Ruminal methane emission by dairy cattle in southeast Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Ruminal gases, particularly methane, generated during the fermentative process in rumen, represent a partial loss of feed energy and are also pointed to as an important factors in greenhouse effect. This study aimed at quantifying methane (CH 4) emission rates from lactating and dry cows and heifers, 24 month-old in average, on pasture under Southeast Brazil tropical conditions, using the tracer gas technique, sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6), four animals per category, distributed in four blocks. Measurements were performed in February and June, 2002, with Holstein and Brazilian Dairy Crossbred (Holstein ¾ x Gir (Zebu) ¼), maintained on fertilized Tanzania-grass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania) and fertilized Brachiaria-grass (Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk) pastures. Heifers of both breeds were maintained on unfertilized Brachiaria-grass to simulate conditions of extensive cattle farming systems. CH 4 and SF 6 levels were measured with gas chromatography. Differences in CH4 emissions were measured (p < 0.05) for genetical groups. Holstein produced more methane (299.3g day?1) than the Crossbred (264.2 g day?1). Lactating cows produced more methane (353.8 g day?1) than dry cows (268.8 g day?1) and heifers (222.6 g day?1). Holstein, with greater milk production potential, produced less CH4 (p < 0.05) per unit of dry matter intake (19.1 g kg?1) than the Crossbred (22.0 g kg?1). Methane emission by heifers grazing fertilized pasture (intensive system) was 222.6 g day?1, greater (p < 0.05) than that of heifers on unfertilized pasture (179.2 g day?1). Methane emission varied as function of animal category and management intensity of production system.

Drought impact on rainfed common bean production areas in Brazil.

Common bean production in Goiás, Brazil is concentrated in the same geographic area, but spread acrossthree distinct growing seasons, namely, wet, dry and winter. In the wet and dry seasons, common beansare grown under rainfed conditions, whereas the winter sowing is fully irrigated. The conventional breed-ing program performs all varietal selection stages solely in the winter season, with rainfed environmentsbeing incorporated in the breeding scheme only through the multi environment trials (METs) wherebasically only yield is recorded. As yield is the result of many interacting processes, it is challengingto determine the events (abiotic or biotic) associated with yield reduction in the rainfed environments(wet and dry seasons). To improve our understanding of rainfed dry bean production so as to produceinformation that can assist breeders in their efforts to develop stress-tolerant, high-yielding germplasm,we characterized environments by integrating weather, soil, crop and management factors using cropsimulation models. Crop simulations based on two commonly grown cultivars (Pérola and BRS Radi-ante) and statistical analyses of simulated yield suggest that both rainfed seasons, wet and dry, can bedivided in two groups of environments: highly favorable environment and favorable environment. Forthe wet and dry seasons, the highly favorable environment represents 44% and 58% of production area,respectively. Across all rainfed environment groups, terminal and/or reproductive drought stress occursin roughly one fourth of the seasons (23.9% for Pérola and 24.7% for Radiante), with drought being mostlimiting in the favorable environment group in the dry TPE. Based on our results, we argue that eventhough drought-tailoring might not be warranted, the common bean breeding program should adapttheir selection practices to the range of stresses occurring in the rainfed TPEs to select genotypes moresuitable for these environments.

Water production function of maize for Northeast Brazil.

Estudou-se atraves de um experimento em blocos ao acaso, os efeitos de quatro niveis de nitrogenio, em diferentes condicoes de umidade, sobre os estagios de crescimento, embonecamento, formacao de graos e prdutividade do milho (Zea mays L.) e as relacoes entre a produtividade e os tres primeiros estagios. Os fatores da resposta de producaobaseados na equacao de Doorenbos e Kassam variaram acentuadamente, nao so com os diferentes estatios de crescimento, mas tambem com diferentes niveis de nitrogenio e os diferentes niveis de agua. Assim, esta equacao nao pareceu ser valida para explicar a resposta de produtividade a niveis de agua. Sugeriu-se um equacao linear modificada. Nesta equacao, a intercessao K1 e inclinacao K2 sao os fatores da resposta de producao. Estes fatores para a cultura do milho foram desenvolvidos para todos os quatro estagios de crescimento e nveis de nitrogenio. Pode-se obter uma eficiencia media do uso de agua, em termos de produtividade, de, aproximadamente, 57,5 kg/ha-cm de agua, sendo, contudo, pequeno o incremento, em face dos niveis crescentes de nitrogenio aplicado ate 120 kg/ha. Os coeficientes de cutura (Kc) calculados estao muito abaixo da estimativa da FAO, para todos os niveis de nitrogenio. Por essa razao, deve haver consideravel economica de agua se estes coeficientes forem usados em lugar da estimativa da FAO. A informacao mostradapode imediatamente ser utilizada para turno de irrigacao e para projetos de irrigacao suplementar planejado para as condicoes doe Nordeste do Brasil.

