Fusariosis in rubber tree: pathogenic,morphological, and molecular characterization of the causal agent

Fusariosis, one of the phytosanitary problems found in rubber producing areas in the northwest of the state of São Paulo, is a disease that affects the bark of the adult plants, affecting the exploitation of latex. The typical symptoms appear as cracks in the bark that expand from the rootstock towards the tapping panel, causing a drying of the latex flux in the injured region, impeding latex tapping. Due to the recent incidence of this disease in rubber plantations, the goal of this study was to characterize the Fusarium associated with symptomatic rubber tissue in three different locations in the state of São Paulo. In order to identify Fusarium species, pathogenicity, morphological, cultural and molecular studies were carried out. A total of 51 isolates were obtained and separated into three groups based on macroconidium morphology, presence or absence of sporodochia, types of chlamydospores, formation of phialides and conidiogenesis of microconidia and mesoconidia, mycelial growth rate and coloring of the colonies. These groups were corroborated using DNA sequence information for five different genetic loci, and were subsequently recognized as Fusarium oxysporum, F. incarnatum and F. decemcellulare. Our results further showed that all 51 of the Fusarium isolates recovered were pathogenic to rubber tree seedlings of RRIM 600 standard clone. This study also reports for the presence of F. oxysporum and F. incarnatum in rubber plantations in the state of São Paulo and in Brazil.

     

Bioactivity of Pelargonium graveolens essential oil and related monoterpenoids against sweet potato whitefly,Bemisia tabaci biotype B

Journal of Pest Science - The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius biotype B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), causes high economic losses in vegetables, beans, soybeans, peanuts, cotton, and...     

Unusual behavior of oviposition and development of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitophilus zeamais</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in peach and apple fruits

The maize weevil Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, 1855 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a worldwide pest on stored products, as maize, wheat and rice grains. However, in South Brazil, these weevils have been found attacking fruits in field conditions. It was reported that adults attack fruits to feeding, but there was no information of oviposition and larval development on these hosts. Furthermore, due to monitoring apple orchards, was observed that some fruits showed distinct kind of punctures, suggesting a oviposition by these weevils. The present study reports first record an unusual behavior of S. zeamais by oviposition and larval development in peach and apple fruits. The study was conducted in laboratory conditions (temperature: 25?±?1 °C, RH: 70?±?10% and photophase of 14 h). Peach and apple fruits were offered to S. zeamais females. The oviposition and duration of immature stages in peach were measured in fruits and in corn grains, used as control observation. The oviposition and larval development occurred in peach and apple fruits, with a development until to adult. The average of egg-to-adult was 47.4 d in peach and and 45.1 d apple fruits, respectively, while in corn grains, its natural host, the duration was 38.2 d. These results show that the damage caused by S. zeamais in peach and apple fruits may be due to oviposition and the development of immature stages. So, the novelty is in demonstrating that the maize weevil does not just feed as an adult opportunistically on the fruits, but can complete a full life cycle using fresh fruits.     

How rare is too rare to harvest?: Management challenges posed by timber species occurring at low densities in the Brazilian Amazon

Tropical forests are characterized by diverse assemblages of plant and animal species compared to temperate forests. Corollary to this general rule is that most tree species, whether valued for timber or not, occur at low densities (<1 adult tree ha⁻¹) or may be locally rare. In the Brazilian Amazon, many of the most highly valued timber species occur at extremely low densities yet are intensively harvested with little regard for impacts on population structures and dynamics. These include big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), ipê (Tabebuia serratifolia and Tabebuia impetiginosa), jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril), and freijó cinza (Cordia goeldiana). Brazilian forest regulations prohibit harvests of species that meet the legal definition of rare – fewer than three trees per 100 ha – but treat all species populations exceeding this density threshold equally. In this paper we simulate logging impacts on a group of timber species occurring at low densities that are widely distributed across eastern and southern Amazonia, based on field data collected at four research sites since 1997, asking: under current Brazilian forest legislation, what are the prospects for second harvests on 30-year cutting cycles given observed population structures, growth, and mortality rates? Ecologically ‘rare’ species constitute majorities in commercial species assemblages in all but one of the seven large-scale inventories we analyzed from sites spanning the Amazon (range 49–100% of total commercial species). Although densities of only six of 37 study species populations met the Brazilian legal definition of a rare species, timber stocks of five of the six timber species declined substantially at all sites between first and second harvests in simulations based on legally allowable harvest intensities. Reducing species-level harvest intensity by increasing minimum felling diameters or increasing seed tree retention levels improved prospects for second harvests of those populations with a relatively high proportion of submerchantable stems, but did not dramatically improve projections for populations with relatively flat diameter distributions. We argue that restrictions on logging very low-density timber tree populations, such as the current Brazilian standard, provide inadequate minimum protection for vulnerable species. Population declines, even if reduced-impact logging (RIL) is eventually adopted uniformly, can be anticipated for a large pool of high-value timber species unless harvest intensities are adapted to timber species population ecology, and silvicultural treatments are adopted to remedy poor natural stocking in logged stands.     

The occurrence of wild cotton <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium mustelinum</Emphasis> Miers ex Watt populations in the coast of Pernambuco,Northeastern Brazil

In this study, we describe three populations of the wild cotton Gossypium mustelinum Miers ex Watt in the coastal plain to the north of the State of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. These populations occur in urban areas in current expansion and under imminent risks of extinction, due to land use changes for house constructions. Distances between these new occurrences and the populations already mapped in the Northeast semiarid Caatinga (Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Bahia) range from approximately 270–950 km. Besides distant, the populations on the coastal plain of Pernambuco also occur in very distinct climatic and edaphic conditions. Aiming at allowing the ex situ conservation of these genetic resources, branches of 66 plants were collected, propagated by the asexual breeding method cutting to regenerate an accession of each plant. These now constitute a germplasm collection in the Department of Agronomy of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.     

