Dose econômica ótima de acifluorfen + bentazon para controle de picão-preto e guanxuma em soja

As doses dos herbicidas são estabelecidas para uso em uma ampla variação de condições ambientais e de manejo das culturas. Contudo, algumas vezes, as doses de herbicidas podem ser reduzidas e, ainda assim, a interferência das plantas daninhas com a cultura pode ser suprimida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar a redução de dose para o herbicida acifluorfen + bentazon no controle de picão-preto (Bidens spp.) e guanxuma (Sida rhombifolia), em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento das plantas daninhas, em relação à época de emergência da soja. Para isso, foi conduzido experimento em campo, em Passo Fundo - RS, cujos tratamentos constaram de quatro doses do herbicida (1,25; 1,5; 1,75; e 2,0 L ha-1), aplicadas em cinco combinações de estádios de desenvolvimento da cultura e das plantas daninhas, além de duas testemunhas, uma sem controle das plantas daninhas e outra em que estas foram arrancadas manualmente nas mesmas datas das aplicações/herbicidas. Considerando-se todas as situações testadas, o grau de controle de guanxuma variou entre 80 e 99% e o de picão-preto entre 78 e 99%. Constatou-se, para as duas espécies-alvo, que o melhor controle, considerando todo o ciclo, foi a aplicação em plantas daninhas com quatro folhas. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o incremento na dose de acifluorfen + bentazon, na faixa de 1,25 a 2,0 L ha-1, resulta em retorno linear positivo, em termos de produtividade da soja. A dose de rótulo de 2,0 L ha-1 foi a que se mostrou biologicamente mais eficaz; já doses próximas a 75% da dose de rótulo foram as que compensaram, economicamente, a adoção do controle.

Curvas de dose-resposta para avaliação do controle de fluxos de emergência de plantas daninhas pelo herbicida imazapic

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o controle de dois fluxos de emergência das plantas daninhas capim-marmelada (Brachiaria plantaginea) e capim-colchão (Digitaria horizontalis) pelo herbicida imazapic, aplicado em condição de pré-emergência, por meio de curvas de dose-resposta. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições; cada parcela constou de um vaso de 3 L de capacidade, preenchido com solo argiloso, acrescido de sementes de capim-marmelada e capim-colchão. Sendo D a dose recomendada do imazapic (140 g ha-1), os tratamentos foram: 4D, 2D, D, 1/2D, 1/4D, 1/8D, 1/16D e ausência do herbicida. Foram realizadas avaliações visuais de controle aos 30 e 60 dias após a infestação (DAI) e de massa seca aos 60 DAI. Após a colheita da biomassa resultante do primeiro fluxo de emergência presente nas parcelas, os vasos foram novamente semeados com as plantas daninhas e foram realizadas novas avaliações de controle aos 30 e 60 dias após reinfestação (DAR) e de massa seca aos 60 DAR. A partir dos resultados obtidos, pode-se afirmar que: o imazapic inibiu o desenvolvimento de ambas as plantas daninhas, alcançando resultados superiores a 80% de controle em todas as avaliações, para a dose recomendada, nos dois fluxos de emergência; a eficácia no controle de capim-colchão foi ligeiramente superior à do controle do capim-marmelada; e o herbicida imazapic apresentou-se como uma opção interessante para manejo dessas plantas daninhas.

Deriva simulada de glyphosate em algodoeiro: efeito de dose, cultivar e estádio de desenvolvimento

