Reação de híbridos comerciais de milho às ferrugens polissora e tropical

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o nível de resistência de oito híbridos comerciais de milho aos patógenos Puccinia polysora Underw e Physopella zeae (Mains) Cummins e Ramachar, e comparar a eficiência dos métodos da área abaixo da curva de progresso da doença (AACPD) e dos parâmetros de estabilidade fenotípica, na avaliação dessa resistência. Em quatro ambientes nas regiões Sudeste e Centro-Oeste do Brasil foram realizadas cinco avaliações da severidade das doenças, em intervalos de dez dias a partir dos 60 dias após a semeadura, utilizando uma escala diagramática com notas. Os parâmetros de estabilidade fenotípica estudados foram o coeficiente de regressão linear (b) entre a época de avaliação (x) e a severidade da doença (y) e o coeficiente de determinação (R²). No caso de P. polysora, ambos os métodos utilizados mostraram-se eficientes na discriminação do nível de resistência dos híbridos, permitindo a classificação de modo semelhante. Quanto a P. zeae, não houve boa concordância entre os dois métodos, especialmente porque a discriminação do nível de resistência entre híbridos não foi expressiva. Os híbridos mais resistentes a P. polysora foram Z 8392, C 909 e C 333, e os mais suscetíveis, P 3069, AG 9012 e C 956. Os destaques, em termos de resistência a P. zeae, foram C 909 e C 333, e os híbridos mais suscetíveis, P 3069 e AG 9012.

Divergência genética em feijoeiro em condições de inverno tropical

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a divergência genética de genitores de feijão tolerantes e não-tolerantes às condições de inverno e de suas combinações híbridas. A distância generalizada de Mahalanobis, o método de agrupamento de otimização de Tocher e a técnica de variáveis canônicas foram os procedimentos multivariados utilizados. Nos cruzamentos, utilizaram-se cultivares de feijão que se adaptam bem às condições de inverno, ou seja: Vermelho 2157, Ouro Negro, Antióquia 8 e Ricopardo 896, e as cultivares comerciais não-tolerantes, EMCAPA 404 -- Serrano, Carioca e EMCAPA 405 -- Goytacazes. Os genitores e as combinações híbridas nas gerações F1, F2 e F3 foram avaliados em Coimbra, Minas Gerais, em quatro ensaios, nos anos de 1995 e 1996. A divergência genética dos germoplasmas foi influenciada pela temperatura e pelo estádio de melhoramento. As cultivares mais dissimilares foram Antióquia 8 e EMCAPA 404 -- Serrano, e as mais similares foram, Ouro Negro e Ricopardo 896. O rendimento de grãos e o número de vagens por parcela apresentaram-se como as características de menor importância relativa no estudo da divergência genética. No entanto, como apresentaram baixa correlação genotípica com as demais características e eram as de maior importância no processo produtivo, não devem ser descartadas.

Mineralização de nitrogênio em solo tropical tratado com lodos de esgoto

A mineralização do N orgânico é um dos principais fatores que determinam as quantidades de lodos de esgoto (LE) a aplicar em solos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi quantificar, em laboratório, o potencial de mineralização de N orgânico num Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, tratado com dois LE anaeróbios, um de origem estritamente urbana (Franca, SP) e outro com presença de despejos industriais (Barueri, SP). Os LE foram aplicados ao solo em doses de 1,5, 3, 6 e 12 g kg-1 (Franca) e 4, 8, 16 e 32 g kg-1 (Barueri), e o tempo de incubação foi de 15 semanas. O acúmulo de N inorgânico no solo ao final da incubação foi proporcional às quantidades de N orgânico adicionadas. O potencial de mineralização estimado pelo modelo exponencial simples foi de 24 mg kg-1 de N no solo sem lodo, e variou entre 44 e 265 mg kg-1 de N no solo tratado com os lodos. A fração de mineralização potencial do N orgânico dos lodos foi estimada em 31%. A mineralização foi mais lenta no solo tratado com as duas maiores doses do LE de Barueri. Os dois lodos acidificaram o solo; o de Franca causou acidificação mais intensa que o de Barueri.

