Efficiency of bioaugmentation in the removal of organic matter in aquaculture systems

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

The effects of soil fumigation on the growth and mineral nutrition of weeds and crops

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Uso de trigo orgânico na alimentação de juvenis de tilápia do Nilo

Embora a produção de peixes em sistema orgânico seja crescente no mundo, no Brasil, ainda há poucos estudos sobre esta prática. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a utilização de trigo orgânico, em substituição ao milho orgânico, na dieta de juvenis de tilápia do Nilo. Foram utilizados 200 juvenis (5,24 ± 0,13 g; 6,91 ± 0,40 cm), distribuídos em 20 hapas experimentais (0,15 m³ de volume útil), em tanque de concreto com capacidade para 25,0 m³ de água, com sistema de aeração constante, em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado. Foram elaboradas cinco dietas contendo farelo de trigo orgânico (0,0 g kg-1; 50,0 g kg-1; 100,0 g kg-1; 150,0 g kg-1; e 200,0 g kg-1) e o arraçoamento foi realizado quatro vezes ao dia (08:00h, 11:00h, 14:00h e 17:00h). Foram avaliados a massa final, comprimento total, taxa de sobrevivência, ganho de peso diário, fator de condição de Fulton, gordura visceral, índice hepatossomático, índice viscerossomático e a composição centesimal da carcaça dos peixes (teores de umidade, proteína, lipídio e cinza). Os níveis de inclusão de farelo de trigo orgânico não afetaram as variáveis analisadas. O trigo orgânico pode ser incluído na dieta de juvenis de tilápia do Nilo até o limite de 200,0 g kg-1, sem causar qualquer problema produtivo.

Aplicação dos isótopos estáveis em aqüicultura

O produto mais importante do conhecimento é a ignorância. A situação sugere a imagem de alguém que vive numa ilha de conhecimento cercado por um mar de ignorância. Quando a área dessa ilha aumenta pelo progresso da ciência, também aumenta o litoral, - a fronteira com o desconhecido. Esta expansão é o fruto mais valioso do conhecimento (David Gross, Nobel em Física, 2004). O uso dos isótopos estáveis dos bioelementos (CHON'S) presentes na Atmosfera, Hidrosfera, Litosfera e Biosfera enquadra-se neste contexto, surgindo como ferramenta de alto potencial em pesquisas nas diversas áreas das Ciências da Vida. Com organismos aquáticos, a aplicação dos isótopos estáveis do carbono (δ 13C) e do nitrogênio (δ 15N) tem ocorrido em diversas áreas. em larvas de pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus, a técnica evidenciou a escolha voluntária entre organismos vivos e dieta seca pelos animais, desde as primeiras alimentações até o final da larvicultura. Na carcinicultura, o crescimento do Penaeus vannamei resultou do aproveitamento dos alimentos oferecidos e da produtividade primária do lago (biota). Por meio do balanço de massa e isotópico foi possível determinar a contribuição da biota, da ordem de 44 a 86% do carbono assimilado pelos animais durante o crescimento. Outro exemplo é com o caranguejo de mangue Sesarma rectum, em que sua preferência alimentar por Spartina alterniflora (C4) versus Rhizophora mangle (C3) ou Hibiscus tiliaceus (C3) foi evidenciada pelo modelo isotópico de duas fontes alimentares e os isótopos estáveis do carbono (δ13C). A técnica dos isótopos estáveis associada ao conhecimento dos conceitos básicos da variabilidade isotópica natural e ao uso criterioso das razões 13C/12C; ²H/¹H; 18O/16O; 15N/14N e 36S/34S revela-se como um avanço na fronteira dos conhecimentos, nas diversas reentrâncias do litoral da aqüicultura.

