Concentrações de ferro, zinco e proteínas em formulações de baião-de-dois elaboradas a partir de arroz integral e feijão-caupi biofortificados.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar as concentrações de ferro, zinco e proteína em formulações de baião-de-dois elaborados a partir de arroz integral e feijão-caupi biofortificados.

Lixiviação de cálcio, magnésio e potássio em colunas de um latossolo amarelo distrófico textura média, de Luis Eduardo Magalhães - Ba, em resposta as doses de óxido de magnésio combinadas com gesso.

O estudo da movimentação de nutrientes no solo é fundamental para nortear a sua correção, a fim de favorecer maiores produtividades das culturas. Resssalta-se que é interessante não se ter uma correção do solo somente superficial, mas também condicionando o perfil até a profundidade que alcançam as raízes absorventes de nutrientes. Por outro lado, se a translocação de nutrientes for elevada podem avançar além da profundidade das raízes e serem perdidos por lixiviação e dessa forma podem contaminar as águas subterrâneas. Diante do exposto, o presente trabalho objetivou avaliar a lixiviação de cálcio, magnésio e potássio em colunas de solo em resposta a aplicação de calcário e a combinação de gesso e óxido de magnésio. O ensaio em colunas de PVC foi conduzido no laboratório na Embrapa Solos, segundo um delineamento de blocos casualizados e um arranjo fatorial 1x1x3+2+1, correspondendo a um solo: Latossolo Amarelo distrófico textura média de Luis Eduardo Magalhães- BA, uma proporção de magnesita:gesso (1:1), três doses dessa combinação referente à soma de Ca2+ e de Mg2+ equivalente a 2,0; 4,0 e 8,0 cmolc/dm3 de solo (15, 30 e 45 kg/ha de óxido de magnésio) e mais três tratamentos testemunha, (dois solos adicionados de calcário dolomítico 82,70% de PRNT, elevando a saturação de bases para 60%) recomendada pela Comissão de fertilidade do Solo do Estado de Minas Gerais (1999), e uma amostra do solo sem nenhuma aplicação de corretivos, com três repetições. Nos tratamentos com gesso e magnesita foram incorporados a uma profundidade de 0-5 cm, simulando uma correção num manejo com plantio direto. As testemunhas com calcário possuem duas profundidades, 0-5 e 0-20 cm, simulando correção no plantio direto e convencional respectivamente. O solo recebeu aplicação de água para atingir 70% da capacidade de campo em seguida as colunas foram incubadas. Após esse período iniciou-se uma simulação de chuva com volumes correspondentes ao mês de maior intensidade da região, foi aplicado um volume de água destilada de 110 mL. Sendo que foram divididos em 12 aplicações, realizando 3 aplicações por semana durante o período de 1 mês. O lixiviado foi coletado no dia seguinte as recargas, e foram realizadas análises de cálcio, magnésio, por espectrometria de plasma (icp - oes) e potássio por fotometria de chama, conforme Embrapa (1997). A perda total de cátions no lixiviado foi calculada somando-se a concentração das 12 coletas, e fazendo-se em seguida a média das três repetições. Observou-se que as perdas de magnésio, cálcio e potássio no lixiviado foram influenciadas pelas doses de óxido de magnésio combinadas com gesso, quanto maior a dose maior a perda. E seguiram a seguinte ordem: K+ >> Ca2+ > Mg2+. Além disso, verificou-se que a dose de 15 kg/ha de óxido de magnésio levou a menor perda no lixiviado. Alerta-se para o risco de perda expressiva de potássio e contaminação de águas subterrâneas neste solo de textura média caso aplicação de gesso não seja de forma equilibrada.

Acumulação de biomassa aérea e nutrição do milho sob influência de óxido de magnésio.

A cultura do milho utiliza boa parte dos fertilizantes comercializados no Brasil e sua produtividade está diretamente relacionada com a eficiência de correção da acidez do solo. Reconhecendo o potencial do MgO fonte de Mg, conduziu-se um experimento em casa de vegetação da Embrapa Solos, com uma amostra de um Planossolo Háplico. Após a calagem do solo foi efetuada a aplicação de MgO nas doses de 80, 160, 320, 480 e 640 kg/ha. Para avaliar o efeito do précultivo de uma espécie de cobertura de solo sob o desenvolvimento posterior do milho, foi semeado o milheto em metade das unidades experimentais. O MgO mostrou-se uma excelente fonte de Mg ao milho, pois favoreceu acumulação de biomassa e desse elemento na parte aérea, em detrimento do Ca (não do K), além de aumentar os teores de clorofila nas folhas da gramínea. O milheto reduziu o desenvolvimento inicial do milho.

Efeitos no solo do gesso produzido em diferentes reações químicas da solução de ácido sulfúrico reciclada com carbonato de cálcio residual e óxido de cálcio.

2011

Acúmulo de cobre e zinco em solos cultivados com videira no meio Oeste de Santa Catarina.

