Sensitivity of yellow passion fruit plants to ultraviolet-B radiation

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of UV-B radiation on the vegetative growth and on the gas exchange characteristics of passion fruit plants (Passiflora edulis) grown in greenhouse. The average unweighted UV-B radiation near the apex of the plants was 8 W m-2 for the UV-B treatment (high UV-B), and 0.8 W m-2 for the control plants (low UV-B). Plants were irradiated with UV-B for 7 hours per day, centered on solar noon, during 16 days. High UV-B radiation resulted in lower shoot dry matter accumulation per plant. The content of UV-B absorbing compounds and anthocyanins was increased in the plants exposed to high UV-B radiation, when compared with the control. UV-B radiation did not affect stomatal conductance or transpiration rate, but reduced photosynthesis and instantaneous water‑use efficiency, and increased intercellular CO2 concentration. The accumulation of UV-B-absorbing compounds and anthocyanins did not effectively shield plants from supplementary UV-B radiation, since the growth and photosynthetic processes were significantly reduced.

Propagation of temperate-zone fruit plants /

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Studies on the mineral nutrition and fertilization of the passion fruit plant (Passiflora edulis F. flavicarpa): II. placement of fertilizer phosphorus

1. Tagged superphosphate was applied to 2.5 year old passion fruit plants from a commercial plantation established in a sandy loam. 2. 100 grams of the fertilizer were distributed in the following ways: in a circular furrow 20 cm around the plant 40 cm from the stems; in a circular strip 10 cm wide, 40 cm from the stems; in six holes around the plants, 40 cm from the stems 20 cm deep, 2.5 cm in diameter. 3. 10 grams of the fertilizer in 11 of water were sprayed to the leaves. 4. Three weeks after the treatments were made, leaf samples were taken for analysis. 5. Determinations of specific activities both in the leaves and in the fertilizer used have shown that R in the plant was derived from the superphosphate in the following relative proportions (by making the first treatment equal to 100): circular furrow = 100; circular strip = 120; holes = 30; foliar spray = 230.

Sensitivity of yellow passion fruit to ultraviolet-B radiation

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of UV-B radiation on the vegetative growth and on the gas exchange characteristics of passion fruit plants (Passiflora edulis) grown in greenhouse. The average unweighted UV-B radiation near the apex of the plants was 8 W m-2 for the UV-B treatment (high UV-B), and 0.8 W m-2 for the control plants (low UV-B). Plants were irradiated with UV-B for 7 hours per day, centered on solar noon, during 16 days. High UV-B radiation resulted in lower shoot dry matter accumulation per plant. The content of UV-B absorbing compounds and anthocyanins was increased in the plants exposed to high UV-B radiation, when compared with the control. UV-B radiation did not affect stomatal conductance or transpiration rate, but reduced photosynthesis and instantaneous water-use efficiency, and increased intercellular CO2 concentration. The accumulation of UV-B-absorbing compounds and anthocyanins did not effectively shield plants from supplementary UV-B radiation, since the growth and photosynthetic processes were significantly reduced.

Analysis of the efficiency of silicate clay on the control of Xanthomonas axonopodis PV. passiflorae in vitro and in seedlings of yellow passion fruit contaminated

The bacterial spot in yellow passion fruit plants, caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae, occurs in all producing areas of the country, and is responsible for great economic losses in the culture of passion fruit. This study aimed to test the efficiency of the silicate clay in the inhibition of the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae in vitro, and in both preventive and curative control of the bacterial spot in seedlings of yellow passion fruit plants. The silicate clay was added to the growth medium at concentrations of. 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%, placed in Petri dishes. After the culture medium was cooler, the bacterial suspension was inoculates (10(7) UFC.mL(-1)) with a handle, and left incubating at 28 degrees C for three days, and then the bacterial growth was evaluated. Subsequently, the product at the same concentrations above was sprayed on seedlings of 'Afruvec' passion fruit, as preventive or curative. The inoculation of the bacteria was made by foliar spraying of bacterial suspension (10(7) ufc.mL(-1)), 24 hours before or after the curative and preventive treatments, respectively. The severity of the disease was measured comparing each four true leaves from bottom up, with a diagrammatic scale. In the concentrations evaluated, the silicate clay inhibited both bacteria in vitro and symptoms of bacterial spot in the curative treatment. In preventive treatment, significant results were obtained using more than 1.0% of clay silicates. Based on these results, the clay silicate can be recommended, the concentration of 1.0-2.0% for the control of bacterial spot of passion fruit plants, in foliar sprays.

