Biochemical composition of two red seaweed species grown on the Brazilian coast

BACKGROUND: Algae species have been used as an important source of food because they are highly nutritive considering their vitamin, protein, mineral, fiber, essential fatty acid and carbohydrate contents. However, a large number of seaweeds have been poorly studied, especially Brazilian species. Two red macroalgae species from the Brazilian coast (Plocamium brasiliense and Ochtodes secundiramea) were assessed with respect to their total lipid, fatty acid, total nitrogen, protein, amino acid and total carbohydrate contents. RESULTS: The total lipid contents (dry weight) were 36.3 and 35.4 g kg(-1); fatty acid contents were 9.3 and 12.1 g kg(-1); total nitrogen contents were 37.4 and 24.9 g kg(-1); protein contents were 157.2 and 101.0 g kg(-1); amino acid contents were 127.5 and 91.4 g kg(-1); and total carbohydrate contents were 520.3 and 450.7 g kg(-1) for P. brasiliense and O. secundiramea, respectively. CONCLUSION: Considering these compositions, both algae species were determined to have sources of protein, essential amino acids and carbohydrates similar to the edible seaweeds Laminaria japonica and Palmaria palmata. (C) 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Diagnoses of fipronil resistance in Brazilian cattle ticks (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus) using in vitro larval bioassays

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazolic insecticide that is widely used in agriculture and has been recently used to control the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. Because of the serious problems associated with resistance to the available acaricides, this product has been used as an important alternative to control acaricide-resistant ticks. The objective of this work was to analyse the fipronil sensitivity of ticks that were collected from farms with a history of fipronil use by larval bioassays. A total of 11 Brazilian tick populations were studied: one population from Rio Grande do Sul, one population from Mato Grosso do Sul and nine populations from Sao Paulo. To validate the assays, susceptible reference strains, POA (Porto Alegre, Brazil) and Mozo (Dilave, Uruguay), and ticks from six different farms that never used fipronil were tested. The resistance of various tick populations to technical grade fipronil (95.3%) was primarily evaluated using the larvae immersion test (LIT) and the larval packet test (LPT), when a sufficient number of larvae was collected. Using the LIT, the resistance ratios (RR(50)) of the tick populations from Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul were 14.9 and 2.6, respectively, and the populations derived from Sao Paulo had RR(50)s ranging from 2.5 to 6.9. Four populations were evaluated with the LPT, and two populations displayed lower RR(50), while other populations displayed higher RR(50) than those determined by the LIT. This article reports the first cases of fipronil resistance in Brazil and highlights the LIT as a more sensitive technique for the evaluation of fipronil resistance in R. (B) microplus ticks. We suggest the use of the LIT as an evaluation tool for monitoring fipronil resistance in the control programmes of R. (B) microplus. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Formation of Dextran Deposits in Brazilian Sugar Cane Spirits

The formation of dextran deposits in sugared Brazilian cachaca was studied as a function of the time considering the effects of temperature, molecular weight (M(w)), visible light, pH, and the presence of Ca, Mg, Cu, and Fe ions in the concentrations at which they are usually present in this beverage. At 25 degrees C and pH 4.4, the experimental half-lives (t(1/2)) for precipitation are 73 and 124 days for dextrans with M(w) 5.9 x 10(6) and 2.1 x 10(6) Da, respectively. For dextrans with M(w) 5.0 x 10(5) and 4.0 x 10(4) Da, the experimental t(1/2) values are >180 days. For a dextran with M(w) 2.1 x 10(6) Da a change in pH from 4.4 to 5.5 at 25 degrees C resulted in a t(1/2) decrease from 124 to 25 days. At pH 4.4 the visible light and the presence of metal ions in average concentrations usually found in cachacas do not exhibit noticeable influence on the rate of dextran precipitation.

Environmental regulation, technology adoption and structural transformation: evidence from Brazilian sugarcane industry

We estimate the effects of the adoption of mechanized agriculture led by a new environmental regulation on structural change of local labor markets within a large emerging country, Brazil. In 2002, the state of S\~{a}o Paulo passed a law outlying the timeline to end sugarcane pre-harvest burning in the state. The environmental law led to the fast adoption of mechanized harvest. We investigate if the labor intensity of sugarcane production decreases; and, if so, if it leads to structural changes in the labor market. We use satellite data containing the type of sugarcane harvesting -- manual or mechanic harvest -- paired with official labor market data.%, also geomorphometric data base for our instrumental variable correction. We find suggestive evidence that mechanization of the field led to an increase in utilization of formal workers and a reduction in formal labor intensity in the sugarcane sector. This is partially compensated by an increase in the share of workers in other agricultural crops and in the construction and services sector. Although we find a reduction in employment in the manufacturing sector, the demand generated by the new agro-industries affected positively the all sectors via an increase in workers' wage.

