Adubação química, ataque do ácaro Aceria guerreronis e produtividade do coqueiro 'Anão-Verde'

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a influência de níveis de nitrogênio e de potássio aplicados em combinação, via fertirrigação, sobre a produtividade do coqueiro 'Anão-Verde', e a intensidade de ataque do ácaro Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae). O estudo foi conduzido de fevereiro de 2003 a março de 2004, no Município de Neópolis, SE, em um plantio comercial de coqueiro 'Anão-Verde', com oito anos de idade, que desde o ano 2000 vinha recebendo, via microaspersão, os seguintes tratamentos (gramas de N e K por planta por ano): 135 e 135; 1.890 e 1.890; 810 e 135; 135 e 810; 1.890 e 810; e 810 e 1.890. Foram realizadas quatro avaliações trimestrais, entre abril de 2003 e março de 2004, nos cachos de frutos associados às folhas 14 e 18. A produção de frutos foi influenciada pelos níveis de N e K aplicados ao coqueiral, porém a infestação (8 a 80% de frutos atacados) e a severidade dos danos do ácaro-praga (3 a 47%) não foram afetadas pela adubação química.

Occurrence of Aceria tosichella in Brazil

The objective of this work was to evaluate the occurrence of Aceria tosichella Keifer (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae), the wheat curl mite, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Samples to detect A. tosichella specimens were collected in wheat, corn, oat crops and potential host grasses in 46 localities, in October 2006, August and October 2007. Samples of wheat were also collected in experimental greenhouses at Embrapa Trigo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil. A. tosichella specimens were found in wheat samples from Passo Fundo, Palmeira das Missões, São Luís Gonzaga, and Santo Antônio das Missões, RS, Brazil. Symptoms due to A. tosichella infestations were observed only in greenhouse conditions. This is the first report of A. tosichella in Brazil and the second in South America.

Distribuição espacial e tamanho de amostra para o ácaro-do bronzeado da erva-mate

O ácaro Dichopelmus notus Keifer (Acari, Eriophyidae) provoca o bronzeamento e queda de folhas da erva-mate, reduzindo a produção e a qualidade de seus produtos. O acompanhamento dos níveis populacionais dessa espécie é importante para aprimorar seu manejo em plantios comerciais. Este trabalho teve por objetivos identificar a distribuição espacial e determinar o número de plantas e de folhas por planta que devem ser inspecionadas em cultivos comerciais de erva-mate em programas de monitoramento do ácaro-do-bronzeado. O estudo foi conduzido no Município de Chapecó, Santa Catarina, no período de janeiro de 2004 a janeiro de 2005. As avaliações foram realizadas quinzenalmente em um erval de 10 anos, dividido em três talhões com cerca de 2.500 m²cada, em que foram selecionadas 10 plantas ao acaso e em cada planta foi observado o número de ácaros em 18 folhas maduras. As inspeções foram executadas diretamente nos ervais com lentes com aumento de 10 vezes e 1 cm² de campo fixo. Constatou-se a distribuição espacial agregada para o ácaro, bem como a necessidade de inspecionar três folhas por planta, em 29 delas ao acaso e por hectare, de fevereiro a abril, para estimar a população com nível de precisão de 15%.

Niveles de exposición a fungicidas ditiocarbamatos y su relación con las condiciones de trabajo en el sector floricultor en la Sabana de Bogotá D.C. (Cundinamarca) y Rionegro (Antioquia), Colombia, durante el año 2011

El interés del estudio de investigación se basó en recolectar datos de exposición ocupacional a plaguicidas ditiocarbamatos en el sector floricultor. Objetivo: Determinar los niveles de exposición a fungicidas ditiocarbamatos y su relación con las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores del sector floricultor en la Sabana de Bogotá D.C. (Cundinamarca) y Rionegro (Antioquia), Colombia, durante el año 2011. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal, en 358 trabajadores de un total de 3700 empleados de 27 empresas del sector floricultor, 12 ubicadas en la Sabana de Bogotá (Cundinamarca) y 3 en Rionegro (Antioquia). Se recoleto información sobre condiciones de trabajo y antecedentes de exposición de la población y se determinaron los niveles de exposición a fungicidas ditiocarbamatos en muestra en orina mediante método Montesano. Conclusiones: Este estudio describe la forma como se utilizan y los niveles de exposición a fungicidas ditiocarbamatos ETU, en el sector floricultor en Colombia. Se dan recomendaciones para mejorar los tiempos de re-ingreso al cultivo según la categoría toxicológica de los productos.