Leaf spray fertilization of boron and zinc on productivity and fruit quality of Japanese pear tree

The cultivation of fruit plants from temperate climate in tropical or subtropical regions can be a good income alternative for the producer. However, due to the little existent information about cultivation of those fruit plants, the producers use imported techniques of other producing areas, or even an association of practices used for other fruit plants, pointing out the leaf spray fertilization of micronutrients without appropriate scientific base. In this context, the objective of this study was to verify the effect of the leaf spray fertilization of B and Zn on productivity and fruit quality of Japanese pear tree. The experiment was conducted from 2004 to 2005, in Ilha Solteira, in northwestern São Paulo State-Brazil. The climate is, according to the Köpppen Classification, tropical wet and dry (Aw). The 'Okusankichi' cultivar, grafted on Pyrus communis L. rootstock was used as well as doses of 110 g.ha-1 of B and 250 g.ha-1 of Zn in each application. The treatments were: T1. water, T2. boric acid, T3. zinc sulfate, T4. T2 + T3, T5. boric acid + urea + citric acid + EDTA, T6. zinc sulfate + urea + citric acid + EDTA, T7. T5 + T6, T8. boric acid + urea + citric acid + EDTA + sodium molibdate + sulfur + calcium chloride, T9. zinc sulfate + urea + citric acid + EDTA + Fe sulfate + Mn sulfate + Mg sulfate and, T10. T8+T9. A randomized blocks design was used and the averages were compared by Tukey test. In the first crop the mixture of boric acid with quelating agents were efficient to supply B to the plants and zinc sulfate plus quelating agents were efficient to increase Zn leaf content. However, the productivity and the fruit quality were not influenced by the leaf spray of B and Zn. In the second crop the leaf content of B and Zn and the productivity were not influenced by the leaf spray; the boric acid and the zinc sulfate with or without quelating agents increased the contents of total soluble solids and, the boric acid with or without quelating agents increased the contents of total titratable acidity.

Leaf anatomical features of three Theobroma species (Malvaceae s.l.) native to the Brazilian Amazon

Theobroma species have economic importance due to their use in the cosmetic and food industries, mainly in the production of chocolate. However, the anatomy of their vegetative structures remains poorly studied. The goal of this study was to describe the anatomical features of Theobroma grandiflorum, T. speciosum and T. subincanum to contribute to the biological knowledge of these species, as well as provide support to the biotechnological studies of native fruit plants of the Amazon. Leaves at different developmental stages were collected and analyzed under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Sessile and stalked stellate trichomes and digitiform glandular trichomes were observed in the expanded leaves of T. grandiflorum and T. subincanum. These species were also similar in the morphology of the midrib, the organization of the mesophyll and the presence of starch grains in the midrib pith cells. Claviform glandular trichomes and mucilage cells in the epidermis occurred only in the expanded leaves of T. speciosum. The presence of mucilage secretory trichomes in shoot apices (colleters) of all species is a new finding for the genus Theobroma.

Evaluation of detection methods for Virus, Viroids and Phytoplasmas affecting pear and apple

The RT-PCR technique for the detection of apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), apple mosaic virus (ApMV) and pear blister canker viroid (PBCV) was evaluated for health control of fruit plants from nurseries. The technique was evaluated in purified RNA and crude extracts and also in phloem collected in autumn and from young spring shoots. The results obtained for phytoplasma detection with ribosomal and non-ribosomal primers are also presented.