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos da deriva simulada, pela aplicação de doses reduzidas de glyphosate em diferentes cultivares e estádios de desenvolvimento do algodoeiro. O ensaio foi realizado a campo em Alta Floresta, MT. As doses reduzidas de glyphosate foram 0, 180 e 360 g e.a. ha-1. Os cultivares ITA-90 e BRS-Facual foram tratados nos estádios de quatro e dez folhas. Foram avaliados aos 7, 14, 28, 42, 56 e 70 dias: sintomas visuais de intoxicação e altura de planta. Ao final do ensaio, foi avaliado o rendimento de algodão em caroço. Plantas de algodão tratadas com a dose de 180 g ha-1 apresentaram recuperação lenta, não havendo diferença entre os estádios de desenvolvimento. A maior dose provocou maiores danos em plantas mais jovens. O algodoeiro tratado com a menor dose apresentou crescimento normal nos 70 dias após a aplicação; quando tratado com 360 g ha-1, o crescimento foi afetado, principalmente em plantas mais jovens, e os sintomas visuais de intoxicação nas folhas foram mais severos em plantas mais jovens, havendo recuperação classificada como aceitável em plantas mais velhas. Houve redução no rendimento de algodão em caroço em todos os tratamentos, exceto em plantas mais velhas tratadas com 180 g ha-1.

Controle de papuã (Brachiaria plantaginea) em soja em função da dose e da época de aplicação do herbicida clethodim

Herbicidas podem apresentar diferentes níveis de controle de plantas daninhas, em função de espécies presentes na área, estádio de desenvolvimento, dose do herbicida e condições de aplicação e de ambiente. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram investigar a possibilidade de uso de dose reduzida do herbicida graminicida clethodim, aplicado em pós-emergência, para controlar papuã em soja e quantificar a influência da época de aplicação do controle químico sobre variáveis agronômicas da cultura. O experimento foi instalado na EEA/UFRGS, em Eldorado do Sul, RS, no ano agrícola 2005/06. O cultivar de soja utilizado foi Fepagro-RS 10, semeado em espaçamento entre fileiras de 25 cm. Os fatores e tratamentos comparados foram: doses do herbicida clethodim (96 e 60 g ha-1) e épocas do controle químico de papuã (de 3 até 39 dias após emergência da soja). Foram mantidas testemunhas com presença e ausência de papuã, em espaçamentos entre fileiras de soja de 25 e 50 cm. Avaliaram-se variáveis relacionadas à produtividade de grãos e outras características agronômicas de soja. É viável reduzir a dose do herbicida clethodim em 38% para controlar papuã em soja. Quando não há controle do papuã, a redução do espaçamento entre fileiras de soja de 50 para 25 cm aumenta seu potencial competitivo e a produtividade de grãos, diferença não observada quando há controle da infestante. Uma única aplicação do herbicida clethodim na dose recomendada ou em dose reduzida, realizada entre os estádios V1 e V6 da soja, mantém controle completo de papuã, mesmo com nove afilhos, sem afetar a produtividade de grãos da cultura.

Effect of dose and application site on quinclorac absorption by barnyardgrass biotypes

This work aimed to evaluate the uptake and translocation of quinclorac in function of application sites (shoot or roots) by Echinochloa crusgalli biotypes resistant and susceptible to this herbicide. The treatments consisted of quinclorac doses (0; 0.5; 1; 2; 4; 16 and 64 ppm), applied on the shoot or roots of seedlings of barnyardgrass biotypes. The experimental units consisted of plastic cups containing 250 cm³ of sand. The treatments were applied 10 days after emergence, when barnyardgrass plants reached a 2- to 3- leaf growth stage. The barnyardgrass biotypes were irrigated with nutritive solution weekly and maintained for 40 days after emergence, when length, fresh and dry matter of shoot and roots were evaluated. Variance analysis was carried out using the F test at 5% probability, and in case of significance, a non-linear regression analysis was also carried out using a three-parameter logistic model. In the susceptible biotype, quinclorac was more absorbed by the roots than by the shoot. Comparing dry mass production of the different plant parts of the susceptible biotype per application site, it was verified that quinclorac action is higher when applied to the plant roots. However, for the resistant biotype, it was not possible to determine the dose causing 50% reduction in dry mass accumulation (GR50) and in the resistance index (RI) between both biotypes, due to its high resistance to quinclorac (128 times the recommended dosage). The results showed that quinclorac resistance by the evaluated biotype is not due to differences in the absorption site, strongly suggesting that the resistance acquired by the biotype may result from alteration in the target site.