ROOT-GROWTH AND MINERAL-NUTRITION OF CORN HYBRIDS AS AFFECTED BY PHOSPHORUS AND LIME

The effects of triple superphosphate (TS) and liming on macronutrient accumulation and root growth of Pioneer 3072 and Cargill 505 com hybrids were studied. Com plants were grown up to 30 days in pots with 7 L of a dark red Latosol sandy loam (Haplortox). Lime was applied to raise base saturation to 30, 50, and 70%, in two levels of phosphorus (P) fertilization with TS (0 and 200 ppm P). There was an increase in root surface due to lime only in pots without TS, with no effects on plant growth or nutrition. Both com hybrids responded to P fertilization, but Pioneer yielded more dry matter than Cargill. The roots of Cargill were thicker and, when in TS presence, were longer and had a larger surface than Pioneer. There was an increase in macronutrient uptake in the P fertilized pots. Pioneer required more nutrients and showed a higher efficiency in acquiring and utilizing the nutrients from the soil. A higher response of Pioneer in dry matter and nutrient acquisition was more related to the physiological efficiency than to root morphology.

Bromeliad-living spiders improve host plant nutrition and growth

Although bromeliads are believed to obtain nutrients from debris deposited by animals in their rosettes, there is little evidence to support this assumption. Using stable isotope methods, we found that the Neotropical jumping spider Psecas chapoda (Salticidae), which lives strictly associated with the terrestrial bromeliad Bromelia balansae, contributed 18% of the total nitrogen of its host plant in a greenhouse experiment. In a one-year field experiment, plants with spiders produced leaves 15% longer than plants from which the spiders were excluded. This is the first study to show nutrient provisioning in a spider-plant system. Because several animal species live strictly associated with bromeliad rosettes, this type of facultative mutualism involving the Bromeliaceac may be more common than previously thought.

Ganho de peso e alterações anatomopatológicas de tilápia-do-nilo arraçoadas com farelo de cacau

The experiment was carried out on the Laboratory of Fish Nutrition - F.M.V.Z., Campus Botucatu - integrated to the UNESP Aquaculture Center, with the main purpose of evaluating the effects of the use of cocoa meal (Theobroma cacao) on diets for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Six diets with increasing levels of cocoa meal (CM): 0% CM; 4% CM; 8% CM; 12% CM; 16% CM and 20% CM were fed for 120 days to the fingerlings, in a completely randomized design. Results showed no significant adverse effect of cocoa meal on weight gain (p>0.05), but there were restrictions to its use on diet, as it was found pathological effects on liver and also behavior disturbs caused by alkaloids present on the product.

Physiological responses of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, fed vitamin C- and lipid-supplemented diets and submitted to low-temperature stress

Water temperature alterations can determine harmful physiological modifications in fish, which should be prepared to cope with this, and nutrition strategies seem to be essential. This study evaluated the effects of different levels of vitamin C and lipids on physiological responses of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, submitted to temperature stress. There were two phases: Phase I - preparing fish to store vitamin C and lipid at appropriate temperature, and Phase II - evaluating the contributions these reserves make to fish physiology under low-temperature stress. The experiment used a 3 x 2 factorial design with three vitamin C levels (300, 600, and 1200 mg/kg diet) and two lipid levels (8.0 and 12.0%), plus absence of nutrient test and a diet of 6.0% lipids and 125.0 mg/kg vitamin C. In Phase I, 192 fish were kept at 26.0 +/- 1.0 C for 112 d, and in Phase II, 48 fish were kept at 18.0 +/- 0.5 C for 32 d and at 15.0 +/- 0.5 C for 11 d. Fish fed C0L0 diet showed lower erythrocytes values in both phases; higher vitamin C supplement determined higher red blood cell (RBC) number and higher hematocrit (Htc) (Phase II); Htc was significantly lower in Phase II; after temperature stress, fish fed C0L0 diet had higher mean corpuscular volume, lower hemoglobin corpuscular concentration, and significantly lower vitamin C concentration in the liver; and higher supplementation determined a higher concentration in the liver (Phases I and II). Higher plasmatic cortisol concentration was seen in fish fed C0L0 diet. In conclusion, our results show that the absence of vitamin C in diets impairs RBC formation and does not enable fish to cope with stress; excess vitamin C is efficient in mitigating stress and 600 mg/kg diet is economic and physiologically sufficient to prepare fish for coping with low-temperature stress. Lipid supplementation does not determine alterations in stress biochemical parameters.

