Identification of new Bremia lactucae races in lettuce in São Paulo state

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

Estimation and evaluation of dynamic properties as indicators of changes on soil structure in sugarcane fields of São Paulo State - Brazil

The indiscriminate management and use of soils without moisture control has changed the structure of it due to the increment of the traffic by agricultural machines through the years, causing in consequence, a soil compaction and yield reduction in the areas of intensive traffic. The purpose of this work was to estimate and to evaluate the performance of preconsolidation pressure of the soil and shear stress as indicators of changes on soil structure in fields cropped with sugarcane, as well as the impact of management processes in an Eutrorthox soil structure located in São Paulo State. The experimental field was located in Piracicaba's rural area (São Paulo State, Brazil) and has been cropped with sugarcane, in the second harvest cycle. The soil was classified by Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), 1999. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Solos. Sistema Brasileiro de Classificao de Solos, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), Brasilia, 412 pp.] as an Eutrorthox. Undisturbed samples were collected and georeferenced in a grid of 60 m x 60 m from two depths: 0-0.10 m (superficial layer - SL) and in the layer of greatest mechanical resistance (LGMR), previously identified by cone index (CI). The investigated variables were pressure preconsolidation (sigma(p)), apparent cohesion (c) and internal friction angle (phi). The conclusions from the results were that the SLSC was predicted satisfactorily from up as a function of soil moisture; thus, decisions about machinery size and loading (contact pressures) can be taken. Apparent cohesion (c), internal friction angle (phi) and the Coulomb equation were significantly altered by traffic intensity. The sigma(p), c and phi maps were shown to be important tools to localize and visualize soil compaction and mechanical resistance zones. They constitute a valuable resource to evaluate the traffic impact in areas cropped with sugarcane in State of São Paulo, Brazil. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Only the B biotype of Bemisia tabaci is present on vegetables in São Paulo State, Brazil

Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) é considerada uma das mais importantes pragas em cultivos de hortaliças e ornamentais em todo o mundo. Baseado na análise da seqüência mitocondrial (citocromo oxidase I - mtCOI) foi proposto recentemente que B. tabaci deva ser considerado um complexo críptico de espécies, contendo 11 grupos e 24 espécies. Dois destes grupos: Middle East-Asia Minor e Mediterranean englobam os biótipos B e Q, respectivamente. Avaliou-se a sequência mtCOI de espécimes de B. tabaci coletados em regiões do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Por PCR-RFLP utilizando-se a enzima Taq I, pôde-se observar somente o padrão típico de clivagem para o biótipo B. Comparando-se com sequências consenso, todas as moscas brancas foram classificadas no grupo Middle East-Asia Minor e puderam ser separadas em quatro haplótipos, indicando prevalência do biótipo B em áreas de pimentão (Capsicum annuum L.), tomate (Solanum lycopersicum L.), cucurbitáceas e berinjela (Solanum melongena L.) do Estado de São Paulo.

Prevalence of Lettuce mosaic virus - common strain on three lettuce producing areas from São Paulo State

O LMV ocorre em todo o mundo e é considerado um dos patógenos mais importantes para a cultura da alface. de acordo com a habilidade em contornar os genes de resistência mo1¹ e mo1² encontrados em alface, os isolados de LMV podem ser dividos em dois sub-grupos: LMV-Most, capazes de contornar a resistência propiciada por estes genes e de serem transmitidos pela semente nestas cutivares, e LMV-Common, que não são capazes de causar sintomas nestes cultivares, além de serem transmitidos pela semente somente em cultivares suscetíveis. Para avaliar a ocorrência destes dois tipos de isolados de LMV foram coletadas, durante 2002-2005, amostras de alface com sintomas de mosaico em áreas de produção de alface comercial das regiões de Campinas, Mogi das Cruzes e Bauru no estado de São Paulo. O RNA total foi utilizado para detecção por RT-PCR utilizando-se oligonucleotídeos universais para LMV que amplificam a porção N-terminal variável da capa protéica, localizada no terminal 3´do genoma. As amostras positivas foram analisadas por um segundo primer que amplifica um fragmento da região central (CI-VPg) do genoma viral. Um total de 1362 amostras foram avaliadas, tendo sido detectado o LMV em 504 amostras (37,29%). O LMV-Common prevaleceu em variedades suscetíveis (77,3%). O LMV-Most foi encontrado frequentemente associado a variedades portadoras do gene de tolerância mo1¹. Apesar da existência dos LMV-Most capazes de contornar a resistência em alface, estes não predominam em nossa condições.

