Mortality of the cotton boll weevil in drip and sprinkler irrigated cotton crops

The cotton boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a key cotton crop pest in Brazil. Adverse climatic factors, such as high temperatures and low soil moisture, dehydrate oviposited cotton squares (bud flowers) on the ground and cause high mortality of its offspring within these plant structures. The objective of this research was to evaluate the mortality of the cotton boll weevil in drip and sprinkler irrigated cotton crops. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with two treatments: drip (T1) and sprinkler (T2, control) irrigated cotton crops with sixteen replications. Each parcel had one emergence cage, installed between two cotton rows per irrigation system, with 37 cotton squares with opened oviposition punctures and yellowish bracts, to capture adult cotton boll weevils. The average number of boll weevils that emerged from the cotton squares and the causes of mortality at different development stages were determined per treatment. Third-generation life tables of the boll weevil were prepared using the natural mortality data in drip and sprinkler irrigation treatments and plus actual, apparent and indispensable mortality rates and the lethality of each mortality cause. We conclude that the application of water directly to the root zone of the plants in a targeted manner, using the drip irrigation system, can cause high mortality of the cotton boll weevil immature stages inside cotton squares fallen on the ground. This is because the cotton squares fallen on the drier and hotter soil between the rows of drip-irrigated cotton dehydrates causing the boll weevils to die. This is important because it can reduce its population density of the pest and, consequently, the number of applications of chemical insecticides for its control. Thus, contributing to increase the viability of cotton production, mainly in areas of the Brazilian semiarid region where the cotton is cultivated in organic system.

Changes in Fatty Acids Profile, Health Indices, and Physical Characteristics of Organic Eggs from Laying Hens at the Beginning of the First and Second Laying Cycles

The present study compared the fatty acid profile and some physical parameters of eggs from hens reared according to the organic system at the beginning of the first and second laying cycle. A total of 1080 eggs were analysed at the beginning of the first (from the 28th to 30th week of age) and the second (from the 78th to 80th week of age) laying cycle. It was found that the hen ages influenced the egg weight, egg surface area, yolk proportion, and eggshell colour. Albumen and eggshell proportion, albumen, yolk index, Haugh unit score, and eggshell strength were lower in eggs from older hens compared with those produced from younger layers. Monounsaturated fatty acids were found in higher amounts than saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in egg yolks of eggs from layers only at the beginning of the second laying cycle. The PUFAn-6/n-3 ratio, saturation, atherogenic, and thrombogenic indices were significantly lower in the egg yolks from older hens compared to younger layers. These findings (regarding the eggs from the older ones) prove that it is practical to utilize them in the organic farming system during a period of two years.

Soil Communities: Who Responds and How Quickly to a Change in Agricultural System?

The use of conservation and sustainable practices could restore the abundance and richness of soil organisms in agroecosystems. Fitting in this context, this study aimed to highlight whether and how different soil living communities reacted to the conversion from an integrated to an organic orchard. The metataxonomic approach for fungi and bacteria and the determination of biological forms of diatoms and microarthropods were applied. Soil analyses were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of soil chemical features on four major soil living communities. Our results showed that the different taxa reacted with different speeds to the management changes. Fungi responded quickly to the changes, suggesting that modification in agricultural practices had a greater impact on fungal communities. Bacteria and microarthropods were more affected by abiotic parameters and less by the management. The diatom composition seemed to be affected by seasonality but the highest H’ (Shannon index) value was measured in the organic system. Fungi, but also diatoms, seemed to be promising for monitoring changes in the soil since they were sensitive to both the soil features and the anthropic impact. Our study showed that soil biodiversity could be affected by the conversion to sustainable management practices from the early years of an orchard onwards. Therefore, better ecological orchard management may strengthen soil sustainability and resilience in historically agricultural regions.

ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙ НА ОСНОВІ ФОРМУВАННЯ СИСТЕМИ ПОКАЗНИКІВ

The problems of assessing the economic security of organizations on the basis of creating an integral system of final (resulting) and intermediate (factor) indicators related to indicators of determining its level in a state of statics and dynamics, given the current situation in the modern era, seem to be very relevant. The purpose of the study is to form an organic system of indicators economic security, providing organizations with the definition of all reserves of economic growth and identification of advantages over competitors on the basis of the current economic mechanism. The methodological basis of the study was the modern legislative and normative legal acts regulating the economic activities of organizations. Research tasks, goal achievement and problem solving are focused on the use of methods of chain substitutions and mathematical analysis, which, complementing each other, provide accurate information about the degree of influence of factor indicators on the resulting indicators, which is necessary for organizations to rank areas that enhance economic security. The main hypothesis of the study was the assumption about the possibility and feasibility of forming a system of indicators for assessing the economic security of organizations. Presentation of the main material. This article is devoted to the analysis of the approach proposed by the authors to assessing economic security as the core of the economic potential of organizations based on the creation of an integral system of final (resulting) and intermediate (factor) indicators related to indicators of determining its level in a state of statics and dynamics. The originality and practical significance is confirmed by our proposed toolkit, which includes factor and resulting indicators in their organic interaction, which makes it possible to objectively assess the economic security of organizations. The practical significance of the study also lies in the fact that these methods are applicable in all organizations, regardless of their economic and legal status, since they are built on general economic postulates and provide for the specifics of the current economic situation. Conclusions and prospects for further research. Having the tools created by the authors, presented by methods for calculating economic security indicators, organizations will qualitatively analyze its general and particular indicators, objectively assessing the final and intermediate desired benchmarks for the effectiveness and cost of activities and the strength of the impact of each of them on the result and costs, objectively subject to an increment in during a certain time interval. In the future, it is planned to develop and expand the proposed system of indicators for assessing economic security, including using a generalized version of this system in relation to other taxonomic objects at the meso-level - to regions and industries.

