A aplicação de brassinosteroide 28-homocatasterona reduz a podridão estilar em tomates ‘BRS Montese’

We assessed the effect of 28-homocatasterone on xylem functionality and its relationship with blossom end rot (BER) occurrence and the quality of 'BRS Montese' tomatoes. Tomato plants were cultivated in a protected environment, with a semi-hydroponic system. During full flowering, open flowers were selected, marked, and pollinated. After two days, the flowers received the application of 28-homocatasterone at a concentration of 10-6 M or deionized water (control). Treatments were reapplied weekly up to 24 days after the first application (DAFA). At 24 DAFA, fruits were harvested and evaluated for fresh mass, texture (skin rupture and pulp penetration forces), skin color, xylem functionality, membrane permeability, apoplastic calcium concentration, and BER incidence. The application of 28-homocatasterone at 10-6 M did not increase the fresh mass nor change the fruits' texture attributes. However, 28-homocatasterone increased or kept xylem functionality, which was assicated with increased apoplastic calcium concentration and reduced BER occurrence in 'BRS Montese' tomatoes. Thus, the application of 10-6 M catasterone could be an alternative for BER control in tomatoes.Avaliamos o efeito da 28-homocatasterona na funcionalidade do xilema e sua relação com a ocorrência de podridão estilar (PE) e a qualidade de tomates 'BRS Montese'. Os tomateiros foram cultivados em ambiente protegido, com sistema semi-hidropônico. Durante a plena floração, as flores abertas foram selecionadas, marcadas e polinizadas. Após dois dias, as flores receberam a aplicação de 28-homocatasterona na concentração de 10-6 M ou água deionizada (controle). Os tratamentos foram reaplicados semanalmente até 24 dias após a primeira aplicação (DAPF). Aos 24 DAPF, os frutos foram colhidos e avaliados quanto à massa fresca, textura (força de ruptura da epiderme e resistência a penetração da polpa), cor da casca, funcionalidade do xilema, permeabilidade da membrana, concentração de cálcio apoplástico e incidência de PE. A aplicação de 28-homocatasterona a 10-6 M não aumentou a massa fresca nem alterou os atributos de textura dos frutos. No entanto, a 28-homocatasterona aumentou ou manteve a funcionalidade do xilema, o que foi associado ao aumento da concentração de cálcio apoplástico e redução da ocorrência de PE em tomates 'BRS Montese'. Assim, a aplicação de catasterona 10-6 M pode ser uma alternativa para o controle de PE em tomates

QUANTIFICATION OF CHLOROPHYLLS IN MAIZE LEAVES BY NON-DESTRUCTIVE OPTICAL METHODS

With the development of portable equipments, chlorophylls quantification became easy, quick, and affordable for non-destructive assessment in the field. This work was carried out to evaluate the viability of using a chroma meter as an alternative to the leaf chlorophyll meter for non-destructive quantification of chlorophylls in maize leaves. Leaves of three hybrids, with colors ranging from yellow-green to dark green, were assessed on the adaxial and abaxial faces with the chlorophyll meter (SPAD-502) and the chroma meter (Minolta CR-400, at the L, C, and ho color space), and, thereafter, destructively assessed for total chlorophyll and chlorophylls a and b. The chlorophyll meter reading and the ho/(LxC) ratio for the chroma meter increased with the increment of chlorophylls in all maize hybrids. The best estimates of chlorophylls content were achieved when expressed in leaf area rather than in leaf fresh matter basis, specially for chlorophyll a, for both, chlorophyll meter reading and ho/(LxC) ratio for the chroma meter. The results showed that the chroma meter is a viable alternative for non-destructive assessment of chlorophylls a and b and total chlorophyll (μg.cm-2), with readings being little affected by differenceson faces of maize leaves. Nevertheless, this requires the calibration between the ho/(LxC) ratio of the chroma meter and the chlorophylls extracted from leaves of concerned hybrid, as required for the SPAD-502

Disponibilidade de luz em macieiras 'Fuji' cobertas com telas antigranizo e seus efeitos sobre a fotossíntese, o rendimento e a qualidade dos frutos Light supply to 'Fuji' apple trees covered with hail protection nets and its effects on photosynthesys, yield and fruit quality

Em pomares de macieira, o dano de granizo pode ser evitado através da cobertura das plantas com telas. Todavia, as telas alteram a intensidade e a qualidade da luz solar e, assim, podem comprometer o rendimento e a qualidade dos frutos. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar estes aspectos em macieiras 'Fuji', cobertas com telas nas cores branca e preta. A tela preta ocasionou maiores reduções na densidade de fluxo de fótons fotossinteticamente ativos (DFFFA) disponíveis às plantas (24,8%) em relação à tela branca (21,2%). O interior do dossel das plantas sob tela, especialmente quando cobertas com tela preta, recebeu radiação com menores valores da relação vermelho:vermelho distante (V:Vd) em relação às plantas descobertas. Somente sob tela preta, a magnitude das reduções na DFFFA e na relação V:Vd da luz foi capaz de aumentar a área média e a área específica das folhas e reduzir a taxa fotossintética potencial, reduzindo assim o rendimento (número e peso de frutos por cm² de seção transversal de tronco) e a coloração vermelha dos frutos. As telas antigranizo branca e preta reduziram a incidência de queimadura de sol, porém não afetaram a severidade de "russeting" e o número de sementes por fruto.<br>In apple orchards, hail damage can be avoided by covering the plants with nets. However, the nets might change light intensity and quality supplied to the plants and, therefore, affect yield and quality of the fruit. This research was carried out to assess these aspects on 'Fuji' apples trees uncovered and covered with white and black nets. The black net caused more substantial reduction of photosynthetic photons flux density (PPFD) available to the plants during the day (24.8%) than the white one (21.2%). The inner part of plants canopy covered by nets, especially under black net, received light with a lower red:far red ratio (R:FR), in comparison to uncovered plants. Only under black net, the reductions of PPFD and R:FR of the light supplied to the plants increased the mean area and the specific area of the leaves and reduced the potential photosynthesis, leading to a reduction of yield (number and weight of fruits per cm-2 of trunk cross section area) and the red color of the fruit. The white and black hail protection nets reduced the incidence of sunburn but had no effect on russeting severity and number of seeds/fruit