Canopy management effects on Syrah grapevines under tropical semi-arid conditions.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of shoot topping and leaf removal practices on vegetative vigor, yield and physicochemical characteristics of the 'Syrah' grape in the semi-arid tropical climate conditions of the São Francisco River Valley in the northeast of Brazil. The experiment was conducted over five growing cycles from 2010 to 2012 in a 'Syrah' commercial vineyard in the municipality of Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil. Treatments consisted of leaf removal once or twice during fruit set or at the beginning of bunch closure, and one or two shoot toppings of the berry when pea-sized or 10 days after berry growth had commenced. Leaf removal and shoot topping did not affect yield, plant vigor components nor the main attributes of fruit quality. In contrast, there was a seasonal effect with higher yield and better balance between production and vigor in grapes produced in the first half of 2012. The Syrah grape quality was favored in cycles in the first half of the year when its ripening phase coincided with the period of mild temperatures.

Gastrointestinal nematode infection in beef cattle raised in silvopastoral and conventional systems in São Paulo state, Brazil.

The use of silvopastoral systems (SPS) can be a good alternative to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock breeding in Brazil. Despite the advantages offered by public policies, many producers hesitate to use this system. One of the reasons is the lack of information on health and productivity of cattle raised under these conditions. The experiment reported here was designed to compare the behavior of infection by gastrointestinal nematodes and weight gain of beef cattle raised in a SPS and a conventional pasture system. We monitored the number of eggs per gram of feces, the prevalent nematode genus, data on climate, forage availability, weight gain and packed cell volume (PCV) of the animals bred in the two systems. The infection by nematodes was significantly higher in the cattle raised in the SPS (p\0.05). The coprocultures revealed the presence of nematodes of the genera Haemonchus, Cooperia, Oesophagostomum and Trichostrongylus, in both systems, but the mean infestation rates of Haemonchus and Cooperia were higher in the SPS (p\0.05). The average of PCV values did not differ between the cattle in the two systems. The individual weight gain and stocking rate in the period did not vary between the systems (p[0.05). Despite the higher prevalence of nematodes in the SPS, no negative impact was detected on the animals? weight gain and health. The results of this experiment indicate that under the conditions studied, there is no need to alter the parasite management to assure good productive performance of cattle

Asian soybean rust in Brazil: past, present, and future.

ABSTRACT: Asian soybean rust, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is the most severe disease of the crop and can cause yield losses of up to 90%. The disease was first reported in Brazil in 2001. Epidemics of the disease are common in the country, where the fungus can survive year?round. Regulatory measures to reduce the inoculum between seasons and avoid late-season soybean have been adopted to manage the disease. Disease control has relied mainly on chemical control, but a lower sensibility of the fungus to fungicides has been reported in Brazil. Major?resistance genes have been mapped and incorporated into the cultivars. With the reduced efficacy of the fungicides, the adoption of integrated measures to control the disease will be important for the sustainability of the crop. This review presents the main changes in the soybean crop system caused by the introduction of the fungus in Brazil, the current management strategies adopted to avoid losses, and the new trends that, together with biotechnological strategies, can improve management in the future. RESUMO: A ferrugem?asiática da soja, causada pelo fungo Phakopsora pachyrhizi, é a doença mais severa da cultura e pode causar perdas de produtividade de até 90%. A doença foi relatada pela primeira vez no Brasil em 2001. Epidemias da doença são comuns no País, onde o fungo pode sobreviver durante todo o ano. Medidas regulatórias para reduzir o inóculo entre safras e evitar a semeadura tardia de soja têm sido adotadas para manejar a doença. O controle da doença tem se baseado principalmente no controle químico, mas uma menor sensibilidade do fungo aos fungicidas tem sido relatada no Brasil. Genes de resistência têm sido mapeados e incorporados às cultivares. Por causa da redução da eficiência dos fungicidas, a adoção de medidas integradas para o controle da doença será importante para a sustentabilidade da cultura. Este artigo de revisão apresenta as principais mudanças no sistema de produção da soja causadas pela introdução do fungo no Brasil, as medidas de controle atualmente usadas para evitar perdas, e as novas tendências que, juntas com estratégias biotecnológicas, podem melhorar o manejo da doença no futuro.

