Search

Using non-destructive and low-cost methods to determine leaf area has gained important applications. The research objectives were (i) to propose a non-destructive method to estimate the leaf area of castor bean crops and (ii) to build equations that accurately and quickly estimate the leaf area of specie. One thousand healthy and expanded leaves of five castor bean cultivars (New Zealand Purple, Sipeal, Carmencita, Amarelo de Irecê, and IAC-80) were collected, and 200 leaves were collected from each. The maximum length, maximum width, and leaf area were calculated for each leaf. The product between length and width (LW) were calculated. We performed tests with different linear and non-linear regression models between leaf area and linear leaf dimensions of each cultivar. The models used were linear, linear without intercept, and power. The criteria for choosing the best models to estimate the leaf area of castor beans were a higher coefficient of determination, more elevated Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient, lower Akaike information criterion, higher Willmott agreement index, and smallest root mean square error. The equations that presented the best criteria for estimating the leaf area of castor bean cultivars were those that used the product between length and width, compared to equations that used only one leaf dimension. The model ŷ = 0.439 × LW can be used to accurately and quickly estimate the castor bean leaf area through linear measurements of the leaves, using the product between length and width (LW), regardless of the cultivar chosen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yield of castor is influenced by the type of inflorescence and the proportion of female flowers. However, there are few studies on the genetic mechanism involved in the development and differentiation of castor inflorescences. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analyses of three different phenotypes of inflorescences at the five-leaf stage. In comparison to the MI (complete pistil without willow leaves), 290 and 89 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the SFI (complete pistil with willow leaves) and the BI (monoecious inflorescence), respectively. Among the DEGs, 104 and 88 were upregulated in the SFI and BI, respectively, compared to the MI. In addition, 186 DEGs and 1 DEG were downregulated in the SFI and BI compared to the MI. Moreover, we conducted GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs. In comparison to the MI, the SFI and BI exhibited the enrichment of functional branches in DEGs, specifically in pollen wall assembly, pollen development, and cellular component assembly involved in morphogenesis. In our study, RADL5 showed low expression levels between SFI-vs.-MI types. In addition, we found that the expression of NAC in the SFI differed from that in MI and BI, and some genes related to hormonal signaling changed their expression levels during inflorescence differentiation. These results reveal the genetic mechanism of sex genotypes in castor, which will not only guide researchers in the breeding of castor but also provide a reference for genetic research on other flowering plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the levels of heavy metals in the soil and castor bean plant after fertilization with sewage sludge (SS) subjected to different stabilization processes. The study was conducted in a Haplic Cambisol with the following treatments: control (CO), fertilization with solarized sewage sludge (SSS), composted sewage sludge (CSS), vermi composted sewage sludge (VSS), limed sewage sludge (LSS), and mineral fertilizer (MF). The experimental design included a subdivided plot scheme with fertilization being the primary factor and soil layers or leaf parts being the secondary factor. The data obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance and the Scott-Knott test with 5% significance. Fertilization with SSS, CSS, and LSS led to the highest increase in Zn in the soil, mainly in the surface layer. In the leaf tissues, Zn and Cu levels were higher with the CO and SSS treatments, whereas the Ni level was higher with SSS, CSS, VSS, and MF treatments. In general, Zn and Cu levels were higher in the leaf limb than in the petiole, whereas Ni, Pb, and Cr levels were higher in the petiole than in the leaf limb. In any case, no symptoms of toxicity in the plants and no risk of soil contamination were observed with any of the fertilization treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Castor, scientifically known as Ricinus communis L., is among the top ten oil crops globally. It is considered a