Detecção e Monitorização de Tuta Absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) em Cabo Verde

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Microlepidoptera:Gelechiidae) é praga minadora de folhas desenvolve-se principal-mente no tomate (Lycopersicon esculentum) e não só mas também em outras espécies de Solanáceas tais como batata comum (Solanum tuberosum), beringela (Solanum melongina), Pimentos (Capsicum sp.) e no tomate silvestre (Lycopersicon hirsutum), (Solanum dulcamara), (Solanum nigrum), (Solanum elaeagnifolium), (Datura stramonium), (Datura ferox) e (Nicotiana glauca). Esta praga ataca espécies de tomate em grande escala a nível dos trópicos, Sub-trópicos e regiões temperadas causando prejuízos económicos consideráveis (USDA, 2011). Esta praga encontra-se presente na América do Sul, (Chili, Bolívia, Brasil, Colômbia, Equador, Uruguai, Perú, Venezuela, Argentina). No continente Africano ela encontra-se na Africa Ocidental e Central designadamente no Benim, Camarões, Cabo-Verde, Costa do Marfim, Congo Brazzaville, Gambia, Gabão, Ghana, Guiné-Conakry, Guiné- Bissau, Mali, Mauritâ-nia, Niger, Nigéria, República Democrático do Congo, Serra Leoa, Senegal, Tchad e Togo. Pela primeira vez T. abso-luta foi assinalada na Europa em 2006, e em Espanha na comunidade Valenciana em 2007 (Vieira, 2008). O cultivo de tomate em Cabo Verde tem aumentado nos últimos anos. Actualmente tomate é o legume mais cultivado em Cabo Verde. A sua quota parte na produção hortícola que não ultrapassavam os 1.000 t há uns anos, atinge actualmente 4200 t, o que representa 23% da produção total dos legumes. Apesar de alguns constrangimentos, nomeadamente problemas de ordem fitossanitária e escassez de água de rega a disponibi-lidade e a utilização generalizada das variedades locais, permitiram um escalonamento da produção durante o ano, compreendendo o período quente e húmido. Um outro fator que contri-bui para o aumento substancial da produção, é a salinização de água de rega, em várias zonas do regadio. Os agricultores destas zonas viram nesta cultura a única saída para obterem algum rendimento (MAP/ CPDA/INIDA/ FAO GCP/CV/036/NET s/data). Em Cabo Verde a área média de um campo de produção de tomate é de 750 m2 sendo máxima de 1.400 m2. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estabelecimento instantâneo de presença ou ausência da nova praga Tuta absoluta no país que foi recentemente encontrada na Sub-região Saariana na Costa Ocidental e Central de África.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza-specific signaling in rice transcends the common symbiosis signaling pathway.

Knowledge about signaling in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses is currently restricted to the common symbiosis (SYM) signaling pathway discovered in legumes. This pathway includes calcium as a second messenger and regulates both AM and rhizobial symbioses. Both monocotyledons and dicotyledons form symbiotic associations with AM fungi, and although they differ markedly in the organization of their root systems, the morphology of colonization is similar. To identify and dissect AM-specific signaling in rice (Oryza sativa), we developed molecular phenotyping tools based on gene expression patterns that monitor various steps of AM colonization. These tools were used to distinguish common SYM-dependent and -independent signaling by examining rice mutants of selected putative legume signaling orthologs predicted to be perturbed both upstream (CASTOR and POLLUX) and downstream (CCAMK and CYCLOPS) of the central, calcium-spiking signal. All four mutants displayed impaired AM interactions and altered AM-specific gene expression patterns, therefore demonstrating functional conservation of SYM signaling between distant plant species. In addition, differential gene expression patterns in the mutants provided evidence for AM-specific but SYM-independent signaling in rice and furthermore for unexpected deviations from the SYM pathway downstream of calcium spiking.

Soybean response to starter nitrogen and Bradyrhizobium inoculation on a Cerrado oxisol under no-tillage and conventional tillage systems

In Brazil, Bradyrhizobium inoculation has successfully replaced the use of N fertilizer on soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.] crops. However, with the expansion of no-tillage cropping systems in the Cerrados region, the idea that it is necessary to use small N rates at the sowing to overcome problems related with N immobilization has become widespread, mainly when soybean is cultivated after a non-legume crop. In this study we examined soybean response to small rates of N fertilizer under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems. Four experiments (a completely randomized block with five replicates) were carried out in a red yellow oxisol, during the periods of 1998/1999 and 1999/ 2000, under NT and CT. The treatments consisted of four urea rates (0, 20, 30 and 40 kg ha-1 N). All treatments were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains SEMIA 5080 and SEMIA 5079, in the proportion 1 kg of peat inoculant (1,5 x 10(9) cells g-1) per 50 kg of seeds. In both experiments, soybean was cultivated after corn and the N fertilizer was band applied at sowing. In all experiments, N rates promoted reductions of up to 50 % in the nodule number at 15 days after the emergence. Regardless of the management system, these reductions disappeared at the flowering stage and there was no effect of N rates on either the number and dry weight of nodules or on soybean yields. Therefore, in the Brazilian Cerrados, when an efficient symbiosis is established, it is not necessary to apply starter N rates on soybean, even when cultivated under notillage systems.