As aplicações sucessivas de fungicidas e caldas via foliar em videiras para o controle preventivo de doenças fúngicas, aumenta o teor de cobre (Cu) e zinco (Zn) nas camadas mais superficiais do solo. O trabalho objetivou avaliar os teores de Cu e Zn no perfil de solos com textura argilosa e com histórico de aplicação de fungicidas cúpricos na região Meio Oeste de SC. Em outubro de 2010, foram selecionados três vinhedos com idades de 4, 6 e 10 anos de idade, no município de Água Doce (SC). Em novembro de 2010 foram coletadas amostras de solo nas camadas de 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20 e 20-40 cm. Também foi coletado solo em uma área de mata nativa, adjacente aos vinhedos. Os solos foram secos, moídos, passados em peneira e submetidos as análises de Cu e Zn extraídos pelos métodos de EDTA (Na2-EDTA 0,01 mol L-1+acetato de amônio 1,0 mol L-1) com pH ajustado para 7,0. Os teores de Cu e Zn extraídos por HCl 0,1 mol L-1 e EDTA foram maiores nas camadas superficiais do solo, especialmente, no vinhedo mais antigo, onde o Cu migrou até 20 cm e o Zn até 15 cm.

Biofortificação agronômica com zinco em trigo.

2015

Compartimentalização e redistribuição de zinco em plantas de milho sob dois níveis de adubação em Latossolo no Cerrado.

2016

Níveis adequados e tóxicos de zinco na produção de arroz, feijão, milho, soja e trigo em solo de cerrado.

Foram conduzidos cinco experimentos em casa de vegetação, para determinação das doses e dos teores adequados e tóxicos de Zn no solo e na planta para as culturas de arroz de terras altas, feijão, milho, soja e trigo.

Sexual selection in a tropical fruit fly : role of a plant derived chemical in mate choice

The specific mechanisms by which selective pressures affect individuals are often difficult to resolve. In tephritid fruit flies, males respond strongly and positively to certain plant derived chemicals. Sexual selection by female choice has been hypothesized as the mechanism driving this behaviour in certain species, as females preferentially mate with males that have fed on these chemicals. This hypothesis is, to date, based on studies of only very few species and its generality is largely untested. We tested the hypothesis on different spatial scales (small cage and seminatural field-cage) using the monophagous fruit fly, Bactrocera cacuminata. This species is known to respond to methyl eugenol (ME), a chemical found in many plant species and one upon which previous studies have focused. Contrary to expectation, no obvious female choice was apparent in selecting ME-fed males over unfed males as measured by the number of matings achieved over time, copulation duration, or time of copulation initiation. However, the number of matings achieved by ME-fed males was significantly greater than unfed males 16 and 32 days after exposure to ME in small cages (but not in a field-cage). This delayed advantage suggests that ME may not influence the pheromone system of B. cacuminata but may have other consequences, acting on some other fitness consequence (e.g., enhancement of physiology or survival) of male exposure to these chemicals. We discuss the ecological and evolutionary implications of our findings to explore alternate hypotheses to explain the patterns of response of dacine fruit flies to specific plant-derived chemicals.

Isolation of bioactive compounds that relate to the anti-platelet activity of Cymbopogon ambiguus

Infusions and decoctions of Cymbopogon ambiguus have been used traditionally in Australia for the treatment of headache, chest infections and muscle cramps. The aim of the present study was to screen and identify bioactive compounds from C. ambiguus that could explain this plant's anti-headache activity. A dichloromethane extract of C. ambiguus was identified as having activity in adenosine-diphosphate-induced human platelet aggregation and serotonin-release inhibition bioassays. Subsequent fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of four phenylpropenoids, eugenol, elemicin, Eugenol methylether and trans-isoelemicin. While both Eugenol and elemicin exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of ADP-induced human platelet serotonin release, only eugenol displayed potent inhibitory activity with an IC(50) value of 46.6 microM, in comparison to aspirin, with an IC(50) value of 46.1 microM. These findings provide evidence to support the therapeutic efficacy of C. ambiguus in the non-conventional treatment of Headache and Inflammatory conditions.

Functional significance of male attractants of Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae) and underlying mechanisms

This project elucidated functional role of phytochemicals used in the management of pest fruit flies. Comparative behavioural, physiological and genomic approaches revealed that phytochemicals are mediating reproductive fitness by changing pheromonal compound males release and by making them physiologically more active. The possible mechanistic functions are that the phytochemicals act as a pheromone booster and as an energy supplement.

Sexual selection in true fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) : transcriptome and experimental evidences for phytochemicals increasing male competitive ability

In male tephritid fruit flies of the genus Bactrocera, feeding on secondary plant compounds (sensu lato male lures = methyl eugenol, raspberry ketone and zingerone) increases male mating success. Ingested male lures alter the male pheromonal blend, normally making it more attractive to females and this is considered the primary mechanism for the enhanced mating success. However, the male lures raspberry ketone and zingerone are known, across a diverse range of other organisms, to be involved in increasing energy metabolism. If this also occurs in Bactrocera, then this may represent an additional benefit to males as courtship is metabolically expensive and lure feeding may increase a fly's short-term energy. We tested this hypothesis by performing comparative RNA-seq analysis between zingerone-fed and unfed males of Bactrocera tryoni. We also carried out behavioural assays with zingerone- and cuelure-fed males to test whether they became more active. RNA-seq analysis revealed, in zingerone-fed flies, up-regulation of 3183 genes with homologues transcripts to those known to regulate intermale aggression, pheromone synthesis, mating and accessory gland proteins, along with significant enrichment of several energy metabolic pathways and gene ontology terms. Behavioural assays show significant increases in locomotor activity, weight reduction and successful mating after mounting; all direct/indirect measures of increased activity. These results suggest that feeding on lures leads to complex physiological changes, which result in more competitive males. These results do not negate the pheromone effect, but do strongly suggest that the phytochemical-induced sexual selection is governed by both female preference and male competitive mechanisms.