renewable resource and is commonly referred to as 'green oil'. Castor seeds contain castor oil as their main component, which is predominantly composed of ricinoleic acid. This study utilized RNAi technology to silence the NPC6 gene in NO.2129 castor, resulting in the creation of mutant plants L1 and L2. The weight of 100 dry seed kernels from L1 and L2 exceeds that from NO.2129. The crude fat and ricinoleic acid levels of L1 and L2 were higher than those of NO.2129 at various developmental stages. In the proteomics analysis of 60-day-old castor seeds, a total of 21 differentially expressed proteins were identified, out of which 19 were successfully recognized. Eleven of the differentially expressed proteins identified were legumins, which play a crucial role in nutrient storage within the seed. Silencing the NPC6 gene results in the accumulation of ricinoleic acid in castor seeds. The findings of this study not only enhance our knowledge of NPC6's role in regulating castor seed oil synthesis but also offer fresh perspectives for investigating oil synthesis and accumulation in other plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effect of detoxified castor meal on the reproductive performance, metabolic stress, milk production, and kid development in peripartum goats. The diet of the animals were with (DCM, n= 20) or without (WDCM, n= 21) detoxified castor meal during the entire gestation and until weaning, 60 days post-birth. No differences were observed in the gestation period, litter size, rate of multiple births, and mortality between the two groups. The postpartum plasma concentrations of progesterone remained below 1ng/mL in all animals, thus, confirming the absence of active corpora lutea. The thickness of sternum adipose tissue and loin area, levels of urea and cholesterol, milk production, and daily weight gain in the kids were low in the DCM group when compared to those in the WDCM group (P< 0.05). To conclude, the use of detoxified castor meal in peripartum goats resulted in lower level of performance in the kids because of reductions in the amount of milk received from their mothers during lactation. In addition, the diet containing detoxified castor meals was not efficient in recovering from the loss of stored body reserves able to initiate the recovery of the cyclic activity of the goats.

In the current research study, the phytochemical tests of the Ricinus communis L methanolic extract detected the presence of coumarin, reducing sugar, emodines, terpenoids, flavonoids, and steroids while water extract showed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and soluble starch. The methanolic extract was further subjected to synthesize Au nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were confirmed by UV–Vis through the appearance of a peak at 550 nm which correspond to the existence of Au nanoparticles. The size and morphology of synthesized nanoparticle were further studied by the dynamic light scattering technique which shows that nanoparticles were in the range of 100 nm which were further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles and extracts were tested against different bacterial strains. The results revealed that methanolic extract showed maximum inhibition of 19.5 mm against Klebsiella pneumoniae and 20.33 mm against Bacillus cereus while water extract showed maximum inhibition of 18.16 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 19.33 mm against B. cereus. On the other hand, Au nanoparticles showed maximum inhibition of 18.5 mm against Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Saúde e Produção Animal (RBSPA) is the property of Revista Brasileira de Saude e Producao Animal (RBSPA) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The stimulation of caspases, i.e. intracellular cysteine proteases which cleave their substrates at aspartic acid residues, can lead to apoptosis. Autophagy, the regulated cellular degradation, is commenced from the engulfment of unwanted cytoplasmic content, followed by the fusion with the lysosome, and the degradation. Ricin contained in the seeds of Ricinus communis L. is a type II ribosome-inactivating protein that possesses cytotoxicity activity against various cancer cell lines. Our work investigated the structure-based molecular interaction of caspase-3, -8, -9, and autophagy-related gene5 (ATG5) with ricin-A. The X-ray crystal structures of human caspase-3, -8, -9, and ATG5 were retrieved from https://www.rcsb.org/structure/. The protein-protein docking was performed by employing ClusPro (https://cluspro.org/). The results indicated that ricin-A reveals similar binding modes in terms of