ABSTRACT One of the major ecosystem services delivered to agriculture worldwide is the reduction of pests by natural enemies. However, the landscape composition affects multiple dimensions of pest control, and non-crop habitat surrounding farm fields shows variable responses across geographies. Here, crop damage and pest abundance were compared between local farms with two antagonistic land cover and land use aspects (1- High conservation, landscape with high structural complexity; 2- High degradation, landscapes with low complexity). The field data were collected at experimental guava orchards in the Cariri Paraibano, one of the driest regions in the Brazilian Caatinga. The results show that damage caused by orthopterans and their abundance was significantly smaller in the landscape with high structural complexity. Therefore, the results support the hypothesis that crop damage and pest abundance are smaller in landscapes with high structural complexity. Additionally, the results are very important for the dryland regions as they provide information about the relationship between landscape structure and crop damage plus pest abundance in a regional gap. As drylands are critically endangered in all American continents, sustainable agricultural landscapes with the application of natural cover restoration can help drylands to achieve sustainable development.

ABSTRACT Cordia oncocalyx Allemão Baill., widely known as “pau-branco”, is a native species from the Caatinga (Brazilian Savannah) and has socioeconomic and environmental potential; however, there are few silvicultural studies on this species. Therefore, this paper aimed to analyze and compare the biometric characteristics of diaspores and seeds through manual biometrics and by digital image processing, and to evaluate the in vitro and ex vitro germination of C. oncocalyx. In the biometrics evaluation, three hundred diaspores and three hundred seeds were used, applying manual and digital biometrics. Subsequently, ex vitro emergence was determined, testing mechanical scarification (in different regions of the diaspore) and chemical scarification (immersion in sulfuric acid for 90 min and 180 min). Finally, in vitro germination was tested with different compositions of Murashige & Skoog (M&S) culture medium and sucrose addition. Results showed that digital image processing is a viable and fast technique to obtain the biometric parameters of C. oncocalyx fruit and seeds. Chemical and mechanical treatments on diaspores have not influenced seed emergence (0.33%). The composition of the culture medium has influenced the germination percentage, and the maximum value of 96% % was obtained with 6 g/L of sucrose and 0.90 g/L of M&S medium. Thus, the seminiferous propagation of C. oncocalyx can be performed successfully when the seeds are germinated in vitro, and the digital image processing shows the solidity and applicability aiming to evaluate the quantitative parameters of seed and fruit of this species.

ABSTRACT Cherry tomato cultivation in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil is limited by water scarcity, so it is common to use water sources with high concentrations of salts in this region, which have a deleterious effect on plants, which can be alleviated through management strategies, and fertilization with nitrogen stands out. This study aimed to evaluate the growth, gas exchange and production of cherry tomato under irrigation with saline water and nitrogen fertilization. The experiment was carried out in a screened environment at the CCTA/UFCG in Pombal - PB from October 2020 to February 2021, using a randomized block design, in a 5 × 5 factorial scheme, with five levels of electrical conductivities of water - ECw (0.3; 1.3; 2.3; 3.3 and 4.3 dS m−1) and five nitrogen doses - ND (50; 75; 100; 125 and 150% of the recommended dose for the crop), with three replicates. Irrigation water salinity from 0.3 dS m−1 reduced stomatal conductance, transpiration, CO2 assimilation rate and production components of cherry tomato. Nitrogen fertilization from 50% of the recommendation reduced stomatal conductance, transpiration and CO2 assimilation rate of cherry tomato. Irrigation with water of electrical conductivity from 0.3 dS m−1 associated with nitrogen dose of 150% of the recommendation intensified the effect of salt stress on dry biomass accumulation in cherry tomato.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the conversion of secondary native vegetation (NV) to conventional systems (agriculture and pasture) in soil organic carbon (SOC) and carbon of fractions particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The study was carried out in the municipalities of Delmiro Gouveia, Inhapi and Pariconha, in Alagoas, Brazil. Soils were collected in the layers of 0-0.1, 0.1-0.2 and 0.2-0.3 m. The treatments analyzed were: agricultural crops with 4, 15 and 30 years and pasture with 10 years. As a reference, the secondary Caatinga was used. The results show that in soils with sandy texture (Neossolos Quartzarênico and Regolítico – Arenosols and Regosols, respectively), there were reductions in SOC levels and carbon in the compartment associated with minerals. The inverse can be observed in the clay-textured Argissolo (Acrisols), with 30 years of cultivation, in which there was an increase in SOC and C in the quantitative fractions of soil organic matter. In addition, despite the sandy texture of the Neossolo Regolítico, POM levels were increased in the pasture system in comparison to native vegetation, but it was not enough to recover the original SOC content of this system.

