Weather variables, water balance, growth, and agro industrial yield of sugarcane

The objective of this study was to evaluate the meteorological variables, water deficiency, growth, and agro-industrial yield of sugarcane varieties: RB72454, RB863129, RB867515, RB92579, RB93509, RB931003, RB951541, and RB971755, in rainfed crop in two harvests in the Rio Largo-AL region. The meteorological variables were obtained in an automatic station and water balance was done by Thornthwaite & Mather method. During the study period, the air temperature ranged from 16.6 to 35.9 ºC. In the first production cycle rained 1,806 mm and the crop evapotranspiration was 1,775 mm. In the second cycle, the rainfall totaled 1,632 mm and the crop evapotranspiration was 1,290 mm. The average water excess of two production cycles was 689 mm and the water deficit totaled 665 mm. The average agricultural productivity in the plant was 86.8 t ha-1, in the first ratoon was 75.2 t ha-1 and the agro-industrial yield average was 12.9 and 10.9 tons of sugar per hectare in the plant and first ratoon, respectively. The air temperature was not limiting to the growth of sugarcane and the rainfall was higher than the crop evapotranspiration, but due to poor distribution of the rains there was water deficit. The most productive varieties were RB93509, RB92579, and RB863129.

Application of artificial neural networks as an alternative to volumetric water balance in drip irrigation management in watermelon crop

Precision irrigation seeks to establish strategies which achieve an efficient ratio between the volume of water used (reduction in input) and the productivity obtained (increase in production). There are several studies in the literature on strategies for achieving this efficiency, such as those dealing with the method of volumetric water balance (VWB). However, it is also of great practical and economic interest to set up versatile implementations of irrigation strategies that: (i) maintain the performance obtained with other implementations, (ii) rely on few computational resources, (iii) adapt well to field conditions, and (iv) allow easy modification of the irrigation strategy. In this study, such characteristics are achieved when using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to determine the period of irrigation for a watermelon crop in the Irrigation Perimeter of the Lower Acaraú, in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The Volumetric Water Balance was taken as the standard for comparing the management carried out with the proposed implementation of ANN. The statistical analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed management, which is able to replace VWB as a strategy in automation.

Distribution pattern, surface tension and contact angle of herbicides associated to adjuvants on spraying and control of Ipomoea hederifolia under rainfall incidence

ABSTRACTScarlet Morning Glory is considered to be an infesting weed that affects several crops and causes serious damage. The application of chemical herbicides, which is the primary control method, requires a broad knowledge of the various characteristics of the solution and application technology for a more efficient phytosanitary treatment. Therefore this study aimed to characterize the effect of rainfall incidence on the control of Ipomoea hederifolia, considering droplet size, surface tension, contact angle of droplets formed by herbicides liquid on vegetal and artificial surfaces, associated to adjuvants and the volumetric distribution profile of the spray jet. The addition of the adjuvants to the herbicide spraying liquid improved the application quality, as it influenced the angle formed by the spray by broadening the deposition band of the spray nozzle and thus the possible distance between the nozzles on spray boom and due the changes at droplet size, which contribute to a safety application. The rainfall occurrence affected negatively the weed control with the different spraying liquids and also the dry matter weight, suggesting that the phytosanitary product applied was washed off.

Desiccation time of the spring sorghum as a predecessor crop for summer soybean and autumn bean in a no-tillage system

ABSTRACT Several authors have been questioned the desiccation interval between the coverage plants and sowing plants for the soybean crop. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the desiccation time of the spring sorghum as a predecessor crop for summer soybean and then for autumn bean, focusing on the straw formation for maintenance of the no-tillage system and to evaluate the yield of soybeans and beans grain, as well as analyzing the interference of sorghum straw in these cultures. The experiment was developed in the Teaching and Research Farm of FE/UNESP located in Ilha Solteira/SP where it was used an experimental design of randomized blocks with five treatments and six repetitions. The treatments consisted of five different intervals between sorghum desiccation and soybean sowing (being with D7 - Drying sorghum seven days before the soybean sowing; and successively for D14, D21, D28 and D35). In order to analyze the results, it was used the Tukey test for a 10% level of significance and the statistical program called Sisvar. The "Cober Crop" sorghum exerted influence on soybean yield but this effect was not lasting for the bean crop in succession to the soybeans.