the hydrogen bond (Ser205, Arg207, Ser209) and hydrophobic interaction (Trp206 and Phe256) with those of Ac-DEVD-AFC (a caspase3 substrate). Ricin-A interacts with Arg413 and Ser411 that were located antiparallel in the binding pocket of caspase8. A part of ricin-A also binds to Val410, a residue located in pocket S2 of caspase-8. Moreover, ricin-A interacts with several amino acid residues in caspase-9, thus activation of caspase-9 by ricin-A occurs on an allosteric site. Several hydrogen bonds are built between ricin-A and residues 395-479 in ATG5. In conclusion, ricin-A might be able to induce the downstream executioner caspases, particularly caspase-3, -8, -9, and modulates ATG5, thus activates apoptosis and inhibits autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the antioxidant potential and antibacterial efficacy of Ricinus communis L. nano- emulsion. Subjects and Methods: In this order, the antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) and ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] test. Meanwhile the antibacterial properties of Ricinus communis L. nano-emulsion were tested using disc diffusion method against the Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. Results: The obtained results revealed that the R. communis L. nanoemulsion has a high capacity to inhibit the free radicals of ABTS and DPPH. The IC50 concentration related the both assays were 177.66 and 235.79 μg/ml respectively. The antibacterial results demonstrated that R. communis L. nano-emulsion strongly inhibited the growth rate of Staphylococcus aureus with values of 9 mm. Conclusion: The overall results of this study indicate that R. communis L. nano- emulsion has a strong antioxidant potential and antibacterial property and it can be used in the food and medicinal industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the many aspects related to intercropping and practically not studied is the fertilization of the crops involved. The nutritional requirement of the species can be modified as a result of the interaction. The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutrition of common bean and castor bean subjected to different forms of the split of nitrogen (N) rate in coverage. Two experiments were carried out in the summer harvests of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, using a randomized block design, in a 2 × 2 × 6 + 4 factorial scheme, with three replications. The treatments were composed of two common bean cultivars and two castor bean cultivars in intercropping system, combined with six forms of split of nitrogen fertilization coverage. The four additional treatments were composed of the two common bean and castor bean cultivars in monoculture, using the 40 kg ha−1 of N in coverage. For common beans, the split of 30:70 kg ha−1 of N increased the concentration of P (32.3%), K (6.0%), Ca (12.1%), Mg (78.5%), S (180.0%), B (17.9%), Cu (35.5%), Fe (3.1%), Mn (9.2%) and Zn (47.9%) in relation to control treatment. For castor beans, the same split increased the concentration of P (43.5%), K (9.4%), Mg (130.7%), S (3.2%), B (15.8%), Cu (28.4%), Fe (37.6%), Mn (40.5%) and Zn (70.2%). Pérola and Energia cultivars obtained higher values of leaf nutrients for common bean and castor bean, respectively. Leaf nutrient concentrations were higher in the monoculture when compared to intercropping for both crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilization is an important agricultural strategy for enhancing the efficiency of phytoremediation in copper (Cu)-contaminated soils. In this study, the effects of nitrogen (N) forms, including ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3−-N), on the growth, translocation, and accumulation of Cu in the tissues of Ricinus communis L. were investigated in pot and hydroponic experiments. The results demonstrated that higher biomass and N contents in plants were obtained when N was supplied as NO3−-N rather than NH4+-N. Application of N increased the Cu content in the roots of R. communis, with a higher content after NH4+-N (53.10–64.20 mg kg−1) than NO3−-N (37.62–53.75 mg kg−1) treatment. On the contrary, the levels of Cu translocation factors were much higher in NO3−-fed plants (0.34–0.45) than in NH4+-fed plants (0.28–0.38). The suggested amount of N for fertilizer application is 225 kg hm−2, which resulted in the highest Cu content in R. communis and optimal plant growth. As the main Cu-binding site, root cell walls accumulated less Cu in plants treated with NH4+-N compared with NO3−-N. Additionally, NH4+-N induced a higher malondialdehyde content and more severe root damage compared with NO3−-N. In