Allelopathic effects of Eucalyptus citriodora on amaryllis and associated grassy weed

A Petri dish assay was carried out for screening different concentrations of aqueous extracts of fresh and dry leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora on germination and seedling growth of wild oat weed (Avena fatua). Seed germination, root and shoot length of wild oat exhibited different degrees of inhibition according to the concentration of the aqueous extract. Maximum inhibitions of germination percentage, root and shoot length were recorded when using 25% fresh leaf extract. Based on this preliminary work (Petri dish assay), studies were conducted under greenhouse conditions at the National Research Center, Egypt, in the two winter seasons of 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 to evaluate the effects of foliar and soil treatments of aqueous extracts of Eucalyptus citriodora fresh and dry leaves on wild oat weed as well as on the growth and flowering of amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum), compared with the recommended dose of the herbicide tralkoxydim. Amaryllis fresh and dry weights as well as flowering increased significantly when treated with the previous extracts, especially the fresh leaf extract. However, the fresh and dry weights of wild oat were significantly reduced by the aqueous extracts, either fresh or dry, indicating phytotoxic effects. Tralkoxydim caused complete inhibition of wild oat as compared with the control. The studies involved estimation of the endogenous contents of total phenols in weed. With all the treatments, the inhibitory effects on weeds were correlated with accumulation of the internal contents of total phenols, compared to their respective controls. The amount of phenols correlated well with the weed's growth performance. This study establishes the effect of the aqueous extracts on the weed wild oat, associated with amaryllis, which may serve as a tool in establishing their herbicidal potential.

Improving internal performance of a company - Introducing employee empowerment via job redesign in Finnish small and medium sized enterprises

This bachelor's thesis is about to find out to what extent Finnish managers and small and medium sized organizations are willing and able to put employee empowerment into practice and what experiences they have got from employee empowerment as an approach towards job redesign. Some of the top enterprises in the world are known for their empowered employees as a single most important factor for their success and this thesis focuses on introducing the subject to Finnish managers and organizations to find out what benefits, barriers and other thoughts they have about the whole idea of empowered employees in Finnish organization culture. Most notable findings in this thesis are that Finnish managers do think that their organization's employees are capable to work efficiently if their job is extended and the organizations would perform better when right person's job is enriched and he/she is given more power to solve problems.

Suscetibilidade diferencial de espécies convolvuláceas ao flumioxazin determinada através de curvas de dose-resposta

As plantas daninhas denominadas vulgarmente como corda-de-viola, pertencentes aos gêneros Ipomoea e Merremia, estão entre as mais importantes do Brasil. A identificação das espécies em campo, bem como o conhecimento da suscetibilidade específica a herbicidas, notadamente a flumioxazin, cuja tolerância específica é variável, são informações essenciais para uma recomendação racional de manejo. Com o intuito de determinar a suscetibilidade diferencial das convolvuláceas Ipomoea purpurea, Ipomoea hederifolia, Ipomoea triloba, Merremia cissoides e Merremia aegyptia, foram construídas curvas de dose-resposta com o flumioxazin, para obtenção dos controles percentuais de 50, 80, 95 e 99. Para isso, foram conduzidos dois experimentos em casa de vegetação; para cada espécie de planta daninha, os tratamentos herbicidas foram: 0, 7,81, 15,63, 31,25, 62,5, 125, 250, e 500 g de flumioxazin ha-1, aplicados em condições de pré-emergência. A partir dos resultados, conclui-se que a suscetibilidade ao flumioxazin, em ordem decrescente, é: Merremia aegyptia < Ipomoea hederifolia < Ipomoea triloba < Ipomoea purpurea < Merremia cissoides. As doses que proporcionam 80% de controle são, respectivamente pela ordem de espécies, de 238,6; 173,1; 84,7; 43,8; e 16,8 g de flumioxazin ha-1. Merremia aegyptia não é satisfatoriamente controlada pelo flumioxazin.

