Eficiência do herbicida pyrithiobac aplicado em pós-emergência no controle de plantas daninhas na cultura do algodão

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a eficiência do herbicida pyrithiobac aplicado em pós-emergência na cultura do algodoeiro, para o controle das espécies Cenchrus echinatusIpomoea grandifolia (corda-de-viola) em dois estádios de crescimento e de maneira seqüencial, com doses fracionadas. O pyrithiobac na dose de 0,5 l/ha adicionado do surfactante IHARAGUEN-S a 0,25% v/v, em pós-emergência, numa única aplicação ou duas aplicações em doses fracionadas e seqüenciais (0,25 l/ha + 0,25 l/ha) foi eficiente no controle das espécies C. echinatus e I. grandifolia nos estádios de 1 a 3 e 3 a 4 folhas,respectivamente. A fitointoxicação ao cultivar reagente IAC-20 foi inicialmente observado, mas os sintomas desapareceram a partir dos 15 dias, não havendo prejuízos à cultura.

Efeito de cascas de café e de arroz dispostas nas camadas do solo sobre a germinação e o crescimento inicial do caruru-de-mancha

Estudos dos efeitos dos resíduos de plantas pela utilização de coberturas mortas no controle das plantas daninhas têm apresentado dificuldade de determinar a diferenciação entre alelopatia e competição. Atualmente, muitas pesquisas têm se referido a critérios que propõem evidência à alelopatia. Este trabalho em casa de vegetação visou determinar os efeitos alelopáticos proporcionados pelas cascas de café e de arroz sobre o caruru-de-mancha, por meio das disposições desses resíduos nas camadas do solo. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, com os tratamentos em quatro repetições e organizados num esquema fatorial (3x3), sendo cascas de café e de arroz e vermiculita expandida como um fator e suas disposições, com resíduos depositados no topo, incorporados na superfície e incorporados no fundo, como segundo fator. Como testemunha foi usado um tratamento adicional sem cobertura. De modo geral, resíduos de cascas proporcionaram inibição da germinação e estímulo ao crescimento do caruru-de-mancha. A casca de arroz proporcionou menor índice de velocidade de emergência e germinação de sementes do que a casca de café. A casca de café depositada no topo proporcionou maior crescimento e maior peso da matéria seca do caruru-de-mancha, seguido pela mesma casca incorporada na superfície do solo.

Exsudação radicular do glyphosate por Brachiaria decumbens e seus efeitos em plantas de eucalipto e na respiração microbiana do solo

Este trabalho teve como objetivos: avaliar a exsudação radicular por Brachiaria decumbens e seus efeitos sobre plantas de eucalipto cultivadas em solo e em solução nutritiva; e quantificar a respiração microbiana no solo em diferentes manejos com o herbicida glyphosate. Vasos com 8,0 L de solução nutritiva, contendo cinco perfurações na tampa, receberam uma muda de Eucalyptus grandis e quatro mudas de Brachiaria decumbens. Utilizou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados com seis repetições, sendo cada vaso considerado como parcela experimental. As plantas de eucalipto e braquiária permaneceram em consórcio na solução hidropônica por 30 dias, sendo as plantas de braquiária podadas aos 15 dias após o transplante, visando estimular o perfilhamento. Após esse período foram aplicados os tratamentos correspondentes a 0, 720, 1.440, 2.160 e 2.880 g e.a. ha-1 de glyphosate sobre as plantas de braquiária. No experimento em solo, mudas de E. grandis foram plantadas em 72 vasos de 10 L, 36 contendo solo arenoso e 36 solo argiloso. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados com seis repetições, montado em esquema fatorial 2 x 6 (dois tipos de solo e seis combinações de manejo). Após o plantio das mudas de eucalipto, 48 vasos (24 de cada solo) receberam cinco mudas por vaso de Brachiaria decumbens, sendo estas cultivadas em consórcio com a muda de eucalipto. O restante dos vasos de eucalipto foi cultivado em monocultivo. Os tratamentos testados foram: 1 - eucalipto consorciado com braquiária (testemunha); 2 - eucalipto sem braquiária + 1.440 g e.a. ha-1 de glyphosate aplicado no solo; 3- eucalipto com braquiária cortada após pulverização com 1.440 g e.a. ha-1 de glyphosate; 4, 5 e 6 - eucalipto consorciado com braquiária pulverizada respectivamente com 720, 1.440 e 2.880 g e.a. ha-1 de glyphosate. A aplicação foi feita sobre as plantas de braquiária nos tratamentos 4, 5 e 6, protegendo a planta de eucalipto do contato com o herbicida. O tratamento 2 recebeu a aplicação do glyphosate diretamente no solo. No tratamento 3, os vasos de eucalipto receberam a parte aérea de plantas de braquiária cortadas, sete dias após estas terem sido pulverizadas com 1.440 g e.a. ha-1 de glyphosate. Nos dois ensaios houve controle acima de 95% da gramínea por todas as doses testadas, não sendo verificados sintomas de toxidez nas plantas de eucalipto. A atividade microbiana foi maior no solo arenoso, principalmente com o aumento das doses de glyphosate aplicadas nas plantas de braquiária.

