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O objetivo deste relatório unificado das Associações de Pós-graduandos da USP (APGs) foi avaliar o perfil das(os) pós-graduandas(os), medidas de biossegurança nos laboratórios e o conforto ao retorno das atividades presenciais, bem como, investigar a saúde mental das(os) pós-graduandas(os) no contexto pandêmico e compreender os seus desabafos e principais desafios.

O presente artigo apresenta a Inteligência Artificial (IA) em um processo de contratação às cegas, de modo a possibilitar a abertura de espaço nas organizações no que diz respeito à diversidade e a inclusão. A tecnologia da IA permite que as empresas realizem processos seletivos alheios a padrões e preconceitos, e em contra partida, a companhia recebe excelentes profissionais e inova-se com diferentes ideias e pontos de vista, gerando um grande potencial competitivo. O objetivo é integrar uma melhor gestão do capital humano no desenvolvimento organizacional, por meio de um estudo de caso realizado em uma empresa de tecnologia, no qual o método de recrutamento e seleção às cegas havia sido ministrado pela primeira vez. A pesquisa se consolidou por meio de entrevistas com os organizadores do projeto, de forma que fossem acompanhados os procedimentos aplicados, as expectativas, ganhos e pontos de melhoria.

As empresas japonesas que se instalaram no país, sobretudo nas décadas de 1950/1960 trouxeram consigo marcantes características de aplicação de métodos de trabalho e utilização de ferramentas específicas, destacando-se também aspectos culturais (disciplina, postura de negociação, formas de conversão de conhecimento, persistência) que influenciaram positivamente seu crescimento no país. Este artigo aborda o estudo de caso de uma empresa japonesa situada na Grande Curitiba que teve um projeto de expansão de sua unidade fabril, tendo como ponto de partida a implantação da gestão visual, que é marcante na cultura nipônica, que no decorrer do tempo, contou com a criação de um PMO (Escritório de Gerenciamento de Projetos), possibilitando a padronização dos processos de gestão, a melhoria na comunicação e a rápida resolução de problemas, porém, tendo sempre a gestão visual como fator de comunicação e controle de todos os seus projetos.

The effective use to zootechnical technique involves a thorough knowledge of the target species. Reproductive characteristics, like growth, behavior and centesimal composition, are some of the main issues for the production the species to be viable in all aspects. This study sheds light on production features of tambaqui, a native species of greater economic interest in Brazil, that are little understood. We investigated the influence of sex and stocking density of rearing systems on centesimal composition and fillet yield at slaughter. Juveniles of tambaqui (75 g, on average) were grown in dug ponds for 10 months in two different stocking densities of production systems (4 and 6 tons per ha). Each animal was considered a sampling unit, totaling 164 repetitions (77 males and 87 females). The analysis to determine the centesimal composition were moisture, total lipids, crude protein and ash. The measurements undertaken were total length, loin, head, width, full weight, fillet weight, residual weight (weight of the whole animal minus fillet weight), fillet weight and yield (fillet weight divided by the weight of the whole animal). The aim was to investigate for differences in features of commercial interest between different stocking densities and sexes. The results showed differences between sexes and stocking densities, which requires identification of the most interesting features for the market for later adoption of rearing systems of monosex populations and stocking densities in fish farming.

Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes ofertas de forragem em pastagem de estrela africana (Cynodon nlemfuensis Vanderyst var. nlemfuensis), sobre a taxa de desaparecimento de forragem (TDF) e a produção de leite de vacas mestiças Holandês x Gir. Trinta animais foram submetidos a três ofertas de forragem (OF) distintas, sendo 10,0 12,5 e 15,0% do peso corporal. Houve influência da OF sobre a TDF (P

Tomato fruit blotch virus (ToFBV) is a blunervirus that causes blotches on mature tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) fruits in Italy and Australia in 2020, and was newly detected in Brazil. A cytological study on pericarp tissues from the blotched areas of infected fruits collected in Brasília, Brazil, revealed characteristic cell alterations. Small and slender bacilliform particles (ca. 25 nm wide × 100 nm long) were found accumulating in the perinuclear space and the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum of the epidermis, peri- and mesocarp cells. No viroplasmlike inclusion was observed either in the nuclei or in the cytoplasm. Such cell alterations are reminiscent of those described in cultured mosquito cells infected by negeviruses, an unofficial group of insect viruses. Negeviruses and some other arthropod-borne viruses shared a common ancestor in the RdRp gene with kitavirids, including blunerviruses. Although additional detailed studies are required, we show evidence that ToFBV particles are enveloped and bacilliform, and that such similarity in cytopathology seems to support the evolutionary relationship between plant kitavirids and insect negeviruses. Made available in DSpace on 2022-08-08T19:21:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Scientia-Agric-v80-e20220045-2023.pdf: 4863228 bytes, checksum: 1b04ecc0b4d13d8832a59249b22a2692 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:51:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Microbial biodiversity of an environment can contribute to plant growth and increase crop yield. Plant extracts from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) were investigated on soybean plants grown after inoculation with these extracts. Soil samples were collected from two important Brazilian soybean-growing regions to produce the extracts used in the experiments. The extracts were produced with material collected from aboveground biomass and rhizosphere of soybean plants cultivated in a controlled greenhouse (phase 1). The extracts produced in phase 1 were applied in a sequential experiment (phase 2). Phase 2 was conducted to examine the plant microbiome after the microbial alteration process in the greenhouse through seed inoculation with the extracts produced previously. Samples of aboveground biomass were collected to determine root dry matter and crop yield. Bacterial 16S rRNA sequences were processed to determine the final microbial content of soybean. The inoculated treatments had lower species diversity; however, the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were more abundant in the treatments than in the non-inoculated treatment. The soybean plant stem in the inoculated treatment also had a positive response to enrichment of the bacterial classes Betaproteobacteria, Bacilli and Flavobacteria. Inoculation affected the microbial composition of soybean plants. The alteration of microbiome changes revealed differences for crop yield between the inoculated and non-inoculated treatments, with up to 93.5 % higher crop yields per plant according to the extract applied. Embrapa Meio Ambiente, Rod. SP 340, km 127, SP Universidade de São Paulo/ESALQ Depto. de Engenharia de Biossistemas, C.P. 09, SP Universidade de São Paulo/ESALQ Depto. de Ciência do Solo Lab. de Microbiologia do Solo, C.P. 09, SP Western Sydney University/Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”/FCAT Depto. de Produção Vegetal, Campus Dracena, Rod. Comandante João Ribeiro de Barros, km 651 – Bairro das Antas, SP Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”/FCAT Depto. de Produção Vegetal, Campus Dracena, Rod. Comandante João Ribeiro de Barros, km 651 – Bairro das Antas, SP FAPESP: 2017/15556-5

