Thermoregulation by an Australian murine rodent, the ash-grey mouse (Pseudomys albocinereus)

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

Variação nos níveis de prolina, diamina e poliaminas em cultivares de trigo submetidas a déficits hídricos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar duas cultivares de trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) Anahuac e IAC-24, cultivadas em solo arenoso, sob três regimes de umidade do solo (-0,027 a -0,1 MPa; -0,027 a -0,045 MPa; e -0,027 MPa -- irrigação constante). Foram analisadas as variações nos níveis de prolina, da diamina (putrescina) e das poliaminas (espermina e espermidina) e o teor relativo de água (TRA) durante o perfilhamento, emborrachamento, floração e no enchimento dos grãos. Nas plantas submetidas a déficits hídricos foi verificada menor TRA e acúmulo de prolina e putrescina; em relação às poliaminas não foram observadas diferenças entre os tratamentos. Nos tratamentos sob déficit hídrico, a cultivar IAC-24 apresentou teores mais elevados de prolina e putrescina, o mesmo sendo verificado com a cultivar Anahuac quando submetida a tratamento sem déficit hídrico.

Armazenamento refrigerado de inflorescências cortadas de Oncidium varicosum 'Samurai'

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

Resistência à seca em quatro cultivares de trigo: parâmetros fisiológicos

A resistência à seca foi estudada em quatro cultivares de trigo, dois de porte baixo: Anahuac e IAC-24 e dois de porte alto, BH-1146 e IAC-23, em dois tratamentos de irrigação: I- vasos constantemente molhados por capilaridade; II- vasos irrigados quando o potencial de água do solo atingisse, aproximadamente, -1,5 MPa. O potencial de água e o teor relativo de água das folhas foram mais elevados no tratamento precondicionado ao estresse, em relação ao irrigado por capilaridade, em todos os cultivares sob as mesmas condições de umidade do solo em ambos os estádios considerados: desenvolvimento vegetativo e reprodutivo. Embora os estômatos das plantas do tratamento submetido ao estresse permanecessem abertos a potenciais de água mais negativos que naqueles em que as plantas recebiam água constantemente, não foi possível separar genótipos mais ou menos resistentes à seca, utilizando-se a difusividade ao vapor d'água dos estômatos acoplada ao teor relativo de água e ao potencial de água das folhas.

Inibidor da ação do etileno na conservação pós-colheita de Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat cv. Dragon

A durabilidade e a qualidade pós-colheita de flores de corte são atributos fundamentais na sua valoração ao longo da cadeia produtiva e na satisfação dos consumidores. Objetivou-se, nesta pesquisa, verificar o efeito do tiossulfato de prata, associado ou não à sacarose, na manutenção da qualidade pós-colheita de hastes de crisântemos (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat cv. Dragon) . O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial testando soluções de manutenção com tiossulfato de prata (STS), sob cinco níveis (Água destilada; STS a 0,2 mM; STS a 0,2 mM + sacarose a 50 g L-1; STS a 0,4 mM; STS a 0,4 mM + sacarose a 50 g L-1); e data de amostragem, por três níveis (0; 3; 6 dias). Utilizaram-se três repetições com duas hastes florais em cada tratamento. Foram feitas avaliações físicas: coloração, massa fresca e conteúdo relativo de água (CRA); avaliações químicas: açúcares redutores e pigmentos; e avaliações qualitativas: turgescência, cor das flores, e número de botões, flores entreabertas e abertas. O tratamento com 0,2 mM de STS possibilitou melhor manutenção da massa fresca das hastes. A concentração de pigmentos e carboidratos redutores foi maior naqueles tratamentos em que a sacarose foi associada. A coloração e o conteúdo relativo de água foram favorecidos nos tratamentos STS a 0,2 e 0,4mM. A concentração de 0,2 mM de STS foi a que obteve os melhores resultados, prolongando a vida de vaso das hastes. A qualidade das hastes foi superior, tendo as melhores avaliações de conteúdo de água, cor e turgescência.

