Raman Lidar monitors emissions from sugar cane fires in the State of São Paulo: a pilot-project integrating radar, sodar, aerosol and gas observations

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

Influences of the harvest season on analytical characteristics of syrah grapes and wines produced in the northeast region of Brazil

The present study evaluated the main physical and chemical characteristics of Syrah grapes, coming from the tropical region of São Francisco river valley, harvested at different times and their relationship with analytical characteristics of resulting wines. Grapes came from the first half of 2009 harvest, collected at Casa Nova - Bahia, a semi-arid and hot region, comprising an interval from 84 days after pruning (84 dap) to the beginning of grape over-ripening, 133 days after pruning (133 dap). Harvests at 84, 91, 98, 105, 112, 119, 126 and 133 dap, were analyzed for pH, soluble solids and acidity in grapes, which were then processed for wine production. Maximum sugar/acidity ratio (s/a = 56) were observed in grapes harvested between 126 and 133 dap, coincided with the highest concentration of anthocyanins (851 mg L-1 ) and total tannins (2.6 g L-1 ) in the resulting wines, indicating that grapes collected between 126 and 133 dap showed the best potential for winemaking in the tropical climate of São Francisco river valley. This result was confirmed by the analytical characterization of wines, that, between 126 and 133 dap, showed 12.8% alcohol, 31 g L-1 dry extract, 5.6 g L-1 ashes and a TPI of 58, using only one pumping per day, for 5 days maceration. Syrah grapes considered in the present work presented a good evolution of maturation, and grapes harvested between 126 and 133 days after pruning, showed the best oenological potential for the development of red wine. The use of pH and soluble solids appeared useful parameters in the estimation of maturation degree and quality potential of grapes for winemaking.

Growth of Pleurotus ostreatus in culture media based on formulated straw or grass

Mycelial growth strains of POS 98/38, POS 09/100, POS 09/101, and POS 09/102 of Pleurotus ostreatus were evaluated in culture media with various compositions based on extracts of substrates formulated with sugar cane bagasse together with straws and grasses, and with or without nitrogen supplementation. The evaluation was performed during incubation regularly with a ruler graduated in millimeters until total colonization of the culture medium contained in Petri dishes. The statistical model explaining the kinetics of mycelial growth of mushroom strains of P. ostreatus as a deterministic component has an exponential Gompertz function. The results show that the culture medium with sugar cane straw and brizantha grass (supplemented) showed the highest rates of mycelial growth, regardless of strain used compared to wheat straw-based culture media with had the lowest velocities of growth, regardless of supplementation and strains studied.

Survival of Mycobacterium bovis on Feedstuffs Commonly Used as Supplemental Feed for White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, has become established in free-ranging white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus in northeastern Michigan. The practice of supplemental feeding of white-tailed deer during the winter is believed to contribute to transmission of M. bovis between deer. The current study was conducted to determine the ability of M. bovis to survive on various feedstuffs commonly used as supplemental feed for deer in northeast Michigan (i.e., apples, corn, carrots, sugar beets, potatoes, and hay) and the effect of maintenance at 220 C, 8 C, and 23 C on survival. Mycobacterium bovis survived on all feedstuffs at all temperatures tested for at least 7 days. At 23 C, M. bovis could still be isolated from samples of apples, corn and potatoes at 112 days. This study suggests that contamination of feedstuffs by M. bovis-infected deer could act as a source of indirect transmission between deer because M. bovis is able to survive in temperatures similar to those recorded during winter months in northeastern Michigan. Current efforts to ban or control supplemental feeding of deer should have a positive effect on decreasing transmission of M. bovis among deer.