COMPARISON OF RNA EXTRACTION METHODS FOR Passiflora edulis SIMS LEAVES

ABSTRACT Functional genomic analyses require intact RNA; however, Passiflora edulis leaves are rich in secondary metabolites that interfere with RNA extraction primarily by promoting oxidative processes and by precipitating with nucleic acids. This study aimed to analyse three RNA extraction methods, Concert™ Plant RNA Reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA), TRIzol® Reagent (Invitrogen) and TRIzol® Reagent (Invitrogen)/ice -commercial products specifically designed to extract RNA, and to determine which method is the most effective for extracting RNA from the leaves of passion fruit plants. In contrast to the RNA extracted using the other 2 methods, the RNA extracted using TRIzol® Reagent (Invitrogen) did not have acceptable A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios and did not have ideal concentrations. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed a strong DNA band for all of the Concert™ method extractions but not for the TRIzol® and TRIzol®/ice methods. The TRIzol® method resulted in smears during electrophoresis. Due to its low levels of DNA contamination, ideal A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios and superior sample integrity, RNA from the TRIzol®/ice method was used for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the resulting amplicons were highly similar. We conclude that TRIzol®/ice is the preferred method for RNA extraction for P. edulis leaves.

Identificação de espécies de Fusicoccum causadoras de podridão em frutos de abacate

ABSTRACT The Fusicoccum genus of fungi are known to cause stem-end rot in various fruit plants, such as mango, guava, peach and avocado. Several species of this fungus are reported attacking avocado (Persea americana) in several countries. Based on this information, the present study aimed to identify species of Fusicoccum associated with rot in avocado fruits in the State of São Paulo. Samples were collected (fruits with rot symptoms) from regions of Bauru, Bernadino de Campos and Piraju. All isolates obtained had its pathogenicity confirmed by inoculation of healthy avocado fruits. After confirming its pathogenicity, these isolates had their DNA extracted and the ITS-5.8S rDNA region was amplified. After editing, these sequences were used to search for similar sequences in the NCBI. Eleven samples were identified as Neofusicoccum parvumand others were identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea(F. aesculi). Both species were found in all regions of collection.

Marcha de absorção de nutrientes e crescimento de mudas de caramboleira enxertada com a cultivar nota-10

The nutritional state of star fruit seedlings must be adequate for a successful field implementation. The objective of the present work was to study the growth and uptake of macro e micronutrients curves by star fruit plants budded with Nota 10 cultivar in nutrient solution conditions. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks, with four replications and six treatments, which were consisted by the times of collects during the 150 days of the experiment (each 25 days). In each collection, the plant growth was evaluated by the division of the plants in root, stem and leaves in order to obtain the height, diameter of the stem, leave area and the dry matter. The accumulation of dry matter followed sigmoidal adjustment, while the uptake of nutrients followed quadratic adjustment, except Mg, P, and Cu that followed sigmoidal adjustment. The accumulation of nutrients by star fruit seedlings 'nota 10' followed the sequence: N

Eficiência de argila silicatada no controle de Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae, in vitro e em mudas de maracujazeiro-amarelo

A mancha bacteriana do maracujá, causada pela bactéria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae, ocorre em todas as regiões produtoras do País, sendo responsável por grandes perdas econômicas na cultura do maracujazeiro-amarelo. O presente trabalho teve como objetivos testar a eficiência de argila silicatada na inibição da bactéria X. axonopodis pv. passiflorae in vitro e no controle preventivo e curativo da mancha bacteriana em mudas de maracujazeiro-amarelo. A argila silicatada foi adicionada ao meio de cultura batata-dextrose-ágar fundente, nas concentrações de 0,0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5 e 2,0%; vertido em placas de Petri. Após resfriamento do meio, repicou-se a suspensão bacteriana (10(7) UFC.mL-1) com uma alça, incubando-se as placas a 28 °C por três dias, quando se avaliou o crescimento bacteriano. Posteriormente, o produto, nas mesmas concentrações citadas, foi pulverizado em mudas de maracujá 'Afruvec' de forma preventiva ou curativa. A inoculação da bactéria foi realizada através de pulverização foliar da suspensão bacteriana (10(7) UFC.mL-1), 24 h antes ou após os tratamentos curativo e preventivo, respectivamente. A severidade da doença foi avaliada com auxílio de uma escala diagramática nas quatro primeiras folhas verdadeiras contadas de baixo para cima. Nas concentrações avaliadas, a argila silicatada inibiu a bactéria in vitro e os sintomas da mancha bacteriana no tratamento curativo, enquanto no tratamento preventivo, controle significativo foi obtido a partir de 1,0% de argila silicatada. Com base nestes resultados, a argila silicada pode ser recomendada, na concentração de 1,0-2,0%, para o controle da mancha bacteriana do maracujazeiro em pulverizações foliares.