Atividade alelopática de substâncias químicas isoladas do Capim-Marandu e suas variações em função do pH

Este trabalho teve por objetivos isolar, identificar e caracterizar a atividade alelopática de substâncias químicas produzidas pela Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu e determinar as variações na atividade dessas substâncias em função da variação do pH da solução. A atividade alelopática foi realizada em bioensaios de germinação e desenvolvimento da radícula e do hipocótilo, utilizando as plantas daninhas malícia (Mimosa pudica) e mata-pasto (Senna obtusifolia) como receptoras. Os efeitos do pH foram analisados na faixa de 3,0 a 9,0. Os triterpenos pentacíclicos friedelina e epifriedelinol isolados da parte aérea de B. brizantha apresentaram baixa atividade inibitória na germinação de sementes e no desenvolvimento da radícula e do hipocótilo das duas plantas daninhas. As duas substâncias apresentaram comportamento diferenciado em relação à variação do pH da solução, com inibições mais marcantes em relação à planta daninha mata-pasto.

Effects of early compost application on no-till organic soybean

Weed control has always been an important issue in agriculture. With the advent of no-till systems, soil erosion was reduced but herbicide use was increased. Organic no-till systems try to adjust reduced erosion to the no use of herbicides. Nevertheless, this adjustment is limited by the cost of mechanical weed control. This cost may be reduced by improved cultural weed control with cover crops mulches. In this paper we report a study on the application of compost manure on an oats winter cover crop, preceding soybean, instead of on the soybean summer crop. Treatments comprised a control without compost manure, and compost manure doses of 4 and 8 Mg ha-1 applied either on oats in winter or soybean in summer, organized in a randomized block design, with five replications. In summer, plots were split into weed-controlled or not controlled subplots. The timing of application and the manure doses did not affect the oats biomass or the soybean performance. However, in summer, without water stress, the application of manure at 8 Mg ha-1 directly on soybean has reduced weed biomass in this crop.

Occurrence of weed species in Jatropha curcas intercropping systems

This study aimed to evaluate the level of infestation by weed species in a consolidated Jatropha plantation, as a function of the plant species grown in interrows. The experiment was installed in 2006 at the district of Itahum, city of Dourados, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, made possible through a partnership between Embrapa Western Agriculture and Paraiso Farm. Treatments consisted of (1) Jatropha in monocrop, with no plant at the interrrows; or the following plants cultivaded at the interrows of Jatropha: (2) Stylosanthes spp.; (3) Brachiaria ruziziensis; (4) Brachiaria ruziziensis + Stylosanthess pp.; (5) Brachiaria humidicola; (6) Panicum maximum cv. massai; (7) Cajanus cajan cv. anão; (8) Crotalaria spectabilis; (9) Crop rotation system 1 - (maize second crop -Crambe abyssinica - soybean - peanut); and (10) Crop rotation system 2 - (cowpea - radish - maize - cowpea) conducted for two years. Phytosociological characterization of weed species was accomplished in 2011 based on the Ecological Approach. Estimations of relative abundance, frequency, dominance and Importance Value Index were obtained. Areas were also characterized by the diversity coefficients of Simpson and modified Shannon-Weiner, and then grouped by cluster analysis. Areas with low soil coverage resulted in higher infestation levels; crop rotation in the interrows of Jatropha produced a significant reduction in weed infestation, but the lowest infestation levels were observed when grasses were grown intercropped with Jatropha. Lower diversity coefficients were associated with occurrence of the most troublesome weed species. In the first years after planting Jatropha, species of Brachiaria or a crop rotation involving species with high mulching ability and whose biomass exhibit a high C:N ratio, should be established in the interrows to avoid problems with weeds infestation.

Improving diquat efficacy on grasses by adding adjuvants to the spray solution before use

The effect of five adjuvants (non-ionic surfactant, paraffinic oil, vegetable oil, mixture of fatty acids methyl esters plus surfactant blend, and organosilicone) on diquat efficacy was assessed on poverty brome, sterile oat, and Italian ryegrass in field and pot experiments. All tank mixtures with diquat increased diquat efficacy from 50-54% to 77-98% as for fresh weight reduction, indicating significant enhancement of diquat efficacy on grasses. The increased efficacy was most likely attributed to better droplet retention and diffusion on the leaf surfaces. When combined with non-ionic surfactant, diquat showed slightly more rapid control of grass weeds (i.e. symptoms were visible within a few hours after application).

