Electrical Conductivity and Chemical Composition of Soil Solution: Comparison of Solution Samplers in Tropical Soils

ABSTRACT Soil solution samplers may have the same working principle, but they differ in relation to chemical and physical characteristics, cost and handling, and these aspects exert influence on the chemical composition of the soil solution obtained. This study was carried out to evaluate, over time, the chemical composition of solutions extracted by Suolo Acqua, with the hydrophilic membrane (HM) as a standard, using soils with contrasting characteristics, and to determine the relationship between electrical conductivity (EC) and concentration of ions and pH of soil solution samples. This study was carried out under laboratory conditions, using three soils samples with different clay and organic matter (OM) contents. Soil solution contents of F−, Cl−, NO−3, Br−, SO42−, Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, were analyzed, as well as inorganic, organic, and total C contents, pH, and EC, in four successive sampling times. Soil solution chemical composition extracted by the Suolo Acqua sampler is similar to that collected by the HM, but the Suolo Acqua extracted more Na+ and soluble organic C than the HM solution. Solution EC, cation and anion concentrations, and soluble C levels are higher in the soil with greater clay and OM contents (Latossolo and Cambissolo in this case). Soil solution composition varied over time, with considerable changes in pH, EC, and nutrient concentrations, especially associated with soil OM. Thus, single and isolated sampling of the soil solution must be avoided, otherwise composition of the soil solution may not be correctly evaluated. Soil solution EC was regulated by pH, as well as the sum of cation and anion concentrations, and the C contents determined in the soil liquid phase.

Avaliação de um periódico na área de medicina tropical

Realizou-se um estudo de avaliação da Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, por meio de procedimentos de técnicas bibliométricas que identificaram qualidades e consistência científicas do periódico. Verificou-se, mediante os resultados obtidos, que os conceitos de avaliação indicaram elevado desempenho do mesmo em relação aos seus aspectos intrínsecos e extrínsecos que permitiram conhecer: tipologia dos artigos publicados nas seções, temática enfocada para determinar o núcleo de assuntos de pesquisas realizadas e publicadas, procedência de autoria -- nacional e estrangeira, vínculo autor/instituição, distribuição --, mala direta, identificação das bases de dados nas quais o periódico é indexado e freqüência de citação. Esses resultados oferecem importantes dados que podem contribuir significativamente como parâmetro para o estudo de avaliação de outros periódicos científicos.

Physiological responses of two tropical weeds to shade: I. Growth and biomass allocation

Ipomoea asarifolia (Desr.) Roem. & Schultz (Convolvulaceae) and Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich) Vahl. (Verbenaceae), two weeds found in pastures and crop areas in Brazilian Amazonia, were grown in controlled environment cabinets under high (800-1000 µmol m-² s-¹) and low (200-350 µmol m-² s-¹) light regimes during a 40-day period. For both species leaf dry mass and leaf area per total plant dry mass, and leaf area per leaf dry mass were higher for low-light plants, whereas root mass per total plant dry mass was higher for high-light plants. High-light S. cayennensis allocated significantly more biomass to reproductive tissue than low-light plants, suggesting a probably lower ability of this species to maintain itself under shaded conditions. Relative growth rate (RGR) in I. asarifolia was initially higher for high-light grown plants and after 20 days started decreasing, becoming similar to low-light plants at the last two harvests (at 30 and 40 days). In S. cayennensis, RGR was also higher for high-light plants; however, this trend was not significant at the first and last harvest dates (10 and 40 days). These results are discussed in relation to their ecological and weed management implications.

Physiological responses of two tropical weeds to shade: II. Leaf gas exchange and nitrogen content

Ipomoea asarifolia (Desr.) Roem. & Schultz (Convolvulaceae) and Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich) Vahl. (Verbenaceae), two weeds found in pastures and crop areas in the Brazilian Amazonia, Brazil, were grown in controlled environment cabinets under high (800-1000 µmol m-² s-¹) and low (200-350 µmol m-² s-¹) light regimes during a 40-day period. The objective was to determine the effect of shade on photosynthetic features and leaf nitrogen content of I. asarifolia and S. cayennensis. High-irradiance grown I. asarifolia leaves had significantly higher dark respiration and light saturated rates of photosynthesis than low-irradiance leaves. No significant differences for these traits, between treatments, were observed in S. cayennensis. Low-irradiance leaves of both species displayed higher CO2 assimilation rates under low irradiance. High-irradiance grown leaves of both species had less nitrogen per unit of weight. Low-irradiance S. cayennensis had more nitrogen per unit of leaf area than high-irradiance plants; however, I. asarifolia showed no consistent pattern for this variable through time. For S. cayennensis, leaf nitrogen content and CO2 assimilation were inversely correlated to the amount of biomass allocated to developing reproductive structures. These results are discussed in relation to their ecological and weed management implications.

