ABSTRACT Synthetic insecticides used in the management of the mealybug Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché, 1833) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) can contaminate co-products from this plant. The use of Agave extracts and/or mineral oil is a sustainable alternative to reduce the residual effect of these chemicals in the palm production chain. The objective here was to determine the effectiveness of Agave genotype extracts applied alone or mixed with mineral oil against the cactus scale mealybug D. echinocacti. Two experiments were carried out to achieve this goal. The first one aimed to select the most promising Agave genotype extract concentration (CL80) to kill 80% of the first instar mobile nymphs of D. echinocacti (Experiment 1), and the second to determine the effectiveness of the selected extract against nymphs, pupae, and adults of different ages of this mealybug in laboratory and greenhouse (Experiment 2). The extract of the genotype Agave fourcroydes cv. Cabinho with lethal concentration (LC80) of 10.9 mL/10 mL is the most efficient in causing mortality of D. echinocacti. The lethal concentration of the A. fourcroydes cv. Cabinho killed 80% of the first instar motile nymphs and more than 74% of the nymphs, pupae, and adults of different ages of D. echinocacti in the laboratory and greenhouse followed by Agave sisalana cv. Tatuí 3. Furthermore, the mortality of this scale mealybug was higher with applications of mineral oil (Assist), alone or mixed with sisal extracts.

Abstract ‘BRS 421’ and ‘BRS 423’ are high-oleic runner type peanut cultivars, adapted to the main peanut-producing areas in Brazil and partially resistant to spotted wilt. ‘BRS 421’ has a medium cycle and large seed size, while BRS ‘423’ has a short cycle and regular runner seed size.

Abstract BRS 425 is a high-oleic runner peanut cultivar related to wild ancestral parents, partially resistant to early and late leaf spot and spotted wilt. It is large-seeded and contains 46% oil. BRS 425 is adapted to the main peanut-producing regions of Brazil.

Development of leaf spots resistant runner peanut cultivars is one of the major demands in Brazil. In the 2009/10 crop season, 12 pre-breeding progenies (LPM) were selected out of 380 plants of an interspecific BC1F3 population for leaf spots resistance and agronomic traits. In the 2010/11, the 12 LPMs were evaluated for leaf spots resistance, without fungicide sprays. The recurrent parent (susceptible control) and all LPMs were susceptible; partial resistant segregating plants were selected. Some progenies had yield, pod and seed shape similar to the control. The 12, and the 5 LPMs selected in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 crop seasons, respectively, were evaluated under appropriate disease management. Differences were detected for pod yield and weight of 100 seeds. Seed/pod weight ratio, oil content and oleic/linoleic ratio were similar to thecontrol. Individual plants were selected for pod yield and market quality. Variability detected in the first backcross generation for partial resistance and agronomic traits will be useful.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o teor de óleo e a produção de sementes da mamoneira 'BRS Energia', submetida a doses de adubação nitrogenada e irrigação com água com diferentes índices de salinidade. O experimento foi realizado em lisímetros, em condições de campo, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram dos índices salinos da água de 0,4 (controle), 1,4, 2,4, 3,4 e 4,4 dS m-1, associados a 50, 75, 100, 125 e 150% das doses de N recomendadas para ensaio. A interação entre salinidade da água de irrigação e doses de N não foi significativa para nenhuma variável estudada. A salinidade da água até 1,4 dS m-1 propiciou teor de óleo das sementes de 47%. Doses de N acima de 64% da recomendada promoveram teor de óleo inferior a 48%. A maior produção de matéria seca da parte aérea foi obtida com 150% da dose de N recomendada. O incremento salino a partir de 0,4 dS m-1 aumenta o tempo para emissão do racemo primário e reduz os valores dos componentes de produção, dos quais a massa de matéria seca da parte aérea e o número de frutos são os mais afetados. Condutividade elétrica da água de até 1,9 dS m-1 e doses de N a partir de 134% da recomendada propiciam maior número de racemos.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the oil content and seed yield of castor bean 'BRS Energia' subjected to doses of N fertilization and irrigation water with different levels of salinity. The experiment was carried out in lysimeters, under field conditions, using a randomized complete block design, with three replicates. Treatments consisted of the irrigation-water salinity levels of 0.4 (control), 1.4, 2.4, 3.4 and 4.4 dS m-1, associated to 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of the recommended N dose for trials. There was no significant interaction between irrigation water salinity and nitrogen levels for any of the studied variables. Water salinity of up to 1.4 dS m-1 provided 47% of oil content in seeds. Nitrogen doses 64% above recommended promoted less than 48% of oil content. The highest shoot dry weight was obtained with 150% of the recommended N dose. Increasing water salinity from 0.4 dS m-1 increases the interval for emission of the primary raceme and reduces the yield components, of which shoot dry weight and number of fruits are the most affected. Electrical conductivity of irrigation water up to 1.9 dS m-1 and N levels up to 134% of the recommended dose provide a greater number of racemes.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a influência de lâminas de irrigação com água residuária e duas doses de fósforo sobre a produtividade e o teor de óleo de sementes de pinhão manso. Foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 5x2, com quatro repetições com uma planta por parcela. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela combinação de cinco níveis de reposição hídrica (0,25, 0,50, 0,75, 1,00 e 1,25 do consumo das plantas) e duas doses de P2O5 (135 e 200 g por planta) por ano. A produtividade e o teor de óleo das sementes de pinhão manso foram afetados positiva e significativamente pelo nível de reposição hídrica, enquanto as doses de fósforo não tiveram nenhuma influência.

The objective of this work was to study the influence of different levels of wastewater and two doses of phosphorus on the productivity and oil content of physic nut seeds. A randomized design in a 5x2 factorial arrangement was used, with four replicates with one plant per plot. Treatments consisted of a combination of five levels of irrigation depths (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25 of water consumption) and two doses of P2O5 (135 and 200 g per plant) per year. The productivity and oil content of the seeds were positively and significantly affected by water depths, while phosphorus doses had no influence.

A microcontrolled, portable and inexpensive photometer is described. It uses six light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as radiation sources and a phototransistor as detector, as well as a microcontroller (PIC - Programmable Controller of Interruption). This device provided total autonomy to the proposed photometer, which was successfully applied to determination of Fe2+ in ferrous syrups and of seven clinical biochemical parameters. As the components are cheap (~U$30.00) and easy to find, the proposed photometer is an economical alternative for routine chemical analyses in small laboratories, for research and teaching. Being portable and microcontrolled, it allows doing field chemical analyses.

A lab-made interface for acquisition of instrumental analog signals between 0 and 5 V at a frequency up to 670 kHz at the parallel port of a microcomputer is described. Since it uses few and small components, it was built into the connector of a printer parallel cable. Its performance was evaluated by monitoring the signals of four different instruments and similar analytical curves were obtained with the interface and from readings from the instrument' displays. Because the components are cheap (~U$35,00) and easy to get, the proposed interface is a simple and economical alternative for data acquisition in small laboratories for routine work, research and teaching.