Abstract Soymilk was produced from vegetable soybean and fermented by probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12) in co-culture with Streptococcus thermophilus. The composition of the fermented beverage and oligosaccharides content were determined. The effect of fructooligosaccharides and inulin on the fermentation time and viability of probiotic microorganisms throughout 28 days of storage at 5 °C were evaluated. The soymilk from vegetable soybeans was fermented in just 3.2 h, when pH reached 4.8. Fermentation reduced the contents of stachyose and raffinose in soymilk. Prebiotics had no effect on acidification rate and on viability of B. animalis and S. thermophilus in the fermented beverage. The viable counts of B. animalis Bb-12 remained above 108 CFU mL-1 in the fermented soymilk during 28 days of storage at 5 °C while L. acidophilus La-5 was decreased by 1 log CFU mL-1. The fermented soymilk from vegetable soybeans showed to be a good food matrix to deliver probiotic bacteria, as well as a soy product with a lower content of non-digestible oligosaccharides.

Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: comparar a produtividade e a adaptação de genótipos de soja convencional e de soja transgênica resistente ao herbicida glifosato, de diferentes grupos de maturação, desenvolvidos pelo programa de melhoramento da Embrapa Soja para o Estado do Paraná; estudar a importância relativa dos efeitos de local, ano, cultivar e suas respectivas interações; e verificar a possibilidade de se estratificar o Estado em regiões mais homogêneas, para reduzir o número de locais nos ensaios de competição de linhagens. Foram utilizados dados de produtividade de grãos de ensaios regionais, no Estado do Paraná, entre 2001 e 2005. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso. A possibilidade de se realizar a estratificação do Estado em regiões mais homogêneas e de descarte de locais foi verificada pela significância da interação genótipo x ambiente entre locais. Não houve diferença significativa de produtividade entre a soja convencional e a transgênica, independentemente do grupo de maturação. O efeito de local foi mais importante que o efeito de ano, na composição dos ambientes. A estratificação do Estado do Paraná em regiões não trouxe vantagens, nos anos analisados, para os testes de linhagens; apenas os locais da região Sul mostraram algum grau de similaridade entre si.

The objectives of this research were: to compare productivity and adaptation of conventional and glyphosate-resistant genetically engineered soybean genotypes, from different maturity groups, developed by the breeding program at Embrapa Soja for Paraná State, Brazil; to study the relative importance of the effects of location, year, cultivar and their respective interactions; and to verify the possibility of stratifying the State in more homogeneous regions, in order to reduce the number of locations for line competition experiments. Paraná State yield data from regional experiments carried out in randomized complete block design from 2001 to 2005 were used. The possibility of stratifying the State in homogeneous regions and discarding similar locations was checked by the significance of genotype x environment interaction among locations. Yield was not significantly different between genetically engineered and conventional soybean, regardless of the maturity group. The effect of location was more important than the effect of year in the environment composition. The stratification of Paraná State in regions for yield testing soybean lines brought neither significant nor consistent advantages for the evaluated years. Only locations within the South region showed some degree of similarity.

Soybean is one of the most important crops in Brazil and continuously generates demands for production technologies, such as cultivars resistant to diseases. In recent years, the Asian rust fungus (Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd. & P. Syd 1914) has caused severe yield losses and the development of resistant cultivars is the best means of control. Understanding the genetic control and estimating parameters associated with soybean (Glycine max) resistance to P. pachyrhizi will provide essential information for cultivar selection. We investigated quantitative genetic control of P. pachyrhizi and estimated parameters associated to soybean yield in the absence and presence of this phytopathogen. Six cultivars and their 15 diallel derived F2 and F3 generations were assessed in experiments carried out in the absence and presence of P. pachyrhizi. The results indicated that soybean yield in the presence and absence of P. pachyrhizi is controlled by polygenes expressing predominantly additive effects that can be selected to develop new cultivars resistant or tolerant to P. pachyrhizi. These cultivars may prove to be a useful and more durable alternative than cultivars carrying major resistance genes.

Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by the phytopathogenic fungi Phakopsora pachyrhizi, has caused large reductions in soybean (Glycine max) yield in most locations in Brazil where it has occurred since it was first reported in May 2001. Primary efforts to combat the disease involve the development of resistant cultivars, and four dominant major genes (Rpp1, Rpp2, Rpp3 and Rpp4) controlling resistance to ASR have been reported in the literature. To develop new long-lasting soybean ASR resistance genes, we used field experiments to assess ASR leaf lesion type in 11 soybean genotypes (BR01-18437, BRS 184, BRS 231, BRS 232, BRSGO Chapadões, DM 339, Embrapa 48, PI 200487, PI 230970, PI 459025-A and PI 200526) and the 55 F2 generations derived from their biparental diallel crosses. The results indicated that PI 200487 and PI 200526 carry different dominant resistance major genes which are both different from Rpp2 through Rpp4. Furthermore, resistance to ASR in BR01-18437 is controlled by a single recessive major gene, also different from Rpp1 through Rpp4 and different from the genes in PI 200487 and PI 200526.