Relationships between grain yield and accumulation of biomass, nitrogen and phosphorus in common bean cultivars

Shoot biomass is considered a relevant component for crop yield, but relationships between biological productivity and grain yield in legume crops are usually difficult to establish. Two field experiments were carried out to investigate the relationships between grain yield, biomass production and N and P accumulation at reproductive stages of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars. Nine and 18 cultivars were grown on 16 m² plots in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with four replications. Crop biomass was sampled at four growth stages (flowering R6, pod setting R7, beginning of pod filling R8, and mid-pod filling R8.5), grain yield was measured at maturity, and N and P concentrations were determined in plant tissues. In both years, bean cultivars differed in grain yield, in root mass at R6 and R7 stages, and in shoot mass at R6 and R8.5, whereas at R7 and R8 differences in shoot mass were significant in 1998 only. In both years, grain yield did not correlate with shoot mass at R6 and R7 and with root mass at R6. Grain yield correlated with shoot mass at R8 in 1999 but not in 1998, with shoot mass at R8.5 and with root mass at R7 in both years. Path coefficient analysis indicated that shoot mass at R8.5 had a direct effect on grain yield in both years, that root mass at R7 had a direct effect on grain yield in 1998, and that in 1999 the amounts of N and P in shoots at R8.5 had indirect effects on grain yield via shoot mass at R8.5. A combined analysis of both experiments revealed that biomass accumulation, N and P in shoots at R6 and R7 as well as root mass at R6 were similar in both years. In 1998 however bean accumulated more root mass at R7 and more biomass and N and P in shoots at R8 and R8.5, resulting in a 57 % higher grain yield in 1998. This indicates that grain yield of different common bean cultivars is not intrinsically associated with vegetative vigor at flowering and that mechanisms during pod filling can strongly influence the final crop yield. The establishment of a profuse root system during pod setting, associated with the continuous N and P acquisition during early pod filling, seems to be relevant for higher grain yields of common bean.

Occurrence of plant growth-promoting traits in clover-nodulating rhizobia strains isolated from different soils in Rio Grande do Sul state

In the last decades, the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria has become an alternative to improve crop production. Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii is one of the most promising rhizobacteria and is even used with non-legume plants. This study investigated in vitro the occurrence of plant growth-promoting characteristics in several indigenous R. leguminosarum biovar trifolii isolated from soils in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Isolates were obtained at 11 locations and evaluated for indoleacetic acid and siderophore production and inorganic phosphate solubilization. Ten isolates were also molecularly characterized and tested for antagonism against a phytopathogenic fungus and for plant growth promotion of rice seedlings. Of a total of 252 isolates, 59 produced indoleacetic acid, 20 produced siderophores and 107 solubilized phosphate. Some degree of antagonism against Verticillium sp. was observed in all tested isolates, reducing mycelial growth in culture broth. Isolate AGR-3 stood out for increasing root length of rice seedlings, while isolate ELD-18, besides increasing root length in comparison to the uninoculated control, also increased the germination speed index, shoot length, and seedling dry weight. These results confirm the potential of some strains of R. leguminosarum biovar trifolii as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Enzymatic activity and mineralization of carbon and nitrogen in soil cultivated with coffee and green manures

There are great concerns about degradation of agricultural soils. It has been suggested that cultivating different plant species intercropped with coffee plants can increase microbial diversity and enhance soil sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate enzyme activity (urease, arylsulfatase and phosphatase) and alterations in C and N mineralization rates as related to different legume cover crops planted between rows of coffee plants. Soil samples were collected in a field experiment conducted for 10 years in a sandy soil in the North of Paraná State, Brazil. Samples were collected from the 0-10 cm layer, both from under the tree canopy and in-between rows in the following treatments: control, Leucaena leucocephala, Crotalaria spectabilis, Crotalaria breviflora, Mucuna pruriens, Mucuna deeringiana, Arachis hypogaea and Vigna unguiculata. The soil was sampled in four stages of legume cover crops: pre-planting (September), after planting (November), flowering stage (February) and after plant residue incorporation (April), from 1997 to 1999. The green manure species influenced soil enzyme activity (urease, arylsulfatase and phosphatase) and C and N mineralization rates, both under the tree canopy and in-between rows. Cultivation of Leucaena leucocephala increased acid phosphatase and arilsulfatase activity and C and N mineralization both under the tree canopy and in-between rows. Intercropped L. leucocephala increased urease activity under the tree canopy while C. breviflora increased urease activity in-between rows.

