Caracterização in situ e diversidade genética de algodoeiros mocós (Gossypium hissutum raça marie galante) da Região Nordeste do Brasil

Brazil is one of the major centers of diversity for polyploid cotton plants; these plants belong to the genus Gossypium, which has three known species: G. hirsutum, G. barbadense and G. mustelinum. The Northeast is the only region where the three species occur, the last group being endemic. Northeast s cotton plants can be important sources of variability for genetic breeding. It is believed that great part of local diversity is being lost, due to economic, political, cultural and agricultural problems. In an attempt to mitigate this loss and delineate conservation strategies it is necessary to know how the species are found where they occur. The objective was to characterize and determine how plants are maintained in situ in the states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba at the beginning of the XXI century. The in situ characterization of G. hirsutum and G. barbadense was conducted through structured interviews with the cotton plants owners and through the analysis of the environment. The data were collected during expeditions undertaken between the years 2004 to 2005. Twenty-two plants were collected in the state of Paraíba, forty-four in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, one hundred and forty-six in the state of Ceará, forty in the state of Maranhão and ninety-one plants in the state of Piauí. All plants collected in the states of Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte belonged to moco type. Moco cotton plants also predominated in the other states, representing 92%, 62% and 78% of plants collected in Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão, respectively. The other cotton plants collected belong to the species G. barbadense. The cotton plants were found in situ as dooryard plants, roads side, feral populations, cultivation or local varieties. Great part were dooryard plants (45.2%), being major in Piauí and Maranhão. Cultivation predominated in Ceará; in Rio Grande do Norte feral populations were the most frequent and, in Paraíba, local varieties. The maintenance of moco plants is related, mainly, to the phytotherapic domestic use (20.9%) and to confection of lamp wicks (29.7%). Few inhabitants in Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Piauí and none in Maranhão used harvest the plants, storage the seeds or gin; however, in Ceará, 40.5% of owners affirmed that they harvested and commercialized the fiber. It was found that the maintenance of species is dependent of the fragile cultural habits of local inhabitants, therefore the maintenance in situ is not a suitable way to conservation of genetic resources. The efforts must be directed to the continuity of collections, maintenance and characterization ex situ

Diretrizes para conservação da espécie Mimosa Caesalpiniifolia Benth., Macaíba-RN

About 40% of the earth is occupied by tropical and subtropical forests, including 42% of dry forests, where there is Caatinga Bioma, contemplating tree forests and shrubs, with xerophytic characteristics. Study and conservations of Caatinga biologic diversity is one of the greatest challenges of Brazilian science because those are, proportionally, the less studied among natural areas, with most of the scientific effort centered in very few points around the main cities in the area and also because it is the less protected natural Brazilian area. The environmental degradation is constantly increasing and has its rhythm accelerated by the men appropriation to meet or not their own needs. Therefore, species conservation should be based in three principles: the use of natural resources by present generation, waste prevention and use of the natural resources to benefit the majority of the citizens. Among the strategies to species conservation, we can mention the ex situ conservation , in which the conservation of genetic resources may be realized outside of the natural environment in which the species occur, and in situ conservation , or, in other words, in the places where the species occur. In ex situ conservation, the germplasm collections are maintained in the field and/or in laboratories (conservation chambers), and this mainly conserves intraspecific diversity (genetic variance), the ex situ collections are continuously enriched by collection activities, introduction and germplasm interchange; the in situ conservation preserving ecosystems and habitats, maintaining and recovering native population of species of interest. So, the objective of this paper is the search for strategies to the conservation of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia B. (sabiá) using instruments of environmental perception and plant biotechnology, as mechanisms of in situ and ex situ conservation. To environmental perception, were realized open, semi-structured and qualitative interviews. The questions included socioeconomic data and knowledge of Sabiá specie. To plant biotechnology, Sabiá seed collection were realized in different location to formation of a germplasm bank. The specie micropropagation was made from nodal segment of plants from the matrizeiro. About the knowledge of rural populations and the use of Sabiá plant, some preferences occurred from speeches that the plant possesses a firm wood, not attacked by termites, legalized for exploration by the Brazilian environmental organ (IBAMA), and is a native specie. This research found the rural population has knowledge about Sabiá specie and the natural resources are exhausting. The proposal that the rural community brought was the donation of the Sabiá specie seeding initiating on the rain season, in which the seeding would be plated between the lots, in individual plantations. To the formation of a matrix bank, plant biothecnology brought answers favorable to Sabiá specie seeding, with the formation of multiple shoots

ORIGIN and EVOLUTION of DOMESTIC CATTLE

The origin and evolution of domestic cattle have recently moved to the forefront of the scientific literature in consideration of their links to human history and to decisions on Genetic Resources conservation strategies. DNA from modern and ancient Bos samples is being analysed to reconstruct, in cooperation with archaezoology, the main events and forces that shaped nowadays cattle genetic diversity. Still, a number of open questions remain, that hopefully will be answered with the help of new technologies and the combined analysis of worldwide data.

