ABSTRACT Alternative substrates were evaluated for mycorrhizal inoculants production considering the beneficial effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for plants and environment. The first step of the experiment aimed at evaluating the potential of substrates produced from sugarcane bagasse (SB), coconut fibre (CF) and urban waste compost (UWC) to produce AMF inoculants, by using Brachiaria decumbens as multiplier plant. The experiment has followed a randomized block design, at 7x3 factorial arrangement (seven substrates: SB, CF, SB+CF 1:1, SB+UWC 3:1, CF+UWC 3:1, SB+CF+UWC 3:3:2, Soil+Sand 3:1, vs. three substrate preparations: inoculated/sterilized, inoculated/non-sterilized, non-inoculated/sterilized). Inoculums produced in the first experimental stage were tested at the second stage, based on the inoculated/sterilized preparation. Seed germination, dry shoot biomass, mycorrhizal root rate and total spore production were assessed in both tests. There was significant decrease in seed emergence in organic substrates in relation to Soil+Sand, although the plants growth in organic substrates was greater. Artificial inoculation was not superior to spontaneous substrate mycorrhization or affected inoculum production. Mycorrhizal colonization of roots was equivalent in most organic substrates and in Soil+Sand. However, spore production stood out in organic substrate mixes, mainly when CF and UWC were used. This finding was confirmed at the second experimental stage.

RESUMO A Moringa oleifera Lam. (moringa) é uma espécie vegetal com grande potencial de uso nos setores alimentício, medicinal e forrageiro, no processo de clareamento e descontaminação de água, produção de biocombustível, dentre outros. Técnicas de produção de mudas com uso de resíduos regionais são apropriadas para a introdução desta espécie em comunidades carentes. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as respostas nutricionais e de crescimento de mudas de moringa, cultivadas em substratos com diferentes concentrações de fibra da casca de coco verde (FCV), associadas a composto orgânico (CO). O delineamento experimental adotado foi em blocos casualizados. Foram testados dois compostos orgânicos: o composto de lixo urbano (CLU) e o vermicomposto (VC) associados a FCV em várias proporções volumétricas (CO:FCV): 0:100; 25:75; 50:50; 75:25 a 100:0%. Após 51 dias de cultivo, foi observado que o aumento da concentração de FCV em relação ao composto orgânico reduziu a altura, a massa da matéria seca, o Índice de Qualidade de Dickson e os conteúdos de N, P, K, Ca e Mg das mudas. Não houve diferença, para essas características comparando-se o uso do composto de lixo urbano e o do vermicomposto. Substratos com 100% de FCV e sem adubação complementar ocasionaram sintomas de deficiência de N nas mudas de moringa.

ABSTRACT Moringa oleifera Lam. is a vegetal species with great potential to use as food, medicine and forage as well as water clarifying and decontamination agent, biofuel, among others. Low cost techniques for seedling production using regional residues are useful to introduce this species in low-income communities. This research aimed to evaluate the nutritional responses and growth of moringa seedlings cultivated in substrates with different concentrations of green coconut fiber (GCF) associated to organic compounds (OC). The experiment was performed in randomized blocks. Two organic compounds were tested: the urban waste compost (UWC) and earthworm compost (EC) associated with GCF in various volumetric proportions (OC: GCF): 0: 100; 25:75; 50:50; 75:25 and 100:0%. The data after 51 days of cultivation showed that the increase of the concentration of GCF in relation to the organic compound decreased height, dry biomass, Dickson Quality Index and the contents of N, P, K, Ca and Mg of the seedlings. There was no difference for these characteristics between the use of UWC and the EC. The substrate with 100% of GCF without complementary fertilizers caused symptoms of N deficiency in the moringa seedlings.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de mudas de gravioleira (Anonna muricata L.) inoculadas com FMAs e cultivadas com diferentes doses de fósforo (P), em solo não-esterilizado. O experimento foi conduzido em casa-de-vegetação, com delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4 x 4 (inoculação x doses de P) sendo: plantas não-inoculadas (controle), inoculadas com Glomus clarum, inoculadas com Gigaspora margarita e inoculadas com inóculo nativo (Glomus macrocarpum, G. etunicatum e Entrosphopora colombiana) e quatro doses de P (0, 25, 50, 100 mg kg-1) com três repetições. As mudas foram cultivadas em sacos de plástico de 2 dm³ em mistura de solo e areia (2:1 v v-1) nãoesterilizada. Aos 90 dias após o plantio, observou-se que a inoculação com os FMAs promoveu maior altura e diâmetro de caule das mudas, maior produção de matéria seca e conteúdo de P nas raízes e parte aérea e maior conteúdo de K nas raízes das mudas, comparativamente ao controle não-inoculado. As plantas não-inoculadas, não responderam à adubação fosfatada, concluindo-se que a inoculação com os FMAs, aliada à adubação fosfatada, incrementam o crescimento e o estado nutricional de mudas de gravioleira mesmo quando cultivadas em substrato não-estéril.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of soursop (Annona muricata L.) seedlings inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) cultivated with different doses of phosphorus (P). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with a completely randomized factorial design (4 x 4), with non inoculated plants (controls), three species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus clarum, Gigaspora margarita and native AMFs (Glomus macrocarpum, G. etunicatum and Entrosphopora colombiana) and four doses of P (0, 25, 50, 100 mg kg-1) with three replications. The seedlings were cultivated in plastic bags of 2 dm³ in a mix composed of nonsterilized soil and sand (2:1 v v-1). After 90 days, it was observed that AMFs inoculation promoted an increment in height and stem diameter, increased biomass and P content of shoot and roots, and K content in the roots of the seedlings in comparison with controls. The non inoculated plants did not respond to phosphorus fertilization, concluding that the inoculation with AMFs with phosphate fertilization increased growth and nutritional state of soursup seedlings even when cultivated in non-sterilized soil.

Staphylococci bacteria are involved in many human and animal infections and development of alternative antimicrobial drugs against pathogenic bacteria is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry. This study investigated the in vitro effect of Rauvolfia grandiflora methanol extract (root bark fraction) (RGE) on the density of ATCC strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, and a clinical enterotoxin-producer, S. aureus bovine strain. The alkaloid, isoreserpiline, obtained from dichloromethane extract of R. grandiflora was ineffective against the strains tested. After incubation of staphylococci strains in the presence of 1.2 mg.mL-1 RGE, a significant inhibition of cell growth was observed using both spectrophotometry and ELISA assays. Twelve drugs were evaluated for their antimicrobial effects on culture RGE-treated cells using the disk diffusion method. Penicillin resistant strains became sensitive to the drug after RGE treatment. Furthermore, enterotoxin production by RGE-treated S. aureus was evaluated using a standardized ELISA method. Although staphylococcal LSA 88 bovine strain cells remained viable after exposure to the extract, enterotoxin production was precluded in 20% after RGE treatment. Significant interference in staphylococci cell density, drug sensitivity and enterotoxin secretion was observed after treatment. The study highlights the necessity to find new methods of disease prevention and new antibiotic therapies against staphylococcal infections.