Intake and ingestive behavior of lambs fed diets containing ammoniated buffel grass hay

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diets with ammoniated buffel grass hay on the ingestive behavior of feedlot lambs. Thirty-two sheep of no defined breed with an average body weight of 17.7?±?1.8 kg were used. A completely randomized design with four treatments (0, 18, 36, and 54 g/kg dry matter (DM) basis) and eight repetitions was used. Ingestive behavior, rumination, and idle time were similar (P?>?0.05) among the diets containing ammoniated buffel grass hay, with mean values of 294.5, 554.44, and 594.25 min per day, respectively. Regarding the chews, all of the variables resulted in similar behavior (P?>?0.05). The quadratic effect (P?<?0.05) observed for daily intake can be explained based on the amount of DM and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) per meal per rumination. There was no effect of urea levels from the ammoniation (P?>?0.05) on the efficiency of DM and NDF consumption. However, the rumination efficiency of DM and NDF showed a quadratic effect (P?<?0.05). Thus, the use of ammoniated buffel grass hay with urea in lamb diet affects the ingestive behavior by increasing the rumination efficiency, increased intake, and feed utilization.     

Characterization of antixenosis to Dichelops melacanthus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in soybean genotypes

Soybeans are of great importance in the world agricultural landscape, and their productive potential is significantly reduced by attacks from insect pests. Factors such as the expansion of national agricultural regions, together with no-tillage management and “off-season” maize cultivation, have favored the increase of secondary species such as Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), intensifying the damage caused by the soybean stink bug complex. The use of resistant genotypes may be a valuable strategy as an alternative to the excessive use of chemical control in crops. This study evaluated the attractiveness and feeding preferences of the green-belly stink bug in 17 soybean genotypes in different maturity groups (early, semiearly, and late) to characterize the expression of antixenosis resistance. To this end, free-choice tests of attractiveness and food preference were performed under laboratory conditions. The early genotypes PI 171451 and D 75-10169, the semiearly genotypes IAC 78-2318, “IAC 100”, IAC 74-2832, PI 227687, and “IAC 24” and the late genotypes PI 274454, PI 274453, and L 1-1-01 expressed significant levels of antixenosis against adult D. melacanthus. These results will be useful for soybean breeding programs focusing on the stink bug resistance complex.     

Sexual behavior and seminal quality of Piau boars

The objective of this study was to assess parameters of sexual behavior, seminal characteristics, testicular measurements, and their correlations in Piau boars. A total of 169 observations of the sexual behavior and prelude duration (courting) of 10 Piau boars aged from 0.8 to 6.4 years were made; semen was also collected from these animals. The testicular length (TL), testicular width (TW), testicular shape (TS; 1-5), and testicular volume (TV) of these animals were measured. The seminal physical and morphological characteristics of 60 ejaculates from 6 boars were assessed for volume of ejaculate (VOL), volume of the gelatinous portion (VOLGEL), aspect (ASP), sperm motility (MOT), spermatic vigor (VIG), spermatic concentration per milliliter (CONCML), total concentration (CONCT), and morphological characteristics (major defects [MAJDEF]; minor defects [MINDEF]; and total defects [TDEF]). The animals were subdivided into 3 age groups: G1 (0.8-2.0 years old), G2 (2.1-3.6 years old), and G3 (3.7 and 6.4 years olds). The physiological signs observed included duration of prelude (12.1 ± 4.1 minutes), time to collect semen (5.2 ± 1.8 minutes), nasonasal or genital contact behavior (71.6%), saliva emission (85.2%), urination during prelude (10.1%), penile exposure before collection (26.6%), flank stimulus (81.7%), chewing behavior (95.3%), and biting of the female or dummy (74.6%). The mean values of TL, TW, and TV were 11.8 ± 2.2 cm, 6.2 ± 1.3 cm and 754.1 ± 283.5 cm³, respectively. The older animals had the highest mean values of testicular measurements (P < 0.05) but the lowest mean values of CONCML and CONCT (P < 0.05). All the animals presented similar patterns of ejaculates (P > 0.05); the mean values of VOL, VOLGEL, MOT, VIG, and CONCT were 149.1 ± 51.1 mL, 29.7 ± 10.0 g, 76.2% ± 9.5%, 3.3 ± 0.5, and 29.4 ± 19.5 × 10⁹ total sperm in the ejaculate, respectively. The prevalence rates of defects were 5.9% ± 2.6% for MAJDEF, 10.2% ± 4.0% for MINDEF, and 16.2% ± 5.5% for TDEF; all animals were classified as being sound for breeding. The assessed characteristics were similar to those observed in swine of commercial lineages and within the standards established by the Brazilian College of Animal Reproduction for the species.     

Diversity of Mycosphaerella spp. and Teratosphaeria spp. in Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Brazil

Among the most important diseases affecting Eucalyptus is Mycosphaerella Leaf Disease (MLD) caused by Mycosphaerella spp. and Teratosphaeria spp. MLD has led to significant losses in eucalypt plantations in the South and Southeast Region of Brazil, as well as in several countries such as Portugal, Spain, South Africa and Australia. Symptoms of MLD include localized necrotic spots, early defoliation in juvenile plants, stem cankers, early death of branches, and in some cases, atrophy and death. In the present study, single spore isolations from leaves of E. globulus from five locations in Brazil allowed the differentiation of species of Mycosphaerella and Teratosphaeria based on ascospore germination and growth in culture. These isolates were also subjected to sequence analysis of the ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer regions, which allowed their identification to species level. The results of this study showed that six species of Mycosphaerella and four species of Teratosphaeria were associated with leaves showing symptoms of MLD in E. globulus plantations in various locations of Brazil.