Intensidade do mal das folhas em plantas jovens e adultas de seis clones de seringueira na região do Vale do Ribeira: South American leaf blight intensity evaluated in six clones of young and adult rubber trees in the Vale do Ribeira region, São Paulo state, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

An evaluation of direct seeding for reforestation of degraded lands in central São Paulo state, Brazil

As part of a larger study evaluating several silvicultural techniques for restoring tropical moist forests on abandoned agricultural lands in southeastern Brazil, direct seeding with five early-successional Atlantic forest species was tested at three degraded sites, characterized by different soil types and land-use histories, within the Environmental Protection Area at Botucatu, SP. The species used in this study were Chorisia speciosa, Croton floribundus, Enterolobium contorstisiliquum, Mimosa scabrella, and Schizolobium parahyba. Scarified seeds of each of these species were sown in prepared seed spots in replicated, 0.25 ha mixed-species plots at an initial espacement of 1 m x 1 m at each site. of the five species planted, only two, Enterolobium and Schizolobium, showed good seed germination, seedling survival, and early growth rates, averaging 4.1-4.6 cm stem diameter and 1.5-1.7 m height growth during the first 2 years after sowing. These two species constituted 88-100% of the total stand density, which ranged from 1050 to 1790 stems ha(-1) at 2 years. Despite the poor performance of the other species tested, we observed that the natural regeneration of native forest species originating from remnant forests in the general vicinity of our study sites was significantly greater within the direct-seeded plots than in unplanted control plots that were protected from fire and other disturbances. Published by Elsevier B.V. B.V.

What Role Should Government Regulation Play in Ecological Restoration? Ongoing Debate in São Paulo State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The succession dynamics of a macroalgal community after a flood disturbance in a tropical stream from São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

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

Bee communities (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) of the Cerrado ecosystem in São Paulo State, Brazil

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

The Distribuition of Strongyloides stercoralis Frequency in Araraquara, São Paulo State - Brazil

Strongyloidiasis is a disease of emerging public health importance. A survey was conducted in Araraquara city, São Paulo state, Brazil, in order to evaluate the frequency distribution of Strongyloides stercoralis in the area. A total of 9582 single stool samples were examined by direct examination, and by the Coprotest and Rugai's methods from January 2005 to January 2007. Out of the total samples examined, 408 (4,3%) were found to be infected by S. stercoralis (143 men and 265 women). The months with the highest frequency (5,0 - 8,2%) of positive patients were February, September and December (2005); April and November (2006) and January (2007). The frequencies from the other months varied around 2,5 to 4,9%. It was concluded that strongyloidiasis is endemic in Araraquara, but in some months, which presented the highest temperatures followed by rainy periods, the frequencies are typical from hyperendemic areas.

Molecular typing and antifungal susceptibility of clinical sequential isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from São Paulo State, Brazil

The antifungal susceptibility profiles and the genetic variability of 83 sequential clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans, including four Cryptococcus gattii isolates, obtained from 38 São Paulo AIDS patients with cryptococcal meningitis were assessed by electrophoretic karyotyping and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The majority of the Cryptococcus neoformans isolates were highly susceptible to amphotericin B and fluconazole. Twenty percent of the minimum inhibitory concentration values for amphotericin B varied from 0.5 to 1 mu g mL(-1). For fluconazole, 22% occurred in the range 8-16 mu g mL(-1). Sequential isolates from nine patients showed a trend towards lower susceptibility to fluconazole, flucytosine, itraconazole and amphotericin B. The results of molecular typing by electrophoretic karyotyping and RAPD analysis showed the presence of 22 electrophoretic karyotypes (EK) and 15 RAPD profiles that were highly correlated. Our results provided evidence for the occurrence of genetic changes in some strains associated with microevolution during the course of infection. We also observed both microevolution and simultaneous coinfection with two distinct Cryptococcus neoformans strains in one patient. In some patients, we found changed EK- and RAPD patterns in association with increased MIC values.