ABSTRACT Sodom apple is a plant species adapted to various ecosystems and has stood out for its economic and ecological importance. We evaluated the amplification profile of 23 ISSR primers and selected polymorphic loci for genetic studies of a natural population of Calotropis procera by collecting and extracting genomic DNA from 33 individuals. Genomic DNA was extracted using the sorbitol protocol and 2% CTAB and the ISSR amplification products were resolved by electrophoresis. Based on the amplification profile, the 23 primers were classified as suitable, moderate, and unsuitable. We described the quality of primers considering the total number of bands, mean bands per primer, percentage of polymorphism, Nei’s genetic diversity (expected heterozygosity – He), assuming Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and the polymorphic information content (PIC). All ISSR primers showed an amplification profile, which generated 173 bands with an average of 7.5 loci per primer. However, only 18 out of the 23 tested primers allowed visible and high-quality amplification, which were classified as suitable and polymorphic. We also observed a mean of 0.30 and 0.24 for PIC and He estimates, respectively. The DiCA3`RG, TriAGA3`RC, and TriCGC3`RC primers were highly transferable to C. procera (they presented quality for amplification with good reproducibility), with PIC values higher than 0.40, He higher than 0.30, and polymorphism higher than 86%.

ABSTRACT Basidiomycete fungi that decompose wood produce substances with promising biological activity for the alternative control of plant diseases. The production of these substances can change according to the climatic conditions and the substrate used for fungal cultivation. The objective of this study was to develop a substrate with sawdust from Eucalyptus sp. and to verify its influence on biomass and cinnabarin production by Pycnoporus sanguineus. Sawdust was used in two particle sizes: less than 500 microns (G1) and between 500–841 microns (G2). Four isolates of P. sanguineus were plated on Petri dishes containing potato broth and agar media added with 0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, and 15% sawdust for each particle size. The largest final diameter of the colony and speed of mycelial growth were observed in the substrate with G1 particle size, with the Ps14 isolate showing the highest averages. For these variables, the sawdust concentration did not influence G1 granulometry and provided the highest values in G2 granulometry. Fresh mycelium mass and cinnabarin production showed the highest values in G2, with the isolated Ps13 and Ps08 showing the highest averages, whereas in G1, Ps14 had the best performance for the analyzed variables. These results indicate that sawdust from Eucalyptus sp., at concentrations of 10% and 15%, is an alternative for the in vitro cultivation of P. sanguineus, and that particle size influences the growth speed, fresh mass production, and cinnabarin content.

ABSTRACT The biological control, thinking about the integrated management, has been inserted with other management techniques to disease control, such as soybean anthracnose. The aims of this work were to verify the action of Trichoderma and Bacillus isolates in the induction of soybean resistance mechanisms to anthracnose as a function of seed treatment. The statistical design was entirely randomised, in a 5 x 2 (agent species x sampling times) factorial scheme with five replicates. Soybean seeds were treated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BV03, B. subtilis BV02, Trichoderma asperellum BV10, Carbendazim + Thiram and distilled water (control). Seven days after seedling emergence, 2 μL of 1 x 10−4 Colletotrichum truncatum spores were inoculated on the cotyledons. Catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and glyceollin (GLY) activities before and after pathogen inoculation, as well as the diameter of the anthracnose lesion on the cotyledons, were evaluated. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and, when significant, the mean values were compared by Fisher’s test (p < 0.05). The treatments did not influence the first sampling time before inoculation. Trichoderma asperellum BV10 increased POX and PAL activities up to 173%, while B. amyloliquefaciens BV03 increased POX activity. Glyceollin was not influenced by the treatments. The T. asperellum BV10 reduces the diameter of the anthracnose lesion by up to 61%. Thus, T. asperellum BV10 has the potential to control soybean anthracnose, improved the response defense against C. truncatum, when performed on seed treatment.