Uso de câmara úmida em enxertia convencional de maracujazeiro-amarelo sobre três porta-enxertos

A propagação do maracujazeiro através da enxertia poderá ser a solução para o controle de doenças do sistema radicular. Assim, com o objetivo de avaliar o desenvolvimento e a sobrevivência de plantas enxertadas de maracujazeiro-amarelo (Passiflora edulis Sims) em três porta-enxertos, utilizando-se de câmara úmida, instalou-se este experimento em um viveiro de mudas no município de Adamantina-SP, no período de dezembro de 2005 a abril de 2006. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 3 x 2, com quatro repetições e 10 plantas/parcela. Os fatores avaliados foram três porta-enxertos (Passiflora edulis, P. alata e P. gibertii)em dois ambientes (com e sem câmara úmida). Foi utilizada a enxertia convencional pelo método de garfagem tipo fenda cheia. Avaliaram-se a sobrevivência e a altura dos enxertos, o diâmetro do caule do porta-enxerto e do enxerto, o número de folhas e a fitomassa seca da parte aérea e das raízes. Verificaram-se melhores resultados com os porta-enxertos P. edulis e P. gibertii, superiores ao P. alata em todas as variáveis estudadas. Os maiores índices de sobrevivência foram observados em P. edulis e P. gibertii, com 100% e 98,8%, respectivamente. Apesar de o P. alata ter-se mostrado inferior, é viável o uso deste material como porta-enxerto para o maracujazeiro-amarelo. O uso da câmara úmida favoreceu o pegamento dos enxertos em P. alata.

Uso de câmara úmida em enxertia hipocotiledonar de maracujazeiro-amarelo sobre três porta-enxertos

Com o objetivo de avaliar o desenvolvimento e a sobrevivência de plantas de maracujazeiro-amarelo (Passiflora edulis Sims) enxertadas sobre três porta-enxertos com uso de câmara úmida, instalou-se este experimento em um viveiro de mudas no município de Adamantina - SP, no período de dezembro de 2005 a abril de 2006. O delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 3 x 2, com quatro repetições. Os fatores avaliados foram três porta-enxertos (Passiflora edulis, P. alata e P. gibertii) em dois ambientes (com e sem câmara úmida). Foi utilizada a enxertia hipocotiledonar pelo método de garfagem tipo fenda cheia. Avaliaram-se a altura das plantas, o diâmetro do caule do porta-enxerto e do enxerto, o número de folhas, o comprimento do entrenó, a porcentagem de sobrevivência das plantas e a fitomassa seca da parte aérea e das raízes. Observou-se que o método de enxertia utilizado foi bem-sucedido para as três espécies de porta-enxertos estudadas. P. gibertii e P. edulis proporcionaram melhores resultados como porta-enxertos. O porta-enxerto P. alata proporcionou menor altura de planta, menor diâmetro do enxerto e do porta-enxerto e menor índice de sobrevivência. O uso da câmara úmida não favoreceu nenhuma das variáveis estudadas.

Conhecimento ecológico tradicional sobre fruteiras para pesca na Comunidade de Estirão Comprido, Barão de Melgaço - Pantanal Matogrossense

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