Suchergebnisse

The semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil has water limitations in terms of both quantity and quality, with salt stress as a limiting factor for increasing yield in most crops. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate cell damage, gas exchange, and growth of custard apple under salt stress and potassium fertilization. The research was carried out at the Experimental Farm of CCTA/UFCG, in São Domingos-PB, Brazil. A randomized block design was arranged in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, with two levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw; 1.3 and 4.0 dS m-1) and five potassium doses (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 g of K2O per plant per year). Water salinity of 4.0 dS m-1 negatively affected the stem diameter and number of leaves in custard apple at 179 and 210 days after transplanting (DAT). The highest relative growth in stem diameter in the period of 179-245 DAT was obtained in plants irrigated with 4.0 dS m-1 water and fertilized with 20 g of K2O per plant. Potassium doses of up to 30 g of K2O resulted in a higher percentage of cell damage and relative water content in custard apple leaf tissue. Water saturation deficit decreased with the increase in K2O doses in plants irrigated with water of 1.3 dS m-1. Irrigation with 1.3 dS m-1 water and estimated K2O doses ranging from 16 to 22 g per plant resulted in an increase in stomatal conductance, transpiration, CO2 assimilation rate, and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency in custard apple plants at 210 DAT.

This study was conducted to evaluate the gas exchange, growth, and quality of passion fruit cultivars under irrigation with waters of different salinity levels. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, in Pombal-PB, Brazil, using a randomized block design in a 5 ? 2 factorial arrangement, with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (0.3, 1.1, 1.9, 2.7, and 3.5 dS m-1) and two passion fruit cultivars (BRS Sol do Cerrado and Guinezinho), with three plants per plot and four replicates. The reduction in transpiration, intercellular CO2 concentration and CO2 assimilation rate in passion fruit plants grown with saline water was related to factors of stomatal and non-stomatal origin. Gas exchange and growth of passion fruit cultivars were negatively affected by water salinity from 0.3 dS m-1 at 75 days after sowing. Despite the reduction in the growth of the passion fruit cultivars, irrigation with water of up to 3.5 dS m-1 could be used to obtain seedlings with acceptable quality. Based on the relative yield of total dry phytomass, the passion fruit cultivars BRS Sol do Cerrado and Guinezinho were classified as moderately sensitive to water salinity during the seedling phase.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the production and quality of 'Sugar Baby' watermelon fruits under different strategies of irrigation with saline water and nitrogen (N) fertilization in an experiment conducted in a protected environment in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. The experimental design adopted was in blocks with a 6 × 2 factorial scheme, corresponding to six strategies of irrigation with saline water applied at different phenological stages of the crop (SE irrigation with low-salinity water throughout the cycle; salt stress at the vegetative stage VE; vegetative and flowering VE/FL; flowering FL; fruiting FR; fruit maturation MAT) and two N doses (50 and 100% of the recommendation, equivalent to 50 and 100 mg of N kg-1 of soil) with five replicates. Two levels of irrigation water salinity were studied, one with low and the other with high electrical conductivity (ECw = 0.8 and 3.2 dS m-1). The salt stress applied at the vegetative and flowering stages reduced the contents of ascorbic acid and total soluble solids in 'Sugar Baby' watermelon fruits. The dose equivalent to 50% of the N recommendation promoted a greater fresh weight of watermelon fruits. Fertilization with 100% of N increased the hydrogen potential of watermelon fruits under salt stress at the vegetative and flowering stages. The anthocyanin content of watermelon fruits decreased under salt stress, regardless of the development stage; however, with 50% of recommendation of N, there was an increase in this variable.

The use of saline water in agricultural production will be increasingly necessary in the next decades. However, postharvest quality may be compromised, as in okra, due to salt stress and/or factors inherent to storage and transportation. In this context, developing alternative methods of preservation, including lactic fermentation, may be a promising way to maintain and even improve the nutritional quality of okra. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the production components of okra subjected to different levels of water salinity and doses of potassium fertilization, and further to evaluate the preservation by lactic fermentation of okra fruits produced under water salinity. The first experiment was carried out in lysimeters under field conditions in Neossolo Regolítico (Psamment) of sandy loam texture in Pombal-PB, in a randomized block design in a 5 x 5 factorial scheme, testing 5 levels of irrigation water salinity (0.3; 1.3; 2.3; 3.3, and 4.3 dS m-1) and 5 doses of potassium fertilization (75; 112.5; 150; 187.5, and 225 mg of K2O kg-1 of soil), with three replicates. After that, the okra fruits produced under the different salinity levels were stored in six mixtures of salts present in lactic fermentation brine (100-0-0, 0-100-0, 0-0-100, 50-50-0, 0-50-50, and 50-0-50 of NaCl, CaCl2, and KCl, respectively), under a 5 x 6 factorial, with three replicates, in a completely randomized design. The post-harvest quality, after fermentation, was evaluated based on their physicochemical characteristics. Irrigation water salinity negatively affected the average length, average weight, titratable acidity, soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio, and pH of the okra fruits. Potassium doses increased the average diameter of okra fruits, minimizing the deleterious effects of irrigation water salinity. The vitamin C contents of pickled okra fruits were not compromised by salt stress. Among the lactic fermentation brines, the formulation containing the proportion NaCl:CaCl2 stands out as promoting the highest titratable acidity and soluble solids content in pickled okra fruits.

