Efficient phosphorus application strategies for increased crop production in sub-Saharan West Africa

Comparable data are lacking from the range of environments found in sub-Saharan West Africa to draw more general conclusions about the relative merits of locally available rockphosphate (RockP) in alleviating phosphorus (P) constraints to crop growth. To fill this gap, a multi-factorial field experiment was conducted over 4 years at eight locations in Niger, Burkina Faso and Togo. These ranged in annual rainfall from 510 to 1300 mm. Crops grown were pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and maize (Zea mays L.) either continuously or in rotation with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Crops were subjected to six P fertiliser treatments comprising RockP and soluble P at different rates and combined with 0 and 60 kg N ha^-1. For legumes, time trend analyses showed P-induced total dry matter (TDM) increases between 28 and 72% only with groundnut. Similarly, rotation-induced raises in cereal TDM compared to cereal monoculture were only observed with groundnut. For cereals, at the same rate of application, RockP was comparable to single superphosphate (SSP) only at two millet sites with topsoil pH-KCl <4.2 and annual average rainfall >600 mm. Across the eight sites NPK placement at 0.4 g P per hill raised average cereal yields between 26 and 220%. This was confirmed in 119 on-farm trials revealing P placement as a promising strategy to overcome P deficiency as the regionally most growth limiting nutrient constraint to cereals.

Causes of legume-rotation effects in increasing cereal yields across the Sudanian, Sahelian and Guinean zone of West Africa

On-farm experiments and pot trials were conducted on eight West African soils to explore the mechanisms governing the often reported legume rotation-induced cereal growth increases in this region. Crops comprised pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench), maize (Zea mays L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). In groundnut trials the observed 26 to 85% increases in total dry matter (TDM) of rotation cereals (RC) compared with continuous cereals (CC) in the 4th year appeared to be triggered by site- and crop-specific early season differences in nematode infestation (up to 6-fold lower in RC than in CC), enhanced Nmin and a 7% increase in mycorrhizal (AM) infection. In cowpea trials yield effects on millet and differences in nematode numbers, Nmin and AM were much smaller. Rhizosphere studies indicated effects on pH and acid phosphatase activity as secondary causes for the observed growth differences between RC and CC. In the study region legume-rotation effects on cereals seemed to depend on the capability of the legume to suppress nematodes and to enhance early N and P availability for the subsequent cereal.

HOST-MEDIATED INDUCTION OF alpha-AMYLASES BY LARVAE OF THE MEXICAN BEAN WEEVIL Zabrotes subfasciatus (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE: BRUCHINAE) IS IRREVERSIBLE AND OBSERVED FROM THE INITIATION OF THE FEEDING PERIOD

Larvae of Zabrotes subfasciatus secrete alpha-amylases that are insensitive to the alpha-amylase inhibitor found in seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris. By analyzing amylase activities during larval development on P. vulgaris, we detected activity of the constitutive amylase and the two inducible amylase isoforms at all stages. When larvae were transferred from the non alpha-amylase inhibitor containing seeds of Vigna unguiculata to P. vulgaris, the inducible alpha-amylases were expressed at the same level as in control larvae fed on P. vulgaris. Interestingly, when larvae were transferred from seeds of P. vulgaris to those of V. unguiculata, inducible alpha-amylases continued to be expressed at a level similar to that found in control larvae fed P. vulgaris continuously. When 10-day-old larvae were removed from seeds of V. unguiculata and transferred into capsules containing flour of P. vulgaris cotyledons, and thus maintained until completing 17 days ( age when the larvae stopped feeding), we could detect higher activity of the inducible alpha-amylases. However, when larvae of the same age were transferred from P. vulgaris into capsules containing flour of V. unguiculata, the inducible alpha-amylases remained up-regulated. These results suggest that the larvae of Z. subfasciatus have the ability to induce insensitive amylases early in their development. A short period of feeding on P. vulgaris cotyledon flour was sufficient to irreversibly induce the inducible alpha-amylase isoforms. Incubations of brush border membrane vesicles with the alpha-amylase inhibitor 1 from P. vulgaris suggest that the inhibitor is recognized by putative receptors found in the midgut microvillar membranes. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterisation, immunolocalisation and antifungal activity of a lipid transfer protein from chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) seeds with novel alpha-amylase inhibitory properties

Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) were thus named because they facilitate the transfer of lipids between membranes in vitro. This study was triggered by the characterization of a 9-kDa LTP from Capsicum annuum seeds that we call Ca-LTP(1). Ca-LTP(1) was repurified, and in the last chromatographic purification step, propanol was used as the solvent in place of acetonitrile to maintain the protein`s biological activity. Bidimensional electrophoresis of the 9-kDa band, which corresponds to the purified Ca-LTP(1), showed the presence of three isoforms with isoelectric points (pIs) of 6.0, 8.5 and 9.5. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis suggested a predominance of alpha-helices, as expected for the structure of an LTP family member. LTPs immunorelated to Ca-LTP(1) from C. annuum were also detected by western blotting in exudates released from C. annuum seeds and also in other Capsicum species. The tissue and subcellular localization of Ca-LTP(1) indicated that it was mainly localized within dense vesicles. In addition, isolated Ca-LTP(1) exhibited antifungal activity against Colletotrichum lindemunthianum, and especially against Candida tropicalis, causing several morphological changes to the cells including the formation of pseudohyphae. Ca-LTP(1) also caused the yeast plasma membrane to be permeable to the dye SYTOX green, as verified by fluorescence microscopy. We also found that Ca-LTP(1) is able to inhibit mammalian alpha-amylase activity in vitro.

Dinâmica de populações e fitossociologia de plantas daninhas no cultivo do feijão-caupi e mandioca no sistema corte e queima com o uso de arado

Este estudo investigou a composição florística das plantas daninhas em área queimada durante três anos agrícolas. A pesquisa foi conduzida no município de Zé Doca, Maranhão. O preparo da área no primeiro ano agrícola (2006/2007) foi realizado com corte e queima da vegetação para o cultivo de milho seguido do feijão-caupi. No segundo e no terceiro ano agrícola, o preparo da área consistiu de aração para o cultivo do milho seguido de mandioca (2007/2008) e depois para o feijão-caupi em sucessão à cultura de mandioca (2008/2009). A coleta das plantas daninhas ocorreu nas culturas de feijão-caupi e mandioca aos 30 e 60 dias após a semeadura (DAS), no primeiro e no segundo ano agrícola, respectivamente, e no feijão-caupi aos 30 DAS do terceiro ano agrícola, com retângulo (0,5 x 0,3 m) lançado 10 vezes ao acaso na área cultivada. A cada lançamento, as plantas daninhas foram colhidas, para contagem, identificação, secagem e, assim, obter os índices fitossociológicos. O fogo reduziu a diversidade e o número das plantas daninhas. As espécies com maior valor de IVI foram Imperata brasiliensis, Sida glomerata e Corchorus argutus, após o fogo na cultura do feijãocaupi; e Juncus sp., Spermacoce verticillata, Aeschynomene americana e Cyperus sp., após preparo da área com aração nas culturas de mandioca e feijão-caupi. As plantas de capoeira ocorreram depois da queima, porém sua importância foi reduzida com o passar do tempo.

Populacao de plantas e niveis de agua no consorcio milho x caupi.

Foi usado os sistema de irrigacao por aspersores em linhas para estudar o comportamento das culturas do milho e do caupi com diferentes populacoes de plantas em plantio isolados e consorciados, com a aplicacao de diferentes niveis de agua. As producoes de graos das duas culturas aumentaram com o incremento das laminas d'agua aplicadas; o milho apresentou maior resposta que o cauppi. O consorcio reduziu produtividade das culturas. As producoes do milho, para as tres populacoes, variaram de 44% a 83% em relacao ao plantio isolado; o decrescimo nas producoes de caupi foi mais significativo quando consorciado com as maiores populacoes de milho. A disponibilidade de agua no solo foi determinante paraa a resposta de milho a populacao. A maior producao de milho isolado para a menor populacao de plantas (20.000 plantas/ha) foi obtida com uma lamina d'agua de 356 mm, ao passo que para as maiores populacoes (40.000 e 60.000 plantas/ha) as producoes aumentaram linearmente com as laminas d'agua aplicadas. A producao de milho consorciado tambem aumentou linearmente em relacao as laminas d'agua aplicadas. A producao de milho consorciado tambem aumentou linearmente em relacao as laminas d'agua aplicadas, enquanto o caupi nao mostrou resposta significativa. O milho mostrou-se mais competitivo no consorcio com a aplicacao das maiores laminas d'agua para todas as populacoes exceto para a menor (10.000 planta/ha), quando a producao, proporcional do caupi foi semelhante a do milho. Os valores calculados para o Indice (...).