HAWAIIAN SUGAR CANE RAT CONTROL METHODS AND PROBLEMS

The problem of rats in our Hawaiian sugar cane fields has been with us for a long time. Early records tell of heavy damage at various times on all the islands where sugar cane is grown. Many methods were tried to control these rats. Trapping was once used as a control measure, a bounty was used for a time, gangs of dogs were trained to catch the rats as the cane was harvested. Many kinds of baits and poisons were used. All of these methods were of some value as long as labor was cheap. Our present day problem started when the labor costs started up and the sugar industry shifted to long cropping. Until World War II cane was an annual crop. After the war it was shifted to a two year crop, three years in some places. Depending on variety, location, and soil we raise 90 to 130 tons of sugar cane per acre, which produces 7 to 15 tons of sugar per acre for a two year crop. This sugar brings about $135 dollars per ton. This tonnage of cane is a thick tangle of vegetation. The cane grows erect for almost a year, as it continues to grow it bends over at the base. This allows the stalk to rest on the ground or on other stalks of cane as it continues to grow. These stalks form a tangled mat of stalks and dead leaves that may be two feet thick at the time of harvest. At the same time the leafy growing portion of the stalk will be sticking up out of the mat of cane ten feet in the air. Some of these individual stalks may be 30 feet long and still growing at the time of harvest. All this makes it very hard to get through a cane field as it is one long, prolonged stumble over and through the cane. It is in this mat of cane that our three species of rats live. Two species are familiar to most people in the pest control field. Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus. In the latter species we include both the black rat and the alexandrine rats, their habits seem to be the same in Hawaii. Our third rat is the Polynesian rat, Rattus exlans, locally called the Hawaiian rat. This is a small rat, the average length head to tip of tail is nine inches and the average body weight is 65 grams. It has dark brownish fur like the alexandrine rats, and a grey belly. It is found in Indonesia, on most of the islands of Oceania and in New Zealand. All three rats live in our cane fields and the brushy and forested portions of our islands. The norway and alexandrine rats are found in and around the villages and farms, the Polynesian rat is only found in the fields and waste areas. The actual amount of damage done by rats is small, but destruction they cause is large. The rats gnaw through the rind of the cane stalk and eat the soft juicy and sweet tissues inside. They will hollow out one to several nodes per stalk attacked. The effect to the cane stalk is like ringing a tree. After this attack the stalk above the chewed portion usually dies, and sometimes the lower portion too. If the rat does not eat through the stalk the cane stalk could go on living and producing sugar at a reduced rate. Generally an injured stalk does not last long. Disease and souring organisms get in the injury and kill the stalk. And if this isn't enough, some insects are attracted to the injured stalk and will sometimes bore in and kill it. An injured stalk of cane doesn't have much of a chance. A rat may only gnaw out six inches of a 30 foot stalk and the whole stalk will die. If the rat only destroyed what he ate we could ignore them but they cause the death of too much cane. This dead, dying, and souring cane cause several direct and indirect tosses. First we lose the sugar that the cane would have produced. We harvest all of our cane mechanically so we haul the dead and souring cane to the mill where we have to grind it with our good cane and the bad cane reduces the purity of the sugar juices we squeeze from the cane. Rats reduce our income and run up our overhead.

The Impact of Regulatory Heterogeneity on Agri-food Trade

We estimate the impact of regulatory heterogeneity on agri-food trade using a gravity analysis that relies on detailed data on non-tariff measures (NTMs) collected by the NTM-Impact project. The data cover a broad range of import requirements for agricultural and food products for the EU and nine of its major trade partners. We find that trade is significantly reduced when importing countries have stricter maximum residue limits (MRLs) for plant products than exporting countries. For most other measures, due to their qualitative nature, we were unable to infer whether the importer has stricter standards relative to the exporter, and we do not find a robust relationship between these measures and trade. Our findings suggest that, at least for some import standards, harmonising regulations will increase trade. We also conclude that tariff reductions remain an effective means to increase trade even when NTMs abound.

Active crop sensor to detect variability of nitrogen supply and biomass on sugarcane fields

Nitrogen management has been intensively studied on several crops and recently associated with variable rate on-the-go application based on crop sensors. Such studies are scarce for sugarcane and as a biofuel crop the energy input matters, seeking high positive energy balance production and low carbon emission on the whole production system. This article presents the procedure and shows the first results obtained using a nitrogen and biomass sensor (N-Sensor (TM) ALS, Yara International ASA) to indicate the nitrogen application demands of commercial sugarcane fields. Eight commercial fields from one sugar mill in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, varying from 15 to 25 ha in size, were monitored. Conditions varied from sandy to heavy soils and the previous harvesting occurred in May and October 2009, including first, second, and third ratoon stages. Each field was scanned with the sensor three times during the season (at 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 m stem height), followed by tissue sampling for biomass and nitrogen uptake at ten spots inside the area, guided by the different values shown by the sensor. The results showed a high correlation between sensor values and sugarcane biomass and nitrogen uptake, thereby supporting the potential use of this technology to develop algorithms to manage variable rate application of nitrogen for sugarcane.

Effect of quarantine treatments on the carbohydrate and organic acid content of mangoes (cv. Tommy Atkins)

Brazil is one of the largest mango producers and the third largest mango exporter worldwide. Irradiation treatment and its commercial feasibility have been studied in our country to make it possible to develop new markets and, consequently, to compete with the major exporters of mangoes, Mexico and India. This work was designed to compare irradiation treatment with the hot water dip treatment in mangoes cv. Tommy Atkins for export and to verify that the main attributes for acceptance, color and texture, as well as carbohydrate and organic acid contents, were maintained. In this study, the fruit was divided into groups: control, hot water dip-treated (46 degrees C for 90 min), and irradiation-treated at doses of 0.4 kGy and 1.0 kGy. The fruit was stored at low temperature (11 degrees C +/- 2) for 14 days and then at room temperature (23 degrees C +/- 2) until the end of the study. The results indicated that the fruit given a dose of 1.0 kGy remained in a less advanced stage of ripening (stage 3) throughout the storage period, but experienced a greater loss of texture in the beginning of the experiment. It was noted that only the control group had higher levels of citric acid and succinic acid on the last day of the experiment. There were no significant differences in the total sugar content between any treatment groups. Gamma radiation can be used as a quarantine treatment and does not interfere negatively with the quality attributes of mangoes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Cadmium and Nickel Stress: The Use of the Sugar Cane Vinasse as a Potential Mitigator

