Nitrogen loading of Eucalyptus globulus seedlings: nutritional dynamics and influence on morphology and root growth potential

New Forests - Achieving successful outplanting of trees on increasingly harsher sites is a global concern. In Chile, for example, new Eucalyptus globulus plantations are being targeted to poorer,...     

Yield map generation of perennial crops for fresh consumption

Yield mapping technologies can help to increase the quantity and quality of agricultural production. Current systems only focus on the quantification of the harvest, but the quality has equal or greater importance in some perennial crops and impacts directly on the financial profitability. Therefore, a system was developed to quantify and relate the quality obtained in the classification line with the plants of the orchard and for decision-making. The system is comprised of hardware, which obtains the location of the harvester bag during harvesting and unloading at the unloading site, and software that processes the collected data. The cloud of real-time data contributed from the different collectors (bins) allows the construction of yield maps, considering the multi-stage harvesting system. Further, the system enables the creation of a detailed map of the plants and fruits harvested. As the harvest focuses on quality, it takes place in stages, depending on the ripening of the fruits. In addition to the yield maps, the system allows identification of the efficiency of each worker undertaking the harvest by the number of performed discharges and by the time spent. The system was developed in partnership with the Federal Technological University of Paraná and Embrapa Uva & Vinho and was tested in apple orchards in southern Brazil. Although the system was evaluated with only data from apple cultivation, monitoring the quality and quantifying other orchard fruits can positively impact the fruit sector.

     

Fish feed can show genotoxic damage

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - The present study was carried out to evaluate the genotoxic potential of nutritional quality of feed, using erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities assay in Nile...     

Subependymal Reaction Secondary to Choroid Plexus Papilloma in a Horse

Choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) is a rare, benign, intracranial neoplasm. The present report described a choroid plexus papilloma of the fourth ventricle with unusual proliferative reaction of ependymal/subependymal cells in a stallion. A single, soft neoformation, red-gray in color, with an irregular surface, resembling a cauliflower, expanding from the fourth ventricle to the cerebellar peduncles was observed. Microscopically, the neoformation was composed of a single layer of simple cuboidal to columnar epithelium with a well-vascularized papillary-arboriform pattern. Multifocal subependymal aggregates forming rosettes were observed near the mesencephalic aqueduct (MA). Glial-fibrillary-acidic-protein (GFAP) was markedly positive only in the neuropil adjacent to the proliferative areas of the MA. Ependymal/subependymal reactions secondary to CPP have never been described in equine or human neuropathology. The capabilities of ependymal cells to regenerate and eventually proliferate are controversial and unclear and, thus, require additional investigation to understand the adaptive mechanisms of this rare pathogenic condition.     

The first records of the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii in the South American continent

This paper presents the first report of the occurrence of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in South America. Several samples were collected during various seasons in 2012 and 2013, and a significant number of individuals were obtained and identified. Based on the data recorded during each sampling campaign, including the locality, temperature, time of year, and number of individuals collected, several conclusions were drawn about the development of this invasion in southern Brazil.     

Tiptoeing between restoration and invasion: seed rain into natural gaps within a highly invaded relic forest in the Azores

The last remains of native laurel forest in the Azores are highly threatened by the spread of invasive plants. Because landslides are very frequent in these islands, conservation of native laurel forest requires knowledge of the patterns of bird-dispersed seed rain into forest gaps. We monitored 78 seed traps over 1 year to investigate (1) the role of perches in attracting avian dispersers into gaps, (2) temporal patterns in the dispersal of exotic and native seeds, (3) how seed rain affects vegetation establishment in gaps at different distances from the native forest and (4) whether the caloric content of fruits could explain the number of seeds dispersed. Perches were highly effective in concentrating avian seed dispersal. While some native fruits are produced all year-round, most exotic plants set fruits during the main peak of the native fruit production (August–November). Most seeds recovered from the traps were native, and native seed rain inside the native forest was higher than in gaps. However, deposition of exotic seeds was not affected by distance from native forest. Seed dispersal frequencies monitored by seed traps and by faecal analysis were correlated with each other, but not with fruit caloric content, suggesting that other factors are more important that the nutritional value in predicting avian fruit choice. Forest restoration activities should take into consideration that seed dispersal decreases sharply beyond 100 m from native forest and the attractive potential of perches to direct natural seed dispersal into forest gaps.