Fusarium wilt incidence and common bean yield according to the preceding crop and the soil tillage system

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of preceding crops and tillage systems on the incidence of Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) yield. The cultivar BRS Valente was cultivated under center‑pivot irrigation in the winter seasons of 2003, 2004 and 2005, after several preceding crops established in the summer seasons. Preceding crops included the legumes Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea), Stylosanthes guianensis, and Crotalaria spectabilis; the grasses Pennisetum glaucum (millet), Sorghum bicolor (forage sorghum), Panicum maximum, and Urochloa brizantha; and a consortium of maize (Zea mays) and U. brizantha (Santa Fé system). Experiments followed a strip‑plot design, with four replicates. Fusarium wilt incidence was higher in the no‑tillage system. Higher disease incidences corresponded to lower bean yields in 2003 and 2004. Previous summer cropping with U. brizantha, U. brizantha + maize consortium, and millet showed the lowest disease incidence. Therefore, the choice of preceding crops must be taken into account for managing Fusarium wilt on irrigated common bean crops in the Brazilian Cerrado

Spatial variability of physical and chemical attributes of some forest soils in southeastern of Brazil

Capão Bonito forest soils, São Paulo state, Brazil, have been used for forestry purposes for almost one century. Detailed knowledge about the distribution of soil attributes over the landscape is of fundamental importance for proper management of natural resources. The purpose of this study was to identify the variability and spatial dependence of chemical and physical attributes of Capão Bonito forest soils. A large soil database of regional land was raised and organized. Most of the selected variables were close to the lognormal frequency range. Soil texture presented a higher range in the A horizon, and the nugget effect and sill were greater in the B horizon. These differences are attributed to the parent material of the region (Itararé Geologic Formation), which presents uneven distribution of sediments. Chemical attributes related to soil fertility presented a higher spatial dependence range in the B horizon, probably as a result of more intensive management and erosion history of the superficial soil layer. Maps for some attributes were interpolated. These had specific areas of occurrence and a wide distribution along the perimeter of the Capão Bonito District Forest, allowing a future site-specific soil management

Parâmetros genéticos e análise de trilha para o florescimento precoce e características agronômicas da alface

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os parâmetros genéticos das características agronômicas e de tolerância ao florescimento precoce de onze cultivares de alface, bem como verificar a existência de associação entre as características. O experimento foi realizado em ambiente protegido, em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições e doze plantas por parcela. Quarenta e cinco dias após o transplantio das mudas, foram mensuradas as seguintes características: massa de matéria fresca total e "comercial" da parte aérea, massa de matéria seca "comercial" da parte aérea, massa de matéria fresca e seca da raiz, diâmetro e circunferência da cabeça, altura de planta, número de folhas por planta e número de dias até a antese. Há variabilidade genética entre as cultivares, em todas as variáveis, exceto quanto à circunferência de planta e matéria fresca da raiz. As cultivares Regina 500, Lívia e Atração foram superiores quanto ao número de dias para o florescimento e também para as demais características avaliadas. A seleção contra o florescimento precoce ocasionou ganho em todas as características; porém, não interferiu na matéria seca da raiz. A matéria fresca da parte aérea e o diâmetro de cabeça são indicadas para a seleção indireta contra o florescimento precoce