Microsatellite loci isolation from river buffalo using enriched partial genomic libraries

The extensive use of buffalo in agriculture, especially in developing countries, begs for genetic resources to evaluate and improve traits important to local and regional economies. Brazil presents the largest water buffalo populations in the New World, with 1 1 million heads including swamp and river types. To design rational breeding strategies for optimum utilization and conservation of available genetic variability in the Brazilian buffalo's population, it is essential to understand their genetic architecture and relationship among various breeds. This depends, in part, on the knowledge of their genetic structure based on molecular markers like microsatellites. In the present study, we developed six enriched partial genomic libraries for river buffalo using selective hybridization methods. Genomic DNA was hybridized with six different arrays of repeat motif, 5' biotinylated - (CA)(15), (CT)(15), (AGG)(8), (GAAA)(8), (GATA)(8), (AAAAC)(8) - and bound to streptavidin coated beads. The cloning process generated a total of 1920 recombinant clones. Up to date, 487 were directly sequenced for the presence of repeats, from which 13 have been positive for presence of repeats as follows: 9 for di-nucleotide repeats, 3 for tri-nucleotide repeats and 1 for tetra-nucleotide repeat. PCR primer pairs for the isolated microsatellites are under construction to determine optimum annealing temperature. These microsatellites will be useful for studies involving phylogenetic relationships, genome mapping and genetic diversity analysis within buffalo populations worldwide.

Ocorrência de moscas brancas (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) e do predador Delphastus pusillus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) em mamoeiro (Carica papaya L.) sob cultivo em ambiente protegido

Em fevereiro e outubro de 1998, na área experimental da Fazenda de Ensino e Pesquisa da UNESP no município de Selvíria-MS (latitude 20° 22' S, longitude 51° 22' W, altitude 335 m), foi constatada a presença de mosca branca em mamoeiro cultivar Baixinho de Santa Amália, plantado no interior de um telado com malha de 2 x 2 mm. Essa área fazia parte de um experimento visando determinar o efeito do cultivo em ambiente protegido sobre o desenvolvimento das plantas, a produção de frutos e a ocorrência do mosaico do mamoeiro. Nas duas ocasiões os insetos foram enviados ao Centro de Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia (CENARGEN) da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) para identificação. Na primeira infestação o material foi identificado como Trialeurodes sp. e na infestação de outubro como Bemisia tabaci biótipo B . Nos dois casos havia grande quantidade de ninfas nas folhas maduras e de adultos nas folhas novas. Para Trialeurodes sp. foi realizada uma contagem de ninfas em dezoito folhas, em cinco áreas de 1 cm² por folha, distribuídas ao acaso, encontrando-se a média de 7,6 ninfas por cm². Como conseqüência da presença das duas espécies, o único dano observado foi um intenso desenvolvimento de fumagina recobrindo completamente a superfície das folhas, que acabaram por secar e cair. A infestação de B. tabaci biótipo B foi controlada pela presença de larvas e adultos do coccinelídeo Delphastus pusillus (LeConte) que alimentavam-se vorazmente das ninfas presentes.

Estimativa de la edad y peso a la primera monta de novillas en el Pantanal brasileño

Esto trabajo tuvo como objetivo estimar la edad y peso a la primera monta de novillas de las razas Nelore (N), Pantaneira (P) y Mestizas Pantaneira x Nelore (PxN). Se utilizó un total de 98 hembras, siendo 51, 24 y 23 pertenecientes a las razas N, P y PxN, respectivamente. El análisis estadístico de los datos no reveló diferencia significativa (P = 0,3595) para el peso a la primera monta entre las razas estudiadas. El análisis de varianza no reveló diferencia significativa (P = 0,307) entre las edades a la primera monta entre razas, mostrando 3,5, 3,4 y 3,2 años para las novillas P, N y ½PxN, respectivamente.

