Dietas artificiais incorporadas ou não a colmos triturados de variedades de cana-de-açúcar na biologia de Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

It was studied the incorporation or not of shredded stems of sugarcane varieties to artificial diets and their effect in the biology of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabr., 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) under laboratory conditions. The experiment was carried out at the Department of Plant Protection of FCAV-UNESP, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil, in 2007, using diets with different amounts of their components (100, 75, 25 e 25% of concentration of the standard diet). The experiment had a complete randomized design in a 4x3 factorial scheme, using 4 concentrations of diets and three treatments, in a total of 12, with 6 replications. The larval, pupal an total periods and viability were evaluated, as well as the larval weight at 15 days, the pupal weight after 24 hours and the longevity of adults without feeding. The diet with 25% concentration of the components compared to the standard diet had a negative effect in the development of D. saccharlis larvae. Shredded dry stalks incorporated or not to the diet affected only the larval and pupal weight whereas the larval weight was more affected when the resistant (RB83-5486) and susceptible (SP80-3280) varieties due to the use of diet with 50% of its components. The diet with 100% concentration of its components are more favorable to the development of D. saccharalis, with 25% while that is less favorable. The diet with 100% concentration of the components associated with the presence of SP80-3280 (susceptible) stem variety provides greater larval weight. The weights of larvae and pupae of insects are negatively affected when RB83-5486 (resistant) shredded dry stem variety is incorporated into the diet. regarding to larval weight the diet with 50% of the concentration of its components provides better discrimination between genotypes resistant and susceptible to sugarcane borer.

Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne: A Brazilian medicinal plant with gastric and duodenal anti-ulcer and antidiarrheal effects in experimental rodent models

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Brazilian Medicinal Plant Acts on Prostaglandin Level and Helicobacter pylori

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

Overexpression of plant uncoupling mitochondrial protein in transgenic tobacco increases tolerance to oxidative stress

An Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA clone encoding a plant uncoupling mitochondrial protein (AtPUMP1) was overexpressed in transgenic tobacco plants. Analysis of the AtPUMP1 mRNA content in the transgenic lines, determined by Northern blot, revealed variable levels of transgene expression. Antibody probing of Western blots of mitochondrial proteins from three independent transgenic lines showed significant accumulation of AtPUMP1 in this organelle. Overproduction of AtPUMP1 in transgenic tobacco plants led to a significant increase in tolerance to oxidative stress promoted by exogenous hydrogen peroxide as compared to wild-type control plants. These results provide the first biological evidence for a role of PUMP in protection of plant cells against oxidative stress damage.

Species composition and plant use in old urban homegardens in Rio Claro, Southeast of Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of doses of fungicides and plant resistance activators on the control of Rhizoctonia foliar blight of soybean, and on Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA in vitro development

Rhizoctonia foliar blight (RFB) of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] occurs in many tropical and subtropical regions, causing yield reductions of up to 70% and in Brazil, up to 60%. The disease is caused by Rhizoetonia solani AG1-IA and AG1-IB, and by AG2-3 in Japan. RFB occurs in the North, Northeast and Mid-west regions of Brazil. Chemical control remains the only effective method of controlling RFB, but its efficiency depends upon environmental conditions. In this study, 18 fungicides, salicylic acid (SA) and acibenzolar-s-methyl (ASM) were evaluated on R. solani AG1-IA in vitro, by mycelial growth rating and estimating effective concentration for 50% (EC 50) and 90% (EC 90) inhibition of mycelial growth, and in vivo by reduction of disease severity on soybean plants in greenhouse conditions. Mycelial growth was strongly inhibited by the fungicides pyraclostrobin + boscalid and fludioxonil. Preventive fungicide applications were the most effective. Strobilurins were more efficient both in preventive and curative applications. Best results with plant resistance activators were obtained with SA (2.5 mM) sprayed at 20 d before inoculation and with ASM (12.5 mg a.i. l(-1)) 10 d before inoculation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of Chlorella vulgaris in the protection of mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes. Role of natural killer cells

