Pre-harvest desiccation with glyphosate and quality of stored soybean seeds.

ABSTRACT: Seeds from non-genetically modified soybean cultivars harvested after chemical desiccation of plants with glyphosate may produce abnormal seedlings; these may show phytotoxicity symptoms that could persist even after some time of storage due to accumulation of toxic residues. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of stored soybean seeds harvested after chemical desiccation of plants with glyphosate at R7 stage. Seeds from soybean cultivar ?Conquista? were produced with and without desiccation with glyphosate, at the dose 2.0 L ha-1, applied at physiological maturity stage. Seed quality was evaluated right after harvest and after eight months of storage by tests of moisture content, mass, germination and vigor. The experimental design was the completely randomized block with four replications. Data was submitted to variance analysis and means were compared by the Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05) as a 2 x 2 factorial. The results show deleterious effects of glyphosate used as desiccant for early harvest of soybean seeds from conventional cultivars. Accelerating plant senescence leads to production of seeds with lower germination and decreased seedling development, although the percentage of abnormal seedlings is reduced after 8 months of storage possibly due to degradation of toxic residues of glyphosate and/or derivates. RESUMO: Sementes de cultivares convencionais de soja colhidas após dessecação química das plantas com glifosato podem produzir plântulas anormais, com sintomas de fitotoxicidade que podem persistir mesmo após o armazenamento devido ao acúmulo de resíduos tóxicos. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a qualidade de sementes armazenadas de soja colhidas após dessecação química das plantas com glifosato no estádio R7. Sementes de soja da cultivar Conquista foram produzidas com e sem dessecação das plantas com glifosato, na dose de 2,0 L ha-1, no estádio de maturidade fisiológica. A qualidade das sementes foi avaliada logo após a colheita e aos oito meses de armazenamento quanto ao teor de água, massa, germinação e vigor. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey (p?0,05), em esquema fatorial 2 x 2. Os resultados mostram efeitos deletérios da aplicação de glifosato utilizado como dessecante para antecipação da colheita de sementes de soja de cultivares convencionais. A aceleração da senescência das plantas resulta na produção de sementes com menor germinação e reduzido desenvolvimento de plântulas, apesar de a porcentagem de plântulas anormais ser reduzida após 8 meses de armazenamento, possivelmente devido à degradação dos resíduos tóxicos de glifosate e/ou seus derivados

Dessecação de plantas de soja com glyphosate e qualidade das sementes armazenadas.

Sementes de cultivares convencionais de soja colhidas após dessecação química podem produzir plântulas anormais, com sintomas de fitotoxicidade que podem persistir após o armazenamento. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a qualidade fisiológica de sementes armazenadas de soja em função da dessecação química das plantas em pré-colheita com glyphosate. Sementes de soja da cultivar convencional Conquista foram produzidas na ausência e presença de dessecação das plantas com glyphosate (na dose de 2,0 L ha-1) no estádio de maturidade fisiológica (R7). A qualidade das sementes foi avaliada logo após a colheita e aos 8 meses de armazenamento em câmara seca quanto ao teor de água, massa, germinação e vigorA qualidade das sementes de soja foi influenciada pela interação entre a aplicação do glyphosate como dessecante e o tempo de armazenamento, com exceção da condutividade elétrica, que variou somente em função do período de análise. A dessecação química das plantas ocasionou diminuição da massa e da qualidade das sementes de soja independente do período de análise; no entanto, os efeitos do armazenamento foram variáveis dependendo da avaliação. A germinação das sementes foi maior após o armazenamento devido à redução na ocorrência de fungos . A massa das sementes e sua germinação após o teste de envelhecimento acelerado foram reduzidas após 8 meses. O desenvolvimento das plântulas, tanto quanto ao comprimento total e de suas partes como a massa da matéria seca, foi reduzido pela aplicação de glyphosate em pré-colheita, mas não variou após o período de armazenamento. A dessecação química das plantas de soja com glyphosate reduz a qualidade fisiológica das sementes de soja e os sintomas de fitotoxicidade persistem mesmo após 8 meses de armazenamento

Porcentagem de sementes verdes, teor de clorofila e qualidade de lotes de soja.