Early development and nutrition of cover crop species as affected by soil compaction

A good cover crop should have a vigorous early development and a high potential for nutrient uptake that can be made available to the next crop. In tropical areas with relatively dry winters drought tolerance is also very important. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the early development and nutrition of six species used as cover crops as affected by sub-superficial compaction of the soil. The plants (oats, pigeon pea, pearl millet, black mucuna, grain sorghum, and blue lupin) were grown in pots filled with soil subjected to different subsurface compaction levels (bulk densities of 1.12, 1.16, and 1.60 mg m(-3)) for 39 days. The pots had an internal diameter of 10 cm and were 33.5 cm deep. Grasses were more sensitive to soil compaction than leguminous plants during the initial development. Irrespective of compaction rates, pearl millet and grain sorghum were more efficient in recycling nutrients. These two species proved to be more appropriate as cover crops in tropical regions with dry winters, especially if planted shortly before spring.

Root growth and cotton nutrition as affected by liming and soil compaction

Soil columns were produced by filling PVC tubes with a Dark Red Latosol (Acrortox, 22% of clay). A compacted layer was established at the depth of 15 cm in the columns. In the compacted layer, soil was packed to 1.13, 1.32, 1.48, and 1.82 Mg kg(-1), resulting in cone resistances of 0.18, 0.43, 1.20, and 2.50 MPa. Cotton was cropped for 30 days. Lime was applied to raise base saturation to 40, 52, and 67%. The highest base saturation caused a decrease in phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in the plants. A decrease in root dry matter, length and surface area was also observed. This could be a consequence of lime induced Zn deficiency. Root growth was decreased in the compacted layer, and complete inhibition was noticed at 2.50 MPa. Once the roots got through the compacted layer, there was a growth recovery in the bottom layer of the pots. The increase in base saturation up 52% was effective in preventing a decrease in cotton root length at soil resistances to 1.20 MPa. Where the roots were shorter, there was an increase in nutrient uptake per unit of root surface area, which kept the plants well nourished, except for P.

Kinetics of zinc uptake and anatomy of roots and leaves of coffee trees as affected by zinc nutrition

Zinc (Zn) uptake kinetics and root and leaf anatomy were studied in coffee trees grown in nutrient solutions with or without Zn. Leaves and roots were sampled and cuts were made in the medium part of the leaves and in root tips and observed under an optical microscope. Plants grown without Zn showed an increase in root and in root stele diameter. There was also an increase in epidermis thickness and in the cross-sectional area of the cortex and stele due to Zn deficiency, but the diameter of xylem vessels was decreased. An increase in root cortex and stele diameter provided for an increased surface for nutrient uptake. Accordingly, C(min) was decreased from 13.8 to 3.4 mu mol L(-1) and V(max) increased from 0.50 to 2.1 mu mol cm(-2) h(-1) .

Influence of nutrition on the glucose absorption and tolerance test in horses submitted to different fasting periods

Four groups of horses of Brasileiro de Hipismo bred were submitted to fasting for 24 and 48 hours in order to study the absorption capacity of the small intestine. Two groups were fed with coast cross grass (Cynodon dactylon) and the other two groups with coast cross pasture and grains. At the end of the fasting periods, the groups received 1g of glucose/kg of body weight in a 20% solution through a nasogastric tube. Blood samples were collected immediately before and 70, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 minutes after glucose administration. Glycemia was determined by the orthotoluidine method and insulin by radioimmunoassay. The animals which received grains showed larger increase in glycemia and insulinemia than those maintained on pasture regimen alone. The 48-hour fasting period induced higher glycemia and insulinemia levels than those observed after 24-hour fasting.