Efficiency of a reduced herbicide rate for Brachiaria brizantha control in sugarcane

At different growth stages, weeds present different sensitivities to herbicides. Thus, the registered herbicide rate may be reduced under specific conditions, while maintaining satisfactory weed control. This study evaluated the efficiency of reduced rates of the formulated herbicide mixture Velpar K WG® (hexazinone + diuron) + Volcane® (MSMA) for Brachiaria brizantha control at different growth stages. Optimum weed control efficiency was obtained when applying 50% of the recommended rate in younger plants (plants with one to four leaves). In late applications, it is necessary to increase the herbicide rates and, under these conditions, 90% of the recommended rate for (diuron + hexazinone) + MSMA was estimated to be the most economical one.

Effects of irrigated rice sowing season and imazapyr + imazapic time of application on rice grain yield and red rice management

Irrigated rice sowing season and red rice competition are among the main factors affecting grain yield. The objective of this work was to evaluate the sowing date of irrigated rice and moments of application of the herbicide imazapyr + imazapic to control red rice management and irrigated rice grain yield. Eight experiments were performed at the following dates (09/30, 10/19, 11/08 and 12/01) for the 2010/2011 harvest season and (09/27, 10/17, 11/08 and 12/05) for the 2011/2012 harvest season. The treatments were: application of the herbicide imazapyr + imazapic at doses of 105+35 g ha-1 in pre-emergence (PRE); 52.5+17.5 g ha‑1 in pre-emergence and 52.5+17.5 g ha-1 in post-emergence (PRE + POST); and 105+35 g ha-1 in post- emergence (POST), and a control without application and no weeding. The cultivar Puitá Inta CL was used and a randomized block design with four replicates. A joint analysis of the experiments was carried out. There was less emergence of red rice and higher grain yield of the irrigated rice at the early periods (09/30/10 and 09/27/11), with 10,578 and 8,653 kg ha-1, respectively. At the end of the season (12/01/10 and 12/05/11), there was greater reduction of the red rice seed bank. Sowing at the beginning of the recommended period provided more irrigated rice grain yield. The application of imazapyr + imazapic at a dose of 52.5+17.5 g ha-1 in PRE + 52.5+17.5 g ha-1 POST, and 105+35 g ha-1 only in PRE and POST was effective in the control of red rice.

Germination of seeds of tropical pioneer species under controlled and natural conditions

Seed germination of eight tropical pioneer species (Cecropia hololeuca, C. pachystachya, C. glazioui, Solanum gracillimum, S. granuloso-leprosum, S. tabacifolium, Croton floribundus and Miconia chamissois) was studied. In controlled conditions, alternating temperatures were tested from 5 to 25 °C. Low Red:Far Red ratios (R:FR) were also examined. In the field, germination was evaluated in gaps and under the canopy. With the exception of Croton floribundus, all other species were photoblastic in that higher germination percentages were found under light conditions (S. tabacifolium behaved as a negative photoblastic species at some temperatures). No relationship was found between germination percentage and alternating temperature. Germination was markedly reduced under low R:FR ratios. Alternating temperature is not the main factor affecting field germination. The low R:FR ratio under the canopy seems to be the crucial factor affecting germination.

Purification and characterisation of a lectin from the red marine alga Pterocladiella capillacea (S.G. Gmel.) Santel. & Hommers.

A lectin present in the marine red alga Pterocladiella capillacea was purified and characterised by extraction of soluble proteins (crude extract) in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.5. Among the analysed erythrocytes (human blood group A, B and O and the animals ox, goat, chicken and rabbit) the lectin agglutinated specifically rabbit erythrocytes. The hemagglutinating activity assay showed that the lectin was not dependent on divalent cations and was shown to be inhibited by the glycoproteins avidin and mucin. The purification procedure was conduced by precipitation of the crude extract with 80% saturation ammonium sulfate (F0/80) followed by affinity chromatography on guar-gum column. The lectin of P. capillacea was purified 14.5 fold and had a recovery of 27.4% of the original total specific activity present in the crude extract. The absence of carbohydrate suggested that the lectin is not a glycoprotein. The molecular mass of P. capillacea lectin, determined by gel filtration, was 5.8 kDa. SDS-PAGE in the presence of ß-mercaptoethanol gave one band, indicating that the native lectin is a monomeric protein. The activation energy of denaturation process (D G') was calculated to be 106.87 kJ . mol-1 at 70 ºC.