In this work we have demonstrated the effects of oral administration of Chlorella vulgaris (CV) on Natural Killer cells (NK) activity of mice infected with a sublethal dose of viable Listeria monocytogenes. The treatment with C. vulgaris produced a significant increase on NK cells activity in normal (non-infected) animals compared to the animals that received only vehicle (water) (p < 0.0001). Similarly, the infection alone produced a significant increase on NK cells activity, which was observed at 48 and 72 hours after the inoculation of L. monocytogenes. Moreover, when CV was administered in infected animals, there was an additional increase in NK cells activity which was significantly higher than that found in the infected groups (p < 0.0001) CV treatment (50 and 500mg/Kg) of mice infected with a dose of 3x105 bacteria/animal, which was lethal for all the non- treated controls, produced a dose-response protection which led to a 20% and 55% survival, respectively (p < 0.0001).

The effect of plant diversity on fungus garden development and foraging behavior of leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The leaf-cutting ants forage a wide variety of plant species, used for symbiotic fungus cultivation. To better understand this tripartite complex interaction, 24 colonies of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus were conditioned for 4 months to 6 different plants (Citrus spp., Ligustrum spp., Acalypha spp., Eucalyptus spp., Alchornea triplinervia, Melia spp.), to verify the influence of conditioning on foraging behavior of workers. The effect of plants on symbiotic fungus development was studied separately, through macerated plants in Agar and culture medium A as the control. During foraging, workers presented polyphagic foraging behavior, refusing the plants to which they were conditioned. The selection of plants is not correlated with the plant substrate that promotes good development of symbiotic fungus. Such results demonstrate the importance of plant diversity for fungus garden maintenance.

Air-assistance and low volume application to control of asian rust on soybean crop

Currently, one of factors that cause the production cost increase of soybean crop is the pesticide application. The most important disease in soybean crop is Asian rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydon & P. Sydon fungus, which can cause significant loss of the production. Therefore, this work aimed at evaluation of different spraying techniques on the spray deposits and some parameters of soybean crop: grain size, weight of 1 000 seeds and the crop productivity. Two experiments were carried out in the experimental area of FCA/UNESP (Faculdade de Ciencias Agronomicas/Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho) - Botucatu, S P, Brazil, in soybean crop, Conquista variety, in the 2007/2008 season. In the first experiment, three air levels (0, 9 and 29 km/h of the air speed generated by fan) with flat fan nozzle XR 8002 with a spray volume of 130 l/ha were compared with a rotating nozzle - using low volume oily - LVO at 40 l/ha of spray volume. The second experiment was carried out under the same conditions as the previous experiment, including a control treatment (untreated plants). The disease severity was evaluated using a diagrammatic scale with a visual evaluation of the disease on 15 leaves of each plot. The grades varied between 0.6 and 78.5% of the disease severity. The use of air assistance when compared with the rotating system nozzle did not show significant differences for spray deposits on adaxial and abaxial surface of the leaves in bottom part of the plant. The air assistance with maximum air speed (29 km/h) increased the productivity with respect of the other treatments.

Respostas comportamentais de operárias de Atta sexdens rubropilosa forel, 1908 (hymenoptera, formicidae) a substâncias voláteis

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Proteção de Plantas) - FCA

Effects of plant cover on the macrofauna of Spartina marshes in northern Brazil

Dados sobre a densidade e diversidade da macrofauna em relação à altura e densidade de Spartina brasiliensis foram obtidos em bancos de marismas em um estuário tropical no norte do Brasil. A amostragem foi realizada quatro vezes durante um ano, nas estações chuvosa, seca e nos períodos de transição entre estas. A amostragem foi realizada em marismas de três classes de tamanho: pequeno, médio e grande. As variáveis foram analisadas em relação às estações do ano e das classes de tamanho das marismas. Um total de 46 táxons foram encontrados, com os poliquetos, isopodos e o gastropódo Neritina virginea dominando a fauna, resultados similares a estudos realizados em marismas no sul do Brasil. A densidade e a diversidade da macrofauna foram correlacionadas positivamente com a densidade de colmos da vegetação, indicando um possível papel da vegetação em proteção contra predação. Todas as três variáveis foram maiores durante os períodos transicionais entre as estações chuvosa e seca e mudanças sazonais em precipitação, salinidade e disponibilidade de luz possam influenciar mortalidade, disponibilidade de alimento e assentamento da macrofauna. Não houve um efeito de tamanho da marisma sobre a macrofauna ou a vegetação. O efeito beneficial da vegetação sobre a macrofauna é apoiado por outros estudos de marismas brasileiras.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in cotton: vertical distribution of egg masses, effects of adult density and plant age on oviposition behavior