Dose-response curves of Lolium multiflorum biotypes resistant and susceptible to clethodim

Chemical control with herbicides, especially glyphosate, is the main method used to control ryegrass. However, the repeated use of glyphosate has selected resistant ryegrass biotypes. Thus, the ACCase inhibitor herbicides have become the main alternative to control glyphosate-resistant biotypes, being widely used by farmers in Rio Grande do Sul. Repeated use of ACCase inhibitors, in turn, have selected ryegrass biotypes resistant to this herbicide mechanism. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the response of ryegrass biotypes to different clethodim rates by dose-response curves. Increasing doses (0, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 144 and 192 g a.i. ha-1) of the herbicide clethodim were applied at the 3-4 ryegrass leaf stage. The variables control at 14 and 28 days after treatment (DAT) and shoot dry weight were evaluated. The data were fitted by nonlinear regression log-logistic and C50 and GR50 were calculated based on the equation. The resistance factor was obtained by the ratio of C50 or GR50 of the resistant biotype by matching the susceptible biotype. Based on the equation parameters, the doses of GR50 64.7 and 234.5 g a.i. ha-1 clethodim and C50 11.2 and 172.1 g a.i. ha-1 clethodim were obtained, at 28 DAT for the susceptible and resistant biotypes, respectively. The ryegrass biotype denominated Cotril is resistant to clethodim, being controlled with a dose 15.3 times greater than that of the susceptible biotype, and a 50% reduction of this biotype occurs with a dose 3.62 times higher than that of the susceptible one.

Dose-response curve to soil applied herbicides and susceptibility evaluation of different amaranthus species using model identity

Greenhouse studies were conducted in 2008-2009 with the objective of adjusting dose-response curves of the main soil-applied herbicides currently used in cotton for the control of Amaranthus viridis, A. hybridus, A. spinosus, A. lividus, as well as comparing susceptibility among different species, using the identity test models. Thirty six individual experiments were simultaneously carried out in greenhouse, in a sandy clay loam soil (21% clay, 2.36% OM) combining increasing doses of the herbicides alachlor, clomazone, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, prometryn, S-metolachlor, and trifluralin applied to each species. Dose-response curves were adjusted for visual weed control at 28 days after herbicide application and doses required for 80% (C80) and 95% (C95) control were calculated. All herbicides, except clomazone and trifluralin, provided efficient control of most Amaranthus species, but substantial differences in susceptibility to herbicides were found. In general, A. lividus was the least sensitive species, whereas A. spinosus demonstrated the highest sensitivity to herbicides. Alachlor, diuron, oxyfluorfen, pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, and prometryn are efficient alternatives to control Amaranthus spp. in a range of doses that are currently lower than those recommended to cotton.

Dose-dependent effects of 17-ß-estradiol on pituitary thyrotropin content and secretion in vitro

