A new species of Protoptila Banks (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae) from Brazil

A new species of Protoptila Banks (Trichoptera: Glossosomatidae: Protoptilinae) - P. longispinata sp. nov. - is described and illustrated from specimens collected in Amazon region, Amazonas and Pará states, Brazil.

Evolution of Ryegrass Seed Banks Depending on Soil Tillage and Crops

The seed bank is characterized by the amount of seeds and other viable reproductive structures in the soil and it is changed by the input and output of seeds, being classified by its permanence in the soil as transient or permanent. The tillage and crops used decisively influence this dynamic and more disturbed areas tend to have richer seed banks. The purpose of this study was to test different soil tillage and crop systems, aiming to reduce or eliminate the ryegrass in the area. The experiment was conducted from 2010 to 2012. In the first year, the effect of chemical tillage was assessed, compared to the area without tillage. From the second year on, in the area that received chemical tillage, the second experiment was installed, where it was assessed the effect of soil tillage and crop rotation in the ryegrass seed yield. The soil tillage treatment was chisel plow and non-chisel plow. The crop rotation was: fallow/soybean; wheat/soybean; black oat/maize. The samples of soil were taken three times a year and split in 0-5, 5-10, 10-15 and 15-20 cm. After sampling, the seeds were separated from the soil and sterilized. Afterwards, germination and tetrazolium test were conducted. In the same plots used for soil sampling, the emergence flow of ryegrass was assessed in the winter 2011 and 2012. In the first year it was observed that chemical tillage had considerably reduced the amount of ryegrass in the soil. The crop rotations used were more effective than soil tillage in reducing the seed banks in the soil. The rotation oat/maize and wheat/soybean, in only two years, practically zeroed the ryegrass seed banks in the area.

Still the century of government savings banks? The Caixa Econômica Federal

This article explores general concerns about government banking, social inclusion, and democracy through case study of the Brazilian federal government savings bank (Caixa Econômica Federal). Review of government savings banks in Brazilian history suggests that these institutions have been at the center of domestic political economy, expanding and contracting under a variety of political regimes and economic conditions. Since capitalization to meet central bank and Basel Accord guidelines in 2001, the Caixa has attempted to modernize, continue to serve as agent for government policies, and expand both popular credit and savings and investment banking activities.