A review of maize-beans and maize-cowpea intercrop systems in the semiarid Northeast Brazil.

Fifty-one experiments on maize -beans and 34 on maize-cowpea intercropping systems conducted mostly in semiarid Northeast Brazil were analysed to get an understanding of the performance of these intercrops in terms of their productivity as well as stability. Both the intercrop systems produced higher yields over their respective sole crops under a wide range of agroclimates; the average advantage with maize-beans was 32%, while that from maize-cowpea was 41%. The optimum row proportion for maize-beans was one maize: three beans, requiring 59% of sole crop maize population and 75% sole bean population. In maize-cowpea, alternate rows or one maize: two cowpea arrangement with about 50% of sole maize density and 100% of sole cowpea population seemed to be optimum. The intercrops failed less frequently compared to sole crops to meet specified incomes or yields. Sorghum seemed to be a good alternative to the traditional cereal because of its improved and consistent performance. Future research needs are discussed for further yield improvement in these two intercrop system.s

Consórcios de cultivares de feijão-caupi e milho manejados sob bases agroecológicas no cone sul de Mato Grosso do Sul.

2014

Variabilidade genética e correlações entre caracteres de feijão-caupi.

2015

Avaliação de linhagens elite de feijão-caupi com tamanho extragrande do grão para as concentrações de proteína, ferro e zinco.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar um grupo de 20 genótipos de feijão-caupi, sendo 19 linhagens e uma cultivar, com tamanho extragrande do grão para as concentrações de proteínas, ferro e zinco.

Ganho genético esperado com a seleção em linhagens elite de feijão-caupi de porte semiprostrado para as concentrações de ferro e zinco no grão.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estimar o ganho genético esperado com a seleção em linhagens elite de feijão-caupi de porte semiprostrado para as concentrações de ferro e zinco no grão.

Aceitabilidade de formulações de baião-de-dois elaboradas a partir de arroz integral e feijão caupi biofortificados.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar sensorialmente formulações de baião-de-dois elaborados a partir de arroz integral e feijão-caupi biofortificados. Foram analisadas amostras de cinco formulações de baião-de-dois: baião padrão (arroz polido comercial + feijão-caupi comercial); baião controle (arroz integral comercial + feijão-caupi comercial); baião 1 (arroz integral Chorinho + feijão-caupi BRS Aracê); baião 2 (arroz integral Chorinho + feijão-caupi BRS Tumucumaque); e baião 3 (arroz integral Chorinho + feijão-caupi BRS Xiquexique).

Perfil de aminoácidos de formulações de baião-de-dois elaboradas a partir de arroz integral e feijão-caupi biofortificados.

O baião-de-dois é um prato tradicional na região Nordeste do Brasil, bastante apreciado pela população, elaborado com arroz e feijão-caupi imaturo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o perfil de aminoácidos de formulações de baião-de-dois elaborados a partir de arroz integral e feijão-caupi biofortificados.

Potencial genético de um cruzamento de feijão-caupi para as concentrações de proteínas, ferro e zinco no grão.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial genético de um cruzamento de feijão-caupi para as concentrações de ferro, zinco e proteína no grão.

Ganho genético esperado com a seleção em linhagens elite de feijão-caupi de porte semiereto para as concentrações de ferro e zinco no grão.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estimar o ganho genético esperado com a seleção em linhagens elite de feijão-caupi de porte semiereto para as concentrações de ferro e zinco no grão.