the leaf, a larger number of black granules, which could be protein and starch grains involved in the detoxification of Cu in R. communis, were present after NH4+-N than NO3−-N treatment. These results illustrate that N forms are especially important for Cu translocation and accumulation and that immobilization and transformation of Cu in roots were improved more by NH4+-N than NO3−-N. In conclusion, N fertilizers containing the appropriate forms applied at suitable rates may enhance the biomass and Cu accumulation of R. communis and thereby the remediation efficiency of Cu-contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Caatinga is the property of Revista Caatinga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT: Castorbean presents high sensitivity to competition; therefore, it is necessary to develop alternatives for the weed management, mainly for the chemical control of eudicotyledons species. The goal of this work was to evaluate the selectivity of chlorimuron-ethyl to castorbean crops in different development stages. Four experiments differentiated by the genetic material were conducted: Lyra, Íris and Savana hybrids and AL Guarany 2002 cultivar. The treatments corresponded to the application conditions of chlorimuron-ethyl [sample control with no application, doses of 15 e 20 g a.i. ha-1 with the formulations Classic™ and Clorimuron Master Nortox™] in two phenological crop stages (4 to 5 and 7 to 8 true leaf stages). The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replications, in a factorial scheme of 5 x 2 (herbicide and application stage). The intoxication was more severe for the 7 to 8 leaf stage and with the dose of 20 g ha-1 on day 7 days after application (DAA); there were plant recovery and mild symptoms on day 21 DAA, especially for the 4 to 5 leaf stage. The yield was reduced with the 20 g ha-1 dose for Lyra hybrid with both formulations and for Savana castorbean, only with the Classic™ formulation. The chlorimuron-ethyl herbicide, at 15 g ha-1, showed selectivity to castorbean, regardless of the stage application (4 to 5 or 7 to 8 leaves).

A mamoneira é uma oleaginosa de relevante importância econômica e social, de grande relevância para a economia da região Nordeste, por fixar mão de obra, evitando a evasão de divisas. Foram estudados diferentes aspectos do manejo da cultura da mamona, visando à otimização do uso da água e do rendimento da mamona, no primeiro e segundo ciclos de produção, sendo este último obtido após uma drástica poda da planta no final do primeiro ciclo. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida no campo em Lagoa Seca-PB. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2 x 4, constituído com duas cultivares de mamona (BRS 149 - Nordestina e o BRS 188 - Paraguaçu) e quatro níveis de água disponível no solo (40; 60; 80 e 100%), distribuídos em três blocos. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância F. A altura da planta, o diâmetro do caule, a área foliar e a fitomassa da parte aérea foram avaliados. O acréscimo da disponibilidade hídrica no solo aumentou todos os índices de crescimento e/ou desenvolvimento das plantas. O segundo ciclo da cultura apresentou comportamento semelhante ao do primeiro ciclo, demonstrando a viabilidade técnica de condução a um segundo ciclo da mamona.

Objetivou-se com este experimento avaliar o efeito da inclusão de torta de mamona destoxificada (TMD) na ração de poedeiras comerciais sobre o desempenho e a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos. Foram utilizadas 200 poedeiras comerciais de 40 a 50 semanas de idade, da linhagem Hy-Line W-36®, com 1543±34g de peso corporal, que foram distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos (0, 5, 10, 15 e 20% de torta de mamona destoxificada na ração) com cinco repetições de oito aves cada. Foram avaliados o consumo de ração, a produção, o peso e a massa de ovos e a conversão alimentar. A qualidade interna foi avaliada por meio da unidade de Haugh, percentual de albúmen e de gema. A qualidade da casca foi medida pela espessura, densidade específica e percentual de casca. As variáveis de desempenho foram afetadas pela inclusão da TMD com resposta linear negativa para o consumo de ração e quadrática para produção de ovos, peso do ovo, massa do ovo e conversão alimentar, com os melhores níveis de 10,5, 5,7, 9,2 e 10,3% respectivamente. Não houve efeito significativo da inclusão da TMD para as variáveis de qualidade interna e externa dos ovos. Concluiu-se que a TMD pode ser incluída na ração de poedeiras em até 5,7% para otimizar o desempenho e não alterar a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos.