Typologies and spatialization of agricultural production systems in Rondônia, Brazil: linking land use, socioeconomics and territorial configuration.

The current Amazon landscape consists of heterogeneous mosaics formed by interactions between the original forest and productive activities. Recognizing and quantifying the characteristics of these landscapes is essential for understanding agricultural production chains, assessing the impact of policies, and in planning future actions. Our main objective was to construct the regionalization of agricultural production for Rondônia State (Brazilian Amazon) at the municipal level. We adopted a decision tree approach, using land use maps derived from remote sensing data (PRODES and TerraClass) combined with socioeconomic data. The decision trees allowed us to allocate municipalities to one of five agricultural production systems: (i) coexistence of livestock production and intensive agriculture; (ii) semi-intensive beef and milk production; (iii) semi-intensive beef production; (iv) intensive beef and milk production, and; (v) intensive beef production. These production systems are, respectively, linked to mechanized agriculture (i), traditional cattle farming with low management, with (ii) or without (iii) a significant presence of dairy farming, and to more intensive livestock farming with (iv) or without (v) a significant presence of dairy farming. The municipalities and associated production systems were then characterized using a wide variety of quantitative metrics grouped into four dimensions: (i) agricultural production; (ii) economics; (iii) territorial configuration, and; (iv) social characteristics. We found that production systems linked to mechanized agriculture predominate in the south of the state, while intensive farming is mainly found in the center of the state. Semi-intensive livestock farming is mainly located close to the southwest frontier and in the north of the state, where human occupation of the territory is not fully consolidated. This distributional pattern reflects the origins of the agricultural production system of Rondônia. Moreover, the characterization of the production systems provides insights into the pattern of occupation of the Amazon and the socioeconomic consequences of continuing agricultural expansion.

Microsatellite analysis of pacu broodstocks used in the stocking program of Paranapanema River, Brazil

O monitoramento da diversidade genética é fundamental em um programa de repovoamento. Avaliouse a diversidade genética de pacu Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887) em duas estações de piscicultura em Andirá -Paraná, Brasil, utilizadas no programa de repovoamento do Rio Paranapanema. Foram amplificados seis loci microssatélite para avaliar 60 amostras de nadadeira. O estoque de reprodutores B apresentou maior número de alelos e heterozigose (alelos: 22 e H O: 0,628) que o estoque de reprodutores A (alelos: 21 e H O: 0,600). Alelos com baixos níveis de frequência foram observados nos dois estoques. Os coeficientes positivos de endogamia no locus Pme2 (estoque A: F IS = 0,30 e estoque B: F IS = 0,20), Pme5 (estoque B: F IS = 0,15), Pme14 (estoque A: F IS = 0,07) e Pme28 (estoque A: F IS = 0,24 e estoque B: F IS = 0,20), indicaram deficiência de heterozigotos. Foi detectada a presença de um alelo nulo no lócus Pme2. As estimativas negativas nos loci Pme4 (estoque A: F IS = -0,43 e estoque B: F IS= -0,37), Pme5 (estoque A: F IS = - 0,11), Pme14 (estoque B: F IS = - 0,15) e Pme32 (estoque A: F IS = - 0,93 e estoque B: F IS = - 0,60) foram indicativas de excesso de heterozigotos. Foi evidenciado desequilíbrio de ligação e riqueza alélica baixa só no estoque A. A diversidade genética de Nei foi alta nos dois estoques. A distância (0,085) e identidade (0,918) genética mostraram similaridade entre os estoques, o qual reflete uma possível origem comum. 6,05% da variância genética total foi devida a diferenças entre os estoques. Foi observado um recente efeito gargalo nos dois estoques. Os resultados indicaram uma alta diversidade genética nos estoques de reprodutores e baixa diferenciação genética entre eles, o que foi causado pelo manejo reprodutivo das pisciculturas, redução do tamanho populacional e intercâmbio genético entre as pisciculturas.