Soluções de manutenção na pós-colheita de Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Dragon

O desenvolvimento e uso de técnicas que prolonguem a durabilidade das flores, mantendo a qualidade do produto, é imprescindível para redução de perdas pós-colheita. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, avaliar soluções de manutenção, associadas ou não a sacarose, na manutenção da qualidade pós-colheita de hastes de crisântemos. O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial, com cinco tratamentos e três repetições, com 2 hastes florais cada uma. Os tratamentos utilizaram água destilada; 8-HQC a 100 mg L-1; 8-HQC a 100 mg L-1 + sacarose a 50 g L-1, 8-HQC a 200 mg L-1; 8-HQC a 200 mg L-1 + sacarose a 50 g L-1. Foram feitas avaliações físicas: coloração, massa fresca e conteúdo relativo de água (CRA); avaliações químicas: açúcares redutores e pigmentos; e avaliações qualitativas: turgescência, cor das flores, e número de botões, flores entreabertas e abertas. A combinação de 8-HQC 200 mg L-1 + sacarose a 50 g L-1 foi a que apresentou melhor desempenho para a manutenção da qualidade das hastes florais, favorecendo a abertura de botões e a turgescência das lígulas. A sacarose contribuiu para uma melhor manutenção de substâncias de reserva na haste, que tiveram a sua vida de vaso estendida.

Use of Natural Products for Post-Harvest Preservation of 'Vega' Cut Roses

Use of natural products as floral preservatives has helped to reduce the indiscriminate use of chemical products in flower preservation. In this study, we tested the ability of certain natural products to maintain the quality and to increase the commercial durability of 'Vega' cut roses. We employed a randomized factorial design with six post-harvest treatments and four evaluation dates. The following treatments were tested: 1) distilled water; 2) methyl jasmonate (350 mu M) applied in a four-hour pulse; 3) methyl jasmonate (500 mu M) spraying; 4) mint oil (100 ppm); 5) ginger oil (100 ppm); and 6) propolis (0.05%) as a maintenance solution. Flowers were kept at 20+/-2 degrees C and 67+/-3% RH. Physiological and qualitative evaluations were conducted. Natural products had a beneficial effect on the shelf life of the flowers. However, for all evaluated parameters, the methyl jasmonate spray was the most efficient treatment to maintain floral quality, resulting in less fresh-mass loss and a lower flower respiratory rate. Methyl jasmonate spray also improved the maintenance of coloration, relative water content and concentration of reducing sugars, thus extending the shelf life of roses.

Benzyladenine and Gibberellic acid pulse on postharvest of Calathea louisae cut foliage

Calathea louisae is an herbaceous ornamental plant native of Brazil whose cut foliage has potential to be used as a new product for the local ornamental market, as well as the international market, due to its decorative dark green leaves with greenish white splotches along midrib, and purple undersides. The objective of this study was to evaluate pulse treatments of benzyladenine and gibberellic acid for maintaining quality and extending keepability of foliage. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized design with three replications (three stems in each vase) and seven treatments: distilled water (control) and pulsing cut petioles in benzyladenine or gibberellic acid for 4 h at 100, 250 and 500 mg L-1. The senescence symptoms were characterized by leaf rolling and a decrease in the angle formed between leaf and petiole as a response to water stress. Gibberellic acid or benzyladenine pulse treatments (250 and 500 mg L-1) significantly extended the longevity of cut foliage compared to the control. Gibberellic acid pulse (250 and 500 mg L-1) maintained leaves' green coloration and brightness for a longer time compared to control and benzyladenine pulse. Pulsing with gibberellic acid or benzyladenine (at all tested concentrations) maintained upright leaves for a longer time, showing a significantly higher angle between leaf and petiole compared to control. Foliage pulsed with gibberellic acid (500 mg L-1) showed a significantly higher leaf relative water content, a significantly smaller loss of accumulated fresh mass percentage compared to control and other gibbberellic acid and benzyladenine treatments.