Effects of soil water depletion on the water relations in tropical kudzu

Tropical kudzu (Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth., Leguminosae: Faboideae) is native to the humid Southeastern Asia. Tropical kudzu has potential as a cover crop in regions subjected to dryness. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of soil water depletion on leaflet relative water content (RWC), stomatal conductance (g) and temperature (T L) in tropical kudzu. RWC of waterstressed plants dropped from 96 to 78%, following a reduction in SWC from 0.25 to 0.17 g (H2O).g (dry soil)-1.Stomatal conductance of stressed plants decreased from 221 to 98 mmol.m-2.s-1, following the reduction in soil water content (SWC). The day after re-irrigation, g of water stressed plants was 15% lower than g of unstressed plants. Differences in T L between waterstressed and unstressed plants (deltaT L) rose linearly from 0.1 to 2.2ºC following progressive water deficit. RWC and T L of waterstressed plants paralled RWC and T L of unstressed plants the day after reirrigation. The strong decrease in SWC found in this study only induced moderate water stress in tropical kudzu. In addition, tropical kudzu recover rapidly from the induced water stress after the re-irrigation.

Reação de híbridos comerciais de milho às ferrugens polissora e tropical

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o nível de resistência de oito híbridos comerciais de milho aos patógenos Puccinia polysora Underw e Physopella zeae (Mains) Cummins e Ramachar, e comparar a eficiência dos métodos da área abaixo da curva de progresso da doença (AACPD) e dos parâmetros de estabilidade fenotípica, na avaliação dessa resistência. Em quatro ambientes nas regiões Sudeste e Centro-Oeste do Brasil foram realizadas cinco avaliações da severidade das doenças, em intervalos de dez dias a partir dos 60 dias após a semeadura, utilizando uma escala diagramática com notas. Os parâmetros de estabilidade fenotípica estudados foram o coeficiente de regressão linear (b) entre a época de avaliação (x) e a severidade da doença (y) e o coeficiente de determinação (R²). No caso de P. polysora, ambos os métodos utilizados mostraram-se eficientes na discriminação do nível de resistência dos híbridos, permitindo a classificação de modo semelhante. Quanto a P. zeae, não houve boa concordância entre os dois métodos, especialmente porque a discriminação do nível de resistência entre híbridos não foi expressiva. Os híbridos mais resistentes a P. polysora foram Z 8392, C 909 e C 333, e os mais suscetíveis, P 3069, AG 9012 e C 956. Os destaques, em termos de resistência a P. zeae, foram C 909 e C 333, e os híbridos mais suscetíveis, P 3069 e AG 9012.

Divergência genética em feijoeiro em condições de inverno tropical

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a divergência genética de genitores de feijão tolerantes e não-tolerantes às condições de inverno e de suas combinações híbridas. A distância generalizada de Mahalanobis, o método de agrupamento de otimização de Tocher e a técnica de variáveis canônicas foram os procedimentos multivariados utilizados. Nos cruzamentos, utilizaram-se cultivares de feijão que se adaptam bem às condições de inverno, ou seja: Vermelho 2157, Ouro Negro, Antióquia 8 e Ricopardo 896, e as cultivares comerciais não-tolerantes, EMCAPA 404 -- Serrano, Carioca e EMCAPA 405 -- Goytacazes. Os genitores e as combinações híbridas nas gerações F1, F2 e F3 foram avaliados em Coimbra, Minas Gerais, em quatro ensaios, nos anos de 1995 e 1996. A divergência genética dos germoplasmas foi influenciada pela temperatura e pelo estádio de melhoramento. As cultivares mais dissimilares foram Antióquia 8 e EMCAPA 404 -- Serrano, e as mais similares foram, Ouro Negro e Ricopardo 896. O rendimento de grãos e o número de vagens por parcela apresentaram-se como as características de menor importância relativa no estudo da divergência genética. No entanto, como apresentaram baixa correlação genotípica com as demais características e eram as de maior importância no processo produtivo, não devem ser descartadas.

