study shows a transient increase in the expression of ZEB2 in the HFD whole kidney accompanied by a fall in the E-cadherin expression and increased collagen and fibronectin deposition. A pronounced decrease in fractional urinary sodium excretion was also demonstrated in the long-term HFD-treated rats. The decreased FENa + was accompanied by a fall in FEPNa + and FEPP Na +, which occurred in association with significantly decreased CCr and, certainly on the sodium-filtered load. The reduction in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) occurred in parallel to proteinuria and glomerular desmin overexpression.ConclusionsThe results of the current study suggest that podocyte injury in parallel with observed proteinuria and evidence of EMT transformation are associated with long-term loss of kidney function and renal sodium and water retention. © 2013 The Author. All rights reserved.

Current status, uncertainty and future needs in soil organic carbon monitoring

Increasing human demands on soil-derived ecosystem services requires reliable data on global soil resources for sustainable development. The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is a key indicator of soil quality as it affects essential biological, chemical and physical soil functions such as nutrient cycling, pesticide and water retention, and soil structure maintenance. However, information on the SOC pool, and its temporal and spatial dynamics is unbalanced. Even in well-studied regions with a pronounced interest in environmental issues information on soil carbon (C) is inconsistent. Several activities for the compilation of global soil C data are under way. However, different approaches for soil sampling and chemical analyses make even regional comparisons highly uncertain. Often, the procedures used so far have not allowed the reliable estimation of the total SOC pool, partly because the available knowledge is focused on not clearly defined upper soil horizons and the contribution of subsoil to SOC stocks has been less considered. Even more difficult is quantifying SOC pool changes over time. SOC consists of variable amounts of labile and recalcitrant molecules of plant, and microbial and animal origin that are often operationally defined. A comprehensively active soil expert community needs to agree on protocols of soil surveying and lab procedures towards reliable SOC pool estimates. Already established long-term ecological research sites, where SOC changes are quantified and the underlying mechanisms are investigated, are potentially the backbones for regional, national, and international SOC monitoring programs. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Atributos de latossolos e produtividade da cana-de-açúcar em decorrência da diversificação de culturas no período de reforma do canavial

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Ciência do Solo) - FCAV

Curva de retenção de água no solo estimado pelo método da câmara de Richards e psicrômetro

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Ciência do Solo) - FCAV

Estudo da interação entre amido de mandioca e gomas e efeito de sua aplicação em bebida láctea fermentada

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Propriedades funcionais da carne de ratitas: ema (Rhea americana) e avestruz (Struthio camellus) comparadas com a carne de frango (Gallus domesticus)

Pós-graduação em Engenharia e Ciência de Alimentos - IBILCE

Uso de biossólidos como substrato para produção de mudas de pinus e eucalipto

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Desempenho, características de carcaça e da qualidade da carne de bovinos de corte terminados em confinamento

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Zoneamento ambiental como subsídio à gestão dos recursos hídricos na bacia hidrográfica do rio Capivari (SP)

Pós-graduação em Geociências e Meio Ambiente - IGCE

Influência da salinidade do fluido na avaliação da compactação e da resistividade elétrica de dois solos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Potencial de água no solo e níveis de compactação para o cultivo de grama esmeralda

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Manejo de um latossolo vermelho de cerrado e o efeito nas propriedades físico-hídricas do solo e na produtividade do milho, irrigado por aspersão

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Irrigação e Drenagem) - FCA

Estudo comparativo do estado de conservação de acrne moída através de métodos microbiológicos e físico-químicos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Impacto do estresse térmico agudo na qualidade física e química da carne e avaliação microbiológica de frangos de corte

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)