Andina-first clonal cultivar of high-altitude conilon coffee

Andina is a conilon coffee variety originated from a selection of clones discovered by farmers. It was cultivated and evaluated for yield and plant vigor an altitude of 850m asl. Five genotypes (A1, NV2, NV8, P1 and Verdim TA), with a mean yield of 51.3 bags per hectare per year.publishersversionpublishe

Impacts of water availability on macronutrients in fruit and leaves of conilon coffee

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as concentrações e o acúmulo de macronutrientes em frutos de cafeeiro conilon (Coffea canephora), e as concentrações nas folhas, ao longo de dois anos, em plantas irrigadas e não irrigadas. Utilizaram-se plantas de café conilon, cultivar Emcapa 8111 genótipo 02, com três anos de idade. Um delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso foi realizado em parcelas subdivididas, com 14 repetições. Os fatores das parcelas principais consistiram de irrigação versus não irrigação dos cafeeiros e, os das subparcelas, de distintas épocas de coletas de frutos e folhas. As coletas iniciaram-se aos 10 dias após a primeira florada e foram realizadas a intervalos de aproximadamente 28 dias, até a maturação completa dos frutos. A cada data de amostragem, foram selecionadas cinco plantas por tratamento, com a coleta de um ramo plagiotrópico por planta, separado em frutas e folhas. Cada parte foi seca, pesada e submetida à análise química. Foram calculados os acúmulos de macronutrientes e suas taxas de acúmulo. De acordo com a análise de regressão dos dados, as curvas de acúmulo de macronutrientes dos frutos ajustam-se a equações sigmoides. A irrigação afeta a dinâmica dos macronutrientes nos frutos e nas folhas, ao longo do período reprodutivo do cafeeiro conilon, com maior acúmulo de nutrientes nos tecidos dessas plantas. Os macronutrientes mais encontrados são N, K e Ca em frutos e folhas, independentemente do tratamento de irrigação.The objective of this work was to evaluate the concentrations and accumulation of macronutrients in conilon coffee (Coffea canephora) fruit, and their concentrations in leaves, over two years, in irrigated and nonirrigated coffee plants. Three-year-old conilon coffee plants of the cultivar Emcapa 8111 genotype 02 were used. An experimental design was carried out in randomized complete blocks, in a split-plot arrangement, with 14 replicates. The main plot factor was irrigation versus nonirrigation of coffee plants, and the split-plot factor was different fruit and leaf collection times. Collections began 10 days after the beginning of flowering and were performed on average every 28 days, until full fruit ripening. At each sampling date, five plants per treatment were picked out, by collecting one plagiotropic branch by plant, separated into fruit and leaves. Each part was dried, weighed, and subjected to the chemical analysis. Macronutrient accumulations and their accumulation rates were determined. According to the regression analysis of the data, fruit macronutrient accumulation curves fit best to sigmoidal equations. Irrigation affects the macronutrient dynamics in fruit and leaves during the fruiting phase of conilon coffee, and increases the accumulation of nutrients in the plant tissues. The macronutrients found in greater quantities are N, K, and Ca, in fruit and leaves, regardless of the irrigation treatment

Vegetative growth of 28 genotypes of Coffea canephora at 850 meters of altitude

Coffea canephora plants grown at low or elevated temperatures undergo changes in photosynthetic processes, which have a direct impact on vegetative growth. This species shows plants with distinct stress tolerance mechanisms and a great genetic diversity; however, there are no studies concerning the study of altitude on plant growth for these genotypes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth rates of orthotropic and plagiotropic branches from 28 Coffea canephora genotypes, ca. 3 years of age, cultivated at 850 m of altitude. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with four repetitions. Each repetition was compounded by five plants. The period of the experimental evaluation was from 01/23/2013 to 07/07/2013. We selected and identified the orthotropic and plagiotropic branches, which were evaluated bimonthly according to their length (mm), assessing the growth rates. The results were associated with climatic factors that occurred during the experimental period. The genetic material of Coffea canephora evaluated in the study shows genetic diversity to the characteristics growth rate of orthotropic and plagiotropic branches, thus, it is possible to select genotypes with potential for cultivation at 850 m of altitude. In general, genotypes of Coffea canephora exhibited variations in growth rates, mainly in response to changes in temperature, with a sharp and constant drop in growth rates between the period from 05/05/2013 to 05/ 23/2013, when the recorded temperatures were always below 13 °C. Genotypes A1, NV2 and NV1 can be pointed as the ones which showed the best vegetative growth results at 850 meters of altitude.publishersversionpublishe