Effects of an Auxin and a brassinosteroid on physical, chemical and biochemical attributes of ‘Galaxy’ apples

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to study the effect of the auxin naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and the brassinosteroid 28-homocastasterone (28-HCS) applied every 15 days (harvest 2015/16) or every 21 days (harvest 2016/17) after full bloom, on the physical, chemical and biochemical attributes of the ‘Galaxy’ apples. The study was performed at a commercial orchard at Vacaria county, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The following treatments were applied: water (control), NAA (0.1%), 28-HCS (10‒6 M) and NAA (0.1%) + 28-HCS (10‒6 M). For this purpose, 300 μL of the plant growth regulator solutions were applied to the fruit peduncles. Fruits treated with NAA every 21 days presented higher starch-iodine index and lower total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), lightness index (L) and hue angle (h°) than 28-HCS-treated fruits. Fruits treated every 15 days with NAA presented reduced skin rupture force (SRF), total antioxidant activities (TAA) of the skin and flesh, and hydrogen peroxide content compared to the control fruits. In addition, NAA application every 15 and 21 days resulted in increased anthocyanin content in the skin. Application of NAA + 28-HCS reduced superoxide dismutase activity. 28-HCS applications increased TSS, color attributes (C and h°) of the skin, total antioxidant activity of the skin and flesh and peroxidase activity compared to control fruits. These results are expected to help to understand how plant growth regulators affect apple quality. In addition, results described here are also expected to help on the development of strategies to reduce post harvest losses and to increase fruit shelf life

Quantificação da área e do teor de clorofilas em folhas de plantas jovens de videira 'Cabernet Sauvignon' mediante métodos não destrutivos Non-destructive quantification of area and chlorophyll content in the leaves of young 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grapevines

Este trabalho foi conduzido visando a desenvolver métodos não destrutivos para estimar a área foliar e o conteúdo de clorofilas em folhas de plantas jovens de videira 'Cabernet Sauvignon'. Para a estimativa da área foliar, foram tomadas medidas de comprimento da nervura principal e das duas maiores nervuras secundárias em folhas representando uma grande amplitude de áreas foliares, seguindo-se da leitura em um integrador de área foliar. Para a quantificação de clorofilas, folhas com tonalidades variando de verde-amareladas (folha clorótica) a verde-escuras foram avaliadas individualmente com um medidor de clorofila (Minolta SPAD-502) e um colorímetro (Minolta CR-400, no espaço de cores L, C e hº), nas faces abaxial (inferior) e adaxial (superior), seguido de quantificações destrutivas de clorofilas a, b e totais. A quantificação do comprimento da nervura principal proporcionou boa estimativa da área foliar, sendo que a soma do comprimento das duas nervuras secundárias, bem como do somatório destes comprimentos com o comprimento da nervura principal, resultou em aumento muito pequeno na capacidade de estimativa da área foliar. Os valores das leituras do medidor de clorofila e da relação hº/(LxC) do colorímetro, avaliados em ambas as faces das folhas, aumentaram com o incremento nos teores de clorofilas. Os modelos ajustados entre os teores de clorofilas e as leituras do medidor de clorofila e da relação hº/(LxC) do colorímetro apresentaram valores de R² similares. Todavia, a medição da relação hº/(LxC) do colorímetro, feita na face adaxial da folha, mostrou melhor estimativa do teor de clorofila, expresso em unidade de área (µg.cm-2 de folha).<br>This work was carried out to develop non destructive methods to estimate the area and chlorophylls content in the leaves of young grapevines 'Cabernet Sauvignon'. For leaf area estimation, the lengths of main and two secondary leaf veins were measured, in leaves ranging from small to large, followed by leaf area measurement with an electronic leaf area integrator. For the quantification of chlorophylls, leaves with tonalities varying from yellow green (chlorotic) to dark green were evaluated individually with a chlorophyll meter (Minolta SPAD-502) and with a colorimeter (Minolta CR-400, at the L, C and hº color space), at the abaxial (inferior) and adaxial (superior) faces, and, thereafter, destructively assessed for total chlorophyll and chlorophylls a and b. The main vein length measure provided a good estimate of leaf area. The value representing the sum of the two secondary veins length, as well this value plus the main vein length provided a very small increase in the power to estimate leaf area. The chlorophyll meter reading and the hº/ (LxC) ratio for the chroma meter, measured in both leaf faces, increased with the increment of chlorophylls content. The adjusted models between chlorophylls content versus chlorophyll meter readings and the hº/ (LxC) ratio for the chroma meter had similar R². However, the hº/(LxC) ratio for the chroma meter, measured on the adaxial (superior) leaf face, provided the best estimate of chlorophylls content, expressed in terms of µg.cm-2 of leaf