ABSTRACT: Fungal endophytes of Brachiaria, a nonhost of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, may harbor species with antagonistic effects against this plant pathogen. The objective of this work was to investigate the diversity of endophytic fungi associated with different Brachiaria species and hybrids and evaluate their potential to inhibit the plant pathogen S. sclerotiorum. Stem samples from 39 Brachiaria spp. plants were collected in pasture fields and experimental areas of three states of Brazil resulting in 74 endophytes isolated. Twenty-eight species were identified by sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) and 18S rDNA regions. Paraconiothyrium sp. was the most abundant endophyte, accounting for 24 % (14 isolates) of total, and it was isolated from B. ruziziensis, B. decumbens, B. humidicola, and B. brizantha. Phoma sorghina was the second most abundant taxon, followed by Sarocladium strictum, and Plenodomus sp. In vitro analyses showed that Paraconiothyrium sp., Sarocladium kiliense, Acremonium curvulum, Setophoma terrestris, Dissoconium sp., and Cladosporium flabelliforme exhibited antagonistic activity against S. sclerotiorum, with percentages of growth inhibition ranging from 25 to 60 (p < 0.05). Paraconiothyrium sp. BBXE1 (60 %), BBPB4.1 (60 %), BCMT4.1 (54 %), and S. kiliense (54 %) showed the highest values of Antagonism Percentages (AP). Therefore, fungi with inhibitory activity against S. sclerotiorum such as Paraconiothyrium sp. are naturally endophytic in Brachiaria grasses.

Lactococcus lactis e Saccharomyces cerevisiae foram avaliados em co-cultura durante fermentação para a produção de cachaça. L. lactis UFLA CA 312 e S. cerevisiae UFLA CA 11 foram utilizados com populações de aproximadamente 105 CFU mL-1 e 108 UFC mL-1, respectivamente. O meio contendo caldo de cana de açúcar, adicionado de 1% de extrato de levedura (SCM) foi eficiente para o crescimento de L. lactis UFLA CA 312 e S. cerevisiae UFLA CA 11 (letra 'b' no teste de Tukey). Nas fermentações conduzidas em frascos e dornas o crescimento da levedura não foi influenciado negativamente pela bactéria lática. Entretanto, após 19h de fermentação, a população bacteriana apresentou pequeno decréscimo. Considerando os parâmetros alcoóis superiores e aldeídos, a cachaça produzida pela cultura pura de S. cerevisiae foi semelhante à cachaça produzida pela cultura mista. A cachaça produzida pela cultura mista apresentou elevados valores de acidez volátil (letra 'b' no teste Scott-Knott), sendo caracterizada por este parâmetro na análise de componente principal. Uma elevada porcentagem de aceitação (81,10%) para o atributo aroma foi observada para as amostras de cachaça produzidas com a cultura mista.

Lactococcus lactis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in co-culture were evaluated during sugar cane fermentantion for cachaça production. The inocula containing L. lactis UFLA CA 312 and S. cerevisiae UFLA CA 11 were used in the population of approximately 105 CFU mL-1 and 108 CFU mL-1, respectively. The sugar cane medium plus 1% of yeast extract (SCM) was efficient for growth of L. lactis UFLA CA 312 and S. cerevisiae UFLA CA 11 (letter 'b'-Tukey test). In flasks and vats fermentation the growth of UFLA CA 11 was not negatively influenced by L. lactis UFLA CA 312. However, after 19 hours of fermentation, bacterial population showed a slight decrease. Considering parameters higher alcohols and aldehydes, cachaça produced by pure culture of S. cerevisiae was similar to cachaça produced by mixed culture. Cachaça produced by mixed culture showed high values of volatile acidity (letter 'b'-Tukey test) being characterized by this parameters in the principal component analysis. High percentage of acceptance (81.10%) for the attribute aroma was observed in samples from cachaça produced by mixed culture.

Sixty six indigenous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were evaluated in stressful conditions (temperature, osmolarity, sulphite and ethanol tolerance) and also ability to flocculate. Eighteen strains showed tolerant characteristics to these stressful conditions, growing at 42 ºC, in 0.04% sulphite, 1 mol L-1 NaCl and 12% ethanol. No flocculent characteristics were observed. These strains were evaluated according to their fermentative performance in sugar cane juice. The conversion factors of substrates into ethanol (Yp/s), glycerol (Yg/s) and acetic acid (Yac/s), were calculated. The highest values of Yp/s in sugar cane juice fermentation were obtained by four strains, one isolated from fruit (0.46) and the others from sugar cane (0.45, 0.44 and 0.43). These values were higher than the value obtained using traditional yeast (0.38) currently employed in the Brazilian bioethanol industry. The parameters Yg/s and Yac/s were low for all strains. The UFLA FW221 presented the higher values for parameter related to bioethanol production. Thus, it was tested in co-culture with Lactobacillus fermentum. Besides this, a 20-L vessel for five consecutive batches of fermentation was performed. This strain was genetically stable and remained viable during all batches, producing high amounts of ethanol. The UFLA FW221 isolated from fruit was suitable to produce bioethanol in sugar cane juice. Therefore, the study of the biodiversity of yeasts from different environmental can reveal strains with desired characteristics to industrial applications.

Objetivou-se com este trabalho verificar os possíveis efeitos físicos e/ou alelopáticos da adubação verde no manejo de plantas invasoras nas culturas posteriores de alface-americana e de repolho, visando à conversão para o sistema orgânico de cultivo. O experimento foi instalado no Setor de Olericultura da Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), em Lavras MG, no período de dezembro de 2001 a agosto de 2002. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 4x2, com 3 repetições. O primeiro fator foi constituído pelas leguminosas mucuna-preta (Stizolobium aterrimum, Piper e Tracy), feijão-de-porco (Canavalia ensiformes DC), crotalária juncea (Crotalaria juncea L.)e pela testemunha (vegetação espontânea) e o segundo fator, pelas culturas de alface-americana Raider e repolho Kenzan . A parcela experimental teve a dimensão de 4 x 3 m. Pelos resultados obtidos, nas condições em que foi desenvolvido o trabalho, pode-se concluir que as espécies utilizadas mostraram-se eficientes no controle de tiririca (Cyperus rotundus L.), especialmente a mucuna-preta e o feijão-de-porco, possivelmente por efeito alelopático, e o cultivo de repolho proporcionou maior redução da infestação de tiririca do que o de alface-americana.

The objective of this work was to verify allelopathical and physical effects of black velvet bean (Stizolobium aterrimum Piper e Tracy), jack bean (Canavalia ensiformes DC) and sunnhep (Crotalaria juncea L.) on the development of the weeds in American Lettuce and Cabbage crops. The experiment was performed at the Vegetables Sector of Universidade Federal de Lavras, in Lavras MG, from December 2001 to August 2002. The experimental design used was random blocks in the 4 x 2 factorial scheme with 3 repetitions. One factor consisted of the three leguminous, black velvet bean, jack bean and sunnhep, and the control (spontaneous vegetation); the other factor consisted of the cultures of Lettuce ( Raider cultivar) and Cabbage ( Kenzan cultivar). The results showed that the black velvet bean and jack bean controlled the sedge and the cabbage cultivation reduced the sedge infestation.