Mobilidade do fomesafen em solos brasileiros

A fim de prever o potencial de lixiviação e degradação de um herbicida, bem como a eficiência no controle das plantas daninhas, é essencial conhecer os processos de retenção dessa molécula no solo. Neste trabalho, avaliou-se a lixiviação do fomesafen em quatro solos: Cambissolo, Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo com pH corrigido e original, Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo e Organossolo. Para isso, foram utilizados bioensaios, empregando-se o híbrido de sorgo BRS655 como planta indicadora da presença do fomesafen. Os solos foram acondicionados em colunas de PVC de 10 cm de diâmetro por 50 cm de comprimento, marcadas e seccionadas a cada 5 cm de distância. Aplicou-se o herbicida fomesafen no topo das colunas, na dose de 500 g ha-1 do fomesafen. Após 12 horas procedeu-se à simulação de chuva, com aplicação de uma lâmina de água de 80 mm. Realizaram-se avaliações de intoxicação das plantas e colheita da parte aérea, para determinação da matéria seca aos 21 dias após a semeadura do sorgo em cada coluna. A ordem decrescente de lixiviação foi: Cambissolo > Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo, pH corrigido > Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo, pH original > Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo > Organossolo. Os fatores que mais afetaram a lixiviação, em ordem decrescente de importância, foram o teor de matéria orgânica, a textura e o pH do solo.

Sementes recalcitrantes: intolerantes a baixas temperaturas? Embriões recalcitrantes de Inga vera Willd. subsp. affinis (DC.) T. D. Penn. toleram temperatura sub-zero

Sementes recalcitrantes são intolerantes à dessecação e a baixas temperaturas, que são as principais formas de conservação de sementes e, portanto, são de difícil armazenamento. Inga vera subsp. affinis produz sementes denominadas recalcitrantes, uma vez que não toleram redução do teor de água para valores inferiores a 35%. Neste trabalho é demonstrada a tolerância desses embriões a temperatura de -2 ºC. Embriões de I. vera de diferentes estádios de maturação foram armazenados por até 45 dias nas temperaturas de 8 ºC a -18 ºC, com ou sem secagens prévias até -4,0 e -6,0 MPa. Os resultados permitiram observar que, embora nenhum tratamento tenha proporcionado resistância à temperatura de -18 ºC, a secagem dos embriões maduros a -4 MPa proporcionou maior tolerância à redução de temperatura até níveis de congelamento da água (-2 ºC).

Monoassociation with Lactobacillus acidophilus UFV-H2b20 stimulates the immune defense mechanisms of germfree mice

Probiotics are formulations containing live microorganisms or microbial stimulants that have some beneficial influence on the maintenance of a balanced intestinal microbiota and on the resistance to infections. The search for probiotics to be used in prevention or treatment of enteric infections, as an alternative to antibiotic therapy, has gained significant impulse in the last few years. Several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of lactic acid bacteria in controlling infection by intestinal pathogens and in boosting the host's nonspecific immune response. Here, we studied the use of Lactobacillus acidophilus UFV-H2b20, a lactic acid bacterium isolated from a human newborn from Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, as a probiotic. A suspension containing 108 cells of Lactobacillus acidophilus UFV-H2b20 was inoculated into groups of at least five conventional and germfree Swiss mice to determine its capacity to stimulate the host mononuclear phagocytic activity. We demonstrate that this strain can survive the stressing conditions of the intestinal tract in vivo. Moreover, the monoassociation of germfree mice with this strain for seven days improved the host's macrophage phagocytic capacity, as demonstrated by the clearance of a Gram-negative bacterium inoculated intravenously. Monoassociated mice showed an undetectable number of circulating E. coli, while 0.1% of the original inoculum was still present in germfree animals. Mice treated with viable or heat-killed Lactobacillus acidophilus UFV-H2b20 presented similarly improved clearance capacity when compared with germfree controls. In addition, monoassociated mice had twice the amount of Kupffer cells, which are responsible for the clearance of circulating bacteria, compared to germfree controls. These results suggest that the L. acidophilus strain used here stimulates a nonspecific immune response and is a strong candidate to be used as a probiotic.

Novel donors of nitric oxide derived of S-nitrosocysteine possessing antioxidant activities

Novel S-nitrosothiols possessing a phenolic function were investigated as nitric oxide (NO) donors. A study of NO release from these derivatives was carried out by electron spin resonance (ESR). All compounds gave rise to a characteristic three-line ESR signal in the presence of the complex [Fe(II)(MGD)2], revealing the formation of the complex [Fe(II)(MGD)2(NO)]. Furthermore, tests based on cytochrome c reduction were performed in order to study the ability of each phenolic disulfide, the final organic decomposition product of S-nitrosothiols, to trap superoxide radical anion (O2-). This study revealed a high reactivity of 1b and 3b towards O2-. For these two compounds, the respective inhibitory concentration (IC) 50 values were 92 µM and 43 µM.