An integrated chemical and technological approach for assessing Portuguese wheat flours quality and lengthening bread shelf-life

UID/GEO/04035/2019 UID/AGR/04129/2019The current trend of large-scale bread production is to facilitate processing at an industrial level, considering the use of flour mixtures with different chemical and technological parameters and incorporating food additives. Accordingly, costs can be minimized, whereas the quality and the shelf-life of the final product might increase, but a full characterization of the flours that must be used and the selection of the food additives to be incorporated into the dough is required. In this context, three Portuguese wheat flour varieties were evaluated (FariRamos, Nacional and AJMiranda), as well as two types of food additives with the aim to increase bread shelf-life. In these flours, the levels of K, S, P, Ca and Cl prevailed, but the moisture and ash contents of FariRamos were the highest and lowest, respectively. The colour of all flours was generally within the desired standard values. Nacional flour contained a higher fat content, but all the flours showed a higher relative abundance of linoleic acid (C18:2), followed by palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid (C18:1). AJMiranda flour revealed a higher content of wet gluten and protein, but the SDS sedimentation index showed a higher value in the FariRamos flour. The fall index, which directly monitors the activity of the α-amylase enzyme, showed a lower value in AJMiranda and Nacional. Through farinograph and alveographyc analysis it was found that FariRamos has a tenacious gluten, but AJMiranda and Nacional had a balanced gluten, yet all of them can be classified as medium flours. Bread making with a mix of FariRamos, AJMiranda and Nacional flours and incorporating preservative food additives revealed the highest shelf-life (11-days) with methyl p-hydroxybenzoate [0.05 %] and benzoic acid [0.1 %], but the colour of the breads showed a relationship of intensity of white colour that depended on the additive used. At the end of the shelf-life, molds of the Eurotium, Trichoderma and Cladosporium genera developed in the bread. It was concluded that the chemical and technological approach applied in the characterization of the flour varieties, can be directly used to define the quality and shelf-life in the bakery industry, allowing the establishment of minimum commercialization prices.publishersversionpublishe

Magnesium Accumulation in Two Contrasting Varieties of Lycopersicum esculentum L. Fruits: Interaction with Calcium at Tissue Level and Implications on Quality

As the productivity and quality of tomato fruits are responsive to Mg applications, without surpassing the threshold of toxicity, the assessment of potential levels of Mg accumulation in tissues, as well as the interactions with Ca and physicochemical properties, prompt this study. An agronomic workflow for Mg enrichment, consisting of six foliar applications of MgSO4 with four concentrations (0%, 0.25%, 1% and 4%), equivalent to 0, 43.9, 175.5 and 702 g ha-1 , was applied on two tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) genotypes (Heinz1534 and Heinz9205). During fruit development, leaf gas exchange was screened, with only minor physiological deviations being found. At harvest, Mg contents among tissues and the interactions with Ca were analyzed, and it was found that in both varieties a higher Mg/Ca ratio prevailed in the most external part of the fruit sprayed with 4% MgSO4. However, Mg distribution prevailed relatively near the epidermis in H1534, while in H9205 the higher contents of this nutrient occurred in the core of the fruit, which indicated a decrease of the relative proportion of Ca. The morphologic (height and diameter), physical (dry weight and density) and colorimetric parameters, and the total soluble solids of fruits, did not reveal significant changes in both tomato varieties. It was further concluded that foliar application until 4% MgSO4 does not have physiological impacts in the fruit’s quality of both varieties, but in spite of the different patterns of Mg accumulation in tissues, if the mean value in the whole fruit is considered, this nutrient prevails in H1534. This study thus suggests that variety H1534 can be used to attain tomato fruits with added value, providing an option of further processing to achieve food products with functional properties, ultimately proving a beneficial option to producers, the food processing industry and consumers. Moreover, the study reinforces the importance of variety choice when designing enrichment workflowsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nutrient accumulation in fruits and grains of black pepper at different ripening stages