Agrupamento de espécies arbóreas de uma floresta tropical por características de solo

A competição por nutrientes é um dos principais fatores que regulam tamanho e distribuição das populações arbóreas nos ecossistemas florestais da Amazônia, dada sua escassez na maioria dos solos da região. O objetivo deste trabalho foi agrupar parte das espécies arbóreas de uma floresta, por meio das características do solo. Foram utilizados dados de 32 espécies mais abundantes, distribuídas em 240 subparcelas de 10x10 m, localizadas em 12 parcelas de 1 ha, aleatoriamente demarcadas em uma floresta primária do Estado do Amapá, Amazônia Oriental. De acordo com técnicas de análises multivariadas, separaram-se as espécies em três grupos, que ocuparam diferentes faixas de variáveis químicas e texturais de solo. As variáveis de solo mais importantes na separação dos grupos foram Ca, Mg, K e Al. As espécies da família Melastomataceae concentraram suas populações em condições relacionadas a indicadores de menor fertilidade do solo. Os resultados sugerem que o substrato exerce papel importante no tamanho e na distribuição das populações arbóreas na floresta primária estudada.

Variation in the proportion of flower visitors of Arum maculatum along its distributional range in relation with community‐based climatic niche analyses

Here, we investigate the geographical constancy in the specificity level of the specialized lure-and-trap pollination antagonism involving the widespread European Arum maculatum and its associated Psychodid pollinators. Until now, studies concurred in demonstrating that one single insect species, Psychoda phalaenoides, efficiently cross-pollinated plants; researches were, however, performed locally in western Europe. In this study we characterize for the first time the flower visitors' composition at the scale of the distribution range of A. maculatum by intensively collecting plants and insects throughout the European continent. We further correlate local climatic characteristics with the community composition of visiting arthropods.Our results show that flowers are generally visited by P. phalaenoides females, but not over the whole distribution range of the plant. In some regions this fly species is less frequent or even absent and another species, Psycha grisescens, becomes the prevailing visitor. This variability is geographically structured and can be explained by climatic factors: the proportion of P. grisescens increases with higher annual precipitations and lower precipitations in the warmest trimester, two characteristics typical of the Mediterranean zone. Climate thus seems driving the specificity of this interaction, by potentially affecting the phenology of one or both interacting species, or even of volatile and heat production in the plant. This result therefore challenges the specificity of other presumably one-to-one interactions covering wide distribution ranges, and provides an example of the direct effect that the abiotic environment can have on the fate of plant-insect interactions.

Phosphorus analysis in soil under herbaceous perennial leguminous cover by nuclear magnetic spectroscopy

The availability and the reserves of organic phosphorus are controlled by its mineralization rate and are also influenced by changes in soil management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil covering with different leguminous plant on soil organic P by 31P-NMR spectroscopy. Alkaline soil extracts were obtained from two depths (0-5 and 5-10 cm) of an Ultisol cultivated with herbaceous perennial leguminous plants (Arachis pintoi, Pueraria phaseoloides, Macroptilium atropurpureum). In an adjacent area, samples of the same soil cover with a secondary tropical forest and grass (Panicum maximum) were also collected. The leguminous management was divided into with removal and without removal of shoot parts after cut on soil surface. Phosphate monoesters are the dominant P species in all soil samples and P diesters accumulated on the superficial layer of secondary forest soil. The P amount of this fraction is higher for the legume covered soil when compared with the grass covered soil. The permanence of leguminous plants on the topsoil after the cut promoted an increase in P diester/P monoester ratios. These findings can be accounted for an enhancement of P availability to plants in soils cultivated with leguminous plants.

Auxin response factors ARF6 and ARF8 promote jasmonic acid production and flower maturation.

Pollination in flowering plants requires that anthers release pollen when the gynoecium is competent to support fertilization. We show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, two paralogous auxin response transcription factors, ARF6 and ARF8, regulate both stamen and gynoecium maturation. arf6 arf8 double-null mutant flowers arrested as infertile closed buds with short petals, short stamen filaments, undehisced anthers that did not release pollen and immature gynoecia. Numerous developmentally regulated genes failed to be induced. ARF6 and ARF8 thus coordinate the transition from immature to mature fertile flowers. Jasmonic acid (JA) measurements and JA feeding experiments showed that decreased jasmonate production caused the block in pollen release, but not the gynoecium arrest. The double mutant had altered auxin responsive gene expression. However, whole flower auxin levels did not change during flower maturation, suggesting that auxin might regulate flower maturation only under specific environmental conditions, or in localized organs or tissues of flowers. arf6 and arf8 single mutants and sesquimutants (homozygous for one mutation and heterozygous for the other) had delayed stamen development and decreased fecundity, indicating that ARF6 and ARF8 gene dosage affects timing of flower maturation quantitatively.