Background Copy number variations (CNVs) are a major type of structural genomic variants that underlie genetic architecture and phenotypic variation of complex traits, not only in humans, but also in livestock animals. We identified CNVs along the chicken genome and analyzed their association with performance traits. Genome-wide CNVs were inferred from Affymetrix® high density SNP-chip data for a broiler population. CNVs were concatenated into segments and association analyses were performed with linear mixed models considering a genomic relationship matrix, for birth weight, body weight at 21, 35, 41 and 42 days, feed intake from 35 to 41 days, feed conversion ratio from 35 to 41 days and, body weight gain from 35 to 41 days of age. Results We identified 23,214 autosomal CNVs, merged into 5042 distinct CNV regions (CNVRs), covering 12.84% of the chicken autosomal genome. One significant CNV segment was associated with BWG on GGA3 (q-value = 0.00443); one significant CNV segment was associated with BW35 (q-value = 0.00571), BW41 (q-value = 0.00180) and BW42 (q-value = 0.00130) on GGA3, and one significant CNV segment was associated with BW on GGA5 (q-value = 0.00432). All significant CNV segments were verified by qPCR, and a validation rate of 92.59% was observed. These CNV segments are located nearby genes, such as KCNJ11, MyoD1 and SOX6, known to underlie growth and development. Moreover, gene-set analyses revealed terms linked with muscle physiology, cellular processes regulation and potassium channels. Conclusions Overall, this CNV-based GWAS study unravels potential candidate genes that may regulate performance traits in chickens. Our findings provide a foundation for future functional studies on the role of specific genes in regulating performance in chickens.

Pochoniachlamydosporia and Purpureocilliumlilacinum are fungal bioagents used for the sustainable management of plant parasitic nematodes. However, their production through submerged liquid fermentation and their use in seed treatment have been underexplored. Therefore, our goal was to assess the effect of different liquid media on the growth of 40 isolates of P. lilacinum and two of P. chlamydosporia. The most promising isolates tested were assessed for plant growth promotion and the control of the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) and the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines). Most isolates produced > 108 blastospores mL−1 and some isolates produced more than 104 microsclerotia mL−1. Microsclerotia of selected isolates were used to inoculate common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds in greenhouse trials. All fungal isolates reduced the T. urticae fecundity in inoculated plants through seed treatment, while P. chlamydosporia ESALQ5406 and P. lilacinum ESALQ2593 decreased cyst nematode population. Purpureocillium lilacinum was more frequently detected in soil, whereas P. chlamydosporia colonized all plant parts. Pochonia chlamydosporia ESALQ5406 improved the root development of bean plants. These findings demonstrate the possibility of producing submerged propagules of P. chlamydosporia and P. lilacinum by liquid culture, and greenhouse trials support the applicability of fungal microsclerotia in seed treatment to control P. vulgaris pests. Made available in DSpace on 2022-06-10T15:19:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascarin-Production-purpureocillium-pdf.pdf: 5098621 bytes, checksum: 98756a819d4dc68e1d4034ecc0da2dd0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022

Drone-based remote sensing is a promising new technology that combines the benefits of ground-based and satellite-derived forest monitoring by collecting fine-scale data over relatively large areas in a cost-effective manner. Here, we explore the potential of the GatorEye drone-lidar system to monitor tropical forest succession by canopy structural attributes including canopy height, spatial heterogeneity, gap fraction, leaf area density (LAD) vertical distribution, canopy Shannon index (an index of LAD), leaf area index (LAI), and understory LAI. We focus on these variables? relationship to aboveground biomass (AGB) stocks and species diversity. In the Caribbean lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica, we analyze nine tropical forests stands (seven secondgrowth and two old-growth). Stands were relatively homogenous in terms of canopy height and spatial heterogeneity, but not in their gap fraction. Neither species density nor tree community Shannon diversity index was significantly correlated with the canopy Shannon index. Canopy height, LAI, and AGB did not show a clear pattern as a function of forest age. However, gap fraction and spatial heterogeneity increased with forest age, whereas understory LAI decreased with forest age. Canopy height was strongly correlated with AGB. The heterogeneous mosaic created by successional forest patches across human-managed tropical landscapes can now be better characterized. Drone-lidar systems offer the opportunity to improve assessment of forest recovery and develop general mechanistic carbon sequestration models that can be rapidly deployed to specific sites, an essential step for monitoring progress within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Made available in DSpace on 2020-08-01T11:12:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 27015.pdf: 1386408 bytes, checksum: cce9ebab5fed640e715ad6387e973c5a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

CALIBRAÇÃO DE SONDA CAPACITIVA EM NITOSSOLO VERMELHO LATOSSÓLICO EUTROFÉRRICO CULTIVADO COM FORRAGEIRAS IRRIGADAS ARTHUR CARNIATO SANCHES1*; DÉBORA PANTOJO DE SOUZA2; FERNANDA LAMEDE FERREIRA DE JESUS3; RODOLFO GUERTAS MAFFEI4; FERNANDO CAMPOS MENDONÇA5 E JOSÉ RICARDO MACEDO PEZZOPANE6 1Professor Doutor, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Rod. Dourados-Itahum, km 12 – Cidade Universitária, 79804-970, Dourados, MS, Brasil, e-mail: arthur_carniato@hotmail.com 2Doutoranda em Engenharia de Sistemas Agrícolas, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, ESALQ/USP, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil, e-mail: dpdsouza@usp.br 3Professora Doutora, Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Campus Tomé-Açu, Rod. PA 140, km 03, 68680-000, Tomé-Açu, PA, Brasil, e-mail: fernanda.lamede@ufra.edu.br 4Graduando em Agronomia, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, ESALQ/USP, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil, e-mail: rodolfo.maffei@usp.br 5Professor Doutor, Departamento de Engenharia de Biossistemas, ESALQ/USP, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11, 13418-900, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brasil, e-mail: fernando.mendonca@usp.br 6Pesquisador, Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, Rod. Washington Luiz, Km 234 s/nº, 13560-970, São Carlos, SP, Brasil, e-mail: jose.pezzopane@embrapa.br 1 RESUMO O conhecimento do teor de água no solo é importante para o manejo adequado da irrigação, pois permite estimar a quantidade necessária de água a ser aplicada no tempo correto. Sensores de capacitância são uma alternativa de quantificação do teor de água do solo (θ, m3 m-3), provendo leituras em profundidade de forma prática e rápida. Uma sonda capacitiva foi calibrada em um Nitossolo vermelho Eutroférrico Latossólico cultivado com forrageiras tropicais na área experimental da ESALQ/USP na cidade de Piracicaba (SP), Brasil. Quatro tubos de acesso foram instalados e, a cada duas semanas, foram coletadas amostras com três repetições para cada nível de profundidade, até o final de oito semanas, partindo do θsaturado. Efetuaram-se leituras com o equipamento para cada 0,1 m de solo até 0,7 m de profundidade, juntamente com a coleta das amostras de solo para a determinação de θ em laboratório. Uma equação de potência foi desenvolvida para cada profundidade estudada, como também para todo o perfil do solo. A curva geral de calibração proposta (SF = 0,256*θatual0,3422), ajustada por análise de regressão, foi significativamente relacionada às medidas do equipamento, com alta correlação (r2 = 0,87) e erro-padrão de 0,022 cm3 cm-3. A calibração para cada profundidade tem mostrado maiores coeficientes de correlação nas profundidades menores, minimizando o erro dasestimativas. A calibração feita no local permitiu melhor acurácia do monitoramento da água no solo e assim, proporcionar um melhor manejo da irrigação. Palavras-chave: sensor, manejo da irrigação, umidade do solo, reflectometria no domínio da frequência. SANCHES, A. C.; DE SOUZA, D. P.; DE JESUS, F. L. F.; MAFFEI, R. G.; MENDONÇA, F. C.; PEZZOPANE, J. R. M. CAPACITIVE PROBE CALIBRATION IN EUTROFERRIC LATOSOL RED NITOSOL CULTIVATED WITH IRRIGATED FORAGES 2 ABSTRACT Knowledge of soil water content is important for proper irrigation management because it allows estimating the required amount of water to be applied at the correct time. Capacitance sensors are an alternative for quantification of soil water content (θ, cm3 cm-3), providing depth readings in a practical and fast way. A capacitive probe was calibrated in a Eutroferric Red Nitosol cultivated with irrigated forages at the experimental area of ESALQ/USP in the city of Piracicaba - SP, Brazil. Four access tubes were installed and every 2 weeks samples were collected with 3 replicates for each depth level, for 8 weeks starting from θsaturated. Readings were taken with the equipment for every 0.1 m of soil up to 0.7 m of depth, together with the collection of soil samples for the determination of θ in laboratory. A power equation was developed for each depth studied as well as for the whole soil profile. The proposed general calibration curve (SF = 0.256*θcurrent0.3422), adjusted by regression analysis, was significantly related to the measurements of the equipment, with high correlation (r2 = 0.87), and standard error of 0.022 cm3 cm-3. The calibration for each depth has shown higher correlation coefficients at lower depths, minimizing the error of estimates. On-site calibration allowed better accuracy of soil water monitoring and, thus, better irrigation management. Keywords: sensor, irrigation management, soil moisture, frequency domain reflectometry.