Relation of the disaccharidases in the small intestine of the rat to the degree of experimentally induced iron-deficiency anemia

Hypolactasia associated with severe iron-deficiency anemia has been reported in several studies. The objective of the present study was to determine whether hypolactasia is associated with the degree and duration of iron-deficiency anemia. Newly weaned male Wistar rats were divided into a control group receiving a diet supplemented with iron (C) and an experimental group (E) receiving a diet not supplemented with iron (iron-deficiency diet). The animals were studied on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days of the experiment, when overall and iron nutritional status and disaccharidase activity in the small intestine were determined by the Dahlqvist method. A reduction in weight occurred in the anemic animals starting on the 5th day of the study. Anemia was present in the experimental animals, with a progressive worsening up to the 14th day (hemoglobin: C = 13.27 and E = 5.37) and stabilizing thereafter. Saccharase and maltase activities did not differ significantly between groups, whereas lactase showed a significant reduction in total (TA) and specific activity (SA) in the anemic animals starting on the 21st day of the study. Median lactase TA for the C and E groups was 2.27 and 1.25 U on the 21st day, 2.87 and 1.88 U on the 28th day, and 4.20 and 1.59 U on the 35th day, respectively. Median lactase SA was 0.31 and 0.20 U/g wet weight on the 21st day, 0.39 and 0.24 U/g wet weight on the 28th day, and 0.42 and 0.23 U/g wet weight on the 35th day, respectively. These findings suggest a relationship between the enzymatic alterations observed and both the degree and duration of the anemic process. Analysis of other studies on intestinal disaccharidases in anemia suggests that the mechanism of these changes may be functional, i.e., that the enterocytes may suffer a reduction in their ability to synthesize these enzymes.

Delay in gallbladder emptying during the perimenopausal period

A pilot study has ascribed an important role in gallbladder motility and emptying to the perimenopausal period. To assess the effect of this period on gallbladder emptying and cholelithogenesis, 25 women in the perimenopausal period without gallbladder disease were submitted to cholangiography and two ultrasound exams. The time for gallbladder emptying and the presence of cholelithiasis were assessed. All patients presented a delay in gallbladder emptying with no relationship to the pre- or postmenopausal period. This finding was not related to lithogenesis. Gallbladder emptying time is longer during the perimenopausal period.

Further biochemical characterization of Mycobacterium leprae laminin-binding proteins

It has been demonstrated that the alpha2 chain of laminin-2 present on the surface of Schwann cells is involved in the process of attachment of Mycobacterium leprae to these cells. Searching for M. leprae laminin-binding molecules, in a previous study we isolated and characterized the cationic proteins histone-like protein (Hlp) and ribosomal proteins S4 and S5 as potential adhesins involved in M. leprae-Schwann cell interaction. Hlp was shown to bind alpha2-laminins and to greatly enhance the attachment of mycobacteria to ST88-14 Schwann cells. In the present study, we investigated the laminin-binding capacity of the ribosomal proteins S4 and S5. The genes coding for these proteins were PCR amplified and their recombinant products were shown to bind alpha2-laminins in overlay assays. However, when tested in ELISA-based assays and in adhesion assays with ST88-14 cells, in contrast to Hlp, S4 and S5 failed to bind laminin and act as adhesins. The laminin-binding property and adhesin capacity of two basic host-derived proteins were also tested, and only histones, but not cytochrome c, were able to increase bacterial attachment to ST88-14 cells. Our data suggest that the alanine/lysine-rich sequences shared by Hlp and eukaryotic H1 histones might be involved in the binding of these cationic proteins to laminin.

von Willebrand factor antigen levels in plasma of patients with malignant breast disease

von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a protein that mediates platelet adherence to the subendothelium during primary hemostasis. High plasma vWF concentrations have been reported in patients with various types of cancer, such as head and neck, laryngeal and prostatic cancer, probably representing an acute phase reactant. In the present study we determined the plasma levels of vWF antigen (vWF:Ag) by quantitative immunoelectrophoresis in 128 female patients with breast cancer as well as in 47 women with benign breast disease and in 27 healthy female controls. The levels of vWF:Ag were 170.7 ± 78 U/dl in patients with cancer, 148.4 ± 59 U/dl in patients with benign disease and 130.6 ± 45 U/dl in controls (P<0.005). We also detected a significant increase in the levels of vWF:Ag (P<0.0001) in patients with advanced stages of the disease (stage IV = 263.3 ± 113 U/dl, stage IIIB = 194.0 ± 44 U/dl) as compared to those with earlier stages of the disease (stage I = 155.3 ± 65 U/dl, stage IIA = 146.9 ± 75 U/dl). In conclusion, vWF levels were increased in plasma of patients with malignant breast disease, and these levels correlated with tumor progression.