The Brazilian financial system and the green economy : alignment with sustainable development

Three studies were prepared and are presented in this document. The first, The Brazilian Financial Sector Institutional Context in the Transition to Sustainable Development looks at the legislation, regulation, and public policies aimed at socio-environmental themes related to the financial sector. The second study, Current Financing for the Green Economy in Brazil, provides an initial estimate of the financial assets already allocated to the green economy, as well as a methodological proposal for the survey and monitoring of the respective flow of assets. The third and final study looks at two important segments of the Brazilian economy and their process of transition to a greener economy: renewable energy and agriculture.

Transfer function-noise modeling and spatial interpolation to evaluate the risk of extreme (shallow) water-table levels in the Brazilian Cerrados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The relationship between pasture degradation and soil properties in the Brazilian amazon: a case study

Pasture degradation is one of the greatest problems related to land use in the Amazon region, forcing farmers to open new forest areas. Many studies have identified the causes and the factors involved in this degradation process, in an attempt to reverse the situation. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between pasture degradation and some soil properties, to try to identify the most significant soil features in the degradation process. A cattle raising farm in the eastern Amazon region, with pastures of different ages and degrees of degradation, was used as the site for this study: a primary forest area, PN; three Guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) pastures in an increasingly degraded sequence-P1, P2 and P3; one Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth) pasture following an extremely degraded Guinea grass pasture, P4. Aboveground phytomass data showed differences between the pastures, reflecting initially observed degradation levels. Grass biomass decreased sharply from P1 to P2 and disappeared at P3. Pasture recovery with Gamba grass at P4 was very successful, with grass biomass higher than P1 and weed biomass smaller than P2 and P3. Root biomass also decreased with pasture degradation. Soil bulk density increased with pasture decrease at the topsoil layer. Results from the soil chemical analysis showed that there were no signs of decrease in organic carbon and total nitrogen after the forest was transformed into pasture. In all pastures, degraded or not, the soil pH, the sum of bases and the saturation degree were higher than in the forest soil. The extractable phosphorus content, lower in forest soil, remained quite stable in pasture soils, but it could become a limiting factor for the maintenance of Guinea grass. Results indicated that pasture degradation does not seem to be directly related to the modification of the chemical features of soils. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Climate Change and the End of Deforestation on Land Use in the Brazilian Legal Amazon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fatty acids and bioactive compounds of the pulps and kernels of Brazilian palm species, guariroba (Syagrus oleraces), jeriva (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and macauba (Acrocomia aculeata)

BACKGROUND: Bioactive compounds are capable of providing health benefits, reducing disease incidence or favoring body functioning. There is a growing search for vegetable oils containing such compounds. This study aimed to characterize the pulp and kernel oils of the Brazilian palm species guariroba (Syagrus oleracea), jeriva (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and macauba (Acrocomia aculeata), aiming at possible uses in several industries.RESULTS: Fatty acid composition, phenolic and carotenoid contents, tocopherol composition were evaluated. The majority of the fatty acids in pulps were oleic and linoleic; macauba pulp contained 526 g kg(-1) of oleic acid. Lauric acid was detected in the kernels of all three species as the major saturated fatty acid, in amounts ranging from 325.8 to 424.3 g kg(-1). The jeriva pulp contained carotenoids and tocopherols on average of 1219 mu g g(-1) and 323.50 mg kg(-1), respectively.CONCLUSION: The pulps contained more unsaturated fatty acids than the kernels, mainly oleic and linoleic. Moreover, the pulps showed higher carotenoid and tocopherol contents. The kernels showed a predominance of saturated fatty acids, especially lauric acid. The fatty acid profiles of the kernels suggest that these oils may be better suited for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries than for use in foods. (C) 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

A review on soil carbon accumulation due to the management change of major Brazilian agricultural activities