A new spin on a compositionalist predictive modelling framework for conservation planning: a tropical case study in Ecuador

Knowledge about spatial biodiversity patterns is a basic criterion for reserve network design. Although herbarium collections hold large quantities of information, the data are often scattered and cannot supply complete spatial coverage. Alternatively, herbarium data can be used to fit species distribution models and their predictions can be used to provide complete spatial coverage and derive species richness maps. Here, we build on previous effort to propose an improved compositionalist framework for using species distribution models to better inform conservation management. We illustrate the approach with models fitted with six different methods and combined using an ensemble approach for 408 plant species in a tropical and megadiverse country (Ecuador). As a complementary view to the traditional richness hotspots methodology, consisting of a simple stacking of species distribution maps, the compositionalist modelling approach used here combines separate predictions for different pools of species to identify areas of alternative suitability for conservation. Our results show that the compositionalist approach better captures the established protected areas than the traditional richness hotspots strategies and allows the identification of areas in Ecuador that would optimally complement the current protection network. Further studies should aim at refining the approach with more groups and additional species information.

Investigation of Improved Utility Cut Repair Techniques to Reduce Settlement in Repaired Areas, Phase II, TR-566, 2010

Trench maintenance problems are caused by improper backfill placement and construction procedures. This report is part of a multiphase research project that aims to improve long-term performance of utility cut restoration trenches. The goal of this research is to improve pavement patch life and reduce maintenance of the repaired areas. The objectives were to use field-testing data, laboratory-testing data, and long-term monitoring (elevation survey and falling weight deflectometer testing) to suggest and modify recommendations from Phase I and to identify the principles of trench subsurface settlement and load distribution in utility cut restoration areas by using instrumented trenches. The objectives were accomplished by monitoring local agency utility construction from Phase I, constructing and monitoring the recommended trenches from Phase I, and instrumenting trenches to monitor changes in temperature, pressure, moisture content, and settlement as a function of time to determine the influences of seasonal changes on the utility cut performance.

Manejo do nitrogênio para eficiência de uso por cultivares de feijoeiro em várzea tropical

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a resposta e a eficiência do uso de N, por cultivares de feijoeiro, em função do manejo do fertilizante nitrogenado em solo de várzea. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com seis repetições, no esquema de parcelas divididas constituídas pelos manejos de N, e as subparcelas pelas cultivares. A aplicação de N no sulco de semeadura causou efeito salino do fertilizante, o que reduziu a população de feijoeiros. A incorporação de todo o N em sulcos distintos das linhas da semeadura, por ocasião dessa ou até 15 dias após a emergência, é mais eficaz no aumento da produtividade de grãos de feijão, do que a aplicação a lanço na superfície ou incorporada com grade antes da semeadura. A cultivar BRS Pontal foi a mais produtiva, o que é indicativo de alta adaptação ao ambiente de várzea tropical. Houve diversidade na eficiência de uso de N entre as cultivares de feijoeiro, e as de ciclo médio foram mais eficientes do que as precoces. A produtividade de grãos foi positivamente associada às eficiências agronômica, de recuperação e de utilização de N. A produtividade de grãos e a eficiência de uso de N pelas cultivares diferem conforme o manejo do fertilizante nitrogenado.

Application of 1-methylcyclopropene, calcium chloride and calcium amino acid chelate on fresh-cut cantaloupe muskmelon

The objective of this work was to determine the effects of postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and two calcium salts, applied individually or combined, on firmness and visual quality of fresh-cut muskmelon stored in air, for 18 days. Two sets of fruits, one of them exposed to 1-MCP at 300 nL L-1, were cut into cubes, dipped in deionized water, or in 1% Ca solutions as CaCl2, or in calcium amino acid chelate (Ca-chelate), placed in clamshell containers, and stored in air at 5±1ºC and 90±5% RH, for 18 days. The assay was conducted using an entirely randomized design, with three replications, in a split plot array. Evaluation of visual appearance, color, flesh firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and pH was performed right after treatments, and every period of three days, up to eighteen days. Application of 1-MCP at 300 nL L-1, calcium chloride or Ca-chelate, or the combination 1-MCP and calcium, preserved initial freshness and reduced softening of the samples. Ca-chelate synergistically enhanced the effect of 1-MCP on firmness after nine days of storage, while calcium chloride improved firmness of the samples throughout storage. Ca-chelate may serve as an alternative for shelf life extension of cantaloupe fresh-cut muskmelon.