Leaf and calycine colleters in Odontadenia lutea (Apocynaceae - Apocynoideae - Odontadenieae): their structure and histochemistry

The structure and histochemistry of colleters found on the vegetative and floral apices of Odontadenia lutea are described. Colleters occur on vegetative apices starting at the fourth node, with 68 to 80 colleters being found at each node. Each leaf primordium has only one colleter of axillary origin, 3-5 intra-petiolar, and 12-16 inter-petiolar (intra-stipular). There are four types of colleters: standard, bipartite standard, sessile, and bipartite sessile. Colleters on the reproductive apices alternate with the sepals and are sessile, reduced sessile, tripartite laminar sessile, or asymmetrical. All of the colleters have a central nucleus of parenchymatous cells covered by a palisade uniseriate secretory epidermis and a thin cuticle. Secretory idioblasts were observed in the parenchymatous axis. Vascularization was observed only in standard axillary and laminar colleters. Crystals were observed in the parenchyma of the axillary colleter. Histochemical tests demonstrated that there was no rupturing or distension of the cuticle during the secretion process. Mucilage was identified using the PAS reaction as well as by Mayer's reagent and Ruthenium red staining. The calycine colleters had two distinct secretory phases, the first synthesizing mucilage and the second producing phenolic compounds.

Los newagers: el efecto colibrí. Artífices de menús especializados, tejedores de circuitos en la red, y polinizadores de culturas híbridas

En este artículo se describe la trayectoria de búsqueda espiritual de un agente nodal en la red espiritual alternativa comúnmente conocida como New Age para atender el impacto de su trayectoria en la hibridación de una espiritualidad neoindia. Se proponen tres procesos a tenerse en cuenta para una metodología del estudio del impacto de hibridación cultural que genera el New Age: 1) Su condición de diseñador de menús creyentes individualizados hechos con retazos de distintas tradiciones religiosas (Champion y Hervieu-Lèger 1990); 2) su agencia como “agente nodal” para tejer articulaciones, alianzas y conexiones en la red: entre otros agentes nodos, entre diversos circuitos y otros campos sociales especializados; y 3) su competencia de “polinizador” (Soares 2009) de culturas y religiones. El argumento de este trabajo destaca que los buscadores espirituales en su andar no sólo recogen fragmentos culturales de distintas tradiciones para armar menús personalizados de creencias, sino que además son transmisores de significados que contribuyen a hibridar las culturas por donde van pasando. Muchas de las cuales coinciden con comunidades étnicas valoradas por su relación con la naturaleza, su ancestralidad y su exotismo a los ojos de los occidentales.

Correlation of discocyte frequency and ATP concentration in preserved blood: A morphological indicator of red blood cell viability

Red blood cells (RBC) are viable if kept in an adequate preservative solution, although gradual changes in morphology and metabolism may occur. There is a gradual decrease in adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) concentration, pH, glucose consumption, and enzyme activity during preservation. The normal discocyte shapes are initially replaced by echinocytes and stomatocytes and, at final stages, by spherocytes, the last step before splenic sequestration. Post-transfusional survival has been correlated with the ATP concentration. RBC preserved in ADSOL, a solution containing adenine, dextrose, sodium chloride, and mannitol, are viable for transfusion for up to 6 weeks. Erythrocytes from 10 blood units taken from healthy adult donors were preserved for 12 weeks in ADSOL at 4oC. We now report a significant correlation (r2 = 0.98) between the percentage of discocytes (89 to 7%) and ATP (100 to 10%) concentration in ADSOL-preserved RBC. The results suggest that the percent of discocyte shapes used as an indicator of ATP concentration may be a useful indicator for quality control of RBC viability in centers which have limited assay facilities.