Parâmetros fisiológicos de cultivares de cevada sob déficits hídricos

The objective of this study was to evaluate some physiological parameters in six barley cultivars (Borema, Lagoa, BRS-180, BRS-195, EMB-128 e BRS-225), under water stress in different crop phenological phases. The treatments were as follows: TI - pots constantly irrigated until harvest: T2: - water stress starting from 45 days after sowing (DAS) and T3 - water stress starting from 65 DAS. Leaf resistance to water vapor diffusion (Rs), relative water content (RWC), and leaf water potential (Ψ1) were used to evaluate drought tolerance. Pots were arranged in a randomized block design with four blocks, six barley cultivars, and three treatments, in a total of seventy two pots. The experiment was conducted from August to November 2005 in a polyethylene greenhouse located at the experimental area of Rural Engineering Department - FCA, UNESP - Botucatu - SP. The results showed that all barley cultivars presented some adaptation to water stress, but EMB-128 was the most likely and BRS-180 the least likely to be drought tolerant. The results revealed that only one drought cycle may increase tolerance to drought.

Developed and studies on technical and economical viability of an environmental efficient urinal

This work introduces an innovative urinal for public convenience, that promotes at the same time water reuse and personal higiene, in a safe and economical way . Furthermore it demonstrates the latest technology and its technical and economical viabillity of utilization in new and already existing buildings facilities. This new model of personal higiene equipment offers as main benefits the improved economy with subsequent decrease in drinkable water consumption, sanitary safety, low cost and easy installation due to its simplicity and to the fact that it can be installed in already existing facilities. The proposal is constituted by a higienic, ecological and smart system for flushing of public urinals. It is a conjugated system of lavatory and urinal that reuses hands higienization water from the lavatory for flushing purpose. The proposed urinal can be operated manually or automatically by means of a presential sensor. The system promotes drinkable water economy by a rational utilization by avoiding the use of waste water from hand washing in place of clean water for flushing. The proposed equipment increases the economy of clean water in a simple and economical way and it can be installed in any type of public lavatory facilitie such as schools, public buildings, hospitals, commercial buildings, bus terminals, airports, stadiums, parking buildings and shopping centers. Additional benefits of the proposed system is the suggestion of hands washing before and after the use of the urinal without contamination risks from focet handling.and render more attractive the installation for a rational use of clean water in commercial and industrial buildings. Pay-back has shown to be very attractive for a number of internal return rates and also very attractive from the point of view of environmental protection.

Postharvest characteristics and treatments to overcome latex exuded from cut flowers of lotus

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is a perennial herbaceous aquatic ornamental plant with potential to be used as a new cut flower for the Brazilian ornamental market. It shows exotic and attractive flowers and has a strong market appeal, once it is known as a symbol of purity, holiness and immortality. However, flowers have a short-vase life. Lotus flower stem exudes a large quantity of sticky milky sap from the cut surface, which is produced in laticifers, spatially associated with both xylem and phloem. It has been reported that latex coagulates on the cut surface preventing or reducing water absorption and reducing flowers' vaselife, requiring treatments to stop the flow of latex. The objective of this study was to report observations of lotus postharvest characteristics and evaluate treatments to overcome latex flow. The experiment was conducted as a complete randomized design with three replications of four stems in each vase and eight treatments; a control (distilled water), pretreatment of cut stem-ends with hot water (40° C/1 minute), boiling water (3 seconds), isopropyl alcohol 90% (10 minutes) or citric acid (pH = 2.8/1h) and, maintenance of stems in a holding solution of Tween® 20 (0.01%), citric acid (200 mg L-1) or Tween® 20 (0.01%) plus citric acid (200 mg L-1). Treatments had no significant effect on flowers vaselife which was only about three days, although isopropyl alcohol, hot and boiling water completely stopped latex flow. Cut stem-ends pretreated with citric acid (pH = 2.8/1 h) showed a significantly higher relative water content of petals compared to others treatments. The senescence symptom of lotus cut flowers was mainly characterized by abscission of turgid petals and dehiscence of stamens without any visual change of petal color and brightness.