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Agricultura Irrigada - RBAI is the property of Revista Brasileira de Agricultura Irrigada - RBAI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas is the property of Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Este experimento foi realizado em campo para avaliar estratégias de irrigação com água salina no crescimento e na produção da mamoneira (BRS Energia), além de identificar eventuais estádios de maior tolerância à salinidade e monitorar alguns atributos químicos do solo. Os tratamentos consistiram da irrigação com águas de CE 0,53; 2,09; 3,66 dS m-1 de acordo com a fase de desenvolvimento da cultura, totalizando cinco estratégias de irrigação com água salina e uma testemunha. As avaliações de crescimento foram realizadas aos 20; 40; 60; 80; 100 dias após a semeadura (DAS). As coletas de solo foram realizadas concomitantemente às avaliações de crescimento, nas camadas 0-0,10; 0,10-0,30; 0,30-0,50 m. A irrigação contínua com água de CE 3,66 dS m-1 reduziu a altura de planta, o comprimento de racemo terciário, o número de frutos por área útil e a produtividade de frutos. Essa estratégia aumentou acentuadamente os teores de Na+ e a CE do solo no final do ciclo. Por outro lado, a irrigação com água salina começando aos 45 DAS não prejudicou as variáveis de crescimento e os componentes de produção. Essa estratégia minimizou os impactos negativos sobre a salinidade/sodicidade do solo no final do ciclo. Comportamento similar foi observado para a irrigação contínua com água de CE 2,09 dS m-1 (mistura de águas com CE de 0,53 e 3,66 dS m-1). A mamoneira não apresentou tolerância diferenciada à salinidade em função da fase de desenvolvimento, embora tenha sido prejudicada quando aumentaram a intensidade e a duração do estresse salino.This experiment was conducted under field conditions to evaluate irrigation strategies with saline water on growth and production of castor oil plant (cv. BRS Energia), identify eventual stages with higher tolerance to salinity and monitor some soil chemical attributes. The treatments consisted of irrigations with water of EC 0.53; 2.09; 3.66 dS m-1 according to the development stage of the culture, totalizing five irrigation strategies with saline water and a control group. The growth evaluations were done at 20; 40; 60; 80; 100 days after sowing. The soil samples were taken at the same time of the growth evaluations, from the layers of 0 to 0.10; 0.10 to 0.30; 0.30 to 0.50 m. Continuous irrigation using water with EC of 3.66 dS m-1 reduced the plant height, length of tertiary raceme, number of fruits per area and fruit yield. This strategy increased the values of soil chemical attributes Na+ and EC at the end of cycle. From the 45th day on, irrigation with saline water did not damage the growth variables and the production components. This strategy minimized the negative impacts on the salinity/sodicity of the soil at the end of cycle. Similar behavior was observed for continuous irrigation using water with EC of 2.09 dS m-1 (mixing of water with EC of 0.53 and 3.66 dS m-1). The castor oil plant did not show different tolerance to salinity according to the development stage, although it was damaged with a longer and more intense saline stress.

Castor bean is a nutrient-demanding species, but there is still little information on its micronutrient requirements. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of levels of B (2.5, 12.5 and 25.0 µmol L-1), Cu (0.05, 0.25 and 0.50 µmol L-1), Mn (0.2, 1.0 and 2.0 µmol L-1) and Zn (0.2, 1.0 and 2.0 µmol L-1) in a nutrient solution on plant B, Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations and uptake, vegetative growth and fruit yield of castor bean "Iris", grown in greenhouse. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design with three replicates. The first deficiency symptoms were observed for B, followed by Zn, Cu and Mn. The main changes in the cell ultrastructure due to lack of B were thickening of the cell walls and middle lamellae, distorted chloroplasts and tightly stacked thylakoids, besides the absence of starch grains. The Mn, Zn and Cu deficiencies led to disruption of chloroplasts, disintegration of thylakoids and absence of amyloplasts. The concentration and uptake of B, Cu, Mn, and Zn in castor bean plants increased with micronutrient supply in the solution. Fruit yield was drastically reduced by B and Mn deficiencies. On the other hand, the dry matter yield of the shoot and root of castor bean plants was not. In the treatment with full nutrient solution, the leaves accumulated 56 and 48 % of the total B and Mn taken up by the plants, respectively, and the seeds and roots 85 and 61 % of the total Cu and Zn taken up, respectively. This shows the high demand of castor bean Iris for B and Mn for fruit yield.