Funding Information: This work received funding support from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo (FAPES), from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brasil - Finance code 001, from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), Portugal, through the research units UIDB/00239/2020 (CEF), and UIDP/04035/2020 (GeoBioTec). We would like to acknowledge the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES) for providing the facilities needed and the farmer Zenor Quinquim for field support. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. All rights reserved.Nutrients accumulation in plants/fruits varies according to the crop development stage and its quantification is important to determine nutrients exportation for fertilization planning and nutrient balancing. This study determined the accumulation of nutrients in different parts of Piper nigrum ‘Bragantina’ spikes harvested at two ripening stages (still-green and red-colored spikes). Assessments in separate parts of still-green spikes (fruits and peduncles) as well as in red-colored spikes (grains, flesh and peduncles) were performed. Piper nigrum spikes were harvested, dried, and the parts were thereafter separated for chemical analysis. N and Mn were the macro and micronutrient most accumulated in the fruits of still-green spikes and in the grains of red-colored spikes, while K and B were most accumulated in the other parts of black pepper assessed, regardless of the ripening stage. The process of removing the flesh from the fruits for white pepper production led to a difference in nutrient concentration and accumulation between the fruits of still-green spikes and the grains of red-colored spikes. A significant contribution of nutrient input can be achieved by maintained flesh and peduncles in the crop area, decreasing the dependence of external fertilizers and thus contributing to a more sustainable agriculture.publishersversionpublishe

Biomass and leaf acclimations to ultraviolet solar radiation in juvenile plants of Coffea arabica and C. Canephora

E-26/202.323/2017 E-26/202.759/2018 E-26/210.309/2018 E-26/210.037/2020 PV 312959/2019-2 PQ 300996/2016 PVS 00583/20 UID/04129/2020 Funding Information: The authors acknowledge Funda??o Carlos Chagas de Apoio ? Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) (Grants E-26/202.323/2017, WPR; E-26/202.759/2018, E-26/210.309/2018 and E-26/210.037/2020, EC), CNPq (awarded the fellowships: PV 312959/2019-2, MR; PQ 300996/2016, EC), and PVS 00583/20, EC FAPEMA (Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico do Maranh?o), all from Brazil. Support from Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia I.P., Portugal, to J.C.R. through the units UID/04129/2020 (CEF) and UIDP/04035/2020 (GeoBioTec) is also greatly acknowledged. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Despite the negative impacts of increased ultraviolet radiation intensity on plants, these organisms continue to grow and produce under the increased environmental UV levels. We hypothe-sized that ambient UV intensity can generate acclimations in plant growth, leaf morphology, and photochemical functioning in modern genotypes of Coffea arabica and C. canephora. Coffee plants were cultivated for ca. six months in a mini greenhouse under either near ambient (UVam) or reduced (UVre) ultraviolet regimes. At the plant scale, C. canephora was substantially more impacted by UVam when compared to C. arabica, investing more carbon in all juvenile plant components than under UVre. When subjected to UVam, both species showed anatomic adjustments at the leaf scale, such as increases in stomatal density in C. canephora, at the abaxial and adaxial cuticles in both species, and abaxial epidermal thickening in C. arabica, although without apparent impact on the thickness of palisade and spongy parenchyma. Surprisingly, C. arabica showed more efficient energy dissipation mechanism under UVam than C. canephora. UVam promoted elevated protective carotenoid content and a greater use of energy through photochemistry in both species, as reflected in the photochemical quenching increases. This was associated with an altered chlorophyll a/b ratio (significantly only in C. arabica) that likely promoted a greater capability to light energy capture. Therefore, UV levels promoted different modifications between the two Coffea sp. regarding plant biomass production and leaf morphology, including a few photochemical differences between species, suggesting that modifications at plant and leaf scale acted as an acclimation response to actual UV intensity.publishersversionpublishe

Metamitron and Shade Effects on Leaf Physiology and Thinning Efficacy of Malus × domestica Borkh