Phosphorus acquisition and internal utilization efficiency in tropical maize genotypes

The objective of this work was to determine the relative importance of phosphorus acquisition efficiency (PAE - plant P uptake per soil available P), and phosphorus internal utilization efficiency (PUTIL - grain yield per P uptake) in the P use efficiency (PUE - grain yield per soil available P), on 28 tropical maize genotypes evaluated at three low P and two high P environments. PAE was almost two times more important than PUTIL to explain the variability observed in PUE, at low P environments, and three times more important at high P environments. These results indicate that maize breeding programs, to increase PUE in these environments, should use selection index with higher weights for PAE than for PUTIL. The correlation between these two traits showed no significance at low or at high P environments, which indicates that selection in one of these traits would not affect the other. The main component of PUTIL was P quotient of utilization (grain yield per grain P) and not the P harvest index (grain P per P uptake). Selection to reduce grain P concentration should increase the quotient of utilization and consequently increase PUTIL.

Genetic control of grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency in tropical maize

The objectives of this work were to study the genetic control of grain yield (GY) and nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE, grain yield/N applied) and its primary components, N uptake efficiency (NUpE, N uptake/N applied) and N utilization efficiency (NUtE, grain yield/N uptake), in maize grown in environments with high and low N availability. Experiments with 31 maize genotypes (28 hybrid crosses and three controls) were carried out in soils with high and low N rates, in the southeast of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. There was a reduction of 23.2% in average GY for maize grown in soil with low N, in comparison to that obtained with high N. There were 26.5, 199 and 400% increases in NUtE, NUpE, and NUE, respectively, for maize grown with low N. The general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were significant for GY, NUE and NUpE for maize grown in high N soil. Only GCA was significant for NUpE for maize grown in low N soil. The GCA and SCA for NUtE were not significant in either environment. Additive and non-additive genetic effects are responsible for the genetic control of NUE and GY for maize grown in soils with high N availability, although additive effects are more important.

QTL mapping for protein content in soybean cultivated in two tropical environments

The objectives of this study were to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for protein content in soybean grown in two distinct tropical environments and to build a genetic map for protein content. One hundred eighteen soybean recombinant inbred lines (RIL), obtained from a cross between cultivars BARC 8 and Garimpo, were used. The RIL were cultivated in two distinct Brazilian tropical environments: Cascavel county, in Paraná, and Viçosa county, in Minas Gerais (24º57'S, 53º27'W and 20º45'S, 42º52'W, respectively). Sixty-six SSR primer pairs and 65 RAPD primers were polymorphic and segregated at a 1:1 proportion. Thirty poorly saturated linkage groups were obtained, with 90 markers and 41 nonlinked markers. For the lines cultivated in Cascavel, three QTL were mapped in C2, E and N linkage groups, which explained 14.37, 10.31 and 7.34% of the phenotypic variation of protein content, respectively. For the lines cultivated in Viçosa, two QTL were mapped in linkage groups G and #1, which explained 9.51 and 7.34% of the phenotypic variation of protein content. Based on the mean of the two environments, two QTL were identified: one in the linkage group E (9.90%) and other in the group L (7.11%). In order for future studies to consistently detect QTL effects of different environments, genotypes with greater stability should be used.

Towards an ecological index for tropical soil quality based on soil macrofauna

The objective of this work was to construct a simple index based on the presence/absence of different groups of soil macrofauna to determine the ecological quality of soils. The index was tested with data from 20 sites in South and Central Tabasco, Mexico, and a positive relation between the model and the field observations was detected. The index showed that diverse agroforestry systems had the highest soil quality index (1.00), and monocrops without trees, such as pineapple, showed the lowest soil quality index (0.08). Further research is required to improve this model for natural systems that have very low earthworm biomass (<10 g m-2) and a high number of earthworm species (5-7), as it is in the tropical rain forest, whose soil quality index was medium (0.5). The application of this index will require an illustrated guide for its users. Further studies are required in order to test the use of this index by farmers.