El Nino-Southern Oscillation

This 20th anniversary edition of PAGES news explores the elusive El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) from a paleo-perspective. The initiative for this special section came out of a 2011 PMIP workshop. In a mini section, a newly introduced format in the PAGES newsletter, four articles on data assimilation address methods of combining observations and model simulations. Finally, this newsletter also features several reports on the 2013 2nd Young Scientists Meeting held in Goa, India.

Incidence of tarsonemid mites on Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae) from Oman with description of a new species of Nasutitarsonemus Beer and Nucifora (Acari: Tarsonemidae)

Coconut is an important crop grown in the coastal plain of the Dhofar region, south-eastern Oman, on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula desert. It holds a particular place in the landscaping of the region and is also of great interest for the production of coconut drinking water. One of the main pests of coconut in this region is the coconut mite (Aceria guerreronis Keifer). In surveys conducted to understand the dynamics of that mite and its association with other arthropods, the incidence of tarsonemid mites was determined. Steneotarsonemus furcatus de Leon was the most commonly found tarsonemid on fruits as well as on growing tips of coconut seedlings, always at low levels. A few representatives of an undescribed tarsonemid species were also found. That new species is here described as Nasutitarsonemus omani Lofego and Moraes, sp. nov. A key to the species of this little-known genus is provided.

A avaliação formativa no ensino-aprendizagem do português: o procedimento webquest em análise

A presente dissertação aborda o tema da utilização da Internet no ensino/aprendizagem de língua materna, mais especificamente o uso do procedimento tecnológico Webquest, como recurso didático-pedagógico que auxilia tanto os processos de ensino e aprendizagem quanto os de avaliação e visa a otimizar a apropriação de competências linguageiras por parte do aluno. Para fundamentar a inserção das Novas Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação no ensino-aprendizagem da língua materna, realiza-se, a princípio, uma reflexão em torno do quadro teórico-metodológico que vem sendo proposto pelos estudiosos da Didática das Línguas e pelos PCNs para a língua materna. Nessa reflexão, enfocam-se os princípios da abordagem interacional de ensino-aprendizagem de línguas e da modalidade formativa de avaliação, mostrando sua relevância para um trabalho fecundo em sala de aula. Em seguida, unem-se a estes fundamentos, os estudos desenvolvidos pela Tecnologia Educacional, que tratam do uso do computador como recurso educativo, destacando-se o pensamento construtivista como base teórica que orienta esta prática. Neste contexto, define-se mais especificamente a metodologia de pesquisa Webquest, que pode se utilizar da Internet para favorecer a interação do aluno com variadas informações, pessoas e para lidar com a língua em seu uso real, contextualizado dentro das práticas sócio-comunicativas. Com base nesse tripé teórico, analisam-se sete Webquests produzidas por graduandos do Curso de Letras da Universidade Federal do Pará, objetivando-se verificar se essa metodologia se coaduna com as concepções da abordagem interacional de ensino/aprendizagem da língua materna, bem como da avaliação formativa, favorecendo procedimentos (auto) avaliativos e de (auto) regulação da aprendizagem indispensáveis ao desenvolvimento das competências linguageiras na produção escrita. Nesta análise documental, realizada na perspectiva da pesquisa qualitativa, propõe-se, como objetivo principal, contribuir para a inserção do procedimento tecnológico Webquest em práticas produtivas de ensino-aprendizagem de língua materna, de forma a fundamentar o emprego deste instrumento, em princípios interacionais e formadores.