In this {work}, the X-ray fluorescence technique was employed to characterize the pictorial materials used in two sculptures from the 18th. In addition, Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the preparation layers used in the sculptures. {The analyzed sculptures} are carved in wood, with gilding and polychrome, and represent the biblical characters, Bathsheba, and King David. The sculptures are property of the Church of \textit{Nossa Senhora do Pilar}, in Duque de Caxias, RJ. XRF {analyzes} were performed using a portable ED-XRF system, which has a low-power X-ray tube (Amptek) with a silver target (Ag) and an SDD detector (Amptek). Raman spectroscopy {analyzes} were performed using the DXR2 Raman microscopy equipment (Thermo Fisher Scientific) with a 785 nm laser source. The results obtained from the XRF and Raman spectroscopy techniques suggest the presence of Gypsum, Calcite, Calcium Sulfate. In addition, the results obtained suggest the presence of the following pigments in the sculptures: Lead white, Titanium White, Lithopone, Ochre, Vermilion, Red Lead and gilding with gold leaf. The studies also showed that the Bathsheba sculpture was probably subjected to some processes of chromatic reintegration over the years due to the heterogeneity of pigments found in the same region

The struggle for a fair distribution of land consolidated social movements and put pressure on the Brazilian government to carry out agrarian reform. The government allocated rural workers to the settlements and created programs to strengthen family farming. The global concern with the sustainability of the planet has led scholars to think that family farming is an alternative for the reduction of poverty and for the preservation of the environment. Based on this principle, the objective of this study was to analyze whether family farming used in the family units of the Joana Darc III settlement in Rondônia contributes to sustainable development. Materials and methods: The research is characterized as descriptive and a case study. We use an instrument developed by Anjos17, semi-structured, divided into 6 blocks: Identification of the profile of farmers; Characterization of the production unit; Characterization of crop production; Production commercialization; Financing and infrastructure and, Life conditions. The sample granted for accessibility was a group formed by 30 (26.3%) rural farmers from the Joana Darc III settlement who cultivate different crops, harvested from a population of 114 farmers. For the sample size, the systematic sampling formula presented by Barbetta26 was used. The research project considers the ethical aspect and is in accordance with CNS Resolution 196/96. Results: The results showed that the settlers received financing from Pronaf for investments in increasing production and technical assistance from EMATER. However, the production system adopted is traditional, with the use of pesticides in crops and the use of pesticides in animals and they practice burning to clean the land. This practice goes against the principles of clean agriculture, which aims to preserve the environment. It was also found that the settled farmers sell their products below the market price, reducing their profit margin. However, all were unanimous in ensuring that they would have better living conditions compared to the life before the settlement and believe in improvements in the future. Conclusions: It was rejected the hypothesis that family farming used in the family units of the Joana Darc III settlement in Rondônia contributes to sustainable development.

Salinity is among the biggest challenges of irrigated agriculture, as it induces several limitations to the growth and physiology of plants; therefore, strategies should be sought that minimize its impacts on plants. In this scenario, the present study was developed to examine the effects of different salicylic acid (SA) application methods on photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a fluorescence, gas exchange, and biomass accumulation of cherry tomato under salt stress. The study was carried out in a greenhouse, using a Regosol soil (Psamments) with a sandy-loam texture. The treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement consisting of two levels of electrical conductivity in the irrigation water (0.6 or 2.6 dS m-1) and four salicylic acid application methods (M1 = without SA [control] application; M2 = foliar spray; M3 = irrigation; or M4 = spray and irrigation), with five replicates. Irrigation with 2.6 dS m-1 salinity water negatively affected chlorophyll a fluorescence and the total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, and carotenoid contents, in addition to inhibiting stem dry biomass production and root/shoot ratio. Foliar spray with salicylic acid minimized the deleterious effects of salt stress on gas exchange and chlorophyll content and increased leaf and root dry biomass accumulation and the root/shoot ratio of cherry tomatoes at 120 days after sowing.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential antibacterial and anti-adherent activities of the monoterpene (R)-(+)-limonene, as well as its synergistic potential with synthetic antimicrobials against strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterobacter cloacae. The antibacterial properties of (R)-(+)-limonene were assessed using the broth microdilution technique to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Additionally, the infusion disc method was employed to explore the association of the compound with antimicrobials, and the test tube method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration of adherence (MICA). It was observed that the MIC for (R)-(+)-limonene was 1000 μg mL-1 for five of the six E. faecalis strains tested, while for E. cloacae, the MIC exceeded 1000 μg mL-1 for all strains tested. Identical values were recorded for the MBC in E. faecalis. In terms of its combination with synthetic antimicrobials, (R)-(+)-limonene demonstrated a synergistic effect with gentamicin and ciprofloxacin for most strains. Regarding the MICA, both (R)-(+)-limonene and 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate failed to inhibit biofilm formation at the tested concentrations. Given the need for new therapeutic alternatives for treating bacterial infections, this study revealed that the tested monoterpene exhibited moderate bactericidal effects against E. faecalis strains and no antibacterial effect against E. cloacae strains. However, when combined with various classes of antimicrobials, (R)-(+)-limonene showed synergistic effects with gentamicin and ciprofloxacin for most strains. This suggests that (R)-(+)-limonene holds promise for enhancing the treatment of bacterial infections and could support conventional therapies. Nonetheless, further in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies are necessary to confirm and elucidate its efficacy and mechanisms.