Mites of the family Pyemotidae are reported as ectoparasites of a large number of arthropods He et al., 2019; Sousa et al., 2020; Chen et al. 2021), mainly insects of the orders Lepidoptera (Cunha et al., 2006; Oliveira et al., 2007; He et al. 2012, 2014; Liu et al, 2020; Tian et al. 2020), Hemiptera (Han, 2016; Li et al. 2019; Yu et al. 2019), and Coleoptera (Cunha et al. 2006; Guo et al. 2009; Oliveira et al., 2010). Pyemotes spp., also known as ?straw itch mites?, are of particular interest in applied acarology, both for their behavior as insect parasites and for their medical importance (Tomczyk-Socha et al. 2017; He et al., 2019). Adult females of this mite attach themselves to the host to feed, undergoing physogastry, the expansion of the posterior portion of their body (opisthosoma) to facilitate offspring development (Cunha et al. 2006). According to Tomalski et al. (1988), approximately 200 to 350 sexually mature mites are produced per female. Males are the first to be born, as adults, immediately copulating with their adult sisters. The newborn females immediately seek new hosts, which once parasitized, become paralyzed by the release of toxins (Sousa et al., 2020). Neurotoxins from a single female are sufficient to paralyze an insect host up to 150,000 times the size of the mite (Mullen and Oconnor, 2019). Studies on the potential of Pyemotes zhonghuajia as a biological control agent for eggs, larvae and pupae of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and the oriental armyworm Mythimna separata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) demonstrated that a female is capable of killing more than 50% of first to third instar larvae of S. frugiperda and M. separata within 72 h under laboratory conditions (Liu et al., 2020; Tian et al., 2020). Made available in DSpace on 2022-09-26T15:05:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 A-QUATERLY-JOURNAL-ACAROLOGY-10.pdf: 951941 bytes, checksum: 919daf06fdbcd1810120aeaea2bf618a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022

Background Beef tenderness is a complex trait of economic importance for the beef industry. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying this trait may help improve the accuracy of breeding programs. However, little is known about epigenetic effects on Bos taurus muscle and their implications in tenderness, and no studies have been conducted in Bos indicus. Results Comparing methylation profile of Bos indicus skeletal muscle with contrasting beef tenderness at 14 days after slaughter, we identified differentially methylated cytosines and regions associated with this trait. Interestingly, muscle that became tender beef had higher levels of hypermethylation compared to the tough group. Enrichment analysis of predicted target genes suggested that differences in methylation between tender and tough beef may affect signal transduction pathways, among which G protein signaling was a key pathway. In addition, different methylation levels were found associated with expression levels of GNAS, PDE4B, EPCAM and EBF3 genes. The differentially methylated elements correlated with EBF3 and GNAS genes overlapped CpG islands and regulatory elements. GNAS, a complex imprinted gene, has a key role on G protein signaling pathways. Moreover, both G protein signaling pathway and the EBF3 gene regulate muscle homeostasis, relaxation, and muscle cell-specificity. Conclusions We present differentially methylated loci that may be of interest to decipher the epigenetic mechanisms affecting tenderness. Supported by the previous knowledge about regulatory elements and gene function, the methylation data suggests EBF3 and GNAS as potential candidate genes and G protein signaling as potential candidate pathway associated with beef tenderness via methylation.

Following oviposition, females of many fruit flies deposit on the fruit surface a host-marking pheromone (HMP) that can deter oviposition by conspecifics and heterospecifics, thereby minimizing overexploitation of hosts. We describe the oviposition behaviour of two economically important fruit flies (Anastrepha fraterculus and Ceratitis capitata) in agar spheres marked with methanolic and aqueous faeces extracts that contain the HMP. Laboratory bioassays revealed that A. fraterculus mated female produces an HMP that can be extracted from faeces, and causes a significant reduction in fruit infestation by both conspecifics and heterospecifics (cross-recognition). Furthermore, mated female faeces extract contains higher amounts of methyl (9E)-hexadecenoate, methyl hexadecanoate, methyl linoleate and methyl (9Z)-octadecenoate than male faeces extract. Our results provide evidence for the potential use of this ovipositional deterrent in crop protection and pest management programmes for A. fraterculus and C. capitata. Made available in DSpace on 2022-08-02T12:27:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Host-marking-pheromone-of-the-South-American-fruit-2022.pdf: 1791196 bytes, checksum: 274452d31f0d55aa19798bf36c2e746d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022

An accurate estimation of crop yield under climate change scenarios is essential to quantify our ability to feed a growing population and develop agronomic adaptations to meet future food demand. A coordinated evaluation of yield simulations from process-based eco-physiological models for climate change impact assessment is still missing for soybean, the most widely grown grain legume and the main source of protein in our food chain. In this first soybean multi-model study, we used ten prominent models capable of simulating soybean yield under varying temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration [CO2] to quantify the uncertainty in soybean yield simulations in response to these factors. Models were first parametrized with high quality measured data from five contrasting environments. We found considerable variability among models in simulated yield responses to increasing temperature and [CO2]. For example, under a + 3 °C temperature rise in our coolest location in Argentina, some models simulated that yield would reduce as much as 24%, while others simulated yield increases up to 29%. In our warmest location in Brazil, the models simulated a yield reduction ranging from a 38% decrease under + 3 °C temperature rise to no effect on yield. Similarly, when increasing [CO2] from 360 to 540 ppm, the models simulated a yield increase that ranged from 6% to 31%. Model calibration did not reduce variability across models but had an unexpected effect on modifying yield responses to temperature for some of the models. The high uncertainty in model responses indicates the limited applicability of individual models for climate change food projections. However, the ensemble mean of simulations across models was an effective tool to reduce the high uncertainty in soybean yield simulations associated with individual models and their parametrization. Ensemble, ensemble mean yield responses to temperature and [CO2] were similar to those reported from the literature. Our study is the first demonstration of the benefits achieved from using an ensemble of grain legume models for climate change food projections, and highlights that further soybean model development with experiments under elevated [CO2] and temperature is needed to reduce the uncertainty from the individual models. Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-25T18:00:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AP-Soybean-models-2022.pdf: 10546770 bytes, checksum: 6995390284b79cf3d71d808e0570f1cc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022