Influence of Habitat on the Reproductive Ecology of the Amazonian Palm, Mauritia flexuosa, in Roraima, Brazil

Although Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae) plays a pivotal role in the ecology and economy of the Amazon, and occurs in a variety of habitats, little is known about the influence of habitat on the reproductive biology of this palm. My dissertation focuses on the reproductive biology of M. flexuosa in three habitats in Roraima, Brazil: undisturbed forest, undisturbed forest-savanna ecotone, and savanna disturbed by plantations of the exotic tree, Acacia mangium. First, I calculated sex ratios and linked precipitation patterns with phenology. Sex ratios were female-biased. Precipitation was negatively associated with flowering, and positively associated with fruiting. Habitat appears to have no significant influence on phenology of M. flexuosa, although short-term climate variation may affect phenology of this species. Second, I examined floral biology, observed floral visitors, and performed exclusion experiments to determine the pollination system of M. flexuosa. Fruit set did not differ significantly between the visitor exclusion treatment and the control, but was significantly lowest in the wind + visitor exclusion treatment, suggesting that this dioecious palm is anemophilous, independent of habitat. Third, I identified the abiotic and biotic factors explaining variation in fruit mass, seed mass, seed number per fruit, and total fruit yield among habitats. Soil moisture and flooding during the wet season were the best predictors of fruit and seed output. The number of leaves, diameter at breast height, and height were all accurate predictors of reproductive output, but crown volume did not accurately predict fruit yields. Results re-evaluate traditional assumptions about wind-pollination in the tropics, and highlight abiotic and biotic factors responsible for variation in reproductive output of M. flexuosa, with implications for effective management of this palm. Finally, I interviewed harvesters and vendors to document the traditional knowledge and market dynamics of the fruit of M. flexuosa, buriti. Traditional knowledge corroborated results from scientific studies. Vendors argued that the price of buriti must increase, and must fluctuate with varying supply. With appropriate economic incentives to vendors/harvesters, Roraima may expand its market infrastructure for buriti, effectively stimulating the regional economy and practicing sustainable harvesting.

Debating food production at dinner time: Mainstream audiences are invited to debate the ethics of agricultural practices in Brazil

In the rural areas of Brazil, a farmer runs his agricultural empire with a fierce hand: he exploits his workers and the land to their limits. Lack of sustainable land management leads to the pollution of rivers, changes in rain patterns, and exhaustion of the soil.

Size at maturity and length-weight relationships of the blurred lantern shark Etmopterus bigelowi (Squaliformes: Etmopteridae) caught off southeastern Brazil

The blurred lantern shark Etmopterus bigelowi, a deep-water squaloid shark, is globally widespread in temperate and tropical waters, but there is little available information about its biology owing to its relative rarity of capture and taxonomic confusion with its sibling species Etmopterus pusillus. Specimens used in this study were collected from July to December 2004 as by-catch in the commercial deepwater trawl fishery targeting red shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea in the southwestern Atlantic. We examined 55 specimens (22 males and 33 females) ranging in total length (TL) from 31.5 to 73 cm and in total weight from 103 to 1600 g. Length-weight relationships were explored for each sex and significant differences were found in the slope coefficients of the male and female regressions. The size at maturity for each sex was evaluated fitting a logistic regression. Females matured at larger sizes than males, with estimated sizes at first maturity of 56.0 cm TL for females and 45.1 cm TL for males. The present study provides important preliminary information about E. bigelowi that can be incorporated in risk assessment and stock assessment models, essential for efficient management practices aimed at avoiding overexploitation of these vulnerable deep-sea sharks.

10th European Conference on Information Systems Management

The 10th European Conference on Information Systems Management is being held at The University of Evora, Portugal on the 8 /9 September 2016. The Conference Chair is Paulo Silva and the Programme Chairs are Prof. Rui Quaresma and Prof. António Guerreiro. ECISM provides an opportunity for individuals researching and working in the broad field of information systems management, including IT evaluation to come together to exchange ideas and discuss current research in the field. This has developed into a particularly important forum for the present era, where the modern challenges of managing information and evaluating the effectiveness of related technologies are constantly evolving in the world of Big Data and Cloud Computing. We hope that this year’s conference will provide you with plenty of opportunities to share your expertise with colleagues from around the world. The keynote speakers for the Conference are Carlos Zorrinho from the Portuguese Delegation and Isabel Ramos from University of Minho, Portugal. ECISM 2016 received an initial submission of 84 abstracts. After the double blind peer review process 25 aca demic papers, 7 PhD research papers, 3 Masters research paper and 5 work in progress papers have been ac cepted for publication in these Conference Proceedings. These papers represent research from around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands, UK and Vietnam.

Sugarcane Water Productivity Assessments in the São Paulo state, Brazil.

