FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATION SYSTEM FOR MELON BASED ON NUTRITIONAL BALANCE

Melon is one of the most demanding cucurbits regarding fertilization, requiring knowledge of soils, crop nutritional requirements, time of application, and nutrient use efficiency for proper fertilization. Developing support systems for decision-making for fertilization that considers these variables in nutrient requirement and supply is necessary. The objective of this study was parameterization of a fertilizer recommendation system for melon (Ferticalc-melon) based on nutritional balance. To estimate fertilizer recommendation, the system considers the requirement subsystem (REQ), which includes the demand for nutrients by the plant, and the supply subsystem (SUP), which corresponds to the supply of nutrients through the soil and irrigation water. After determining the REQtotal and SUPtotal, the system calculates the nutrient balances for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, recommending fertilizer application if the balance is negative (SUP < REQ), but not if the balance is positive or zero (SUP ≥ REQ). Simulations were made for different melon types (Yellow, Cantaloupe, Galia and Piel-de-sapo), with expected yield of 45 t ha-1. The system estimated that Galia type was the least demanding in P, while Piel-de-sapo was the most demanding. Cantaloupe was the least demanding for N and Ca, while the Yellow type required less K, Mg, and S. As compared to other fertilizer recommendation methods adopted in Brazil, the Ferticalc system was more dynamic and flexible. Although the system has shown satisfactory results, it needs to be evaluated under field conditions to improve its recommendations.

Effects of intravenous glucose infusion and nutritional balance on serum concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids, glucose, insulin, and progesterone in nonlactating dairy cows

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

Nutritional balance and yield for green manure orange trees

Intercropping could efficiently prevent soil nutrient losses caused by extensive agriculture. The present study aimed to assess the effect of green manure on the nutritional status of orange trees cultivar 'Pera' (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck). The plants were grafted on 'Cravo' lime trees and were then planted in a 7x4m space. Four different treatments corresponding to the evaluated green manures were employed: jack bean (JB) (Canavalia ensiformis DC), lablab (LL) (Dolichos lablab L.), pigeon pea (PP) (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp), and Brachiaria (BQ) (Brachiaria brizantha Hochst ex A. Rich. Stapf) as control. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in split-plot time, with six replicates, with four treatments (green manures) and two plants per evaluation. The nutritional status was assessed by using the DRIS method (Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System); the yield and the macro and micronutrient levels contained in green manures and in the control was also determined. The nutritional diagnosis indicated that, in the two years of experiment, plants treated with green manure showed better nutritional balance index compared to Brachiaria. This suggests that, over time, green manure can lead to better nutritional balance. Pigeon pea treatment showed the highest yields, compared to control, in the two evaluated crop cycles (2004/05 and 2005/06).

NUTRITIONAL BALANCE, ESSENTIAL OIL AND WOOD PRODUCTION FROM Corymbia citriodora Hill & Johnson WITH SEWAGE SLUDGE AND MINERAL FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS

The Corymbia citriodora is one of the most important forest species in Brazil and the reason is the diversity of its use, because it produces good quality wood and the leaves may be used for essential oil production. Although, there are not many studies about species and the handling effect in the nutritional balance. This study aimed to evaluate the biomass production and nutrient balance in the conventional production of essential oil and wood of Corymbia citriodora with sewage sludge application. The experiment design established was the randomized blocks, with four replicates and two treatments: 1 - fertilization with 10 tons ha(-1) (dry mass) of sewage sludge, supplemented with K and B, and 2 - mineral fertilization. It was evaluated the aerial biomass production, the nutrient export of the leaves, the essential oil and wood production at four years old. The trees that received application of sewage sludge produced 20 % more leaves biomass than the trees with mineral fertilization, resulting in larger oil production. Besides, the trees with sewage sludge application produced 14.2 tons ha(-1) yr(-1) of woody biomass that was 27 % higher than the treatment with mineral fertilization. For both treatments the N balance was negative, but treatment with sewage sludge application (-45 kg ha(-1)) was four times lower than the observed on mineral fertilization treatment (-185 kg ha(-1)). It may be concluded in this paper that the application of sewage sludge benefits the production of leaves biomass, essential oil and wood, besides result better nutritional balance of the Corymbia citriodora production system.

Spatial variability in nutritional status of arabic coffee based on dris index

The combined use of precision agriculture and the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) allows the spatial monitoring of coffee nutrient balance to provide more balanced and cost-effective fertilizer recommendations. The objective of this work was to evaluate the spatial variability in the nutritional status of two coffee varieties using the Mean Nutritional Balance Index (NBIm) and its relationship with their respective yields. The experiment was conducted in eastern Minas Gerais in two areas, one planted with variety Catucaí and another with variety Catuaí. The NBIm of the two varieties and their yields were analyzed through geostatistics and, based on the models and parameters of the variograms, were interpolated to obtain their spatial distribution in the studied areas. Variety Catucai, with grater spatial variability, was more nutritional unbalanced than variety Catuai, and consequently produced lower yields. Excess of Fe and Mn makes these elements limiting yield factors.

