O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a colonização de Cryptosporiopsis perennans na epiderme de maçãs e a eficiência da aplicação de água aquecida e radiação UV-C no controle desse patógeno. Em maçãs submetidas à inoculação de C. perennans, a colonização de lenticelas e das áreas adjacentes pelo patógeno foi avaliada por microscopia eletrônica de varredura. A sensibilidade dos conídios de C. perennans aos tratamentos foi avaliada em suspensão aquosa, às temperaturas de 28, 45, 50 e 55ºC, por 15 e 30 s, e às doses de radiação UV-C de 0,018, 0,037, 0,075, 0,150, 0,375, 0,750, 1,500 e 3,000 kJ m-2. Em maçãs submetidas à inoculação de C. perennans, foram avaliados os efeitos de 0,375, 0,750 e 1,500 kJ m-2 de radiação UV-C e da aspersão de água aquecida à 50ºC, por 15 e 30 s no controle do patógeno. O fungo produziu abundante micélio e conídios nas lenticelas e nas áreas adjacentes, na epiderme das maçãs. A água aquecida a 50ºC por 15 s e à dose de radiação de UV-C de 0,750 kJ m-2 reduzem em mais de 99% a sobrevivência de conídios. A aspersão de água aquecida a 50ºC por 15 s e à dose de radiação de UV-C de 0,375 kJ m-2, controlam C. perennans em maçãs.<br>The objective of this work was to assess the colonization of Cryptosporiopsis perennans in the epidermis of apples and the efficiency of heated water and UV-C radiation application to control this pathogen. In apples inoculated with C. perennans, the colonization of lenticels and adjacent areas by the pathogen was observed by electronic scanning microscopy. The sensitivity of C. perennans conidia was evaluated in aqueous suspension, at temperatures of 28, 45, 50 and 55ºC for 15 and 30 s, and at UV-C radiation doses of 0.018, 0.037, 0.075, 0.150, 0.375, 0.750, 1.500 and 3.000 kJ m-2. The effects of UV-C radiation doses at 0.375, 0.750 and 1.500 kJ m-2 and heated water at 50ºC, sprayed during 15 and 30 s were evaluated for controlling C. perennans in apples inoculated with the pathogen. The fungus produced abundant mycelium and conidia in lenticels and adjacent areas on the epidermis of the apples. The heated water at 50ºC during 15 s and a 0.750 kJ m-2 UV-C radiation dose reduced conidia survival in more than 99%. Heated water sprayed at 50ºC during 15 s and a UV-C radiation dose of 0.375 kJ m-2 control C. perennans in apples.

Bearing in mind that more than 50% of the land used for agriculture in Mexico is under semiarid and arid conditions, water availability and nutrition are among the main handicaps for crops to produce, particularly if they are fruit species. From the total area cultivated with apple, 36% is grown under rainfed conditions with a 4.2 t ha(-1) yield. Therefore, technology for improving nutrition with a more efficient use of available water is now being considered, in order to increase fruit yield and quality. This could lead to obtaining higher profits, and to being able to access more specialized systems in addition to ensuring a sustainable development. Growth, production, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Fe, and Zn foliar concentration were determined in 'Agua Nueva II' apple trees, a low chilling mutant of 'Golden Delicious', grown in semiarid condition. Mulching (manure, grass residues, and bare soil as control), irrigation (flood irrigation and rainfall as control), and foliar fertilization (2.0 kg free biuret urea + 2.0 L Bayfolan + 200 mL surfactant ha(-1) sprayed twice a month, and control) treatments were studied. A split plot design with three randomized blocks was used for statistical analysis. Before applying the treatments in August 1997, the nutritional condition of the apple plants was established; Cu and Zn foliar concentration were deficient. Results in 1998 showed a general plant growth, production and nutritional condition improvement with some of the treatments. Flood irrigation significantly affected plant growth, as N, P, K, and Mn concentrations in leaves. Manure mulching also affected significantly plant growth and K concentration and caused the highest yields per tree. Zn concentration reached sufficiency levels, while Cu remained deficient.

Farmlands have gradually been replaced by apple orchards in Shaanxi province, China, and there will be a risk of severe soil-water-storage deficit with the increasing age of the apple trees. To provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of agriculture and forestry in the Loess Plateau, soil water content in a 19-year-old apple orchard, a 9-year-old apple orchard, a cornfield and a wheat field in the Changwu Tableland was investigated at different depths from January to October 2014. The results showed that: (1) the soil moisture content is different across the soil profile—for the four plots, the soil moisture of the cornfield is the highest, followed by the 9-year-old apple orchard and the wheat field, and the 19-year-old apple orchard has the lowest soil moisture. (2) There are varying degrees of soil desiccation in the four plots: the most serious degree of desiccation is in the 19-year-old apple orchard, followed by the wheat field and the cornfield, with the least severe desiccation occurring in the 9-year-old apple orchard. Farmland should replace apple orchards for an indefinite period while there is an extremely desiccated soil layer in the apple orchard so as to achieve the purpose of sustainable development. It will be necessary to reduce tree densities, and to carry out other research, if development of the economy and ecology of Changwu is to be sustainable.