ABSTRACT Fusarium is the main disease of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Brazil, and grafting using resistant rootstocks can be a sustainable management strategy. Several wild Piper species have been considered resistant to infection. However, further studies on the grafting process are needed to generate a safe technical recommendation for farmers. This research was carried out with the objective of evaluating the initial compatibility of grafting through the interaction between two techniques (top cleft and side cleft) and six rootstocks. The P. nigrum ‘Bragantina’ was grafted onto four wild Piper species (Piper aduncum Link, Piper tuberculatum Jacq., Piper marginatum Jacq., and Piper hispidum Kunth) and two black pepper cultivars (‘Kottanadan Broto Branco’ and ‘Bragantina’-homograft). P. tuberculatum and P. marginatum were incompatible with P. nigrum ‘Bragantina’ in the two grafting techniques. There was total suppression of leaf development with incompatible rootstocks inside cleft grafting. The wild rootstocks had twice as many shoots at the base of the seedling than the cultivars in the top cleft grafting. Side cleft grafting was able to suppress by half the shoots at the base of the rootstock, while the aerial part was maintained. Top cleft grafting provided greater survival, shooting, and leaf emission, which was more evident when using P. aduncum species as rootstock, reaching practically twice the shooting (59.3%) in comparison with the side grafting (30.6%). Therefore, the top method and the use of P. aduncum as rootstock for the production of grafted black pepper seedlings is recommended.

ABSTRACT. The objective of this study was to evaluate the the ability of foliar application of potassium nitrate (KNO3) to induce water deficit tolerance in sorghum plants (Sorghum bicolor cv. P898012) subjected to water deficit at pre-flowering. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions with 4 treatments: field capacity (FC), water deficit (WD), field capacity + KNO3 (FC + KNO3), and water deficit + KNO3 (WD + KNO3). Two foliar applications of 3% (m/v) KNO3 were made, the first on day zero of stress and the second on the fifth day. All analyses were performed after 12 days of stress (end of stress). Foliar application of KNO3 to irrigated plants led to increases in relative chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and carboxylation efficiency. It also induced increases in leaf concentrations of P, Mg, S, Cu, and Fe, in addition to height growth. Under water deficit conditions, plants treated with KNO3 presented higher relative chlorophyll content, leaf area, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, carboxylation efficiency, and higher levels of P, K, Mg, S, Cu, and Fe than those not treated with KNO3. The morphometry of the root system was not altered by the treatments. In addition, plants treated with KNO3 under water deficit conditions showed higher growth and a grain yield 32.2% higher than those that did not receive KNO3. These results demonstrated that KNO3 applied to the leaves induced water deficit tolerance in sorghum plants subjected to severe water stress at pre-flowering.

HIGHLIGHTS Azospirillum brasilense stimulates root growth in maize under water deficit. Maize inoculated with A. brasilense shows greater photosynthesis under drought conditions. Under water deficit, maize plants inoculated with A. brasilense showed greater water use efficiency (WUE).

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a morfoanatomia radicular e os atributos de rendimento de dois híbridos de milho contrastantes quanto à seca (DKB 390, tolerante; e BRS 1030, sensível), em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento. A deficiência hídrica foi imposta por dez dias, em casa de vegetação, em três estádios de desenvolvimento: V5, VT e R3. Esses tratamentos foram combinados para gerar estresses acumulativos durante o ciclo da planta, como: V5VT, V5R3, VTR3 e V5VTR3. Foram analisados: anatomia radicular; proporção de aerênquima no cortex; número e diâmetro de metaxilema; espessura do floema; bem como características morfológicas, como comprimento, volume e área de superfície radicular, comprimento específico das raízes, comprimento de raízes finas, rendimento de grãos, e comprimento e diâmetro da espiga. O estádio de desenvolvimento influenciou as respostas ao estresse: DKB 390 apresentou o melhor desempenho quanto à morfoanatomia radicular e aos atributos de rendimento, quando submetido a estresse hídrico, nos estádios reprodutivos, sobretudo em R3, e nos tratamentos acumulativos de estresse, principalmente no V5VTR3; enquanto BRS 1030 apresentou as maiores médias para os parâmetros estudados, principalmente nos estádios V5 e VT, mas não apresentou maior rendimento de grãos sob estresse hídrico. A maior tolerância do híbrido DKB 390 ao estresse hídrico provavelmente relaciona-se à memória de exposição prévia ao estresse hídrico em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to characterize the morphoanatomy of roots and the yield traits of two corn hybrids contrasting for drought tolerance (DKB 390, tolerant; and BRS 1030, sensitive), at different stages of development. Water deficit was imposed for ten days, in a greenhouse, at three growth stages: V5, VT, and R3. These treatments were combined to generate cumulative stress during the plant cycle, as: V5VT, V5R3, VTR3, and V5VTR3. The following were analyzed: root anatomy; proportion of aerenchyma in the cortex; metaxylem number and diameter; phloem thickness; as well as morphological characteristics, such as root length, volume, and surface area, specific root length, length of fine roots, grain yield, and ear length and diameter. Development stage affected the responses to stress: DKB 390 showed the best performance for root morphoanatomy and yield traits, under drought stress, at the reproductive stages, mainly R3, and in the treatments with cumulative stress, especially V5VTR3; whereas BRS 1030 presented higher means for the studied parameters, mainly at the V5 and VT stages, but did not show a higher grain yield under water stress. The greater tolerance of the DKB 390 hybrid to water deficit is probably linked with a memory of pre-exposure to water stress at different growth stages.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência de sucessivos ciclos de seleção do milho 'Saracura' na atividade das enzimas do sistema antioxidante, e a relação dessas enzimas com a capacidade dessa variedade em desenvolver aerênquima. Sementes de 18 ciclos de seleção intercalados do milho 'Saracura' e da cultivar BR 107, sensível à hipoxia, foram semeadas em vasos e em casa de vegetação. As plantas foram submetidas ao alagamento intermitente de dois em dois dias. As amostras de raízes foram coletadas após 60 dias e analisaram-se as atividades das enzimas peroxidase do guaiacol, peroxidase do ascorbato e catalase, além da capacidade das plantas de cada ciclo desenvolverem aerênquima. Ao longo dos ciclos, as plantas apresentaram modificações na atividade das enzimas, com aumento na de peroxidase do ascorbato e diminuição na de catalase e de peroxidase do guaiacol. Observou-se, ainda, maior capacidade de desenvolver aerênquima nos últimos ciclos de seleção. A redução na atividade das enzimas do sistema antioxidante parece estar relacionada a um desbalanço na decomposição de H2O2.