A seleção de caracteres relacionados à tolerância à deficiência hídrica em milho tem sido objeto de interesse em programas de melhoramento, principalmente em virtude da ineficiência da seleção para produzir grãos nessas condições. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar parâmetros genéticos em duas populações de milho tropical. Foram avaliadas duas populações (denominadas D e U) com 256 progênies F2:3, no delineamento em látice 16 x 16 em sete ou nove ambientes e densidade populacional de 62.500 plantas ha-1. Diferenças significativas foram constatadas entre progênies (P), ambientes (A) e para a interação P x A em ambas as populações. Os coeficientes de herdabilidade em nível de médias de progênies variaram entre 73,52% para prolificidade na população D e 95,88% para florescimento feminino (FF) na população U. No caráter produção de grãos (PG) houve correlação genética significativa nas populações U e D, respectivamente, com prolificidade (0,79 e 0,88) e florescimento feminino (-0,76 e -0,44); na população U com florescimento masculino (-0,74) e; na população D com stay-green (-0,50). Não foi constatada correlação genética significativa entre PG e intervalo entre florescimentos (IF). Os parâmetros genéticos estimados sugerem que a utilização de índices de seleção que incluam, além de PG, caracteres como prolificidade, FF e SG na seleção de progênies sob condições normais de umidade, poderia propiciar o desenvolvimento de material com alta produtividade e boa tolerância a estresses hídricos.

The selection of drought tolerance related traits in maize has been object of interest in improvement programs, mainly in function of the selection inefficiency for grain yield on these conditions. The objective of this work was to estimate genetic parameters in two populations of tropical maize. Two populations (called D and U) with 256 F2:3 progenies had been evaluated in a 16x16 simple lattice, in seven and nine environments with population density of 62,500 plants ha-1. Significant differences were observed among line (P), environments (A) and for the P x A interaction in both populations. The heritability coefficients at progenies level average had varied between 73.52% for prolificacy in population D and 95.88% for female flowering (FF) in population U. Grain yield (PG) presented significant genetic correlation in populations U and D, respectively, with prolificacy (0,79 and 0.88) and female flowering (-0,76 and -0,44); in population U with male flowering (-0.74) and; in population D with stay-green (-0.50). No genetic correlation was observed between PG and anthesis-silking interval (IF). Estimated of genetic parameters suggest that the use of selection indices that include, besides PG, characters as prolificacy, FF and SG in the selection process under conditions of normal water supply, could lead to the development of cultivars with high grain yield and good drought tolerance.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a interação de genótipos com ambientes no Estado do Mato Grosso, MT. Locais, anos, épocas de semeadura, cultivares e respectivas interações foram analisados em relação a dados de produtividade de grãos de ensaios regionais realizados em delineamento de blocos completos casualizados, conduzidos de 1994-1995 a 1999-2000, em nove locais e duas épocas de semeadura. Análises de variâncias individuais e conjuntas de anos e locais foram efetuadas. Análises complementares foram realizadas, dividindo o Estado em duas regiões principais e cinco regiões menores, respectivamente: Norte e Sul de Cuiabá; e MT-Sul-A (área de Pedra Preta), MT-Sul-B (Rondonópolis e Itiquira), MT-Leste (Primavera do Leste e Campo Verde), MT-Central (Nova Mutum, Lucas do Rio Verde e Sorriso) e MT-Parecis (Campo Novo dos Parecis e Sapezal). Locais foram relativamente mais importantes que anos na produtividade da soja, portanto, deverá haver investimento no aumento do número de locais ao invés de anos a fim de melhorar a precisão experimental. A divisão do Estado em regiões tem pequeno impacto nos resultados de produtividade e, conseqüentemente, na eficiência do programa de melhoramento. Desenvolver genótipos com ampla adaptação é uma estratégia eficiente de melhoramento da soja para o Estado.

The objective of this work was to investigate the genotype-environment interaction in Mato Grosso State, MT. The relative importance of locations, years, sowing dates and cultivars and their interactions was analyzed from data collected in regional yield trials performed in a randomized complete block design with four replications, from 1994-1995 through 1999-2000, in nine locations and two sowing dates. Individual and pooled analyses of variance over years and locations were performed. Complementary analyses of variances partitioned MT State in two main and five smaller regions, respectively: North and South of Cuiabá; and MT-South-A (Pedra Preta area), MT-South-B (Rondonópolis and Itiquira), MT-East (Primavera do Leste and Campo Verde), MT-Central (Nova Mutum, Lucas do Rio Verde and Sorriso) and MT-Parecis (Campo Novo dos Parecis and Sapezal). Locations are relatively more important than years for yield testing soybeans in the MT State, therefore, investment should be made in increasing locations rather than years to improve experimental precision. Partitioning the MT State into regions has little impact on soybean yield testing results and, consequently, on the efficiency of the soybean breeding program in the State. Breeding genotypes with broad adaptation for the MT State is an efficient strategy for cultivar development.