This experiment aimed to determine the metabolizable energy and the digestibility of detoxified castor meal and castor cake nutrients for broilers. A total of 180 Cobb-500TM broilers from 21 to 32 days of age was randomly distributed in three treatments with six replicates of 10 broilers - 5 males and 5 females. The experimental treatments were a reference-diet and two test-diets composed of 80% of reference-diet and 20% of detoxified castor cake or castor meal. The adaptation period ranged from 21 to 27 days of age and the total excreta collection period ranged from 28 to 32 days of age. The detoxified castor meal presented apparent metabolizable energy of 2,032 kcal/kg of natural matter, apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance of 1,829 kcal/kg of natural matter and the digestibility coefficients of 57.8% dry matter, 68.4% crude protein, 10.5% crude fiber, 35.9% nitrogen free extract, 80.0% ether extract and 26.6% ash. In the detoxified castor cake, the apparent metabolizable energy content was 2,550 kcal/kg of natural matter, the nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy balance was of 2,320 kcal/kg of natural matter and the digestibility coefficients of 60.6% for dry matter, 77.2% for crude protein, 14.0% for crude fiber, 45.7% for nitrogen free extract, 85.4% for ether extract and 28.2% for ash. The metabolizable energy and digestibility of nutrients in detoxified castor cake are higher than in the detoxified castor meal.

O conhecimento da diversidade é de fundamental importância para o melhoramento de plantas, pois além de identificar combinações que possam expressar elevada heterose, aumenta a perspectiva de seleção de segregantes superiores, com a potencialização da variabilidade no cruzamento entre genótipos divergentes. Diversos métodos multivariados podem ser aplicados no estudo da diversidade e a escolha baseia-se na precisão desejada pelo pesquisador, na facilidade da análise e na forma como os dados foram obtidos. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivos avaliar a diversidade de onze genótipos de mamoneira (Ricinus communis L.) nas regiões Norte e Noroeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro e investigar o potencial do uso dos genótipos avaliados em futuros programas de melhoramento. Foram avaliados seis descritores quantitativos (altura de planta, comprimento total dos racemos, comprimento da região com frutificação do racemo, comprimento da região sem frutificação no racemo, número de frutos por racemo e produção total), utilizando-se delineamento de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Houve diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos para todas as características avaliadas. As análises multivariadas (UPGMA, Tocher e Variáveis Canônicas) foram similares formando três grupos. Os genótipos Nordestina, IAC 80, Al Guarany, Paraguaçu, Mirante e IAC 226 revelaram-se promissores para as regiões avaliadas. Em programas de intercruzamentos, recomendam-se as combinações Al Guarany x Nordestina, Al Guarany x IAC 80 e Nordestina x IAC 80.Knowledge of the diversity is of fundamental importance for plant breeding, as well as for the identification of combinations that can express high heterosis levels, increase the expectation of selection of superior segregating genotypes, based on the accumulation of varibility by crosses between dissimilar genotypes. Several multivariate methods can be used to investigate diversity. The choice is made according to the accuracy desired by the researcher, the ease of the analysis and how the data were obtained. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diversity of 11 castor bean genotypes in the north and northwest of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and to investigate the potential of each genotype for future breeding programs. Six quantitative traits (plant height, total raceme length, length of the region with fruiting raceme, length of the region without fruiting raceme, number of fruits per raceme and total yield) were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The differences between treatments were significant for all traits evaluated. Results of multivariate analyses (UPGMA, Tocher and canonical variables) showed similar results forming three groups each. The genotypes Nordestina, IAC 80, Al Guarany, Paraguaçu, Mirante and IAC 226 proved promising for the studied regions. For crossing or breeding programs, the combinations Al Guarany x Nordestina, Al Guarany x IAC 80 and Nordestina x IAC 80 are recommended.