Use of Physiological Parameters in Screening Drought Tolerance in Sugarcane Genotypes

The physiological response of four commercial sugarcane genotypes to water stress was evaluated by measuring the photochemical efficiency of the photosystem II (chlorophyll a fluorescence ratio, F v/F m), estimated chlorophyll content (SPAD unit), leaf temperature (LT) and leaf relative water content (RWC). A field trial was established in the subtropical area with well-watered and water-stressed genotypes, in completely randomized blocks with four replicates in a 4 × 2 × 3 factorial design (genotype × irrigation × evaluation date). Physiological measurements were done during a 90 day-period of formative stage of plants. The analysis of variance showed that the interaction of genotype × irrigation × evaluation date had a significant effect for three physiological markers tested, F v/F m, SPAD unit and RWC. Under non-stressed conditions, all genotypes showed similar responses for the four markers. Under water deficiency stress, two drought-tolerant genotypes, HOCP01-523 and TCP89-3505 displayed higher values for F v/F m, SPAD unit and RWC, and lower values for LT, and could be classified as tolerant. It is therefore possible to use these physiological water stress associated traits as scorable marker traits for selecting drought-tolerant sugarcane genotypes in future breeding programs. © 2011 Society for Sugar Research & Promotion.

Supressão de água em diferentes fases fenológicas do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is widespread in the Brazilian social and economic scene. The hypothesis is that if the water supply is suppressed in just one of the five development stages of irrigated beans, it can result in yield reduction lower than 20%, allowing water economy. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of bean Carioca group IAC Alvorada yield components, with irrigation suppression in each of the five phenological phases (emergence, vegetative, flowering, grain filling and maturation) and no irrigation and irrigated in all stages. The study was conducted at Agronomical Sciences College, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. The statistical design was the randomized block with seven treatments and four replications. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and t test at 5% probability. A rainfall event (58 mm) after planting allowed the successful emergence of seedling beans in plots where water would not be applied. The yield components were higher affect when there was irrigation's suppression at Vegetative phase and at Flowering phase. The treatments where occurred irrigation suppression at Maturation and at Emergence showed yield reduction of less than 20%, proving the hypothesis.

Effect of different pulse treatments on vase life of inflorescences of oncidium varicosum 'Samurai'

Oncidium varicosum is a species of orchid that is prevalent in South America. This species produces yellow flowers, which are commonly named golden shower, ballet dancer and Anita's flower. The study of the post-harvest physiology of flowers involves examination of factors related to quality loss of cut flowers, which is related not only to several physiological processes but also to interactions between the floral components and qualitative factors. In this context, our research involved the study of physiological aspects of the post-harvest physiology of cut inflorescences of Oncidium varicosum ('Samurai') after treatment with pulsing solutions containing silver salts, 8-HQC and sucrose. A reduction of relative water content of Oncidium flowers treated with pulsing STS (2 mM) was observed. The soluble carbohydrates and reducing sugars content decreased, and higher contents were measured in flowers treated with STS (2 mM). All parameters related to flower coloration were reduced in all treatments. Similar results were obtained for carotenoid content, except for the STS treatment (2 mM), which differed significantly from the other treatments on the 8th and 12th days of vase life. The inflorescences' longevity varied from 12 days (distilled water) to 15 days (STS 2 mM).

Leaf anatomical traits are correlated with tree dominance in a Neotropical deciduous forest

Deciduous forests from the neotropics are one of the most endangered forest types in the world due to the exploitation of their natural resources by mankind. Many aspects of these ecosystems have been studied; however, there is a lack of information about leaf structure and the effects of tree dominance on their structural leaf patterns. In this article, we examine leaf anatomy and specific leaf areas (SLA) in 13 tree species differing in their dominance in a Dry Forest site in Central Brazil, relating leaf anatomical traits with phytosociological aspects. Leaf anatomical traits differed according to tree dominance: greater leaf thickness (achieved through greater thickness of the mesophyll), low values of SLA and bigger stomata were found for the most dominant species, whereas the less dominant species showed thinner leaves with high SLA, as well as numerous and small stomata. These responses suggest that tree dominance is an important indirect effect associated with vertical light availability in the forest. These strategies are probably related to the accomplishment of a high performance in carbon gain and water economy, given the distinction in irradiance that the leaves of different species are subject to in the dry forest. © 2013 Copyright The Royal Society of New Zealand.