The bienniality of production and the incidence of pests and diseases, such as coffee leaf miner and coffee leaf rust, stands out among the factors that limit coffee crop yield. Obtaining cultivars with greater stability in production and resistance to these biotic agents are among the main objectives of coffee breeding programs. In this way, biotechnological tools such as Genomic Wide Association Studies (GWAS) can increase these programs' efficacy since they allow the identification of molecular markers significantly associated with phenotypes of interest. In this context, the aim here is to identify genomic regions associated with yield, bienniality, and resistance to coffee leaf miner and coffee leaf rust in arabica coffee progenies. Thus, a population (n=597) was evaluated for resistance to biotic stresses and for the eight designed scenarios to study yield and bienniality. A matrix of 4,666 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) was built through Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS). After the genomic association analyses, we identified 12 potential SNPs markers associated with resistance to coffee leaf miner and coffee leaf rust, 32 associated with the eight designed scenarios to study yield and bienniality. Of the 44 SNPs significantly associated with this study's traits, 36 were noted in genomic regions responsible for biological processes related to plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition, four markers were coincident with yield and traits related to coffee leaf rust resistance. The genomic regions identified in this study can be incorporated into the coffee breeding program, through assisted selection, leading to more efficient breeding strategies in coffee. Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-19T01:57:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Association-mapping-reveals-genomic.pdf: 4980072 bytes, checksum: 34399cb2ad7148a41da800f9c630e3bc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

We conducted a study to identify the fecal metabolite profle and its proximity to the ruminal metabolism of Nelore steers based on an untargeted metabolomic approach. Twenty-six Nelore were feedlot with same diet during 105 d. Feces and rumen fuid were collected before and at slaughter, respectively. The metabolomics analysis indicated 49 common polar metabolites in the rumen and feces. Acetate, propionate, and butyrate were the most abundant polar metabolites in both bio-samples. The rumen presented signifcantly higher concentrations of the polar compounds when compared to feces (P< 0.05); even though, fecal metabolites presented an accentuated representability of the ruminal fuid metabolites. All fatty acids present in the ruminal fuid were also observed in the feces, except for C20:2n6 and C20:4n6. The identifed metabolites ofer information on the main metabolic pathways (higher impact factor and P< 0.05), as synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies; the alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolisms, the glycine, serine; and threonine metabolism and the pyruvate metabolism. The fndings reported herein on the close relationship between the ruminal fuid and feces metabolic profles may ofer new metabolic information, in addition to facilitating the sampling for metabolism investigation in animal production and health routines. Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-13T15:00:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ComparativeUntargetedMetabolome.pdf: 1971534 bytes, checksum: 04cf77d8b820aee368be3ff254d22a28 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in transcript sequences showing allele-specific expression (ASE SNPs) were previously identified in the Longissimus thoracis muscle of a Nelore (Bos indicus) population consisting of 190 steers. Given that the allele-specific expression pattern may result from cis-regulatory SNPs, called allele-specific expression quantitative trait loci (aseQTLs), in this study, we searched for aseQTLs in a window of 1 Mb upstream and downstream from each ASE SNP. After this initial analysis, aiming to investigate variants with a potential regulatory role, we further screened our aseQTL data for sequence similarity with transcription factor binding sites and microRNA (miRNA) binding sites. These aseQTLs were overlapped with methylation data from reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) obtained from 12 animals of the same population. We identified 1134 aseQTLs associated with 126 different ASE SNPs. For 215 aseQTLs, one allele potentially affected the affinity of a muscle-expressed transcription factor to its binding site. 162 aseQTLs were predicted to affect 149 miRNA binding sites, from which 114 miRNAs were expressed in muscle. Also, 16 aseQTLs were methylated in our population. Integration of aseQTL with GWAS data revealed enrichment for traits such as meat tenderness, ribeye area, and intramuscular fat . To our knowledge, this is the first report of aseQTLs identification in bovine muscle. Our findings indicate that various cis-regulatory and epigenetic mechanisms can affect multiple variants to modulate the allelic expression. Some of the potential regulatory variants described here were associated with the expression pattern of genes related to interesting phenotypes for livestock. Thus, these variants might be useful for the comprehension of the genetic control of these phenotypes. Made available in DSpace on 2021-08-17T12:02:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MuscleAlleleSpecific.pdf: 13183203 bytes, checksum: a634e71a998500cd0f7dd0ad1e644846 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021 Article number: 7321.

International audience; Recent methodological advances have opened new perspectives for tropical dendrochonological studies by facilitating the visualization, delimitation, and analyses of tree-rings. One of those improvements was brought by X-ray densitometry, which allows building radial wood density profiles at microscopic scale. Furthermore, recent methods allow for cutting long histological sections to study anatomical variations along the entire radius of trees. These techniques have mainly been applied to low wood-density species from temperate and Mediterranean regions, with only limited applications in the tropics. Here we provide an improved protocol that allows for obtaining long histological sections of tropical woods, apply it to six species with varying wood densities 0.45−0.85 g cm−3 (Eucalyptus grandis, Tectona grandis, Acacia mangium, Cedrela fissilis, Hymenaea courbaril, and Copaifera duckei), and explore potential applications for tree-ring analyses. We provide instructions on core-microtome knife adjustments, procedures for softening and sectioning long histological samples of high wood-density species. We also present a multi-proxy approach that combines X-ray density profiles with the histological sections that improve the characterization and distinction of the various and complex tropical growth rings anatomical markers (fibre zone, marginal parenchyma, and ring porosity). This multi-proxy approach also opens the door for obtaining quantitative anatomy and physical parameters of tropical species with (intra-annual resolution. Our proposed approach is thus not only an additional tool to improve ring-boundary delimitation of tropical species, but it also paves the way to more innovative, borderline approaches in tropical dendrochronology.