The aim was to study the efficiency of electrical conductivity test in evaluating the quality of castor seeds. Emergence of seedlings was evaluated in the field, with five seed lots of cv. AL Guarany 2002. The seeds were submitted to the following tests: germination; first count of germination; accelerated aging (45ºC by 24 to 100% UR), emergence of seedlings in the field, rate of speed of development of seedlings and electrical conductivity, testing the periods (2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 hours) and the number of seeds (25, 50 and 75) in 75ml of distilled water conditioning to 25ºC. A completely randomized design was used. The averages were compared by the Tukey test at 5%. The mean laboratory and field test data were correlated. Electrical conductivity test for 4 hours with 25 seeds and 6 hours with 50 seeds, and the rate of speed emergency proved efficient in the selection of lots vigor by providing information equivalent to the emergence of seedlings in the field.Com o objetivo de verificar a eficiência do teste de condutividade elétrica na avaliação da emergência de plântulas em campo de sementes de mamoneira, cinco lotes da cv. AL Guarany 2002 foram submetidos aos seguintes testes: germinação, primeira contagem de germinação, envelhecimento acelerado (45oC por 24h a 100%UR), emergência de plântulas em campo, índice de velocidade de emergência de plântulas e condutividade elétrica, testando-se os períodos de condicionamento (2, 4, 6, 8 e 24 horas) e o número de sementes (25, 50 e 75) em 75ml de água destilada a 25 oC. Empregou-se delineamento inteiramente casualizado. As médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade. Correlacionaram-se os dados médios dos testes realizados em laboratório e em campo. O teste de condutividade elétrica por períodos de embebição de 4 horas com 25 sementes e 6 horas com 50 sementes e o índice de velocidade de emergência mostraram-se eficientes na seleção de lotes quanto ao vigor fornecendo informação equivalente à emergência de plântulas em campo.

With the aim of to evaluate the correlation and the direct and indirect effects of morphological descriptors on oil content of castor (Ricinus communis L.) genotypes, an experiment was conducted in the agricultural years 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 at Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul - Unit of Aquidauana (UEMS/UUA). The experimental design used was randomized blocks with three replications. The treatments consisted of seven castor genotypes (BRS Energia, IAC-2028, IAC-Guarani, BRS Nordestina, BRS Paraguaçu, IAC-80 and IAC-226). The following descriptors were evaluated: plant height (PH), stem diameter (SD), number of bunches (NB), number of fruits (NF), mass of fruits (MF), mass of hundred seeds (MHS) and oil content (OC). Initially, it was determined the following genetic parameters: genotypic variance, environmental variance, coefficient of experimental variation, coefficient of genotypic variation, heritability, environmental correlations, phenotypic correlations and genetic correlations. The phenotypic correlations were deployed by path analysis in estimates of direct and indirect effects, and preceded the diagnosis of multicollinearity in explanatory variables and independent explanatory variables on the OC (primary dependent variable). The results indicated that the direct and indirect selection of genotypes with plant height, stem diameter, number of bunches and mass of hundred seeds is promising to select genotypes with high oil content in castor.