Mineralização de nitrogênio em solo tropical tratado com lodos de esgoto

A mineralização do N orgânico é um dos principais fatores que determinam as quantidades de lodos de esgoto (LE) a aplicar em solos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi quantificar, em laboratório, o potencial de mineralização de N orgânico num Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, tratado com dois LE anaeróbios, um de origem estritamente urbana (Franca, SP) e outro com presença de despejos industriais (Barueri, SP). Os LE foram aplicados ao solo em doses de 1,5, 3, 6 e 12 g kg-1 (Franca) e 4, 8, 16 e 32 g kg-1 (Barueri), e o tempo de incubação foi de 15 semanas. O acúmulo de N inorgânico no solo ao final da incubação foi proporcional às quantidades de N orgânico adicionadas. O potencial de mineralização estimado pelo modelo exponencial simples foi de 24 mg kg-1 de N no solo sem lodo, e variou entre 44 e 265 mg kg-1 de N no solo tratado com os lodos. A fração de mineralização potencial do N orgânico dos lodos foi estimada em 31%. A mineralização foi mais lenta no solo tratado com as duas maiores doses do LE de Barueri. Os dois lodos acidificaram o solo; o de Franca causou acidificação mais intensa que o de Barueri.

Agrupamento de espécies arbóreas de uma floresta tropical por características de solo

A competição por nutrientes é um dos principais fatores que regulam tamanho e distribuição das populações arbóreas nos ecossistemas florestais da Amazônia, dada sua escassez na maioria dos solos da região. O objetivo deste trabalho foi agrupar parte das espécies arbóreas de uma floresta, por meio das características do solo. Foram utilizados dados de 32 espécies mais abundantes, distribuídas em 240 subparcelas de 10x10 m, localizadas em 12 parcelas de 1 ha, aleatoriamente demarcadas em uma floresta primária do Estado do Amapá, Amazônia Oriental. De acordo com técnicas de análises multivariadas, separaram-se as espécies em três grupos, que ocuparam diferentes faixas de variáveis químicas e texturais de solo. As variáveis de solo mais importantes na separação dos grupos foram Ca, Mg, K e Al. As espécies da família Melastomataceae concentraram suas populações em condições relacionadas a indicadores de menor fertilidade do solo. Os resultados sugerem que o substrato exerce papel importante no tamanho e na distribuição das populações arbóreas na floresta primária estudada.

Phosphorus analysis in soil under herbaceous perennial leguminous cover by nuclear magnetic spectroscopy

The availability and the reserves of organic phosphorus are controlled by its mineralization rate and are also influenced by changes in soil management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil covering with different leguminous plant on soil organic P by 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Alkaline soil extracts were obtained from two depths (0-5 and 5-10 cm) of an Ultisol cultivated with herbaceous perennial leguminous plants (Arachis pintoi, Pueraria phaseoloides, Macroptilium atropurpureum). In an adjacent area, samples of the same soil cover with a secondary tropical forest and grass (Panicum maximum) were also collected. The leguminous management was divided into with removal and without removal of shoot parts after cut on soil surface. Phosphate monoesters are the dominant P species in all soil samples and P diesters accumulated on the superficial layer of secondary forest soil. The P amount of this fraction is higher for the legume covered soil when compared with the grass covered soil. The permanence of leguminous plants on the topsoil after the cut promoted an increase in P diester/P monoester ratios. These findings can be accounted for an enhancement of P availability to plants in soils cultivated with leguminous plants.

Manejo do nitrogênio para eficiência de uso por cultivares de feijoeiro em várzea tropical

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a resposta e a eficiência do uso de N, por cultivares de feijoeiro, em função do manejo do fertilizante nitrogenado em solo de várzea. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com seis repetições, no esquema de parcelas divididas constituídas pelos manejos de N, e as subparcelas pelas cultivares. A aplicação de N no sulco de semeadura causou efeito salino do fertilizante, o que reduziu a população de feijoeiros. A incorporação de todo o N em sulcos distintos das linhas da semeadura, por ocasião dessa ou até 15 dias após a emergência, é mais eficaz no aumento da produtividade de grãos de feijão, do que a aplicação a lanço na superfície ou incorporada com grade antes da semeadura. A cultivar BRS Pontal foi a mais produtiva, o que é indicativo de alta adaptação ao ambiente de várzea tropical. Houve diversidade na eficiência de uso de N entre as cultivares de feijoeiro, e as de ciclo médio foram mais eficientes do que as precoces. A produtividade de grãos foi positivamente associada às eficiências agronômica, de recuperação e de utilização de N. A produtividade de grãos e a eficiência de uso de N pelas cultivares diferem conforme o manejo do fertilizante nitrogenado.