ABSTRACT In recent decades, soybean has been one of the most widely grown crops in Brazil. The soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker, [1858]; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the main defoliating pests of soybean that cause damage and affect the cost of production. The overall objective of the present study was to characterize the resistance of C. includens to diamide insecticides. To this end, the baseline susceptibility of C. includens to flubendiamide, chlorantraniliprole, and cyantraniliprole was characterized to estimate their concentrations for diagnostic monitoring of resistance in populations collected in commercial soybean crops in southern Brazil during the 2018/19 season. Under field conditions, evaluations were made of the residual activity of three diamide insecticides: chlorantraniliprole + lambda-cyhalothrin, teflubenzuron, methoxyfenozide, and bifenthrin for discrimination between flubendiamide-susceptible and resistant C. includens. Chrysodeixis includens was more tolerant to cyantraniliprole than to flubendiamide and chlorantraniliprole. The field populations had a higher survival rate than the susceptible population. The resistant population showed a resistance ratio to flubendiamide of 70.1-fold. Under field conditions, the residue of the study insecticides, except for bifenthrin, enabled discrimination between flubendiamide-susceptible and resistant C. includens. The data indicate the need to study the cross-resistance relationships between insecticides to improve the rotation recommendation. They also reinforce the importance of using other good management practices, e.g., the use of insecticides based on pest sampling and the choice of other control methods to prevent C. includens from becoming resistant to diamide insecticides.

ABSTRACT The possibility of early soybean fertilization carried out on the predecessor crop has several benefits, mainly operational ones, making the production system more conservationist and balanced. An experiment was carried out at the Anhumas Experimental Station, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (USP/ESALQ), located in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, during 2001/2002, 2002/2003, and 2003/2004 agricultural years on a typic Hapludox aiming to evaluate the effects of the early fertilization on soybean yield. The fertilization consisted of applying 90 kg ha−1 of P2O5, 50 kg ha−1 of K2O, and micronutrients (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn). The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications and 12 treatments consisting of different levels of early soybean fertilization carried out on the finger millet crop: T1, no fertilization; T2, conventional soybean fertilization; T3, early 50% K fertilization; T4, early 100% K fertilization; T5, early 50% P fertilization; T6, early 50% P and K fertilization; T7, early 50% P and 100% K fertilization; T8, early 100% P fertilization; T9, early 100% P and 50% K fertilization; T10, early 100% P and K fertilization; T11, early 100% P and K fertilization + micronutrients; and T12, early leaf fertilization with micronutrients. The results showed that the early soybean sowing fertilization with phosphorus and potassium carried out during finger millet sowing does not interfere with the thousand-seed weight and soybean yield.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the assimilated contents of mineral elements, yield characteristics and fruit quality of ‘Goldex’ yellow melon fertigated with different doses of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) in two years of cultivation in the region of Apodi Plateau-CE. The design was randomized blocks in a 4x3 factorial scheme with four N doses (0%, 50%, 100%, 150% of the recommended dose) and three K doses (0%, 100%, 150% of the recommended dose). In the shoots of the melon plant, the highest levels of N (N Fert.) and K (K Fert.) fertilization promoted an increase in the assimilated N content up to 48 DAT and a reduction in the assimilated K content at the end of the cycle (62 DAT). The maximum shoot dry mass production was 3.23 t ha−1 with a fertilization of 150 and 100 kg ha−1 of N and K, respectively. The average marketable fruit yield obtained in the two years of cultivation was 34.68 t ha−1, reaching a maximum value of 40.28 t ha−1 under 150 kg ha−1 N and K fertilization. Total soluble solids increased as a function of the increase in N Fert. and K Fert., with a maximum value of 8.07 °Brix. The models indicated that the K Fert. factor was decisive in the increase of this variable. In future studies it is necessary to increase the concentrations of the two factors in order to optimize the maximum viability of yield and °Brix.