X-chromosome genetic variation in São Paulo State (Brazil) population

As data on X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STRs) for the Brazilian population are scarse, the aim of this study was to determine the allele frequencies of five X-STRs (DXS6854, DXS7424, DXS101, DXS6808 and DXS7132) in the São Paulo State, Brazil. No deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were observed, with the exception of DXS101. The forensic efficiency parameters demonstrated that DXS101 was the most informative marker. Population comparisons revealed that the X-STR profile sampled in the state of São Paulo was more similar to European and African populations than Asiatic populations reported in this work.

Genotyping, serotyping and determination of mating-type of Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates from São Paulo State, Brazil

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

Frequency of Blastocystis hominis and other intestinal parasites in stool samples examined at the Parasitology Laboratory of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the São Paulo State University, Araraquara

Blastocystis hominis é um protozoário, causador de infecção intestinal denominada blastocistose humana, cujo diagnóstico é realizado pelo exame coproparasitológico e por meio de técnicas de coloração permanente. Este estudo foi desenvolvido para avaliar a freqüência da infecção por Blastocystis hominis em habitantes da região de Araraquara/SP, bem como comparar diferentes métodos para a pesquisa desse protozoário em amostras de fezes. Foram estudadas 503 amostras de fezes submetidas ao exame direto a fresco, às técnicas de Faust e cols, Lutz e de Rugai e cols, além das colorações pela hematoxilina férrica, tricrômio e de Kinyoun modificada. Entre as 503 amostras examinadas, 174 (34,6%) apresentaram-se positivas para a presença de parasitas intestinais. O protozoário e o helminto mais freqüentes foram Entamoeba coli (14,6%) e Strongyloides stercoralis (6,7%), respectivamente. Blastocystis hominis foi observado em 23 (4,6%) amostras fecais com consistência predominantemente pastosa, não caracterizando quadro diarréico. Apesar da baixa freqüência de Blastocystis hominis encontrada na região de Araraquara, comparativamente a outras regiões brasileiras, é importante a realização do diagnóstico laboratorial desse protozoário. O encontro de Blastocystis hominis em material fecal é indicativo de contaminação de alimentos e água de consumo, desde que se admita a rota de transmissão oral-fecal desse parasita, o que implica na orientação da população sobre as medidas de saneamento básico e higiene como meio para se controlar problemas de saúde ocasionados pelos enteroparasitas.

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in soil and water samples in the northeastern part of São Paulo State, Brazil

Detailed analyses of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloro ethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDTs) and congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil and surface water from the northeastern São Paulo, Brazil allowed the evaluation of the contamination status, distribution and possible pollution sources. The pesticides and PCBs demonstrated markedly different distributions, reflecting different agricultural, domestic and industrial usage in each region studied. The ranges of HCH, DDT, and PCBs concentrations in the soil samples were 0.05-0.92, 0.12-11.01, 0.02-0.25 ng g(-1) dry wt, respectively, and in the surface water samples were 0.02-0.6, 0.02-0.58 and 0.02-0.5 ng l(-1), respectively. Overall elevated levels of DDT and PCB were recorded in region 2, a site very close to melting, automotive batteries industries, and agricultural practice regions. High ratios of metabolites of DDT to DDT isomers revealed the recent use of DDT in this environment. The sources of contamination are closely related to human activities, such as domestic and industrial discharge, street runoff, agricultural pesticides and soil erosion, due to deforestation as well as atmospheric transport. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.