O trabalho teve por objetivo determinar, em casa-de-vegetação, a densidade adequada de adultos, a idade ideal das plantas e a distribuição vertical de ovos nas diferentes partes da planta, visando à realização de estudos de resistência e à melhoria das práticas de manejo de Spodoptera frugiperda em algodoeiro. Os experimentos de oviposição de S. frugiperda em relação à densidade de adultos, relação entre plantas de algodoeiro e oviposição de S. frugiperda e não preferência para oviposição de S. frugiperda em variedades de algodoeiro foram realizados com plantas da variedade de algodoeiro BRS Ita 90. A não preferência (antixenose) para oviposição foi acompanhada nas variedades FiberMax 966, FiberMax 977, DeltaOpal, DeltaPenta, Acala 90, Coodetec 408, Coodetec 409, Coodetec 410, BRS Cedro, BRS Ipê, BRS Aroeira, IPR 96, IPR 20, BRS Araçá, IAC 24 e BRS Ita 90. Concluiu-se que S. frugiperda prefere ovipositar em plantas com cerca de 60 dias de idade, na superfície inferior das folhas situadas no terço superior dos testes de plantas sob condições de estufa. Uma densidade de, pelo menos, três pares de adultos S. frugiperda por planta foi suficiente para realizar testes de não preferência para oviposição em casa de vegetação. As variedades Coodetec 408, BRS Aroeira, BRS Araçá, BRS Ita 90 e DeltaPenta apresentaram resistência do tipo não preferência para oviposição de S. frugiperda. Em regiões com altas infestações de S. frugiperda, seria prudente para o cultivo utilizar a variedade de algodão BRS Ita 90.

Diversidade e evolução na simbiose entre bactérias e formigas Attini

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

Cleaning Conveyor Belts in the Chicken-Cutting Area of a Poultry Processing Plant with 45 degrees C Water

Conveyor belts are widely used in food handling areas, especially in poultry processing plants. Because they are in direct contact with food and it is a requirement of the Brazilian health authority, conveyor belts are required to be continuously cleaned with hot water under pressure. The use of water in this procedure has been questioned based on the hypothesis that water may further disseminate microorganisms but not effectively reduce the organic material on the surface. Moreover, reducing the use of water in processing may contribute to a reduction in costs and emission of effluents. However, no consistent evidence in support of removing water during conveyor belt cleaning has been reported. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to compare the bacterial counts on conveyor belts that were or were not continuously cleaned with hot water under pressure. Superficial samples from conveyor belts (cleaned or not cleaned) were collected at three different times during operation (T1, after the preoperational cleaning [5 a.m.]; T2, after the first work shift [4 p.m.]; and T3, after the second work shift [1:30 a.m.]) in a poultry meat processing facility, and the samples were subjected to mesophilic and enterobacterial counts. For Enterobacteriaceae, no significant differences were observed between the conveyor belts, independent of the time of sampling or the cleaning process. No significant differences were observed between the counts of mesophilic bacteria at the distinct times of sampling on the conveyor belt that had not been subjected to continuous cleaning with water at 45 degrees C. When comparing similar periods of sampling, no significant differences were observed between the mesophilic counts obtained from the conveyor belts that were or were not subjected to continuous cleaning with water at 45 degrees C. Continuous cleaning with water did not significantly reduce microorganism counts, suggesting the possibility of discarding this procedure in chicken processing.

Screening of Extracts of Leaves and Stems of Psychotria spp. (Rubiaceae) against Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for Maize Protection

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)