São Paulo state, Brazil, has been highlighted by the sugarcane crop expansion. The actual scenario of climate and land use changes, bring attention for the large-scale water productivity (WP) analyses. MODIS images were used together with gridded weather data for these analyses. A generalized sugarcane growing cycle inside a crop land mask, from September 2011 to October 2012, was considered in the main growing regions of the state. Actual evapotranspiration (ET) is quantified by the SAFER (Simple Algorithm for Evapotranspiration Retrieving) algorithm, the biomass production (BIO) by the RUE (Radiation Use Efficiency) Monteith?s model and WP is considered as the ratio of BIO to ET. During the four generalized sugarcane crop phases, the mean ET values ranged from 0.6 to 4.0 mm day-1; BIO rates were between 20 and 200 kg ha-1 day-1, resulting in WP ranging from 2.8 to 6.0 kg m-3. Soil moisture indicators are applied, indicating benefits from supplementary irrigation during the grand growth phase, wherever there is water availability for this practice. The quantification of the large-scale water variables may subsidize the rational water resources management under the sugarcane expansion and water scarcity scenarios.

Quarantine facilities and legal issues of the use of biocontrol agents in Brazil.

The objective of this work was to address the classical biological control of pests in Brazil, regarding procedures to import and export native biological material. A brief introduction will be given on the current legal issues on the use of biocontrol agents, as well as some considerations on the existing quarantine pests and actions already carried out in the country. The safety in the introduction of exotic organisms is important for Brazilian phytosanitary defense and for a higher adoption of classical biocontrol, making it available for integrated pest management (IPM). Legal and normative aspects establish the procedures that must to be adopted, not only to protect bioprospecting and native organisms, but also to minimize risks to the national genetic patrimony associated with the introduction of exotic organisms. Furthermore, the import/export procedures adopted for vegetal and useful organisms for pest biological control and for other genetic material must be subjected to phytosanitary measures performed in government?certified quarantine facilities and diagnostic laboratories. Finally, the quarantine activities listed here are strategic for safeguarding the country from potential problems arising from border transit of living organisms.

Soil management, seed treatment and soil compaction on the sowing furrows affect grain yields of upland rice genotypes.

The water availability for flood irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) is decreasing worldwide. Therefore, developing technologies to allow growing rice in aerobic condition, such as a no-tillage system (NTS) can contribute to produce upland rice grains without yield losses and also in saving more water. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of soil management, seed treatment and compaction on the sowing furrow on grain yield of upland rice genotypes. We made two trials, one in an NTS and another using conventional tillage, CT (one plowing and two diskings). The field experiments were performed in the Central Region of Brazil in Cerrado soils. For each trial, the experimental design was a randomized block design in a factorial scheme, with three replications. The treatments consisted of a combination of 10 genotypes with 2 compaction pressures on the sowing furrow (25 kPa and 126kPa) and 2 types of seed treatment (with and without pesticide). Under CT, the seed treatment did not contribute to increase upland rice grain yields. However, under NTS the grain yield of some genotypes [BRS Esmeralda (from 723 to 1,766 kg ha-1), BRS Pepita (from 930 to 1,874 kg ha-1), AB072044 (from 523 to 1,579 kg ha-1), and AB072085 (from 632 to 1,636 kg ha-1) at 25 kPA soil compaction pressure, and Sertaneja (from 994 to 2,167 kg ha-1), BRS Pepita (from 1,161 to 2,100 kg ha-1), and AB072085 (from 958 to 2,213 kg ha-1), at 126 kPA soil compaction pressure] increased with the use of this practice. At CT the higher soil compaction pressure on the sowing furrow (from 25 kPa to 126 kPa) increased rice grain yield only when it was used seed treatment and the genotypes Serra Dourada (from 1,239 to 2,178 kg ha-1), Sertaneja (from 1,510 to 2,379 kg ha-1), and Cambará (from 1,877 to 2,831 kg ha-1). On the other hand, under NTS, increasing soil compaction pressure on the sowing furrow allowed for an increased rice grain yield of Serra Dourada (from 1,553 to 2,347 kg ha-1), Esmeralda (from 723 to 1,643 kg ha-1), AB072044 (from 523 to 2,040 kg ha-1), and Cambará (from 1,243 to 2,032 kg ha-1) without seed treatment and Sertaneja (from 1,385 to 2,167 kg ha-1) and AB072044 (from 1,579 to 2,356 kg ha-1) with seed treatment. In CT the most productive genotypes were AB062008 (2,714 kg ha-1) and BRSMG Caravera (2,479 kg ha-1), while at NTS were the genotypes: BRSGO Serra Dourada (2,118 kg ha-1), AB072047 (1,888 kg ha-1), AB062008 (1,823 kg ha-1), BRSMG Caravera (1,737 kg ha-1), Cambará (1,716 kg ha-1), AB072044 (1,625 kg ha-1), BRS Esmeralda (1,604 kg ha-1), and BRS Pepita (1,516 kg ha-1).