A Method to Estimate the Population Level of Aceria litchii (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) and a Study of the Population Dynamics of This Species and Its Predators on Litchi Trees in Southern Brazil

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

Development of a Methodology and Evaluation of Pesticides Against Aceria litchii and Its Predator Phytoseius intermedius (Acari: Eriophyidae, Phytoseiidae)

The litchi erineum mite, Aceria litchii (Keifer), is the major pest of litchi, Litchi chinensis Sonnerat (Sapindaceae). This study evaluated the effect of 11 pesticides on the survival of A. litchii as well as on the survival and reproduction of Phytoseius intermedius Evans& McFarlane, the predator most found in association with it in Brazil. The containment of A. litchii in small petri dishes whose bottoms were covered with a solidified paste made of a mixture of gypsum and activated charcoal (9: 1 in volume), kept humid, was shown to be adequate for this type of study. For the evaluation of the effect of pesticides on A. litchii, mites leaving the erinia from the pieces of litchi leaves (removed from the plants approximate to 24 h earlier) were sprayed under a Potter tower and immediately transferred to the 2.5-cm-diameter petri dishes. After 2, 12, 24, and 48 h of the application, the dishes were examined to evaluate the mite survival. The four pesticides causing the highest levels A. litchii mortality, as well as azadirachtin, were tested for the effect on P. intermedius. For this test, experimental units consisted of discs of uninfested litchi leaves also sprayed under a Potter tower before introducing the predators. Survival and oviposition of the predator were evaluated every 24 h for 5 consecutive days; viability of the eggs laid was also evaluated. Highest mortality of A. litchii occurred with the application of fenpyroximate, sulfur, abamectin, and hexythiazox. Azadirachtin was considered moderately harmful to the predator P. intermedius, whereas other pesticides were classified as harmful. Despite the low efficiency of azadirachtin in the control of the pest, its relative selectivity to P. intermedius would encourage the evaluation on field condition, especially for use in organic production systems.

Dispersal strategies of Aceria guerreronis (Acari: Eriophyidae), a coconut pest

The dispersal of plant-feeding mites can occur involuntarily, through transportation of infested plant parts, or voluntarily, by walking to new plant parts or to suitable spots where biotic (phoresis) or abiotic (wind, agricultural tools, etc.) factors carry them over long distances. Elucidating the dispersal mechanisms of the coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer, is important for understanding the process of colonization of new fruits of a same or different plants, essential for the improvement of control strategies of this serious coconut pest. Thus, the objective of this work was to investigate the voluntary dispersal mechanisms of this mite. The hypothesis that the coconut mite disperses by walking, phoresis or wind were tested. The coconut mite was shown to be able to walk short distances between fruits of the same bunch or between bunches of the same plant. Phoresis on insects of the orders Hymenoptera (Apidae), Coleoptera (Curculionidae) and Lepidoptera (Phycitidae) was evaluated in the laboratory and in the field. Although in the laboratory mites were shown to be able to climb onto honeybees, field investigations failed to show these insects as important carriers of the pest, corroborating findings of previous works; however, both laboratory and field investigations suggested the curculionid Parisoschoenus obesulus Casey to be able to transport the coconut mite between plants. Similarly, laboratory and field investigations suggested wind to be important in the dispersal of the coconut mite between plants.

Morphological, molecular and cross-breeding analysis of geographic populations of coconut-mite associated predatory mites identified as Neoseiulus baraki: evidence for cryptic species?

Surveys were conducted in Brazil, Benin and Tanzania to collect predatory mites as candidates for control of the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer, a serious pest of coconut fruits. At all locations surveyed, one of the most dominant predators on infested coconut fruits was identified as Neoseiulus baraki Athias-Henriot, based on morphological similarity with regard to taxonomically relevant characters. However, scrutiny of our own and published descriptions suggests that consistent morphological differences may exist between the Benin population and those from the other geographic origins. In this study, we combined three methods to assess whether these populations belong to one species or a few distinct, yet closely related species. First, multivariate analysis of 32 morphological characters showed that the Benin population differed from the other three populations. Second, DNA sequence analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) showed the same difference between these populations. Third, cross-breeding between populations was unsuccessful in all combinations. These data provide evidence for the existence of cryptic species. Subsequent morphological research showed that the Benin population can be distinguished from the others by a new character (not included in the multivariate analysis), viz. the number of teeth on the fixed digit of the female chelicera.