Exopolysaccharides produced by the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria of leguminosae

The process of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), performed by symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria with legume species, commonly known as α and β rhizobia, provides high sustainability for the ecosystems. Its management as a biotechnology is well succeeded for improving crop yields. A remarkable example of this success is the inoculation of Brazilian soybeans with Bradyrhizobium strains. Rhizobia produce a wide diversity of chemical structures of exopolysaccharides (EPS). Although the role of EPS is relatively well studied in the process of BNF, their economic and environmental potential is not yet explored. These EPS are mostly species-specific heteropolysaccharides, which can vary according to the composition of sugars, their linkages in a single subunit, the repeating unit size and the degree of polymerization. Studies have showed that the EPS produced by rhizobia play an important role in the invasion process, infection threads formation, bacteroid and nodule development and plant defense response. These EPS also confer protection to these bacteria when exposed to environmental stresses. In general, strains of rhizobia that produce greater amounts of EPS are more tolerant to adverse conditions when compared with strains that produce less. Moreover, it is known that the EPS produced by microorganisms are widely used in various industrial activities. These compounds, also called biopolymers, provide a valid alternative for the commonly used in food industry through the development of products with identical properties or with better rheological characteristics, which can be used for new applications. The microbial EPS are also able to increase the adhesion of soil particles favoring the mechanical stability of aggregates, increasing levels of water retention and air flows in this environment. Due to the importance of EPS, in this review we discuss the role of these compounds in the process of BNF, in the adaptation of rhizobia to environmental stresses and in the process of soil aggregation. The possible applications of these biopolymers in industry are also discussed.

Symbiotic capability of calopo rhizobia from an agrisoil with different crops in Pernambuco

Biological nitrogen fixation by rhizobium-legume symbiosis represents one of the most important nitrogen sources for plants and depends strongly on the symbiotic efficiency of the rhizobium strain. This study evaluated the symbiotic capacity of rhizobial isolates from calopo (CALOPOGONIUM MUCUNOIDES) taken from an agrisoil under BRACHIARIA DECUMBENS pasture, sabiá (MIMOSA CAESALPINIIFOLIA) plantations and Atlantic Forest areas of the Dry Forest Zone of Pernambuco. A total of 1,575 isolates were obtained from 398 groups. A single random isolate of each group was authenticated, in randomized blocks with two replications. Each plant was inoculated with 1 mL of a bacterial broth, containing an estimated population of 10(8) rhizobial cells mL-1. Forty-five days after inoculation, the plants were harvested, separated into shoots, roots and nodules, oven-dried to constant mass, and weighed. Next, the symbiotic capability was tested with 1.5 kg of an autoclaved sand:vermiculite (1:1) mixture in polyethylene bags. The treatments consisted of 122 authenticated isolates, selected based on the shoot dry matter, five uninoculated controls (treated with 0, 50, 100, 150, or 200 kg ha-1 N) and a control inoculated with SEMIA 6152 (=BR1602), a strain of BRADYRHIZOBIUM JAPONICUM The test was performed as described above. The shoot dry matter of the plants inoculated with the most effective isolates did not differ from that of plants treated with 150 kg ha-1 N. Shoot dry matter was positively correlated with all other variables. The proportion of effective isolates was highest among isolates from SABIÁ forests. There was great variation in nodule dry weight, as well as in N contents and total N.

Performance of food-type soybean genotypes and their possibility for adaptation to Brazilian latitudes

This work was conducted at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), in Londrina, State of Paraná, Brazil, with the goal to study food-type soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) genotypes performance for use in cultivation or crosses. A total of 104 genotypes were analyzed: 88 were food-type with large seeds, eight were food-type with small seeds, and eight-grain types adapted cultivars. The experimental plan was in randomized complete block design with four replications, and 12 traits of agronomic importance were considered. Genetic diversity was observed in the food-type germplasm. There were some genotypes with high yield adapted to a normal period of sowing. Soybean genetic improvement programs for direct human consumption in Brazil, either by means of Asiatic pure lines or by means of the incorporation of genes for late flowering in short-day conditions in this lines is highly viable.

Reprogramming plant cells for endosymbiosis.

The establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbioses, formed by most flowering plants in association with glomeromycotan fungi, and the root-nodule (RN) symbiosis, formed by legume plants and rhizobial bacteria, requires an ongoing molecular dialogue that underpins the reprogramming of root cells for compatibility. In both endosymbioses, there are distinct phases to the interaction, including a presymbiotic anticipation phase and, subsequently, an intraradical accommodation of the microsymbiont. Maintenance of the endosymbiosis then depends on reciprocal nutrient exchange with the microsymbiont-obtaining plant photosynthates in exchange for mineral nutrients: enhanced phosphate and nitrogen uptake from AM fungi and fixed nitrogen from rhizobia. Despite the taxonomically distinct groups of symbionts, commonalities are observed in the signaling components and the modulation of host cell responses in both AM and RN symbioses, reflecting common mechanisms for plant cell reprogramming during endosymbiosis.

Hordein polypeptide patterns in relation to malting quality in Brazilian barley varieties

Since there is evidence that malting quality is related to the storage protein (hordein) fraction, in the present work the hordein polypeptide patterns from 13 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties of different malting quality were analysed in order to explore the feasibility of using hordein electrophoresis to assist in the selection of malting barleys. The formation of clusters separating the varieties with higher malting quality from the others with lower quality suggests that there is a relationship between the general hordein polypeptide pattern and malting quality in the varieties analysed. By the Sperman's correlation test three hordein bands correlated negatively with malting quality in the germplasm studied.

Effect of intercropping wheat with forage legumes on wheat production and ground cover

The use of winter legumes in southern Brazil is hindered by the slow growth of these species during establishment exposing soil surface to erosion. Introduction of these species along with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied as a means of increasing ground cover during their initial establishment period, without reducing wheat grain yield. Two experiments were conducted in nearby areas, one in each year. Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) cultivar Quiñequelli, white clover (T. repens L.), and arrowleaf clover (T. vesiculosum Savi) did not reduce cereal yield in either year. Wheat yield was reduced by intercropped red clover cultivar Kenland and by subclover (T. subterraneum L.) in the first year. No grain yield differences due to intercropping with any legume were detected in the second year, when rainfall was below normal. Intercropping with wheat showed to be a practical alternative to enhance ground cover at establishing forage legumes.

Capacidade combinatória como critério de eficiência na seleção de genitores em feijoeiro

Este trabalho teve por objetivo estimar a capacidade geral de combinação (CGC) e a capacidade específica de combinação (CEC) dos caracteres componentes do rendimento do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), através de cruzamentos dialélicos entre seis genótipos utilizando o método 2, modelo B, proposto por Griffing. O experimento, em blocos completos casualizados, com quatro repetições, foi conduzido na safra de 1998, onde foram avaliados os seguintes caracteres: peso médio do grão; número de grãos/legume; número de legumes/planta, e rendimento. Os resultados da análise de variância evidenciaram maior importância da CGC em relação à CEC para todos os caracteres. Conforme a estimativa da CGC, o genitor Rudá foi o que apresentou, de modo geral, os melhores valores para os caracteres avaliados. Do mesmo modo, o maior efeito da CEC para os caracteres em geral foi obtido nos cruzamentos envolvendo os genitores Rudá x CI 967/2V, Rudá x FT Nobre e Pérola x CI 9661, determinando a importância desses genitores para os programas de melhoramento do feijão.

Variabilidade intra e intergenotípica em uma população de híbridos entre Leucaena leucocephala e L. diversifolia

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar a variabilidade de algumas características morfológicas em híbridos de Leucaena leucocephala e L. diversifolia (Leguminosae). Foram estabelecidos 20 genótipos, com 30 indivíduos cada, dispostos em seis blocos casualizados. As características morfológicas analisadas foram: comprimento de folha, número de pares de folíolos e foliólulos, número de nectários extraflorais; comprimento e largura de legumes e número de sementes por legume. O menor e o maior comprimento médio de folha foram, respectivamente, 8,6 cm e 30,6 cm. A população apresentou variação de 10,7 a 53,4 pares de foliólulos por folíolo. Em número de pares de folíolos por folha o menor valor médio foi 5,6 e o maior foi 20,3. A média de um nectário extrafloral por folha foi identificada na maioria dos indivíduos. O maior valor médio de número de sementes por legume foi 24,1 e o menor 5,0. Cinco genótipos se destacaram por sua uniformidade em relação às características analisadas.

Combining ability of twelve maize populations

Genetic progress depends on germplasm quality and breeding methods. Twelve maize populations and their crosses were evaluated to estimate combining ability and potential to be included as source populations in breeding programs. Plant height, point of insertion of the first ear, number of ears per plant, number of grains per ear, root and stalk lodging and grain yield were studied in two locations in Brazil, during the 1997/98 season. Genotype sum of squares was divided into general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability. Results indicated the existence of genetic divergence for all traits analyzed, where additive effects were predominant. The high heterosis levels observed, mainly in Xanxerê, suggested the environmental influence on the manifestation of this genetic phenomenon. Populations revealed potential to be used in breeding programs; however, those more intensively submitted to selection could provide larger genetic progress, showing the importance of population improvement for the increment of the heterosis in maize.