Emphasis has been given in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso to the implementation of more sustainable production practices, including what has been termed agrosilvopastoral production system (ASPS), which involves the integration of different types of land use in a same area along time, seeking increased ecological stability. The Gamasina mite group (order Mesostigmata) is usually diverse and abundant in non-cultivated soils, where they can prey on arthropods and nematodes; some are commercialized for biological pest control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity and abundance of edaphic Gamasina in plots of grain production managed under conventional (alternating cultivation) system and under ASPS, both with the adoption of no-tillage cultivation, in the municipality of Sinop, Mato Grosso state. In samples of soil and litter taken biweekly from August 2015 to May 2016, 762 Gamasina representing 32 species of 21 genera and nine families were collected. Considering both systems together, the dominant Gamasina were quite different from those of other parts of Brazil. Calculated ecological indexes showed no major differences between the two systems, possibly because of the relatively short time since the implementation of ASPS. In both systems, Rhodacaridae was one of the dominant families (37.5% of the Gamasina), followed by Macrochelidae (20.9%) and Laelapidae (18.8%). The most abundant species were Multidentirhodacarus squamosus Karg (Rhodacaridae), a new species of Holostaspella (Macrochelidae) and Cosmolaelaps barbatus Moreira, Klompen and Moraes (Laelapidae). Future studies are warranted, allowing more time for the adoption of ASPS to produce possible ecological changes. Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-28T01:56:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2021-cpamt-rmp-gamasina-mite-communities-grain-production-systems-southwestern-brazilian-amazon.pdf: 831669 bytes, checksum: 97b4ac91871a8fbb009b5b4a981ddaa5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

Inadequate disposal of poultry litter (PL) may promote eutrophication of water bodies due to its high nutrient content, including phosphorus (P). Thus, recycling P from PL to produce organomineral fertilizer (OMF), reduces the dependence on finite mineral P reserves, and also reduces P losses from soil. In this context, a field experiment was carried out to assess the agronomic effectiveness of a granular PL-derived OMF applied to maize and soybean in a highly weathered tropical soil. OMF was compared to single superphosphate (SSP) at five P rates between 0 and 70 kg ha-1. The shoot dry weight (SDW) and grain yields of soybean and maize were affected by P rates; however, no difference between OMF and SSP was found. A similar trend was observed for soil P and P uptake. The leaf P content and soil pH were not affected by either P sources or P rates. Although there was no difference between OMF and SSP on the crop yields, OMF had the highest relative agronomic effectiveness based on the SDW. These results show that the production of granular OMF from PL is a viable alternative to conventional P fertilizers and reduces the dependence of mineral P reserves. Made available in DSpace on 2021-11-29T12:00:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 A-poultry-litter-derived-organomineral-phosphate-fertilizer-2021.pdf: 1786866 bytes, checksum: 5d3fd150ec6cb3dc8c9ff1582273cff4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

This study proposes to examine the potential use of Bacillus aryabhattai in pre-sprouted seedlings of sugarcane inoculated with the microorganism when subjected to different regimes of water supply after transplanting. The experiment was laid out in a randomized-block design with a complete 3 × 2 × 5 factorial arrangement, in five replicates. The factors were represented by pre-sprouted seedlings of three sugarcane varieties (IAC 911099, RB 855156 and CTC 20), two seedling types (inoculated and not inoculated with B. aryabhattai) and five frequencies of water supply, which provided the ability of return to 100% soil field capacity, at every 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 days. Plant mortality, plant height, number of leaves, stalk diameter and number of tillers were evaluated throughout the experimental period. At the end of the study, the shoot dry matter (SDM) and root dry matter (RDM) contents of the plants were measured. The number of leaves on the plant was affected only in isolation, according to the cultivar, without effects of the other studied factors. There was a double interaction effect between the factors of variety and inoculation (V*I) for the variables of SDM, stalk diameter and height; and between frequency and inoculation (F*I) for stalk diameter. There was a triple interaction effect between variety, inoculation and frequency (V*I*F) for the RDM variable. Thus, the use of B. aryabhattai as an inoculant in pre-sprouted seedlings of sugarcane at the time of seedling formation can improve plant development after transplanting depending on the cultivar used, especially in IAC 911099 and RB 855156. Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-28T15:00:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 May-Effect-bacillus-2021.pdf: 185271 bytes, checksum: 2dcff09a5d55d7ad39b8bf097a80ff05 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

Euterpe precatoriais a palm tree belonging to the Arecaceae family, occurring in Western and Central Brazilian Amazonia. Its fruit, which is very appreciated in the Amazon region, produces pulp that is consumed in fresh form. Its production is carried out almost exclusively by extractive farmers. In order to establish adequate strategies to sustain this genetic resource, we need knowledge about the diversity and genetic structure in natural populations. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of geographic distance on genetic structure in the main extractive populations ofE. precatoriain the Brazilian Amazon. Leaves from 377 plants were collected in 19 populations located in 16 municipalities in the State of Amazonas and three in the State of Rondônia. Twelve microsatellite loci were used to genotype the plants. The diversity and genetic structure among populations were estimated. The average number of alleles per locus was 5.97. The observed heterozygosity means (HO) were higher than expected (HE) at the population level (HO= 0.72,HE= 0.66) and fixation index (f= -0.100) was negative. TheFSTvalue (0.1820) and the AMOVA results (Φ= 0.1796) showed population structure. The populations were clustered into three groups (K= 3) in the Bayesian analysis. The Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) confirmed eight clusters, with the populations close to those identified by the Bayesian analysis. The geographic differentiation was confirmed by the groupings obtained in the Structure analysis and the DACP function. Information related to phenotypic, genetic and environmental characterization of populations is important to guide conservation and management strategies and the formulation of public species management policies in Amazonia.