Limitations of Neoseiulus baraki and Proctolaelaps bickleyi as control agents of Aceria guerreronis

Several predatory mites have been found in association with the coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer, in northeast Brazil. However, the latter still causes damage to coconut in that region. The objectives of this work were to compare the frequencies of occurrence of Neoseiulus (Phytoseiidae) and Proctolaelaps (Melicharidae) species on standing and aborted coconuts in coastal Pernambuco State, northeast Brazil and to analyze their possible limitations as control agents of the coconut mite, based on evaluations of the restrictions they may have to access the microhabitat inhabited by the pest and their functional and reproductive responses to increasing densities of the latter. Neoseiulus baraki (Athias-Henriot) was found mostly on standing coconuts whereas Proctolaelaps bickleyi (Bram) was found mostly on aborted coconuts. Measurements of the entrance to the microhabitat occupied by the coconut mite, between the bracts and the subjacent fruit surface, showed that this different pattern of predator prevalence could be related to predator sizes, although other environmental factors could not be disregarded. Progressively higher predation rate of N. baraki was observed up to an experimental density that corresponded to 1,200 coconut mites per fruit, which is close to the average number determined in northeast Brazil, reducing slightly afterwards. Predation rate of P. bickleyi reduced consistently but slightly with increasing prey densities, but in absolute values, rates were always much higher than determined for N. baraki. The excessively high killing capacity of P. bickleyi, probably related to its high feeding requirement, may be detrimental in terms of stability. In fact, such high requirement for food suggests that P. bickleyi might not have a strong relation with the coconut mite and that the latter may not be its main food source under natural conditions. It is concluded that body sizes of both predators and the exceedingly high feeding requirement of P. bickleyi may limit their performance as control agents of the coconut mite.

Fluctuación poblacional de dos eriófidos del olivo (Acari: Eriophyidae) en Coquimbito (Maipú, Mendoza, Argentina)

El cultivo del olivo actualmente es afectado por dos especies de eriófidos poco conocidas en Argentina. Estos organismos son fitófagos obligados de numerosas plantas, que infestan todos sus órganos, excepto las raíces; algunos causan daños económicamente significativos al provocar malformaciones en diferentes partes de la planta: falta de crecimiento, acortamiento de brotes, formación de escoba de brujas, torsión y decoloración de hojas. Las especies presentes en los olivares de Coquimbito, Maipú, son: Aceria oleae (Nalepa) y Oxycenus maxwelli (Keifer). Con el objetivo de establecer la fluctuación poblacional de ambas especies se realizó un monitoreo en un monte olivícola ubicado en Maipú, Mendoza. Se seleccionaron plantas con síntomas evidentes de la plaga. Se efectuó, quincenalmente, un muestreo dirigido, extrayendo 30 brotes y 30 inflorescencias o frutos con pedúnculo de los cuales se observaron, bajo estereomicroscopio, 100 hojas, 30 yemas vegetativas y 30 inflorescencias o frutos. Los resultados indican que estos ácaros pasan el invierno principalmente en las hojas y en las yemas vegetativas. A fines de septiembre se detecta una mayor proporción de individuos en yemas florales, flores y posteriormente en frutos recién cuajados, aumentando hasta llegar a su densidad máxima en diciembre.

1993/1994 UM Women's Basketball Team

Back Row: head coach Trish Roberts, assistant coach Kathy LaBarge Miles, manager Ngina Colston, Catherine DiGiacinto, Jennifer Brzezinski, Rhonda Jokisch, Angie Mustonen, Yeshimbra Gray, manager Danielle Hill, assistant coach Sandy Thomas, assistant coach Carol Owens

Front Row: Tannisha Stevens, Silver Shellman, Amy Johnson, Sonya Mays, Mekisha Ross, Jennifer Keifer