A retenção de clorofila em sementes de soja produzidas no Brasil tem ocasionado sérios problemas aos produtores nos últimos anos. Estudos recentes revelaram relação inversa entre índice de sementes esverdeadas e intensidade da tonalidade verde dos cotilédones com a qualidade fisiológica de sementes de soja. O objetivo do estudo foi averiguar o efeito da presença de sementes verdes e de clorofila na qualidade de sementes de soja. Os tratamentos constaram de 67 lotes de sementes, de diferentes cultivares, com variações nos graus de retenção de clorofila. Em cada lote foram determinados a porcentagem de sementes verdes, utilizando-se o método visual de classificação de cores com auxílio da carta de Munsell, e o teor de clorofila, mediante extração química pelo método de Arnon (1949) adaptado no presente estudo. Ambos os parâmetros foram relacionados com a qualidade das sementes avaliada pela germinação e por testes de vigor (primeira contagem, envelhecimento acelerado, condutividade elétrica, comprimento e massa seca de plântulas) em três épocas: inicial, aos três e aos seis meses de armazenamento. Os dados obtidos foram analisados por teste de correlação. Os métodos, bioquímico e visual, utilizados para classificação dos lotes quanto à presença de clorofila e coloração verde nas sementes de soja foram satisfatórios, e correlacionados entre si, quanto maior a porcentagem de sementes verdes em um lote, maior o teor de clorofila. A análise dos dados revelou ausência de correlação entre o teor de clorofila das sementes e a qualidade avaliada pelos testes de germinação e de vigor, mas quanto maior a porcentagem de sementes verdes nos lotes, menor foi a qualidade das sementes. Conclui-se que a presença de sementes verdes em lotes de soja é indicativo de qualidade inferior, sem relação clara, no entanto, entre o teor de clorofila das sementes e a qualidade fisiológica dos lotes

A Full-Field Calibration Approach on Material Parameter Identification

In the recent years, the usage of HS-steels has risen significantly in the automotive field. Their characteristics, such as hardness and favorable weight to strength ratio, can increase safety, fuel efficiency and overall product profitability. In this context, for the design with this material it has become crucial to be able to characterize precisely HS-steels and accurately predict their failure in many complex conditions, to fully exploit their capabilities. One of the most accredited ways to approach the prediction of failure for a wide range of materials is the generalized incremental stress-state dependent damage model GISSMO. The model is highly flexible and provides a framework inside LS-DYNA in which failure parameters can be tuned to reproduce experimental data. The definition of the optimal parameters is an inverse problem, therefore it was implemented using LS-OPT. In this work, the experimental evaluation of the MS1500 was carried out using the digital image correlation (DIC). With such technology, the displacements’ field of the test specimen is recorded.The evalueted field was processed as a family of stress-strain curves (hyper-curves) and became the objective of the optimization. This approach is named full field calibration and in this work was split in two phases. First, the stress-strain curve of the material was defined, then the tuning of the GISSMO parameters was performed. To evaluate the effectiveness of the full field approach a parallel study was implemented. The same routine of optimization run with a single stress-strain curve, which was measured with an extensometer. The comparison between the results obtained with the traditional approach and the results obtained with the full field approach highlighted the strenghts and the limitations of the two methods

Silicon leaf application and physiological quality of white oat and wheat seeds.