Cuelure but not zingerone make the sex pheromone of male Bactrocera tryoni (Tephritidae: Diptera) more attractive to females

In tephritid fruit flies of the genus Bactrocera Macquart, a group of plant derived compounds (sensu amplo ‘male lures') enhance the mating success of males that have consumed them. For flies responding to the male lure methyl eugenol, this is due to the accumulation of chemicals derived from the male lure in the male rectal gland (site of pheromone synthesis) and the subsequent release of an attractive pheromone. Cuelure, raspberry ketone and zingerone are a second, related group of male lures to which many Bactrocera species respond. Raspberry ketone and cuelure are both known to accumulate in the rectal gland of males as raspberry ketone, but it is not known if the emitted male pheromone is subsequently altered in complexity or is more attractive to females. Using Bactrocera tryoni as our test insect, and cuelure and zingerone as our test chemicals, we assess: (i) lure accumulation in the rectal gland; (ii) if the lures are released exclusively in association with the male pheromone; and (iii) if the pheromone of lure-fed males is more attractive to females than the pheromone of lure-unfed males. As previously documented, we found cuelure was stored in its hydroxyl form of raspberry ketone, while zingerone was stored largely in an unaltered state. Small but consistent amounts of raspberry ketone and β-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-propionic acid were also detected in zingerone-fed flies. Males released the ingested lures or their analogues, along with endogenous pheromone chemicals, only during the dusk courtship period. More females responded to squashed rectal glands extracted from flies fed on cuelure than to glands from control flies, while more females responded to the pheromone of calling cuelure-fed males than to control males. The response to zingerone treatments in both cases was not different from the control. The results show that male B. tryoni release ingested lures as part of their pheromone blend and, at least for cuelure, this attracts more females.

Indirect effects of phytochemicals on offspring performance of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Phytochemical lures such as methyl eugenol (ME) and cue-lure are used in the management of Bactrocera fruit flies for monitoring and control. These lures are not just attractants, but also trigger physiological changes in males that lead to enhanced mating success. Additionally, in the cue-lure-responsive Bactrocera tryoni, females mated with lure-fed males exhibit changes in fecundity, remating receptivity and longevity. While the lures show current generation effects, no research has been carried out on possible multigenerational effects, although such effects have been hypothesized within a ‘sexy-son’ sexual selection model. In this study, we test for indirect, cross-generational effects of lure exposure in F1offspring of B. tryoni females mated with cue-lure-fed, zingerone-fed and lure-unfed (=control) males. The F1 attributes we recorded were immature development time, immature survival, adult survival and adult male lure foraging. No significant differences were found between treatments for any of the three life-history measurements, except that the offspring sired by zingerone-fed males had a longer egg development time than cue-lure and control offspring. However, indirect exposure to lures significantly enhanced the lure-foraging ability of F1 adult males. More offspring of cue-lure-fed males arrived at a lure source in both large flight cages and small laboratory cages over a 2-h period than did control males. The offspring of zingerone-fed males were generally intermediate between cue-lure and control offspring. This study provides the first evidence of a next generation effect of fruit fly male lures. While the results of this study support a ‘sexy-son’ sexual selection mechanism for the evolution of lure response in Bactrocera fruit flies, our discussion urges caution in interpreting our results in this way.

New distribution and lure records of Dacinae (Diptera: Tephritidae) from Queensland, Australia, and description of a new species of Dacus Fabricius

New distribution records for 42 species of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) in Queensland are presented, resulting from exotic fruit fly monitoring from 1996 to 2011. Summaries of previously known Australian distributions are provided. Fruit flies were collected at cue lure and methyl eugenol traps and reared from host fruit. No new distributions south of Townsville were recorded for the economic species Bactrocera frauenfeldi (Schiner, 1868), Bactrocera kraussi (Hardy, 1951) and Bactrocera musae (Tryon, 1927). Minor range extensions are noted for Bactrocera neohumeralis (Hardy, 1951) and Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt, 1897). Bactrocera jarvisi (Tryon, 1927) is recorded being weakly attracted to cue lure in Queensland and the first lure record (one specimen from cue lure) is provided for Dacus (Mellesis) petioliforma (May, 1956). Taxonomic issues with Bactrocera melanothoracica Drew (1989) and Bactrocera unirufa Drew (1989) are discussed. Dacus (Neodacus) coenensis sp. n. is described and illustrated from Cape York Peninsula.