Scintigraphic study of the splenic circulation in rats

Objective: To evaluate the splenic parenchymal blood distribution through scintigraphic study.Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 5). Group 1 (spleen - 30 minutes) and Group 2 (spleen - 90 minutes) underwent laparotomy with direction of blood flow to the spleen by ligature of the aorta near the iliac bifurcation and splanchnic vessels, keeping blood flow only in the splenic artery; Group 3 (spleen and stomach - 30 minutes) and Group 4 (spleen and stomach - 90 minutes) underwent laparotomy with direction of blood flow to the spleen and stomach by ligature of the aorta near the iliac bifurcation and splanchnic vessels, maintaining the flow through the splenic, gastric and splenogastric vessels; Group 5 (control - 30 minutes) and Group 6 (control - 90 minutes) underwent laparotomy and ligation of the aorta near the iliac bifurcation, keeping the flow to the abdominal organs. After arterial ligation, the animals received an injection of 0.2 ml of sodium pertechnetate in the aorta. Scintigraphic images were taken and the animals had their spleens removed for radioactivity counting with an automatic counter device.Results: There was no difference in the amounts of radiation from the spleen between groups, indicating retention of the radioisotope by the spleen, even after the period of 90 minutes.Conclusion: The blood flow through the spleen is not continuous. The blood diffuses through the splenic parenchyma and its venous drainage is slow, not following a predictable sequence.

Prevalence and geographical distribution of bovine eurytrematosis in cattle slaughtered in northern Paraná, Brazil

A retrospective study of cattle slaughtered in northern Paraná during 2000 was performed to determine the prevalence and geographical distribution of bovine eurytrematosis (BE), as identified by the Federal Inspection Service (SIF). The cattle was from different regions of the State of Paraná; all regions had cattle parasitized by Eurytrema spp. BE was identified in 12.1% (12,534/103,411) of the total number of cattle inspected. Prevalence of animals parasitized by Eurytrema spp varied from 8.3% (Region G, São João do Caiuá, 1,069/12,914) to 40.5% (Region R, Ponta Grossa, 225/555). BE was more prevalent during the month of March (1.6) and markedly reduced during May (-2). A possible seasonal predominance of BE was identified: comparatively fewer cases occurred from April to August, while there was a peak from December to March. The study indicates that bovine eurytrematosis is hypoendemic and occurs in almost all geographical regions of the State of Paraná. The prevalence within this State is variable and may be directly related to factors of the biological cycle of the trematode, particularities of each region, and environmental conditions.

Celiac artery in New Zealand rabbit: anatomical study of its origin and arrangement for experimental research and surgical practice

Rabbits have been used as an experimental model in many diseases and for the study of toxicology, pharmacology and surgery in many universities. However, some aspects of their macro anatomy need a more detailed description, especially the abdominal and pelvic arterial vascular system, which has a huge variability in distribution and trajectory. Thirty cadaveric adult New Zealand rabbits, 13 male and 17 female, with an average weight and rostrum-sacral length of 2.5 kg and 40cm, respectively, were used. The thoracic aorta was cannulated and the vascular system was filled with stained latex S-65. The celiac artery and its proximal branches were dissected and lengthened in order to evidence origin and proximal ramifications. The celiac artery emerged between the 12th and 13th thoracic vertebra in 11 (36.7%) rabbits; at the level of the 13th thoracic vertebra in 6 (20%) rabbits; between the 13th thoracic vertebra and the 1st lumbar vertebra in 12 (40%) rabbits; and at the level of the 1st lumbar vertebra in only one (3.3%) rabbit. The mean length of the celiac artery was 0.5cm. The celiac artery first branch was the lienal artery, the second branch was the left gastric artery and the hepatic artery arose from the left gastric artery in all the dissected rabbits. No relation was observed between the celiac artery length and the rostrum-sacral length in rabbits. The number of left gastric and lienal artery branches and the distribution of celiac artery origin are not gender dependent.

Screening of antigenemia and isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii from cloaca and crop of birds in the state of Paraná, Brazil

Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are associated with dry bird excreta but rarely recovered from birds' digestive tract. The objective of the present study was (1) to verify the existence of C. neoformans and C. gattii in crop and cloaca of wildlife and captivity birds hypothesizing about a possible primary source of this yeast in the excreta, and (2) to determine the fungi's invasive capability in avian species through latex agglutination. For that purpose, 172 cloacal and 77 crop samples of domestic pigeon, Passerine, and Psittacine birds were collected. None of these samples was positive, suggesting that the yeast is not saprobiotic in the digestive tract of these birds. Only one out of 82 serum samples collected from pigeons and Psittacine birds was positive (title 1:2) showing that Cryptococcus sp. probably has a low invasive capability in birds, and is thus considered only a dry excreta colonizer.