We studied the basal and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) (50 nM) induced thyrotropin (TSH) release in isolated hemipituitaries of ovariectomized rats treated with near-physiological or high doses of 17-ß-estradiol benzoate (EB; sc, daily for 10 days) or with vehicle (untreated control rats, OVX). One group was sham-operated (normal control). The anterior pituitary glands were incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate medium, pH 7.4, at 37oC in an atmosphere of 95% O2/5% CO2. Medium and pituitary TSH was measured by specific RIA (NIDDK-RP-3). Ovariectomy induced a decrease (P<0.05) in basal TSH release (normal control = 44.1 ± 7.2; OVX = 14.7 ± 3.0 ng/ml) and tended to reduce TRH-stimulated TSH release (normal control = 33.0 ± 8.1; OVX = 16.6 ± 2.4 ng/ml). The lowest dose of EB (0.7 µg/100 g body weight) did not reverse this alteration, but markedly increased the pituitary TSH content (0.6 ± 0.06 µg/hemipituitary; P<0.05) above that of OVX (0.4 ± 0.03 µg/hemipituitary) and normal rats (0.46 ± 0.03 µg/hemipituitary). The intermediate EB dose (1.4 µg/100 g body weight) induced a nonsignificant tendency to a higher TSH response to TRH compared to OVX and a lower response compared to normal rats. Conversely, in the rats treated with the highest dose (14 µg/100 g body weight), serum 17-ß-estradiol was 17 times higher than normal, and the basal and TRH-stimulated TSH release, as well as the pituitary TSH content, was significantly (P<0.05) reduced compared to normal rats and tended to be even lower than the values observed for the vehicle-treated OVX group, suggesting an inhibitory effect of hyperestrogenism. In conclusion, while reinforcing the concept of a positive physiological regulatory role of estradiol on the TSH response to TRH and on the pituitary stores of the hormone, the present results suggest an inhibitory effect of high levels of estrogen on these responses

Paraquat poisoning: an experimental model of dose-dependent acute lung injury due to surfactant dysfunction

Since the most characteristic feature of paraquat poisoning is lung damage, a prospective controlled study was performed on excised rat lungs in order to estimate the intensity of lesion after different doses. Twenty-five male, 2-3-month-old non-SPF Wistar rats, divided into 5 groups, received paraquat dichloride in a single intraperitoneal injection (0, 1, 5, 25, or 50 mg/kg body weight) 24 h before the experiment. Static pressure-volume (PV) curves were performed in air- and saline-filled lungs; an estimator of surface tension and tissue works was computed by integrating the area of both curves and reported as work/ml of volume displacement. Paraquat induced a dose-dependent increase of inspiratory surface tension work that reached a significant two-fold order of magnitude for 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight (P<0.05, ANOVA), sparing lung tissue. This kind of lesion was probably due to functional abnormalities of the surfactant system, as was shown by the increase in the hysteresis of the paraquat groups at the highest doses. Hence, paraquat poisoning provides a suitable model of acute lung injury with alveolar instability that can be easily used in experimental protocols of mechanical ventilation

Electrocardiographic changes during low-dose, short-term therapy of cutaneous leishmaniasis with the pentavalent antimonial meglumine

The pentavalent antimonial (Sb5+) meglumine is the drug of choice for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Brazil. Although the cardiotoxicity of high-dose, long-term Sb5+ therapy is well known, the use of low-dose, short-term meglumine has been considered to be safe and relatively free from significant cardiac effects. In order to investigate the cardiotoxicity of low-dose, short-term therapy with meglumine in cutaneous leishmaniasis, 62 CL patients treated with meglumine were studied. A standard ECG was obtained before and immediately after the first cycle of treatment (15 mg Sb5+ kg-1 day-1). The electrocardiographic interpretation was carried out blindly by two investigators using the Minnesota Code. There were no significant differences in qualitative ECG variables before and after meglumine treatment. However, the corrected QT interval was clearly prolonged after antimonial therapy (420.0 vs 429.3 ms, P<10-6). QTc augmentation exceeded 40 ms in 12 patients, 7 of whom developed marked QTc interval enlargement (500 ms) after meglumine therapy. This previously unrecognized cardiac toxicity induced by short-term, low-dose antimonial therapy has potentially important clinical implications. Since sudden death has been related to QTc prolongation over 500 ms induced by high-dose antimonial therapy, routine electrocardiographic monitoring is probably indicated even in CL patients treated with short-term, low-dose meglumine schedules. Until further studies are conducted to establish the interactions between pentavalent antimonials and other drugs, special care is recommended when using meglumine in combination with other medications, in particular with drugs that also increase the QTc interval.