Plant nutrition can positively influence quality of seeds by improving plant tolerance to adverse climate. In this context, silicon is currently considered a icronutrient and it is beneficial to plant growth, especially Poaceaes such as white oat and wheat, thereby improving physiological quality of seeds. This study had the objective of evaluating the effects of silicon leaf application on plant tillering, silicon levels and physiological quality of white oat and wheat seeds besides establishing correlations between them. Two experiments were carried out in winter with white oat and wheat. The experimental design was the completely randomized block with eight replications. Treatments consisted of foliar application of silicon (0.8% of soluble silicon, as stabilized orthosilicic acid) and a control (with no application). Silicon levels in leaves were determined at flowering whereas the number of plants and panicles/spikes per area was counted right before harvest. Seed quality was evaluated right after harvest through mass, germination and vigor tests. Data was submitted to variance analysis and means were compared by the Tukey test at a probability level of 5%. Person?s linear correlation test was performed among silicon level in plants, tillering and seed quality data. Silicon leaf application increases root and total length of white oat seedlings as an effect of higher Si level in leaves. Silicon leaf application increases mass of wheat seeds without affecting germination or vigor

Prevention of Asbestos Exposure in Latin America within a Global Public Health Perspective

Background: Asbestos consumption in Latin America (LA) amounts to 10% of yearly global production. Little is known about the impact of asbestos exposure in the region. Objective: To discuss scientific and socio-economic issues and conflicts of interest and to summarize epidemiological data of asbestos health effects in LA. Discussion: Recent data on chrysotile strengthened the evidence of its carcinogenicity and showed an excessive risk of lung cancer at cumulative exposure levels as low as 1.5 fibre-years/ml. Technology for substitution is available for all asbestos-containing products and ceasing asbestos production and manufacturing will not result in unemployment and loss of income, except for the mining industry. The flawed arguments used by the industry to maintain its market, both to the public and in courtrooms, strongly relies on the lack of local evidence of the ill effects and on the invisibility of asbestos-related diseases in LA, due to the limited number of studies and the exposed workers’ difficulty accessing health services. The few epidemiological studies available show clear evidence of clusters of mesothelioma in municipalities with a history of asbestos consumption and a forecasted rise in its incidence in Argentina and Brazil for the next decade. In Brazil, non-governmental organizations of asbestos workers were pivotal to counterbalance misinformation and inequities, ending recently in a Supreme Court decision backing an asbestos ban. In parallel, continuous efforts should be made to stimulate the growth of competent and ethical researchers to convey adequate information to the scientific community and to the general public

Epidemiological patterns of asbestos exposure and spatial clusters of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma from the Italian national registry

Abstract BACKGROUND: Previous ecological spatial studies of malignant mesothelioma cases, mostly based on mortality data, lack reliable data on individual exposure to asbestos, thus failing to assess the contribution of different occupational and environmental sources in the determination of risk excess in specific areas. This study aims to identify territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma through a Bayesian spatial analysis and to characterize them by the integrated use of asbestos exposure information retrieved from the Italian national mesothelioma registry (ReNaM). METHODS: In the period 1993 to 2008, 15,322 incident cases of all-site malignant mesothelioma were recorded and 11,852 occupational, residential and familial histories were obtained by individual interviews. Observed cases were assigned to the municipality of residence at the time of diagnosis and compared to those expected based on the age-specific rates of the respective geographical area. A spatial cluster analysis was performed for each area applying a Bayesian hierarchical model. Information about modalities and economic sectors of asbestos exposure was analyzed for each cluster. RESULTS: Thirty-two clusters of malignant mesothelioma were identified and characterized using the exposure data. Asbestos cement manufacturing industries and shipbuilding and repair facilities represented the main sources of asbestos exposure, but a major contribution to asbestos exposure was also provided by sectors with no direct use of asbestos, such as non-asbestos textile industries, metal engineering and construction. A high proportion of cases with environmental exposure was found in clusters where asbestos cement plants were located or a natural source of asbestos (or asbestos-like) fibers was identifiable. Differences in type and sources of exposure can also explain the varying percentage of cases occurring in women among clusters. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates shared exposure patterns in territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma due to single or multiple industrial sources, with major implications for public health policies, health surveillance, compensation procedures and site remediation programs