Expression and distribution of connexin 32 in rat liver with experimentally induced fibrosis

The connexin 32 (Cx32) is a protein that forms the channels that promote the gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in the liver, allowing the diffusion of small molecules through cytosol from cell-to-cell. Hepatic fibrosis is characterized by a disruption of normal tissue architeture by cellular lesions, and may alter the GJIC. This work aimed to study the expression and distribution of Cx32 in liver fibrosis induced by the oral administration of dimethylnitrosamine in female Wistar rats. The necropsy of the rats was carried out after five weeks of drug administration. They presented a hepatic fibrosis state. Sections from livers with fibrosis and from control livers were submitted to immunohistochemical, Real Time-PCR and Western-Blot analysis to Cx32. In fibrotic livers the Cxs were diffusely scattered in the cytoplasm, contrasting with the control livers, where the Cx32 formed junction plaques at the cell membrane. Also it was found a decrease in the gene expression of Cx32 without reduction in the protein quantity when compared with controls. These results suggest that there the mechanism of intercellular communication between hepatocytes was reduced by the fibrotic process, which may predispose to the occurrence of a neoplastic process, taken in account that connexins are considered tumor suppressing genes.

Phenotypical characterization of Candida spp. isolated from crop of parrots (Amazona spp.)

The purpose of this study was to characterize Candida isolates from crop of parrots. Forty baby parrots of genus Amazona, species aestiva and amazonica that were apprehended from wild animal traffic were used: 18 presented ingluvitis and 22 other alterations, but showing general debilitation. Samples were seeded on Sabouraud dextrose agar with chloramphenicol after be obtained by the introduction of urethral probe through the esophagus. Based on morphology and biochemical reactions (API 20C) Candida was confirmed; it was still searched the production of proteinase and phospholipase, virulence factors for Candida species. Candida spp. were isolated from 57.5% parrots, being 72.2% from birds with ingluvitis and 45.5% from without ones. Twenty-five strains of Candida were isolated, 60% and 40%, respectively from parrots with and without ingluvitis, and were speciated: 28% C. humicola, 24% C. parapsilosis, 20% C. guilliermondii, 20% C. famata, and 8% C. albicans. These results demonstrate that C. albicans is not the most frequent species isolated, and it is the first report that shows C. guilliermondii, C. famata, and C. humicola causing infection in parrots. Many isolates presented filamentation (76%), 100% produced proteinase and 68% phospholipase. The observation of Candida spp. producing virulence factors reinforce the pathogenic role of these yeasts in the cases studied.

Distribution of collagen types I, III, and IV in gastric tissue of marmosets (Callithrix spp., Callitrichidae: Primates)

Extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as fibrillar collagens play a fundamental role in wound repair and have also been studied in association with the gastric ulcer healing process in gastroenterology. Nevertheless, there have been no studies in the literature to date regarding the description and characterization of ECM components, neither in normal nor in injured gastric tissue of primate species. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of gastric collagen types I, III, and IV in marmosets (Callithrix sp.). Histological specimens from the stomach of 6 Callithrix jacchus, 12 C. kuhli, and 12 C. geoffroyi were evaluated. The specimens were immunostained with anti-types I and III collagen polyclonal antibodies and anti-type IV collagen monoclonal antibody. Collagen types I and III were detected in the submucosa and lamina propria between the mucosal glands while collagen type IV was detected in the muscularis mucosae, muscular layers, blood vessels, and gastric mucosa between the mucosal glands. It is hoped that these findings can contribute to future studies on the gastric extracellular matrix components in primates and to comparative studies in the area of gastroenterology.

