Organic and conventional tomato cropping systems.

Among several alternative agricultural systems have been developed, organic agriculture has deserved increasing interest from. The objective of this paper was comparing both organic (OS) and conventional (CS) tomato cropping systems for varieties Débora and Santa Clara, through an interdisciplinary study. The experiment was set up in a randomized blocks design with six replicates, in a dystrophic Ultisol plots measuring 25 ´ 17 m. Cropping procedures followed by either local conventional or organic growers practices recommendations. Fertilization in the OS was done with organic compost, single superphosphate, dolomitic limes (5L, 60 g, and 60 g per pit), and sprayed twice a week with biofertilizer. Fertilization in the CS was done with 200 g 4-14-8 (NPK) per pit and, after planting, 30 g N, 33 g K and 10.5 g P per pit; from 52 days after planting forth, plants were sprayed once a week with foliar fertilizer. In the CS, a blend of insecticides, fungicides and miticides was sprayed twice a week, after planting. In the OS, extracts of black pepper, garlic, and Eucalyptus; Bordeaux mixture, and biofertilizer, were applied twice a week to control diseases and pests. Tomato spotted wilt was the most important disease in the OS, resulting in smaller plant development, number of flower clusters and yield. In the CS, the disease was kept under control, and the population of thrips, the virus vector, occurred at lower levels than in the OS. Variety Santa Clara presented greater incidence of the viral disease, and for this reason had a poorer performance than 'Débora', especially in the OS. Occurrence of Liriomyza spp. was significantly smaller in the OS, possibly because of the greater frequency of Chrysoperla. The CS had smaller incidence of leaf spots caused by Septoria lycopersici and Xanthomonas vesicatoria. However, early blight and fruit rot caused by Alternaria solani occurred in larger numbers. No differences were observed with regard to the communities of fungi and bacteria in the phylloplane, and to the occurrence of weeds

Manguezais: potencial fonte de microrganismos para o uso como agentes de biocontrole da podridão radicular e promotores de crescimento de plantas em hidroponia.

Resumo: Microrganismos residentes de manguezais são adaptados aos baixos teores de oxigênio e flutuações de salinidade, condições encontradas em ambientes hidropônicos. Essa adaptação ecológica torna esses microrganismos em potenciais agentes de controle biológico de podridões radiculares, importantes doenças que incidem sobre cultivos hidropônicos e promotores de crescimento de plantas, pois um dos principais problemas encontrados no biocontrole e na promoção de crescimento em hidroponia é a baixa adaptação dos microrganismos introduzidos. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a capacidade de 28 isolados de microrganismos residentes de manguezais no controle da podridão radicular causada por Pythium aphanidermatum e na promoção de crescimento em pepino hidropônico. Dentre os microrganismos avaliados para o controle da doença em mini-hidroponia, utilizando plântulas de pepino, Gordonia rubripertincta SO-3B-2, uma mistura de isolados (G. rubripertincta SO-3B-2, MB- P3A-49, MB-P3-C68 e SO-3L-3 de Pseudomonas stutzeri) e Bacillus cereus AVIC-3-6 aumentaram a sobrevivência das plântulas. Em condições de casa-de-vegetação, G. rubripertincta SO-3B-2 e P. stutzeri MB-P3A-49 promoveram o crescimento vegetal das plantas não infestadas com o patógeno. Concluimos que, microrganismos residentes de manguezais são potenciais agentes de controle biológico da podridão radicular e da promoção de crescimento em cultivos hidropônicos. Mangrove microbes are well adapted to low oxygen and salinity fluctuation environments, conditions found in hydroponic systems. This ecological adaptation makes these microbes suitably adapted for use in hydroponic crops as biological control agents of root rot, important disease in hydroponic crops; and as plant growth promoters, because one of the most important issues found in the biocontrol and plant growth promotion in hydroponic crops is the low survival of the added microbes to the nutrient solution. The aim of this work was to evaluate the ability of 28 mangrove microbes strains for the control of root rot caused by Pythium aphanidermatum and growth promotion in hydroponic cucumber. Among the 28 strains evaluated to disease control in small-hydroponic system using cucumber seedlings, Gordonia rubripertincta SO-3B-2, the mix strains (G. rubripertincta SO-3B-2, MB-P3A-49, MB-P3-C68 and SO-3L-3 of Pseudomonas stutzeri), and Bacillus cereus AVIC-3-6 increased the seedlings survival. In greenhouse conditions G. rubripertincta SO-3B-2 and P. stutzeri MB- P3A-49 increased growth of plants not infested with the pathogen. We conclude that microbes from mangroves have potential value as biocontrol agents and growth promotion in hydroponic crops.bitstream/item/48672/1/boletim-59.pd