Castor ( Ricinus communis L.) is an important oilseed crop providing raw materials for many industries. Its cultivation is seriously affected by the wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ricini. In India, no cultivar could be released for cultivation without wilt resistance. Breeding for wilt resistance is hampered due to the limitation on number of genotypes that can be screened in a traditional 'sick plot (field) method'. In the pursuit of establishing a high throughput screening method, we evaluated four different methods of artificial inoculation namely seed soaking, soil drenching, root dip and sick pot in glasshouse condition for their efficiency using a panel of eight genotypes with known disease reaction. The results showed that 'sick pot method' was the most ideal for accurate identification of resistance or susceptibility in plants in a short time with relative ease. In order to further validate the results, a large set of 132 castor inbred lines were evaluated in sick pot. Based on days-to-death data of the inbred lines, a scoring system was developed to suitably characterize the degree of resistance. Screening of the same set of inbred lines in the sick field produced similar results but moderate and highly resistant genotypes could not be differentiated suggesting the advantage of sick pot method over field screening. The screening method established and the set of resistant or susceptible inbred lines identified in this study could be of immense use in basic research concerning host-pathogen interactions, molecular genetics and breeding applications in castor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many plants have been introduced in Iranian traditional medicine for treatment of different joint problems including knee pain. Topical application of the mixture of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves (Henna) with aqueous extract of Ricinus communis L. leaves have been mentioned to have significant effects on reducing knee pain. The present study was designed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the mixture of these two herbs in male rats. Methods: We induced knee osteoarthritis as a model of chronic pain by intra-articular injection of mono sodium iodoacetate (MIA). Mechanical allodynia, hotplate latency test, spontaneous movements and gait analysis were used for the evaluation of analgesic activity. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by measuring the diameter and the volume of the injected paw compared to contralateral paw. These tests were monitored at days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 of MIA administration. Histopathological evaluations were also used to assess the efficacy of the treatment on inflammation and lesions in knee tissue. In all tests, diclofenac topical gel was used as a positive control. The herbal extracts, their mixture, and vehicle or diclofenac gel were administered daily for 14 days by topical route. Results: The mixture of these two extracts significantly reduced the knee joint width and volume of the injected paws and also improved foot prints in gait analysis after 3 days of MIA injection. Analysis of mechanical allodynia (after 21 days), hotplate latency test (after 10 days), spontaneous movements (after 7 days) and in positive control group (after 3 days in all tests and in mechanical allodynia after 14 days) compared to the vehicle group, showed significant effects. Topical usage of the selected formulation made significant histopathological changes on the knee of the rats. Compared to the vehicle group, the tests and diclofenac groups showed less reactions characterized by negligible edema and a few scattered inflammatory lymphoid cells. Conclusion: The present findings showed that the present formulation not only was able to mitigate pain and inflammation in the paws but also made significant histopathological changes on the knee of the rats. Further studies are necessary to confirm the effect of the formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Caatinga is the property of Revista Caatinga and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an oilseed that has detachable importance in Brazil and worldwide, its main product derived from its oil that can be used as raw material for biodiesel, therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance levels of castor seeds to salt stress simulated by NaCl. In each treatment, 100 seeds, in four replicates of 25 seeds. For the evaluation of germination under salt stress was used NaCl solutions with the following electric conductivity: 0.4dSm-1 1.2dSm-1, 2.2dSm-1, 3.2dSm-1 and 4.2dSm-1. Was evaluated germination percentage, average time of germination, average speed of germination, GRI and 15 days held the length of the primary root, of shoots, and weighed dry and fresh weight of seedlings. The experimental design was completely randomized. The seeds of castor bean BRS Energia showed tolerance to water with salinity levels up to 4.2dSm-1 in relation to the germination speed index, average time of germination, average speed of germination and germination percentage and the high salinity affected the length of shoot and root zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth, the content of sodium, chloride and ion relation in castor bean cv. BRS Energia as a function of irrigation water salinity and nitrogen fertilization under field conditions in the TypicUsthorthent eutrophic soil of sandy loam te×ture in the municipality of Pombal, PB . The e×perimental design was randomized blocks, a 5×4 factorial, consisting of the combination of five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.3, 1.2, 2.1, 3.0 and 3.9 dS m-1) and four doses of nitrogen-DN (70, 100, 130 and 160% of the recommended dose). The use of water with ECw above 0.3 dS m-1 negatively affected the plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves and leaf area; the content of sodium and chloride increased with the increase in ECwin all parts of the plant, and the content of chloride being higher than sodium; irrigation with water of ECw up to 3.7 dS m-1 resulted in an increase in the Na+/K+ in root tissues; the increase in application of DN affected positively the number of leaves,leaf area and chloride in leaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]