Thinning strategies, namely shade or photosynthetic inhibitors, rely on the reduction of carbon supply to the fruit below the demand, causing fruit abscission. In order to clarify the subject, seven field trials were carried out in Lleida, Girona, and Sint-Truiden (2017 + 2018), using orchards of ‘Golden’ and ‘Gala’ apple trees. At the stage of 9–14-mm fruit diameter, four treatments were implemented: (A) CTR-control, trees under natural environmental conditions; (B) SN-shaded trees, trees above which shading nets reducing 50% of irradiance were installed 24 h after metamitron application date—without application of metamitron—and removed after five days; (C) MET-trees sprayed with 247.5 ppm of metamitron; (D) MET + SN-trees submitted to the combined exposure to metamitron application and shading nets. Low radiation significantly increased metamitron absorption (36–53% in the three locations in 2018) and reduced its degradation. Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were strongly reduced in all treatments, with minimum values 2 days after spraying (DAS) and incomplete recovery 10 DAS in MET + SN. All treatments resulted in leaf sucrose and sorbitol decreases, leading to a negative carbon balance. SN and MET + SN promoted the highest thinning efficacy, increasing fruit weight and size, with MET + SN causing over-thinning in some trials. Leaf antioxidant enzymes showed moderate changes in activity increases under MET or MET + SN, accompanied by a rise of glutathione content and a reduction in ascorbate, however without lipid peroxidation. This work shows that environmental conditions, such as cloudy days, must be carefully considered upon metamitron application, since the low irradiance enhances metamitron efficacy and may cause over-thinninginfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mineral Monitorization in Different Tissues of Solanum tuberosum L. during Calcium Biofortification Process

Funding Information: This work received funding from PDR2020-101-030719 and the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT), Portugal, through the research units UIDP/04035/2020 (GeoBioTec), UIDB/00239/2020 (CEF), and UID/FIS/04559/2013 (LIBPhys). This work was further supported by the grant of the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) UI/BD/150806/2020. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Calcium is one of the 16 essential elements for plants, being required as Ca2+ and being involved in several fundamental processes (namely, in the stability and integrity of the cell wall, the development of plant tissue, cell division, and in stress responses). Moreover, Ca plays an important role in potato production. In this context, this study aimed to monitor the culture development (in situ and using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)) and the mineral content of four essential elements (Ca, P, K, and S) in different organs of Solanum tuberosum L. (roots, stems, leaves, and tubers) during a calcium biofortification process, carried out with two types of solutions (CaCl2 and Ca-EDTA) with two concentrations (12 and 24 kg∙ha−1). The calcium content generally increased in the S. tuberosum L. organs of both varieties and showed, after the last foliar application, an increase in Ca content that varied between 5.7–95.6% and 20.7–33%, for the Picasso and Agria varieties, respectively. The patterns of accumulation in both varieties during the biofortification process were different between the variety and mineral element. Regarding the quality analysis carried out during the development of the tubers, only the Agria variety was suitable for industrial processing after the last foliar application.publishersversionpublishe

Comparison of selection traits for effective popcorn (Zea mays L. var. Everta) breeding under water limiting conditions

Climate change is expected to intensify water restriction to crops, impacting on the yield potential of crops such as popcorn. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of 10 field cultivated popcorn inbred lines during two growing seasons, under well-watered (WW) and water stressed (WS) (ψsoil≥ -1.5 MPa) conditions. Water stress was applied by withholding irrigation in the phenological phase of male pre-anthesis. Additionally, two contrasting inbred lines, P7 (superior line) and L75 (low performer) were compared for grain yield (GY) and expanded popcorn volume (EPV), selected from previous studies, were tested under greenhouse conditions. In the field, no genotype x water condition x crop season (G×WC×CS) interaction was observed, whereas GY (-51%), EPV (-55%) and leaf greenness (SPAD index) measured 17 days after anthesis (DAA) (> -10%) were highly affected by water limitation. In general, root traits (angles, number, and density) presented G×WC×CS interaction, which did not support their use as selection parameters. In relation to leaf senescence, for both WS and WW conditions, the superior inbred lines maintained a stay-green condition (higher SPAD index) until physiological maturity, but maximum SPAD index values were observed later in WW (48.7 by 14 DAA) than in WS (43.9 by 7 DAA). Under both water conditions, negative associations were observed between SPAD index values 15 and 8 days before anthesis DBA), and GY and EPV (r ≥ -0.69), as well as between SPAD index 7, 17, and 22 DAA, and angles of brace root (AB), number of crown roots (NC) and crown root density (CD), in WS (r ≥ -0.69), and AB and CD, in WW (r ≥ -0.70). Lower NC and CD values may allow further root deepening in WS conditions. Under WS P7 maintained higher net photosynthesis values, stomatal conductance, and transpiration, than L75. Additionally, L75 exhibited a lower (i.e., more negative) carbon isotope composition value than P7 under WS, confirming a lower stomatal aperture in L75. In summary, besides leaf greenness, traits related to leaf photosynthetic status, and stomatal conductance were shown to be good indicators of the agronomic performance of popcorn under water constraint