Similaridade genética entre acessos de goiabeiras e araçazeiros baseada em marcadores moleculares AFLP

Espécies do gênero Psidium, como goiabeira e araçazeiros, são economicamente importantes e têm como área de diversidade genética primária o Brasil. Foram determinadas as relações genéticas, com base no marcador AFLP, para acessos do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma (BAG) de Psidium da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) Semiárido, para orientar trabalhos de melhoramento e de manejo de recursos genéticos do gênero. Foram analisados 88 acessos, sendo 64 de goiabeira e 24 de araçazeiros, coletados em dez Estados brasileiros, adotando-se para agrupamento o dendrograma UPGMA, considerando a matriz de similaridade do coeficiente de Jaccard de 149 bandas polimórficas de AFLP de 16 combinações dos iniciadores EcoRI e MseI. A análise da variância de dados moleculares foi realizada considerando a variação entre e dentro das populações de goiabeira dos dez Estados. O dendrograma apresentou boa definição, com coeficiente de correlação cofenética de 0,94. Foram observados dois grandes grupos: um formado por acessos de goiabeira e outro com acessos de araçazeiros, com inclusão de alguns acessos de goiabeira. Foram observados agrupamentos específicos no dendograma apenas para os indivíduos de goiabeira coletados em Goiás e Roraima. Os acessos estudados apresentaram similaridade variando de 28 a 98%, evidenciando a alta variabilidade genética dos mesmos. A variação entre acessos foi estimada em 0,16 (ΦST), indicando diferenciação genética moderada entre as populações de goiabeira dos dez Estados. Para aumentar a variabilidade genética do BAG estudado, sugere-se a coleta de um número maior de acessos nos Estados de Goiás e Roraima, dado o alto índice de similaridade entre os acessos provenientes destes Estados, bem como coletas amplas em outros Estados brasileiros. Sugerem-se ainda cruzamentos entre os poucos acessos de goiabeira posicionados no grupo dos araçazeiros para o desenvolvimento de híbridos interespecificos no gênero Psidium.

Selection of alfalfa cultivars adapted for tropical environments with repeated measures using PROC MIXED of SAS (R) System

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Antioxidant content in guava (Psidium guajava) and araca (Psidium spp.) germplasm from different Brazilian regions

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

An integrated approach to identification and conservation of medicinal plants in the tropical forest - A Brazilian experience

An integrated and interdisciplinary research programme with native medicinal plants from tropical forests has been performed in order to obtain new forest products for sustainable use in regional markets vis-à-vis ecosystem conservation. For the success of this programme ethnopharmacological studies are very important with respect to (i) identification of useful plants including medicinal and aromatic species; (ii) recuperation and preservation of traditional knowledge about native plants; and (iii) identification of potential plants with economic value. The plants are selected with a view to evaluate efficacy and safety (pharmacological and toxicological studies), and phytochemical profile and quality control (phytochemical and chromatographic characterization). These studies are very important to add value to plant products and also to mitigate unscrupulous exploitation of medicinal plants by local communities, since multiple use of plants represents an excellent strategy for sustaining the tropical ecosystem through ex situ and in situ conservation. Thus, conservation of tropical resources is possible in conjunction with improvements in the quality of life of the traditional communities and production of new products with therapeutic, cosmetic and 'cosmeceutic' value. © NIAB 2005.

The sustainability of development in Latin America and the Caribbean: challenges and opportunities

Includes bibliography

Characterization of resveratrol content in ten wild species of section Arachis, genus Arachis

Peanut is one of the few plants that synthesizes resveratrol, a phenolic compound of the stilbene class, which has been associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, skin diseases, pulmonary diseases, diabetes and neurological diseases. Resveratrol was detected in different parts of the peanut plant, including roots, leaves, seeds and their derivatives. The wild species of the Arachis section are also strong candidates to synthesize resveratrol because they are phylogenetically closely related to cultivated peanut. Our objective was to characterize the resveratrol content in ten wild species of Arachis with three different genomes (A, B and K). The plant material was composed of leaves of the ten species treated (test) and not treated (control) with ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The test and control samples were extracted and the identification and quantification of resveratrol was performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All species studied synthesized resveratrol and the concentrations ranged from 299.5 μg/g in A. kempff-mercadoi to 819.9 μg/g in A. cardenasii. DPPH antioxidant activity varied between 18.7 % for A. duranensis and 48.2 % in A. simpsonii. The results showed that wild Arachis species are a potential source of alleles for improvement of cultivated peanut, with the aim of achieving higher resveratrol content in leaves. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Isolamento e caracterização de microssatélites em Búfalo de rio (Bubulus bubalis) a partir da construção de bibliotecas genômicas parciais com hibridização seletiva

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)