This article presents a review on the use of graphene in various segments, elucidating that this product can be used in various industrial sectors. These include mainly agriculture (as in large crops of high relevance, such as coffee), the food industry and the environment, as a plant growth stimulator and in fertilizers, nanoencapsulation and smart-release systems, antifungal and antibacterial agents, smart packaging, water treatment and ultrafiltration, contaminant removal, pesticide and insecticide quantitation, detection systems and precision agriculture. However, some challenges can be overcome before the graphene-based nanoparticle is used on a large scale. In this way, before using the product in the environment, it is necessary to determine whether the technology is safe for the soil-plant system and consumers. Furthermore, the cost of its use can also be a limiting factor depending on the level applied. Therefore, this review proposes to examine the diverse literature to explain the effects of the use of graphene in agriculture, plants and soil microorganisms. Accordingly, this article discusses and presents the possibilities of application of graphene in agriculture, plants and soil microorganisms. -- Resumo Este artigo apresenta uma revisão sobre o uso do grafeno em vários segmentos, elucidando que esse produto pode ser usado em vários setores da indústria, principalmente na agricultura, como em grandes culturas agrícolas de alta relevância como café, por exemplo, na indústria alimentícia e no meio ambiente, como estimulador de crescimento de plantas e fertilizantes, nanoencapsulação e sistemas de liberação inteligente, agentes antifúngicos e antibacterianos, embalagens inteligentes, tratamento de água e ultrafiltração, remoção de contaminantes, quantificação de pesticidas e inseticidas, sistemas de detecção e agricultura de precisão. Contudo, alguns desafios podem ser superados antes que a nanopartícula à base de grafeno seja utilizada em escala. Assim, antes do uso do produto no ambiente é necessário verificar se a tecnologia é segura para o sistema solo-planta e para os consumidores, além disso, o custo de utilização também pode ser um limitador, conforme a dose utilizada. Portanto, o objetivo desta revisão é analisar as diversas literaturas, explicando os efeitos do uso de grafeno na agricultura, plantas e microrganismos no solo. Assim, com o presente artigo, busca-se discutir e apresentar as possibilidades aplicativas do uso do grafeno na agricultura, nas plantas e nos microrganismos no solo. -- El grafeno se puede utilizar en diversos sectores de la industria, principalmente en la agricultura, en la industria alimentaria y en el medio ambiente, como estimulador del crecimiento de plantas y fertilizantes, nanoencapsulación y sistemas de liberación inteligente, agentes antifúngicos y antibacterianos, envases inteligentes, tratamiento de agua y ultrafiltración, remoción de contaminantes, cuantificación de pesticidas e insecticidas, sistemas de detección y agricultura de precisión. Sin embargo,algunos desafíos necesitan ser superados antes de que la nanopartícula basada en grafeno se utilice a escala. Así, antes de usar el producto en el medio ambiente, es necesario verificar si la tecnología es segura para el sistema suelo-planta y para los consumidores, además, el costo de uso también puede ser un limitante, dependiendo de la dosis utilizada. Así, el objetivo de esta revisión es analizar la diversa literatura, explicando los efectos del uso de grafeno en agricultura, plantas y microorganismos en el suelo. Made available in DSpace on 2021-04-19T18:33:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 May-Graphene-new-2021.pdf: 215251 bytes, checksum: b561ca0a5a5ba793863d0fba8c42f298 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-26T03:35:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-02-25 Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-Embrapa Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Chicken feed efficiency (FE) traits are the most important economic traits in broiler production. Several studies evaluating genetic factors affecting food consumption in chickens are available. However, most of these studies identified genomic regions containing putative quantitative trait loci for each trait separately. It is still a challenge to find common gene networks related to these traits. Therefore, here, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to explore candidate genomic regions responsible for Feed Intake (FI), Body Weight Gain (BWG) and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) traits and their gene networks. A total of 1430 broilers from an experimental population was genotyped with the high density Affymetrix 600K SNP array. A total of 119 associated SNPs located in 20 chromosomes were identified, where some of them were common in more than one FE trait. In addition, novel genomic regions were prospected considering the SNPs dominance effects and sex interaction, identifying putative candidate genes only when these effects were fit in the model. Relevant candidate genes such as ATRNL1, PIK3C2A, PTPRN2, SORCS3 and gga-mir-1759 were highlighted in this study helping to elucidate the genomic architecture of feed efficiency traits. These results provide new insights on the mechanisms underlying the consumption and utilization of food in chickens. Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Embrapa Suinos & Aves, BR-89715899 Concordia, SC, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Zootecnia, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Av Padua Dias 11, BR-13419900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Genet, BR-14049900 Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Pamplona Alimentos SA, BR-89164900 Rio Do Sul, SC, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agr & Vet, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation-Embrapa: 01.11.07.002.04.02 FAPESP: 2014/08704-0 CNPq: 481755/2007-1

Culturing the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, under high glucose concentrations coupled with high aeration results in a fungal developmental shift from hyphal growth to mostly blastospores (yeast-like cells). The underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this shift remain elusive. A systematic transcriptome analysis of the differential gene expression was preformed to uncover the fungal transcriptomic response to osmotic and oxidative stresses associated with the resulting high blastospore yield. Differential gene expression was compared under moderate (10% w/v) and high (20% w/v) glucose concentrations daily for three days. The RNAseq-based transcriptomic results depicted a higher proportion of downregulated genes when the fungus was grown under 20% glucose than 10%. Additional experiments explored a broader glucose range (4, 8, 12, 16, 20% w/v) with phenotype assessment and qRT-PCR transcript abundance measurements of selected genes. Antioxidant, calcium transport, conidiation, and osmosensor-related genes were highly upregulated in higher glucose titers (16-20%) compared to growth in lower glucose (4-6%) concentrations. The class 1 hydrophobin gene (Hyd1) was highly expressed throughout the culturing. Hyd1 is known to be involved in spore coat rodlet layer assembly, and indicates that blastospores or another cell type containing hydrophobin 1 is expressed in the haemocoel during the infection process. Furthermore, we found implications of the HOG signaling pathway with upregulation of homologous genes Ssk2 and Hog1 for all fermentation time points under hyperosmotic medium (20% glucose). These findings expand our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind blastospore development and may help facilitate large-scale industrial production of B. bassiana blastospores for pest control applications. Made available in DSpace on 2021-07-20T16:00:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascarin-Transcriptional-responses-2021.pdf: 4814744 bytes, checksum: 7a0437ac2a84fbddfc0d3053203d5339 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:28:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-04-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Plants have developed various mechanisms to respond specifically to each biotrophic attack. It has been shown that the electrical signals emitted by plants are associated with herbivory stress responses and can lead to the activation of multiple defences. Bt cotton is a genetically modified pest-resistant plant that produces an insecticide from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to control Lepidopteran species. Surprisingly, there is no study–yet, that characterizes the signalling mechanisms in transgenic cotton plants attacked by non-target insects, such as aphids. In this study, we characterized the production of electrical signals on Bt and non-Bt cotton plants infested with Aphis gossypii and, in addition, we characterized the dispersal behaviour of aphids to correlate this behaviour to plant signalling responses. Electrical signalling of the plants was recorded with an extracellular measurement technique. Impressively, our results showed that both Bt and non-Bt cotton varieties, when attacked by A. gossypii, emitted potential variation-type electrical signals and clearly showed the presence of distinct responses regarding their perception and the behaviour of aphids, with evidence of delay, in terms of signal amount, and almost twice the amount of Cry1F protein was observed on Bt cotton plants at the highest density of insects/plant. We present in our article some hypotheses that are based on plant physiology and insect behaviour to explain the responses found on Bt cotton plants under aphid stress. Department of Entomology and Acarology Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ) University of São Paulo (USP) Department of Biological Sciences Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ) University of São Paulo (USP) Department of Biostatistics São Paulo State University (UNESP) Biological Control Unit Embrapa Algodão Department of Biostatistics São Paulo State University (UNESP) FAPESP: 2015/20380–8 FAPESP: 2017/05953–7 FAPESP: 2018/ 20435–5

Abastract: The interaction between Metarhizium spp. and plant roots may induce host plant growth and help control below- and above-ground pests and diseases. We conducted in vivo and in vitro bioassays using native Brazilian isolates of Metarhizium robertsii (ESALQ 1635), M. humberi (ESALQ 1638), and M. anisopliae (ESALQ 1669) to better understand the possible mechanisms related to plant growth promotion traits and colonization of the root system in the model pot-grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) miniature cultivar ?Micro-Tom.? In vivo trials revealed that M. robertsii (ESALQ 1635) or M. humberi (ESALQ 1638) inoculated in tomato seedlings improved vegetative and reproductive traits. Inoculation with M. robertsii yielded taller plants, longer roots, and more shoot and root dry mass than M. humberi. The number of flowers and the fresh weight of fruits was significantly increased by M. robertsii and M. humberi inoculation, in relation to uninoculated control plants. Both fungal species endophytically colonized all tomato tissues within 30 days of inoculation. Plants inoculated with either M. robertsii or M. humberi increased auxin-induced GUS expression in the roots for up to 30 days after inoculation, confirming that Metarhizium induces auxin-regulated gene expression. We also explored the production of key compounds including enzymes, hormones, and metabolites involved in plant growth promotion. The three Metarhizium species grown with or without exogenous tryptophan were able to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at different titers. All Metarhizium isolates produced phosphatases, phytases, siderophores, and chitinases. Of particular importance, the M. robertsii and M. humberi isolates exhibited similar in vitro biochemical profiles, whereas M. anisopliae and Trichoderma harzianum isolates demonstrated distinct traits from the others. Taken together, we argue that the M. robertsii isolate is more efficient than the M. humberi isolate to endophytically colonize tomato plants resulting in improved growth. However, M. humberi (ESALQ 1638) yielded a slightly better production of some metabolites in vitro. Thus, we propose that the isolates of M. robertsii and M. humberi could be explored as complementary plant growth promoters. Made available in DSpace on 2020-10-23T09:12:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascarin-Multi-trait-biochemical-2020.pdf: 2330100 bytes, checksum: dfc48eeb89b590a67ff5dd669361578b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