Áreas agrícolas trocam enormes fluxos de CO2, oferecendo uma oportunidade para mitigar o efeito estufa. Neste trabalho, estudou-se o potencial de sequestro de carbono em razão da conversão no manejo das principais atividades agrícolas do Brasil. Dados de vários estudos têm indicado que no sistema soja/milho e nas respectivas rotações, ocorre um sequestro de carbono no solo significativo ao longo dos anos de conversão do plantio convencional para o plantio direto, com uma média de 0,41 Mg C ha-1 ano-1. O mesmo efeito tem sido observado nos canaviais, porém há maiores acúmulos de carbono no solo quando as áreas de cana-de-açúcar são convertidas da colheita baseada na queima para a mecanizada, em que grandes quantidades de palha são deixadas na superfície do solo (1,8 Mg C ha-1 ano-1). Esse maior potencial de acúmulo de carbono no solo nos canaviais, comparado com outras culturas, está diretamente relacionado com a maior produção primária dessa cultura. Apesar disso, muito desse potencial de sequestro é perdido, uma vez que os canaviais são reformados, sob preparo intensivo do solo. As áreas de pasto mostram uma depleção nos estoques de carbono, quando convertidas de áreas naturais; porém, a integração dessas áreas com agricultura pode promover o aumento nos estoques de carbono do solo. Os trabalhos têm mostrado que as principais atividades agrícolas do Brasil possuem um grande potencial de mitigação, especialmente na forma de acúmulo de carbono no solo, sendo uma oportunidade para estratégias futuras.

Influence of Intensive Agriculture on Dry Deposition of Aerosol Nutrients

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Phosphorus solubilizing and iaa production activities in plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from brazilian soils under sugarcane cultivation

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) has been used as a biofertilizer, bringing benefits to agriculture as Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), indole-acetic acid (IAA) producers, and with other activites. The goal of this report was the identification of PGPR from soils under sugarcane crops by 16S rRNA sequencing, and the evaluation of the ability of phosphorus solubilizing and IAA production by biological assays. The isolates of this work were obtained from three areas of sugarcane crop from São Paulo State, Brazil. All isolates came from rhizosphere soil, and in a total of 60 isolates just 10 have showed high ability in phosphorus solubilizing. The selection of PSB may be done by phenotypic and/or genotypic characterization. Among ten isolates Enterobacter sp. (FJ890899), Entrobacter homaechei subsp. verschuerennii (FJ890998), Burkholderia sp. (FJ890895), and Labrys portucalensis (FJ890891) were able to IAA production. © 2006-2012 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN).

Growth curves for ostriches (Struthio camelus) in a Brazilian population

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

Collecting and evaluation of germplasm of spiked pepper from Brazilian Amazon

Piper aduncum L. é uma planta que ocorre na Amazônia Brasileira com elevado teor de óleo essencial e que apresenta propriedades biológicas utilizáveis na agricultura e saúde humana. Com o objetivo de avaliar germoplasma visando ao melhoramento genético e cultivo econômico, realizaram-se coletas (inflorescências, estacas, folhas e ramos finos) em dez municípios da Amazônia Brasileira (Manaus, Marabá, Goianésia, Moju, Belém, Santa Izabel, Americano, Bonito, Santarém Novo e Aveiro). Tomaram-se dados do ambiente, populações e de doze caracteres morfoagronômicos (número de folhas por ramo, comprimento da folha, largura da folha, circunferência do ramo mais velho, altura da planta, número de ramos ortotrópicos, número de ramos plagiotrópicos, comprimento do entrenó, número de espigas por ramo, rendimento de óleo, teor e produção de dilapiol). As inflorescências e estacas foram identificadas e encaminhadas para a UFRA em Belém-PA e, as folhas e ramos finos, para o Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi-MPEG, para extração do óleo essencial (hidrodestilação). Utilizaram-se estimadores de média, desvio padrão, coeficiente de variação e amplitude total para estudo da variabilidade fenotípica. As matrizes prevalenceram em ambientes antropizados, solos argilosos, condições de drenagem variáveis, terrenos planos e clima Ami, como também predominaram populações definíveis pela agregação dos indivíduos, em terra alta e a pleno sol, serrapilheira, tamanho das populações e presença de plântulas no chão muito variáveis. Os caracteres de maior variabilidade foram número de ramos ortotrópicos, número de espigas por ramo, circunferência do ramo mais velho (morfológicos), teor e produção de dilapiol (agronômicos). Concluiu-se que a espécie apresenta adaptação a diferentes ambientes com relação à vegetação, solo, clima, relevo e drenagem, facilitando o cultivo e domesticação. Há variabilidade morfoagronômica favorecendo a seleção e fitomelhoramento.

Large-Scale Water Productivity Assessments with MODIS Images in a Changing Semi-Arid Environment: A Brazilian Case Study

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