Most of the metals released from industrial activity, among them are cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni), inhibit the productivity of cultures and affect microbial metabolism. In this context, the aim of this work was to investigate the capacity of sugar cane vinasse to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd and Ni on cell growth, viability, budding rate and trehalose content of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, likely because of adsorption and chelating action. For this purpose, the yeast was grown batch-wise in YED medium supplemented with selected amounts of vinasse and Cd or Ni. The negative effects of Cd and Ni on S. cerevisiae growth and the mitigating one of sugar cane vinasse were quantified by an exponential model. Without vinasse, the addition of increasing levels of Cd and Ni reduced the specific growth rate, whereas in its presence no reduction was observed. Consistently with the well-proved toxicity of both metals, cell viability and budding rate progressively decreased with increasing their concentration, but in the presence of vinasse the situation was remarkably improved. The trehalose content of S. cerevisiae cells followed the same qualitative behavior as cell viability, even though the negative effect of both metals on this parameter was stronger. These results demonstrate the ability of sugar cane vinasse to mitigate the toxic effects of Cd and Ni.

Fiber fermentability effects on energy and macronutrient digestibility, fecal traits, postprandial metabolite responses, and colon histology of overweight cats

Considering the different potential benefits of divergent fiber ingredients, the effect of 3 fiber sources on energy and macronutrient digestibility, fermentation product formation, postprandial metabolite responses, and colon histology of overweight cats (Felis catus) fed kibble diets was compared. Twenty-four healthy adult cats were assigned in a complete randomized block design to 2 groups of 12 animals, and 3 animals from each group were fed 1 of 4 of the following kibble diets: control (CO; 11.5% dietary fiber), beet pulp (BP; 26% dietary fiber), wheat bran (WB; 24% dietary fiber), and sugarcane fiber (SF; 28% dietary fiber). Digestibility was measured by the total collection of feces. After 16 d of diet adaptation and an overnight period without food, blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride postprandial responses were evaluated for 16 h after continued exposure to food. On d 20, colon biopsies of the cats were collected under general anesthesia. Fiber addition reduced food energy and nutrient digestibility. Of all the fiber sources, SF had the least dietary fiber digestibility (P < 0.05), causing the largest reduction of dietary energy digestibility (P < 0.05). The greater fermentability of BP resulted in reduced fecal DM and pH, greater fecal production [g/(cat x d); as-is], and greater fecal concentration of acetate, propionate, and lactate (P < 0.05). For most fecal variables, WB was intermediate between BP and SF, and SF was similar to the control diet except for an increased fecal DM and firmer feces production for the SF diet (P < 0.05). Postprandial evaluations indicated reduced mean glucose concentration and area under the glucose curve in cats fed the SF diet (P < 0.05). Colon mucosa thickness, crypt area, lamina propria area, goblet cell area, crypt mean size, and crypt in bifurcation did not vary among the diets. According to the fiber solubility and fermentation rates, fiber sources can induce different physiological responses in cats, reduce energy digestibility, and favor glucose metabolism (SF), or improve gut health (BP).

Effects of Aspergillus spp. exogenous fibrolytic enzymes on in vitro fermentation of tropical forages

BACKGROUND: Cellulose and hemicellulose are quantitatively the most important structural carbohydrates present in ruminant diets. Rumen micro-organisms produce enzymes that catalyse their hydrolysis, but the complex network formed by structural carbohydrates and lignin reduces their digestibility and restricts efficient utilisation of feeds by ruminants. This study aimed to produce two enzymatic extracts, apply them in ruminant diets to determine the best levels for ruminal digestibility and evaluate their effects on in vitro digestibility. RESULTS: In experiment 1 a two-stage in vitro technique was used to examine the effects of different enzymatic levels of Aspergillus japonicus and Aspergillus terricola on tropical forages. Enzyme addition had minor effects on corn silage at the highest enzymatic level. In experiment 2 an in vitro gas production (GP) technique was applied to determine apparent in vitro organic matter digestibility and metabolisable energy. The addition of enzymes in GP showed interesting results. Good data were obtained using sugar cane and Tifton-85 hay supplemented with extracts of A. japonicus and A. terricola respectively. CONCLUSION: Overall, the study suggests that addition of crude extracts containing exogenous fibrolytic enzymes to ruminant diets enhances the effective utilisation of ruminant feedstuffs such as forages. Copyright (c) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