This study aimed to characterize Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu seasonal production (seasonality) and its variation (climate risk) yearlong throughout Brazil. Data from weather stations in Brazil (1963-2009), were associated with an empirical herbage accumulation rate (HAR; kg DM ha-1 day-1) model which considers growing degree-days adjusted by a drought attenuation index. Simulations were performed under 20, 40, 60 and 100 mm of soil water holding capacities (SWHCs). HAR?s means and standard deviations were calculated for the seasons of the year. Thereafter, cluster analysis and calculations were performed to gather similar weather stations and characterize seasonality and climate risk indexes. Cluster analysis resulted in four Groups per SWHC. The north of Brazil (Group 1) presented the lowest seasonality and climate risk indexes and low need for precautions. In the middle west (Group 2), the seasonality index ranged from medium-high to high. Winter and Summer presented the lowest and highest production, respectively. In the south of Brazil, some regions in the southeast and northeast (Group 3), Winter presented the lowest production and highest climate risk index, probably due to low temperatures. The northeast (Group 4) presented a seasonality index that ranged from medium-high to very high and low productions. Made available in DSpace on 2020-11-17T09:14:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ClimateRiskSeasonal.pdf: 835760 bytes, checksum: 10e57d5d53ff3bc4cccb0968db09d409 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Differences between the expression of the two alleles of a gene are known as allele-specific expression (ASE), a common event in the transcriptome of mammals. Despite ASE being a source of phenotypic variation, its occurrence and effects on genetic prediction of economically relevant traits are still unexplored in bovines. Furthermore, as ASE events are likely driven by cis-regulatory mutations, scanning them throughout the bovine genome represents a significant step to elucidate the mechanisms underlying gene expression regulation. To address this question in a Bos indicus population, we built the ASE profile of the skeletal muscle tissue of 190 Nelore steers, using RNA sequencing data and SNPs genotypes from the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip (770 K bp). After quality control, 820 SNPs showed at least one sample with ASE. These SNPs were widespread among all autosomal chromosomes, being 32.01% found in 3'UTR and 31.41% in coding regions. We observed a considerable variation of ASE profile among individuals, which highlighted the need for biological replicates in ASE studies. Functional analysis revealed that ASE genes play critical biological functions in the development and maintenance of muscle tissue. Additionally, some of these genes were previously reported as associated with beef production and quality traits in livestock, thus indicating a possible source of bias on genomic predictions for these traits. Made available in DSpace on 2020-10-10T09:14:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AP-Allele-specific-2020.pdf: 1969866 bytes, checksum: 3b858fd65a6e059a02cd3b893d37b41c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020 Na publicação: Adhemar Zerlotini. Article number: 10204.

Acidic soils rapidly retain applied phosphorus fertilizers and consequently present low availability of this nutrient to plants. The use of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms to help plant phosphorus (P) absorption is a promising sustainable strategy for managing P deficiencies in agricultural soils. Trichoderma strains have been one of the most studied filamentous fungi for improving the production and development of several crop species mainly due to their capability for symbiotic associations and their ability to control soil-borne plant diseases. Thus, this work sought to bioprospect Trichoderma strains from the Amazon rainforest capable of solubilizing/mineralizing soil phosphate and promoting soybean growth. Soybean plants inoculated with selected Trichoderma strains were cultivated in soil under greenhouse conditions and under a gradient of rock phosphate and triple superphosphate. As a result, 19.5% of the isolated Trichoderma strains were able to solubilize phosphate. In addition, those strains produced different organic acids during the solubilization process. Trichoderma spp. strains showed positive responses in the promotion of soybean growth—from 2.1% to 41.1%—as well as in the efficiency of P uptake-up to 141%. These results reveal the potential of Trichoderma spp. from the Amazon biome as promising biofertilizer agents.

Maize (Zea mays spp. mays L.) is the major domesticated cereal of the Americas and is of great relevance for global food security. For a long time, Amazonia represented an empty space in the racial distribution maps of this species, due to the lack of collections and the idea that locally developed races became extinct during European colonization. However, a native race had been described in Brazilian Amazonia, the Entrelaçado race, and a new study placed Amazonia on the map again, with a proposal for a center of diversification in Southwestern Amazonia. We prospected maize in the Brazilian states of Acre and Rondônia (Southwestern Brazilian Amazonia) and found floury landraces belonging to the Entrelaçado race, rare in existing collections and often considered extinct in the field. We collected indigenous and local names, general and specific uses for Entrelaçado, and characterized these accessions to compare them with other Brazilian floury maize races, based on data from the literature. Floury maize from the Southwest formed a coherent group in the cluster analysis, which grouped with Entrelaçado from the literature, confirming its identification and demonstrating that this race is conserved in Southwestern Amazonia. Made available in DSpace on 2020-09-19T04:39:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Entrelacado-a-rare-maize-race-conserved-in-Southwestern-2020.pdf: 2139787 bytes, checksum: e9f329a93362a893202a8326d4e5eaac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

