Cabbage is preferentially consumed in natura and in many cases is produced conventionally, leaving traces of chemical residues which can cause direct effects on the health of the consumer and the farmer. The aim was to evaluate the influence of high dilutions preparations on growth and production under organic system of cabbage evaluating seedlings and plants in field. The study was composed of five experiments with nine treatments and four replications. Three greenhouse and two field experiments were carried out in a randomized complete block design. The treatments were prepared of Arnica montana, Silicea terra, Carbo vegetabilis and Sulphur at 6CH and 30CH in high dilutions, water being used as control. Sulphurat 6CH increased the height and root length in comparison with a control, in two of the three experiments with cabbage seedlings. Silicea terra at 30CH and Sulphur at 6CH increased the production and the dry mass of cabbage heads. Arnica montana at 6CH and 30CH also increased the dry mass. In conclusion, Sulphurat 6CH stands out as promising for improving the quality of cabbage seedlings as much as the production and dry mass of cabbage heads in field conditions, these last characteristics also being improved by Silicea terra at 30CH.

El repollo es consumido preferencialmente in natura y en muchos casos es producido de manera convencional, dejando trazas de residuos químicos, lo cual puede generar afecciones directas sobre la salud del consumidor y del agricultor. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar la influencia de preparados homeopáticos en altas diluciones en el crecimiento de plántulas y en la producción de repollo, en sistema orgánico. El trabajo fue compuesto por cinco experimentos para estudiar nueve tratamientos con cuatro repeticiones siendo la conducción de tres experimentos en invernadero, utilizando el diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar, y de dos experimentos en el campo utilizando el diseño experimental de bloques al azar. Los tratamientos estudiados fueron los preparados de Arnica montana,Silicea terra, Carbo vegetabilisy Sulphur en la 6CH y 30CH (orden de dilución centesimal hahnemanniana); y agua como testigo. Sulphur6CH aumentó en dos de los tres experimentos la altura y la longitud de raíz en relación al testigo, en plántulas de repollo. Silicea terra 30CH y Sulphur6CH aumentaron la producción y la materia seca de cabezas de repollo cultivadas en campo, así como, Arnica montana 6CH y 30CH también incrementaron la materia seca de cabezas. Se concluyó que Sulphur6CH se destacó como promisorio para mejorar la calidad de las plántulas de repollo, así como en la producción y materia seca de cabezas de repollo en condiciones de campo siendo estas últimas características también mejoradas por Silicea terra30CH.

The pollen diet of Africanized honeybees Apis mellifera L. was studied during seven months (October 2006 to April 2007) in a natural forest fragment in the southern Pantanal, sub-region of Abobral, Mato Grosso do Sul. The analysis of the pollen diet was based on direct observations of the bees visiting flowers as well as through the use of a pollen trap installed in a wild colony in a tree hole in the same forest fragment. The total of 28 species in 15 botanical families were observed as potential sources of pollen for A. mellifera, with visits registered in 24 of these species in 13 botanical families. In the pollen trap we recorded 25 pollen types. This study is the first report to use this type of trap for pollen collection in the Neotropical region and aimed to identify the polliniferous bee plants of Brazilian pantanal.

O controle de insetos associados ao cultivo de hortaliças é predominantemente realizado através de pesticidas sintéticos. Entretanto, os riscos do uso indiscriminado dos pesticidas sobre a saúde humana e o meio ambiente deve ser considerado. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a eficácia de atrativos naturais no controle da vaquinha Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), uma praga de importância econômica na América Latina. Os seguintes tratamentos foram testados: raiz de taiuiá (Cayaponia sp), frutos verdes de porongo/cuia (Lagenaria sp), extrato de folhas de couve-chinesa (Brassica pekinensis), fermentado de frutas, vinagre tinto e água como testemunha. O delineamento foi inteiramente ao acaso, com seis repetições. Os preparados foram acondicionados em armadilhas com garrafas PET de 2.000 ml, com oito aberturas laterais e distribuídas aleatoriamente na área experimental. Frutos verdes de porongo apresentaram captura de adultos de D. speciosa 5,4 vezes maior que raízes de taiuiá e as raízes de taiuiá capturaram 19,7 vezes mais adultos do que a testemunha. Ambas as iscas foram acondicionadas na forma sólida, suspensas internamente na garrafa PET. A menor atratividade foi apresentada pelo extrato aquoso de couve-chinesa, que não diferiu da testemunha. Independentemente do atrativo utilizado, o pico populacional da D. speciosa ocorreu nos meses de fevereiro e março.

The control of insects associated with home garden vegetable crops is usually done by sintetic pesticides. However, the risks of the indiscriminate use of pesticides on human health and the environment need to be considered. The objective of this work was to study the attractive efficacy of natural substances on D. speciosa, a very important pest in Latin America. The following treatments were tested: roots of Cayaponia sp., green fruits of Lagenaria sp., water extract of Brassica pekinensis, extract of fermented fruits, red vinegar and water as a control. The experimental design was randomized blocks with six replications. All the tested substances were put into PET plastic bottles of 2L with eight lateral holes and distributed at random in the experimental area. Green fruits of Lagenaria sp. captured the larger number of D. speciosa, 5.4 times more than roots of Cayaponia sp. that captured 19.7 times more than the control tratament. The water extract of Brassica pekinensis had no effect on D. speciosa attraction, and did not differ from the control treatment in the number of captured insects. Independently of the treatment, the population peak of D. speciosa occurred in February and March.