Spatial and temporal variation of near surface soil moisture and soil temperature in integrated crop-livestock system.

The objective of this study were to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of near surface soil moisture and soil temperature over a growing season in soybean/corn and grass under integrated crop-livestock systems

Yield and nutrient uptake of soybean cultivars under intensive cropping systems.

Sustainable agricultural systems are necessary to improve soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed yield and to increase nutrient use efficiency. Intensification of agricultural systems is an important tool to increase farmers? profitability in the Cerrado region (Brazil), where soybean is rotated with corn in the same growing season. However, this intensification requires soybean cultivar with short growing periods which is achieved by indeterminate soybean cultivars. There is a lack of information regarding the nutrient uptake by soybean cultivars under intensive agricultural systems in the Cerrado. We sought to investigate soybean biomass production and soybean seed yield of determinate and indeterminate soybean cultivars. We also aimed to quantify the amounts of nutrients taken up by soybean biomass and seeds. Field research was conducted to evaluate 17 soybean cultivars commonly grown by farmers, and we considered the determinate and indeterminate soybean growth habit. Nutrient uptake and aboveground soybean biomass were higher under shorter soybean growth and development cycles. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium extraction in modern cultivars was higher than in cultivars used in past decades. Nutrient use efficiency was higher in determinate soybean cultivars than in indeterminate soybean cultivars

Innovative approach to address challenges and opportunities to conservation agriculture adoption in Brazilian agricultural frontier.

Brazilian agriculture is facing another expansion cycle to the Cerrado region, more specific in the Northeast. The first agriculture expansion cycle to the Midwest was in seventies encouraged and developed by Brazilian Government with farmers from southern and southeast Brazil, which were traditional small farmers with some experience, low budget and a remarkable determination. All of these efforts after 20 years resulted in an outstanding development of a part of the country with economy based on agribusiness (soybean, corn, cotton, livestock, poultry, swine, etc.). In late nineties, another cycle initiated in the Cerrado Northeastern region known as MATOPIBA (acronyms of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia states). Bahia and Maranhão were more pronounced and became very strong over time. Recently, basically in the last 5 years Tocantins and Piauí states started to increase agricultural production in high rates, reaching in Tocantins state a 30% increase of crop area per year and 34 % increase of total grain production per year and soybean is the major crop. Most of technologies developed in other Cerrado regions are not well adapted to MATOPIBA and a technology transfer is necessary to address conservation agriculture principles to farmers, agronomists, consultants and extension agents

Safety and efficacy of natalizumab in children with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effect of natalizumab in the treatment of subjects with active multiple sclerosis (MS) treated before the age of 18 years. METHODS: Nineteen pediatric subjects with MS (mean age 14.6 +/- 2.2 years, mean number of attacks 5.2 +/- 1.9 during the pretreatment phase of 27.7 +/- 19.7 months, median pretreatment Expanded Disability Status Scale score [EDSS] 2.5, range 1.0-5.0) were treated with natalizumab at the dose of 300 mg every 28 days. After treatment initiation, patients were reassessed clinically every month; brain MRI was performed at baseline and every 6 months. RESULTS: Patients received a median number of 15 infusions (range 6-26). A transient reversible worsening of preexisting symptoms occurred in 1 subject during and following the first infusion. All the patients remained relapse-free during the whole follow-up. The median EDSS decreased from 2.5 to 2.0 at the last visit (p < 0.001). EDSS remained stable in 5 cases, decreased by at least 0.5 point in 6 cases, and decreased by at least 1 point in 8 cases. At baseline, the mean number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions was 4.1 (range 1-20). During the follow-up, no gadolinium-enhancing lesions were detected (p = 0.008); 3 patients developed new T2-visible lesions at month 6 scan but the overall number of T2 lesions remained stable during the subsequent follow-up. Transient and mild side effects occurred in 8 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Natalizumab was well-tolerated in all subjects. A strong suppression of disease activity was observed in all subjects during the follow-up. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that natalizumab, 300 mg IV once every 28 days, decreased EDSS scores in pediatric patients with MS over a mean treatment period of 15.2 months

Teor de clorofila e índice de vegetação diferencial normalizada em cultivares de soja em sistema de sucessão soja-milho.

A cultura da soja tem tido aumento de área de 128% no período de 2010-2015 no estado do Tocantins (TO), sendo o maior produtor de soja da região Norte, e um dos principais produtores de soja da região do Matopiba. Com o avanço da agricultura na região, informações sobre o potencial de rendimento de cultivares de soja se faz necessário, bem como o efeito que o sistema de sucessão pode ocasionar na produção de biomassa e no acúmulo de nitrogênio via simbiose. O índice de vegetação diferencial normalizada (NDVI) e o teor de clorofila são ferramentas essenciais para avaliar remotamente as características biofísicas da soja. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o NDVI e o teor de clorofila em 18 cultivares de soja no Tocantins no sistema de sucessão soja-milho.FertBio 2016

Perdas causadas pelas podridões do colmo na produtividade do milho safrinha no Estado do Tocantins.

A expansão da região agrícola conhecida como Matopiba, cuja abrangência envolve os estados do Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí e da Bahia, tem recebido atenção quanto ao aumento da área de produção de milho. O Estado do Tocantins apresenta grande potencial para produção do milho nesta região, no entanto, alguns fatores podem limitar a produtividade. Entre estes fatores, a ocorrência de doenças é um dos mais preocupantesDurante acompanhamento das lavouras na região de Tocantins, foram observados elevados episódios de podridões-de-colmo. Para avaliar o potencial de perdas causadas por tais podridões, cinco cultivares de milho (DKB350, DKB380, LG6038, LG 6036 e STATUS) foram cultivadas no município de Pedro Afonso, TO. Espigas de plantas sadias e de plantas com sintomas de podridão de colmo foram amostradas para avaliar o potencial de perdas. Colmos de plantas com podridão foram coletados e enviados para laboratório para avaliação e identificação dos patógenos. Também foram avaliados a incidência de plantas com podridão por parcela, o tamanho (cm) e peso (g) de cada espiga doente e sadia e a produtividade. Houve diferença significativa no tamanho de espigas, peso de espigas e peso de grãos/espiga, sendo as menores médias apresentadas nas plantas com podridão da base do colmo, quando comparadas às plantas sadias. Observou-se redução média no peso de grãos em plantas doentes em torno de 28% em relação às plantas sadias, com perdas superiores a 10 sacas/ha na produtividade. Em todas as cultivares, a incidência de podridão foi alta (variando entre 30 e 55%). Prevaleceram os fungos Fusarium spp. e Stenocarpella spp como principais agentes de podridãode- colmo na região.bitstream/item/142549/1/bol-128.pd

Resposta de híbridos de milho ao manejo da adubação na safrinha.

O cultivo do milho safrinha tem crescido nos últimos anos no estado do Tocantins (TO), como alternativa de intensificação dos sistemas agrícolas, aumento no aporte anual de biomassa e receita na propriedade. Com o avanço da agricultura na região, informações sobre o rendimento de híbridos de milho, bem como a resposta ao manejo da adubação são necessários, para definir o posicionamento de materiais e o manejo da adubação. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho objetivou avaliar a resposta em produtividade de 17 híbridos de milho cultivados na safrinha no Tocantins, em sistema de sucessão soja-milho.FertBio 2016