World climate change has triggered soil water stress and imposed limitations on agricultural production. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPBs) have been an efficient strategy to improve the biological supply and growth of plants under distinct abiotic stress conditions. We hypothesized that the soils from a temporary pond may harbor PGPBs with potential strains which increase maize tolerance to water deficit. We studied rhizosphere and bulk soil of Mimosa bimucronata in a temporary pond from semiarid Northeast Brazil to access strains with characteristics to promote plant growth and mitigate abiotic stress for maize crop. We isolated 355 bacterial isolates, from which 96 were selected based on the morphophysiological characterization to assess IAA production (42 % produced over 50 ug mL-1 of IAA), calcium phosphate solubilization (with one isolate achieving medium IS), biofilm and exopolysaccharides production (66 % and 98 % of isolates, respectively). Based on these mechanisms, the 30 most promising bacterial isolates were selected to assess biological nitrogen fixation (74 % of the isolates showed nitrogenase activity greater than 20 C2H4.h-1.mg-1), ACC deaminase activity (80 % of isolates) and growth in medium with reduced water activity (8 % of isolates grew in medium with water activity (Aw) of 0.844). We sequenced the 16S rRNA gene from the seven most promising isolates in in vitro and in vivo assays, which were identified as Staphylococcus edaphicus, Bacillus wiedmannii, Micrococcus yunnanensis, Streptomyces alboflavus, Streptomyces alboflavus, Bacillus wiedmanni and Bacillus cereus. In vivo, eleven isolates and three bacterial consortia did not differ from the control with nutrient solution, for total leaf area and root dry mass of maize. S. alboflavus (BS43) had the best in vivo results, not differing from the control with nutrient solution. We highlight the unpublished potential of Staphylococcus edaphicus and Streptomyces alboflavus in promoting the growth of plants under water stress. In addition, it is the first report of bacteria isolated from a temporary pond in the Brazilian semiarid which promoting plant growth attributes and development. Made available in DSpace on 2021-11-12T12:01:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bacteria-from-tropical-semiarid-temporary-ponds-2020.pdf: 1063882 bytes, checksum: d98a0b8af8d7063bd8ef46dc344c460a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Feed efficiency helps to reduce environmental impacts from livestock production, improving beef cattle profitability. We identified potential biomarkers (hub genes) for feed efficiency, by applying co-expression analysis in Longissimus thoracis RNA-Seq data from 180 Nelore steers. Six co-expression modules were associated with six feed efficiency-related traits (p-value ≤ 0.05). Within these modules, 391 hub genes were enriched for pathways as protein synthesis, muscle growth, and immune response. Trait-associated transcription factors (TFs) ELF1, ELK3, ETS1, FLI1, and TCF4, were identified with binding sites in at least one hub gene. Gene expression of CCDC80, FBLN5, SERPINF1, and OGN was associated with multiple feed efficiency-related traits (FDR ≤ 0.05) and were previously related to glucose homeostasis, oxidative stress, fat mass, and osteoblastogenesis, respectively. Potential regulatory elements were identified, integrating the hub genes with previous studies from our research group, such as the putative cis-regulatory elements (eQTLs) inferred as affecting the PCDH18 and SPARCL1 hub genes related to immune system and adipogenesis, respectively. Therefore, our analyses contribute to a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying feed efficiency in bovine and the hub genes disclosed can be used as biomarkers for feed efficiency-related traits in Nelore cattle. Made available in DSpace on 2020-08-15T04:11:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AP-Potential-biomarkers-2020.pdf: 6772400 bytes, checksum: b6d50a8237cd649b3e08ecc7fb04b44e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020 Article 189. Na publicação: Luciana C. A. Regitano.

Nitrogen (N) is the main nutrient element that maintains productivity in forages, it is inextricably linked to dry matter increase and plant support capacity. In recent years, high spectral and spatial resolution remote sensors, e.g., the European Space Agency (ESA)&rsquo, s Sentinel satellite missions, have become freely available for agricultural science, and have proven to be powerful monitoring tools. The use of vegetation indices has been essential for crop monitoring and biomass estimation models. The objective of this work is to test and demonstrate the applicability of different vegetation indices to estimate the biomass productivity, the foliar nitrogen content (FNC), the plant height and the leaf area index (LAI) of several tropical grasslands species submitted to different nitrogen (N) rates in an experimental area of S&atilde, o Paulo, Brazil. Field reflectance data of Panicum maximum and Urochloa brizantha species&rsquo, cultivars were taken and convoluted to the Sentinel-2 satellite bands. Subsequently, different vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDI), Three Band Index (TBI), Difference light Height (DLH), Three Band Dall&rsquo, Olmo (DO), and Normalized Area Over reflectance Curve (NAOC)) were tested for the experimental grassland areas, and composed of Urochloa decumbens and Urochloa brizantha grass species, which were sampled and destructively analyzed. Our results show the use of different relevant Sentinel-2 bands in the visible (VIS)&ndash, near infrared (NIR) regions for the estimation of the different biophysical parameters. The FNC obtained the best correlation for the TBI index combining blue, green and red bands with a determination coefficient (R2) of 0.38 and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 3.4 g kg&minus, 1. The estimation of grassland productivity based on red-edge and NIR bands showed a R2 = 0.54 and a RMSE = 1800 kg ha&minus, 1. For the LAI, the best index was the NAOC (R2 = 0.57 and RMSE = 1.4 m2 m&minus, 2). High values of FNC, productivity and LAI based on different sets of Sentinel-2 bands were consistently obtained for areas under N fertilization.

Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. In view of the concern for sustainable development in its economic, social and environmental dimensions, the present study was developed to examine the influence of a product based on the amino acid proline on the productive performance of coffee plants when applied foliarly. Six doses of the product applied via foliar spraying were tested. Emergence of new leaves from plagiotropic branches, number of flowers, number of young green cherries, total weight of all fruit types and polyphenoloxidase enzyme dosage were evaluated in a randomized-block experimental design with three replicates. Each plot consisted of three crop rows with 10 plants each. Significant differences were detected for all evaluated traits. The increasing doses of the proline-based product promoted an increase in the number of flowers, young green cherries and leaves emerged on the evaluated plagiotropic branches, demonstrating that the amino acid improves the performance of coffee plants. The ideal dose of the product to provide the highest coffee fruit productivity was 500 mL/ha, applied before flowering. The different doses of the amino acid concentrate were effective in increasing polyphenoloxidase activity and can be used as an instrument for improving the quality of coffee as well as an aid in conferring resistance to coffee diseases caused by microorganisms. Made available in DSpace on 2020-10-04T09:11:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 May-Development-coffee-2020.pdf: 365355 bytes, checksum: 027848e05b638103626e663b545e485d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

Tropical forests are often located in dicult-to-access areas, which make high-quality forest structure information dicult and expensive to obtain by traditional field-based approaches. LiDAR (acronym for Light Detection And Ranging) data have been used throughout the world to produce time-ecient and wall-to-wall structural parameter estimates for monitoring in native and commercial forests. In this study, we compare products and aboveground biomass (AGB) estimations from LiDAR data acquired using an aircraft-borne system in 2015 and data collected by the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based GatorEye Unmanned Flying Laboratory in 2017 for ten forest inventory plots located in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in Acre state, southwestern Brazilian Amazon. The LiDAR products were similar and comparable among the two platforms and sensors. Principal dierences between derived products resulted from the GatorEye system flying lower and slower and having increased returns per second than the aircraft, resulting in a much higher point density overall (11.3 1.8 vs. 381.2 58 pts/m2). Dierences in ground point density, however, were much smaller among the systems, due to the larger pulse area and increased number of returns per pulse of the aircraft system, with the GatorEye showing an approximately 50% higher ground point density (0.27 0.09 vs. 0.42 0.09). The LiDAR models produced by both sensors presented similar results for digital elevation models and estimated AGB. Our results validate the ability for UAV-borne LiDAR sensors to accurately quantify AGB in dense high-leaf-area tropical forests in the Amazon. We also highlight new possibilities using the dense point clouds of UAV-borne systems for analyses of detailed crown structure and leaf area density distribution of the forest interior. Made available in DSpace on 2020-06-02T04:38:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 27002.pdf: 8268657 bytes, checksum: 92fd75c7b1786acaf00f080246b7eef4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020