Influence of land use changes on water chemistry in streams in the State of Sao Paulo, southeast Brazil

Streamwater is affected by several processes in the watershed including anthropogenic activities that result in changes in water quality as well as in the functioning of these stream ecosystems. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the concentration of major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, Cl-, SO42-, PO43-, HCO3-) in streams in the state of Sao Paulo (southeast Brazil). The sampling sites are located at undisturbed (ombrophilus dense forest, semideciduous forest and savanna - cerrado) and disturbed areas (pasture, urbanization and sugar cane crops). Streamwater chemistry varied according to land use change and, in general, was higher in disturbed sites. Streams located in undisturbed sites at Ribeira de Iguape/Alto Paranapanema watershed (streams 1, 2 and 3) seem to be regulated by soil characteristics, as the disturbed streams located at the same watershed covered by pasture (stream 7) showed high concentration for the most of the variables. Exception to streams located at Pontal do Paranapanema watershed where both disturbed (stream 8) and undisturbed streams (stream 4 and 5) presented similar patterns for almost all variables measured.

Dilute Acid Hydrolysis of Sugar Cane Bagasse at High Temperatures: A Kinetic Study of Cellulose Saccharification and Glucose Decomposition. Part I: Sulfuric Acid as the Catalyst

The kinetics of sugar cane bagasse cellulose saccharification and the decomposition of glucose under extremely low acid (ELA) conditions, (0.07%), 0.14%, and 0.28% H2SO4, and at high temperatures were investigated using batch reactors. The first-order rate constants were obtained by weight loss, remaining glucose, and fitting glucose concentration profiles determined with HPLC using the Saeman model. The maximum glucose yields reached 67.6% (200 degrees C, 0.07% H2SO4, 30 min), 69.8% (210 degrees C, 0.14% H2SO4, 10 min), and 67.3% (210 degrees C, 0.28% H2SO4, 6 min). ELA conditions produced remarkable glucose yields when applied to bagasse cellulose. The first-order rate constants were used to calculate activation energies and extrathermodynamic parameters to elucidate the reaction mechanism under ELA conditions. The effect of acid concentration on cellulose hydrolysis and glucose decomposition was also investigated. The observed activation energies and reaction orders with respect to hydronium ion for cellulose hydrolysis and glucose decomposition were 184.9 and 124.5 kJ/mol and 1.27 and 0.75, respectively.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes in Brazil

Objectives. We investigated whether taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) would improve the diets of households in Brazil. Methods. We used household food consumption data that the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics collected in 2002-2003 from a nationally representative sample of 48470 Brazilian households. The consumption of SSBs is expressed as the total SSB calories consumed and as the SSB percentage of the total calories purchased. We investigated price elasticity with regression models, controlling for demographic variables, income, and prices of all other foods and drinks. Results. Increases in the price of SSBs led to reductions in consumption. A 1.00% increase in the price of SSBs led to a 0.85% reduction of SSB calories consumed (1.03% reduction for the poor and 0.63% for the nonpoor). Increased income had a positive effect on SSB consumption, but the effect was less than half the size of the price elasticity (0.41% increase in SSB calories consumed for every 1.00% increase in income). Conclusions. High SSB price elasticity in Brazil indicates that a tax on purchased weight or volume would lead to reductions in SSB consumption. (Am J Public Health. 2012;102:178-183. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300313)

Endophytic and rhizospheric enterobacteria isolated from sugar cane have different potentials for producing plant growth-promoting substances

Background and aims Endophytic and rhizospheric environments differ in many respects, leading to the presence of different bacterial communities at each site. However, microorganisms such as enterobacteria can be found both within plants and in the surrounding soil. Bacteria must present differences in the traits that affect such environments in order to successfully colonise them. The present study compared the plant growth-promoting potential of diazotrophic enterobacteria isolated from the rhizosphere and from within surface-disinfected plants. Methods A total of 46 diazotrophic enterobacterial strains (21 rhizospheric and 25 putatively endophytic) belonging to the Klebsiella and Enterobacter genera, which are prevalent in sugar cane plantations, were isolated from the rhizosphere and from surface-disinfected plants. Their ability to synthesise amino acids using combined nitrogen obtained from nitrogen fixation, and their ability to synthesise indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Endogenous ethylene production by the bacteria was measured using gas chromatography, and biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi was determined qualitatively using a dual culture technique. Results The putative endophytes released significantly higher amounts of amino acids than the rhizospheric bacteria, whilst the latter produced higher quantities of ethylene and were more actively antagonistic to fungi. Both types of bacteria released similar amounts of IAA. Conclusion Endophytic and rhizospheric bacteria differ in their capacity to release plant growth-promoting substances, which may be a reflection of their adaptations and an indication of their potential impact on their natural environment.