Application of 1-methylcyclopropene, calcium chloride and calcium amino acid chelate on fresh-cut cantaloupe muskmelon

The objective of this work was to determine the effects of postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and two calcium salts, applied individually or combined, on firmness and visual quality of fresh-cut muskmelon stored in air, for 18 days. Two sets of fruits, one of them exposed to 1-MCP at 300 nL L-1, were cut into cubes, dipped in deionized water, or in 1% Ca solutions as CaCl2, or in calcium amino acid chelate (Ca-chelate), placed in clamshell containers, and stored in air at 5±1ºC and 90±5% RH, for 18 days. The assay was conducted using an entirely randomized design, with three replications, in a split plot array. Evaluation of visual appearance, color, flesh firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH was performed right after treatments, and every period of three days, up to eighteen days. Application of 1-MCP at 300 nL L-1, calcium chloride or Ca-chelate, or the combination 1-MCP and calcium, preserved initial freshness and reduced softening of the samples. Ca-chelate synergistically enhanced the effect of 1-MCP on firmness after nine days of storage, while calcium chloride improved firmness of the samples throughout storage. Ca-chelate may serve as an alternative for shelf life extension of cantaloupe fresh-cut muskmelon.

Phosphorus acquisition and internal utilization efficiency in tropical maize genotypes

The objective of this work was to determine the relative importance of phosphorus acquisition efficiency (PAE - plant P uptake per soil available P), and phosphorus internal utilization efficiency (PUTIL - grain yield per P uptake) in the P use efficiency (PUE - grain yield per soil available P), on 28 tropical maize genotypes evaluated at three low P and two high P environments. PAE was almost two times more important than PUTIL to explain the variability observed in PUE, at low P environments, and three times more important at high P environments. These results indicate that maize breeding programs, to increase PUE in these environments, should use selection index with higher weights for PAE than for PUTIL. The correlation between these two traits showed no significance at low or at high P environments, which indicates that selection in one of these traits would not affect the other. The main component of PUTIL was P quotient of utilization (grain yield per grain P) and not the P harvest index (grain P per P uptake). Selection to reduce grain P concentration should increase the quotient of utilization and consequently increase PUTIL.

Genetic control of grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in tropical maize

The objectives of this work were to study the genetic control of grain yield (GY) and nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE, grain yield/N applied) and its primary components, N uptake efficiency (NUpE, N uptake/N applied) and N utilization efficiency (NUtE, grain yield/N uptake), in maize grown in environments with high and low N availability. Experiments with 31 maize genotypes (28 hybrid crosses and three controls) were carried out in soils with high and low N rates, in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. There was a reduction of 23.2% in average GY for maize grown in soil with low N, in comparison to that obtained with high N. There were 26.5, 199 and 400% increases in NUtE, NUpE, and NUE, respectively, for maize grown with low N. The general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were significant for GY, NUE and NUpE for maize grown in high N soil. Only GCA was significant for NUpE for maize grown in low N soil. The GCA and SCA for NUtE were not significant in either environment. Additive and non-additive genetic effects are responsible for the genetic control of NUE and GY for maize grown in soils with high N availability, although additive effects are more important.

QTL mapping for protein content in soybean cultivated in two tropical environments

The objectives of this study were to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for protein content in soybean grown in two distinct tropical environments and to build a genetic map for protein content. One hundred eighteen soybean recombinant inbred lines (RIL), obtained from a cross between cultivars BARC 8 and Garimpo, were used. The RIL were cultivated in two distinct Brazilian tropical environments: Cascavel county, in Paraná, and Viçosa county, in Minas Gerais (24º57'S, 53º27'W and 20º45'S, 42º52'W, respectively). Sixty-six SSR primer pairs and 65 RAPD primers were polymorphic and segregated at a 1:1 proportion. Thirty poorly saturated linkage groups were obtained, with 90 markers and 41 nonlinked markers. For the lines cultivated in Cascavel, three QTL were mapped in C2, E and N linkage groups, which explained 14.37, 10.31 and 7.34% of the phenotypic variation of protein content, respectively. For the lines cultivated in Viçosa, two QTL were mapped in linkage groups G and #1, which explained 9.51 and 7.34% of the phenotypic variation of protein content. Based on the mean of the two environments, two QTL were identified: one in the linkage group E (9.90%) and other in the group L (7.11%). In order for future studies to consistently detect QTL effects of different environments, genotypes with greater stability should be used.