A simple HPLC-fluorescence method for the measurement of R,S-sotalol in the plasma of patients with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias

R,S-sotalol, a ß-blocker drug with class III antiarrhythmic properties, is prescribed to patients with ventricular, atrial and supraventricular arrhythmias. A simple and sensitive method based on HPLC-fluorescence is described for the quantification of R,S-sotalol racemate in 500 µl of plasma. R,S-sotalol and its internal standard (atenolol) were eluted after 5.9 and 8.5 min, respectively, from a 4-micron C18 reverse-phase column using a mobile phase consisting of 80 mM KH2PO4, pH 4.6, and acetonitrile (95:5, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min with detection at lex = 235 nm and lem = 310 nm, respectively. This method, validated on the basis of R,S-sotalol measurements in spiked blank plasma, presented 20 ng/ml sensitivity, 20-10,000 ng/ml linearity, and 2.9 and 4.8% intra- and interassay precision, respectively. Plasma sotalol concentrations were determined by applying this method to investigate five high-risk patients with atrial fibrillation admitted to the Emergency Service of the Medical School Hospital, who received sotalol, 160 mg po, as loading dose. Blood samples were collected from a peripheral vein at zero, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, 12.0 and 24.0 h after drug administration. A two-compartment open model was applied. Data obtained, expressed as mean, were: CMAX = 1230 ng/ml, TMAX = 1.8 h, AUCT = 10645 ng h-1 ml-1, Kab = 1.23 h-1, a = 0.95 h-1, ß = 0.09 h-1, t(1/2)ß = 7.8 h, ClT/F = 3.94 ml min-1 kg-1, and Vd/F = 2.53 l/kg. A good systemic availability and a fast absorption were obtained. Drug distribution was reduced to the same extent in terms of total body clearance when patients and healthy volunteers were compared, and consequently elimination half-life remained unchanged. Thus, the method described in the present study is useful for therapeutic drug monitoring purposes, pharmacokinetic investigation and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic sotalol studies in patients with tachyarrhythmias.

A micromethod for quantitation of debrisoquine and 4-hydroxydebrisoquine in urine by liquid chromatography

We describe a new simple, selective and sensitive micromethod based on HPLC and fluorescence detection to measure debrisoquine (D) and 4-hydroxydebrisoquine (4-OHD) in urine for the investigation of xenobiotic metabolism by debrisoquine hydroxylase (CYP2D6). Four hundred µl of urine was required for the analysis of D and 4-OHD. Peaks were eluted at 8.3 min (4-OHD), 14.0 min (D) and 16.6 min for the internal standard, metoprolol (20 µg/ml). The 5-µm CN-reverse-phase column (Shimpack, 250 x 4.6 mm) was eluted with a mobile phase consisting of 0.25 M acetate buffer, pH 5.0, and acetonitrile (9:1, v/v) at 0.7 ml/min with detection at lexcitation = 210 nm and lemission = 290 nm. The method, validated on the basis of measurements of spiked urine, presented 3 ng/ml (D) and 6 ng/ml (4-OHD) sensitivity, 390-6240 ng/ml (D) and 750-12000 ng/ml (4-OHD) linearity, and 5.7/8.2% (D) and 5.3/8.2% (4-OHD) intra/interassay precision. The method was validated using urine of a healthy Caucasian volunteer who received one 10-mg tablet of Declinax®, po, in the morning after an overnight fast. Urine samples (diuresis of 4 or 6 h) were collected from zero to 24 h. The urinary excretion of D and 4-OHD, Fel (0-24 h), i.e., fraction of dose administered and excreted into urine, was 6.4% and 31.9%, respectively. The hydroxylation capacity index reported as metabolic ratio was 0.18 (D/4-OHD) for the person investigated and can be compared to reference limits of >12.5 for poor metabolizers (PM) and <12.5 for extensive metabolizers (EM). In parallel, the recovery ratio (RR), another hydroxylation capacity index, was 0.85 (4-OHD: SD + 4-OHD) versus reference limits of RR <0.12 for PM and RR >0.12 for EM. The healthy volunteer was considered to be an extensive metabolizer on the basis of the debrisoquine test.