This work aimed to assess the influence of successive selection cycles in 'Saracura' maize on the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system and the relationship of these enzymes with the aerenchyma development capacity of this variety. Seeds of 18 intercalated selection cycles of the 'Saracura' maize and of the cultivar BR 107, sensitive to hipoxia, were sown in pots in the greenhouse. Plants were submitted to intermittent soil flooding each two days. After 60 days, the roots were sampled and analysis were done for the guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase activities and for the capacity of the plants of each cycle to develop aerenchyma. The plants showed modifications in enzyme activity along the cycles, increasing the ascorbate peroxidase activity and decreasing the catalase and guaiacol peroxidase ones. A greater capacity to develop aerenchyma was also observed in the last selection cycles. Reductions in the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system seem to be related to a disorder in the H2O2 decomposition capacity.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de sucessivos ciclos de seleção na plasticidade foliar do milho 'Saracura' BRS-4154 sob alagamento intermitente do solo em condições de campo. O alagamento do solo iniciou-se no estádio de seis folhas com a aplicação de uma lâmina de 20 cm de água três vezes por semana. No florescimento, foram coletadas e fixadas amostras das folhas. Secções paradérmicas e transversais de amostras foram observadas em microscópio fotônico. Várias modificações foram observadas durante os ciclos de seleção, como o número e o tamanho dos estômatos, a maior quantidade de feixes vasculares e a consequente diminuição da distância entre eles, o metaxilema com diâmetros menores, a diminuição da espessura da cutícula e da epiderme, a diminuição no número e tamanho das células buliformes, o aumento da espessura do floema e a menor área de esclerênquima. Os sucessivos ciclos de seleção do milho 'Saracura', portanto, levaram a mudanças na anatomia foliar, as quais podem ser favoráveis à tolerância da planta ao alagamento intermitente do solo.

The objective of this work was to assess the effect of successive selection cycles on leaf plasticity of 'Saracura' maize BRS-4154 under periodical flooding in field conditions. Soil flooding started at the six-leaf stage with the application of a 20-cm depth water layer three times a week. At flowering, samples of leaves were collected and fixed. Paradermic and transverse sections were observed under photonic microscope. Several changes were observed throughout the selection cycles, such as modifications in the number and size of the stomata, higher amount of vascular bundles and the resulting decrease of the distance between them, smaller diameter of the metaxylem, decrease of cuticle and epidermis thickness, decrease of number and size of bulliform cells, increase of phloem thickness, smaller sclerenchyma area. Therefore, the successive selection cycles of 'Saracura' maize resulted in changes in the leaf anatomy, which might be favorable to the plant's tolerance to the intermittent flooding of the soil.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar as modificações nas características anatômicas radiculares relacionadas à hipoxia, durante 18 ciclos de seleção da variedade de milho (Zea mays) BRS 4154 Saracura, adaptada a áreas sujeitas a alagamento. A variedade BR 107 e o híbrido simples BRS 1010, suscetíveis ao alagamento, foram utilizados como controle. As diferentes cultivares foram submetidas a alagamentos intermitentes, a cada dois dias, durante dois meses. As amostras radiculares foram preparadas e analisadas em microscopiaóptica. Em relação ao grupo controle e aos ciclos anteriores de seleção, a BRS 4154 teve aumento na formação de aerênquima, diminuição do córtex, diminuição do diâmetro dos vasos, diminuição da camada subepidérmica, aumento na espessura do floema e epiderme. Os sucessivos ciclos de seleção melhoraram as características do milho 'Saracura' e sua tolerância a ambientes alagados.

This work aimed to verify the modifications in the root anatomical characteristics related to hypoxia, along 18 selection cycles of the maize (Zea mays) cultivar BRS 4154 Saracura, adapted to areas subject to flooding. Cultivars not tolerant to fooding, BR 107 and the simple hybrid BRS 1010, were used as controls. The different cultivars were subjected to intermittent soil waterlogging every two days for two months. The root samples were prepared and analyzed through light microscopy. Compared to the controls group and to early selection cycles, BRS 4154 had increased development of aerenchyma, decreased cortex thickness, decreased metaxylem diameter, decreased subepidermal layer, and increased epidermis and phloem thickness. The successive selection cycles improved 'Saracura' maize characteristics and its tolerance to flooding environments.