Avaliação da Segurança Alimentar nas cozinhas das escolas do concelho de Celorico de Basto

Dissertação de Mestrado em Gestão Integrada da Qualidade, ambiente e Segurança

Diagnosis of the Nutritional Status of Garlic Crops

ABSTRACT Univariate methods for diagnosing nutritional status such as the sufficiency range and the critical level for garlic crops are very susceptible to the effects of dilution and accumulation of nutrients. Therefore, this study aimed to establish bivariate and multivariate norms for this crop using the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) and Nutritional Composition Diagnosis (CND), respectively. The criteria used were nutritional status and the sufficiency range, and then the diagnoses were compared. The study was performed in the region of Alto Paranaíba, MG, Brazil, during the crop seasons 2012 and 2013. Samples comprised 99 commercial fields of garlic, cultivated with the cultivar “Ito” and mostly established in Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo Distrófico (Oxisol). Copper and K were the nutrients with the highest number of fields diagnosed as limiting by lack (LF) and limiting by excess (LE), respectively. The DRIS method presented greater tendency to diagnose LF, while the CND tended towards LE. The sufficiency range of both methods presented narrow ranges in relation to those suggested by the literature. Moreover, all ranges produced by the CND method provided narrower ranges than the DRIS method. The CND method showed better performance than DRIS in distinguishing crop yield covered by different diagnoses. Turning to the criterion of evaluation, the study found that nutritional status gave a better performance than sufficiency range in terms of distinguishing diagnoses regarding yield.

"When I go to bed hungry and sleep, I'm not hungry": children and parents' experiences of food insecurity

Evidence demonstrates food insecurity has a detrimental impact on a range of outcomes for children, but little research has been conducted in the UK, and children have rarely been asked to describe their experiences directly. We examined the experiences of food insecure families living in South London. Our mixed-methods approach comprised a survey of parents (n = 72) and one-to-one semi-structured interviews with children aged 5-11 years (n = 19). The majority of parents (86%) described their food security during the preceding year as very low. Most reported they had often or sometimes had insufficient food, and almost all had worried about running out of food. Two thirds of parents had gone hungry. Most parents reported they had been unable to afford a nutritionally balanced diet for their children, and just under half reported that their children had gone hungry. Four themes emerged from the interviews with children: sources of food; security of food, nutritional quality of food, and experiences of hunger. Children's descriptions of insufficient food being available indicate that parents are not always able to shield them from the impact of food insecurity. The lack of school-meals and after-school clubs serving food made weekends particularly problematic for some children. A notable consequence of food insecurity appears to be reliance on low-cost takeaway food, likely to be nutritionally poor.

A promoção dos bons hábitos alimentares nos alunos do 1.º e do 2.º ciclo do ensino básico

Relatório de estágio apresentado para a obtenção do grau de mestre em Ensino do 1º e do 2º ciclo do ensino básico

Características de grãos e amido de diferentes cultivares de quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Os grãos de quinoa possuem excelente balanço nutricional além das propriedades funcionais, comparativamente superior à dos cereais. A quinoa é cultivada em diversos países e, devido às suas características, têm aumentado o interesse de pesquisadores e consumidores. A quinoa contém pericarpo branco, no entanto, existem grãos com pericarpo vermelho e preto, e todos os tipos são utilizados como alimento em diferentes preparações. Com o objetivo de avaliar as características de grãos de quinoa, amostras de cor branca, preta e vermelha foram analisadas quanto às propriedades físico-químicas e funcionais dos grãos e do amido extraído das diferentes amostras. O amido, extraído pelo método alcalino, foi submetido as análises de teor de amilose, difração de raios X, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), propriedades térmicas (por DSC-Differential Scanning Calorimeter) e propriedades de pasta (por RVA- Rapid Visco Analyser), além de suscetibilidade à hidrólise enzimática e cor. A composição físico-química dos grãos de quinoa apresentou como principais diferenças o teor de cinzas, fibras e amido. O teor de amilose variou de 13,6% a 21,3%, entre as amostras de amido; os padrões de cristalinidade dos amidos foram de tipo A, típico dos cereais; e, a cristalinidade relativa variou de 25,4 a 29,6 %; as micrografias obtidas por MEV apresentaram as formas poliédricas dos grânulos de amido. Os viscoamilogramas, obtidos para os diferentes amidos, mostraram um comportamento semelhante entre as amostras brancas e pretas. As propriedades térmicas de retrogradação das amostras de quinoa vermelha apresentaram uma menor taxa de retrogradação que variou de 7,5 a 8,5 %; as cultivares brancas apresentaram as maiores taxas de retrogradação de 19,0 a 25,4 %. A hidrólise enzimática dos grânulos de amido, analisada em equivalentes de maltose, variou de 7,2 a 8,7 mg/mL, com uma velocidade maior para a cultivar BSyB, em 60 minutos. O amido extraído das amostras brancas de quinoa apresentou valor de luminosidade de 99,0 e os amidos extraídos das amostras de cor vermelha e preta apresentaram em torno de 97,0. As análises realizadas neste estudo ampliam o conhecimento das características da quinoa de cor branca, vermelha e preta, além de mostrar que a cultivar brasileira (BSyB) apresenta características diferenciadas em vários parâmetros. Devido as suas propriedades todas as amostras analisadas possuem potencial para futuras aplicações tecnológicas.