Stereological study of the elastic fiber and smooth muscle cell system in the bovine and buffalo penis

Samples of ten penises of Mediterranean buffaloes and ten penises of Red Sindhi cattle were used. The thickness of the tunica albuginea (TA), distribution of smooth muscle cells (SMC) and volume density (Vv) of elastic system fibers in TA, corpus cavernosum (CC) and corpus spongiosum (CS) were evaluated. The Vv of elastic system fibers in buffalo and bovine penis was respectively 4.07% ±0.88% and 3.36% ±1.21% in TA; 17.32% ±2.21% and 13.14% ±1.27% (CC), 26.58% ±4.31% and 31.36% ±3.67% (CS). The CC of buffalo presented higher Vv of elastic fibers than bovine, while in the CS the Vv of elastic fibers in buffaloes was smaller than in cattle. The TA thickness showed a significant difference among the species studied. The arrangement of SMC in the bovine penises and in the water buffalo suggests that this pattern is common to animals that have fibroelastic penises.

Effects of glyphosate and endosulfan on soil microorganisms in soybean crop

Transgenic soybean, resistant to glyphosate, is the most dominant transgenic crop grown commercially in the world. Research works on herbicide and insecticide mixtures and their effects on microorganisms are rarely reported. This work aimed to study the impact of glyphosate, endosulfan and their mixtures on the microbial soil activity in soybean crop. The experiment was carried out in a complete randomized block design with four treatments and five replications. The treatments were glyphosate 480 SL [540 g of active ingredient (a.i.) ha-1], endosulfan 350 EC (525 g a.i. ha-1), the glyphosate 480 SL [540 g of active ingredient (a.i.) ha-1] mixed with endosulfan 350 EC (525 g a.i. ha-1) and the control. Microbial activity was evaluated five days after treatment application. Glyphosate application was not an impacting factor for soil CO2 production. Endosulfan application (alone or mixed with glyphosate) suppressed CO2 production by microorganisms in the soil. Microbial biomass and microbial quotient were lower in the treatments using endosulfan alone and in those using endosulfan mixed with glyphosate than in the treatments using glyphosate alone and control.

Modeling light interception and distribution in mixed canopy of common cocklebur (Xanthium stramarium) in competition with corn

The aim of this study was to model light interception and distribution in the mixed canopy of Common cocklebur (Xanthium stramarium) with corn. An experiment was conducted in factorial arrangement on the basis of randomized complete blocks design with three replications in Gonabad in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons. The factors used in this experiment include corn density of 7.5, 8.5 and 9.5 plants per meter of row and density of Common cocklebur of zero, 2, 4, 6 and 8 plants per meter of row. INTERCOM model was used through replacing parabolic function with triangular function of leaf area density. Vertical distribution of the species' leaf area showed that corn has concentrated the most leaf area in layer of 80 to 100 cm while Common cocklebur has concentrated in 35-50 cm of canopy height. Model sensitivity analysis showed that leaf area index, species' height, height where maximum leaf area is seen (hm), and extinction coefficient have influence on light interception rate of any species. In both species, the distribution density of leaf area at the canopy length fit a triangular function, and the height in which maximum leaf area was observed was changed by change in density. There was a correlation between percentage of the radiation absorbed by the weed and percentage of corn seed yield loss (r² = 0.89). Ideal type of corn was determined until the stage of tasseling in competition with weed. This determination indicates that the corn needs more height and leaf area, as well as less extinction coefficient to successfully fight against the weed.

Residual activity of herbicides used in soybean agriculture on grain sorghum crop succession

The sorghum is a kind of prominence before the cultures used in succession in the Brazil. However, little information concerning the effects of residual activity of herbicides on the crop in this region are known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the residual activity of herbicides used in weed management in soybeans as well as check their effects on grain sorghum grown in succession. For the field experiment, we used a randomized block design with four replications. Eight herbicide treatments were evaluated: imazaquin (0,161 kg ha-1), diclosulam (0,035 kg ha-1), sulfentrazone (0,600 kg ha-1) and flumioxazin (0,05 kg ha-1) in applications made before emergency and chlorimuron-ethyl (0,015 kg ha-1), imazethapyr (0,060 kg ha-1), imazethapyr (0,100 kg ha-1) and fomesafen (0,250 kg ha-1) applied post-emergence soybean (V3 stadium, 18 DAE), and a control without herbicide application. The grain sorghum (cv. AG-1040) was sown after the harvest of soybeans. The residual activity of these herbicides was determined by bioassay, using the same sorghum cultivars evaluated in the field during the period from 0 to 200days after application the treatments. The sorghum crop showed high sensitivity to residual activity of the herbicide sulfentrazone, diclosulam and imazethapyr dose of 0,100 kg ha-1, even when grown after soybean harvest. Furthermore, the residual activity of sulfentrazone exceeded the range of assessment of bioassay, and more than 200 days.