A promoção dos bons hábitos alimentares nos alunos do 1.º e do 2.º ciclo do ensino básico

Relatório de estágio apresentado para a obtenção do grau de mestre em Ensino do 1º e do 2º ciclo do ensino básico

Nutritional and other changes occurring in fruits and vegetables during storage; during the commercial preparation of frozen, dehydrated, and canned fruits and vegetables; during storage of the processed products; and during defrosting of the frozen products. Report on findings disclosed by the literature.

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USE OF DISPERSIVE RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY IN THE DETERMINATION OF UNSATURATED FAT IN COMMERCIAL EDIBLE OIL- AND FAT-CONTAINING INDUSTRIALIZED FOODS

The present study aims at the use of Raman spectroscopy in the quantification of unsaturated fats in fat-containing foods, compared to the information available in the Nutritional Table, to obtain a non-destructive optical quantification of unsaturation. Raman spectra of edible oil, margarine, mayonnaise, hydrogenated fat, and butter were obtained with a near-infrared Raman spectrometer (830nm). By analyzing selected bands in the regions of 1750, 1660, 1440, 1300, and 1260cm-1, the amount of total and unsaturated fat of samples of oil, margarine, and mayonnaise were correlated with the information displayed in the Nutritional Table. The amount of unsaturated trans fat in selected samples was correlated to the Raman shift of 1660cm-1. Dispersive Raman spectroscopy was shown to be effective in quantifying the unsaturated fats in oil, margarine, and mayonnaise, and trans fat in hydrogenated oils and butter.

Variabilidade espacial do estado nutricional do cafeeiro conilon utilizando índice DRIS

A combinação da agricultura de precisão e do Sistema Integrado de Recomendação Foliar (DRIS) possibilita monitorar espacialmente o balanço nutricional dos cafezais para fornecer recomendações de adubação mais equilibradas e mais ajustadas economicamente. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a variabilidade espacial do estado nutricional do cafeeiro conilon, utilizando o Índice de Balanço Nutricional (IBN) e sua relação com a produtividade. A produtividade das plantas em cada ponto amostral foi determinada e construiu-se o seu mapa considerando a variabilidade espacial; determinou-se o Índice de Equilíbrio Nutricional (IBN) das plantas em cada ponto amostral e construiu-se o seu mapa; e utilizou-se a análise de componentes principais (ACP) para estimar o IBN do cafeeiro por cokrigagem. Os dados do cafeeiro conilon foram coletados em fazenda experimental, no município de Cachoeiro de Itapemirim-ES. O IBN do cafeeiro e a sua produtividade foram analisados por meio de geoestatística, com base nos modelos e parâmetros dos semivariogramas, utilizando o método de interpolação krigagem ordinária para estimar valores para locais não amostrados. O índice de Balanço Nutricional da lavoura do cafeeiro conilon apresentou dependência espacial, porém não apresentou correlação linear e nem espacial com a produtividade. A lavoura em estudo se encontra em desequilíbrio nutricional, sendo que entre os macronutrientes, o Potássio foi o que apresentou maior desequilíbrio na área, entre os micronutrientes, o Zinco e o Ferro foram os que apresentaram menores concentrações nas folhas. A confecção dos mapas possibilitou a distinção de regiões com maior e menor desequilíbrio nutricional e produtividade, o que possibilita adotar o manejo de forma diferenciada e localizada. A análise multivariada baseada em componentes principais fornece componentes com alta correlação com as variáveis originais P, Ca, Zn , Cu, K e B. A cokrigagem utilizando as componentes principais permite estimar o IBN e a produtividade da área.