CARACTERIZAÇÃO PÓS-COLHEITA DE FRUTOS DE MARACUJÁ-ROXO CULTIVADOS EM SISTEMA CONVENCIONAL E ORGÂNICO

Cultivares de maracujá-roxo desenvolvidas regionalmente podem contribuir para o aumento da produção de frutos de qualidade atendendo às necessidades do mercado. Objetivou-se avaliar os frutos de maracujá-roxo, obtidos em sistemas de cultivo convencional e orgânico. Os frutos foram colhidos em estágio de maturação comercial (casca totalmente roxa) e analisados quanto à caracterização físico-química, centesimal, compostos bioativos e capacidade antioxidante. Os frutos analisados apresentaram maiores valores médios para o rendimento de polpa e sólidos solúveis em sistema convencional, que foram de 49,04% e 13,86 °Brix. O valor calórico energético foi de 45,95 kcal/100 g em sistema orgânico, indicando que o consumo do fruto “maduro” pode ser realizado a fim de suprir as necessidades energéticas diárias. As polpas dos frutos de maracujá-roxo estudados demonstraram serem fontes importantes de componentes bioativos, com respaldo aos elevados valores médios para ácido ascórbico e polifenóis extraíveis totais em ambos os sistemas de cultivo. Palavras-chave: Passiflora edulis Sims; manejo; sólidos solúveis; compostos fenólicos. Postharvest characterization of purple passion fruits cultivated in conventional and organic system ABSTRACT: Regionally developed purple passion fruit cultivars can contribute to the increase in the production of quality fruits, meeting marked needs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the purple passion fruits, obtained in conventional and organic cultivation systems. The fruits were harvested at the stage of commercial maturation (totally purple peel) and analyzed for characterization of the physicochemical, centesimal composition, bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity. The analyzed fruits showed higher average values ​​for pulp yield and soluble solids in a conventional system, which were 49.04% and 13.86 °Brix. The caloric energetic value was 45.95 kcal/100 g in organic system, indicating that the consumption of the “ripe” fruit can be carried out in order to meet the daily energy needs. The pulps of the purple passion fruit studied proved to be important sources of bioactive components, supported by the high mean values ​​for ascorbic acid and total extractable polyphenols in both farming systems. Keywords: Passiflora edulis Sims; management; soluble solids; phenolic compounds.

Only ‘Time’ will ‘Tell’: Influence of temporality on the interpretation of narrative discourses

The notion of language has been broadly understood in different ways with respect to existing literatures revolving around form, meaning, sound & context. Although overtly these understandings do try to integrate with the functionality of a complex organic system, they glaringly lack reference to the basis for its realization, i.e., time. Approaches to problematize the understanding of language have overlooked the issue of time. Temporality introduces a distinct fuzziness in qualitative and abstract expressions beyond just the action or the state. It is also evident in the context of names in a diachronic sense. A systematic exploration of this gap can lead us to a time-oriented understanding of the faculty of language.

Sustainability of Rearing System Using Multicriteria Analysis: Application in Commercial Poultry Production

The aim of the present study was to develop a multicriteria model for the comparison of three commercial poultry farms: organic with Ross 308 genotype (OR), organic with Naked Neck genotype (ONN) and a conventional system (C), which represents the most common commercial farming system. A model based on multicriteria decision analysis was developed, considering for the first time the One Welfare approach in an operational manner, including three dimensions: human, environmental and animal welfare. The three alternatives demonstrated different performances, according to the different dimensions considered. In particular, the two organic systems performed better for human welfare and animal welfare, with relevant differences due to the genetic strains used. Conventional rearing performed better for the environment index due to the method chosen. The multicriteria analysis showed that the organic system performed better overall than the conventional system. In particular, the use of an adapted Slow Growing (SG) strain positively affected the final rank, mainly by reducing welfare problems and producing good economic and social performance. The stability of the results was verified by performing a sensitivity analysis, specifically a weight stability analysis, which confirmed the strength of results.

Effect of fertilizer and cultivation systems and herbicide application on soil biological activity under spring barley cultivation and its yield

The results of the research devoted to the change of the biological composition of the soil under the conditions of activation of microbiological vital activity and increase in the number of earthworms in the technology of spring barley cultivation are presented. It was found that the organic system of growing crops against the background of manure, cereal straw and green manure in comparison with the organo-mineral system obtained a positive dynamics of decomposition of linen tissue and the development of earthworms in the soil.The highest grain yield was formed by agrocenosis of spring barley with the introduction of Lancelot 450 WG – 0.033 kg·ha–1 + Axial 50 EC – 1 dm3·ha–1 (tube exit phase) – 4900 kg·ha–1 and 4700 kg·ha–1 for organo-mineral and organic fertilizer systems in accordance.

The Impact of Organic Production System in Olive Grove: Soil, Oil Characteristics, Biodiversity

This research was conducted during period (2014 – 2016), in collaboration between General Commission of Agricultural Scientific Research/Syria and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in olive orchard that planted of Khodairi variety in Hazour village/Moseif region. The orchard was divided in to two plots, one of them was managed under organic system according to Syrian Organic Law while conventional practices used by farmer were applied in the second. These plots were separated by row of olive trees. Soil properties were studied before and after applying agro practices to evaluate the impact of organic system on soil characteristics, and the chemical analysis (oil percentage, content of Oleic acids, free acidity, total poly phenols) were carried out in order to verify the difference between two treatments, in addition to evaluating diversity in natural vegetation in both experimental plots. Organic agricultural practices have shown a positive effect in increasing soil fertility and the nutrients available to plants. They also exceeded significantly the conventional ones in term of fruit’s oil content the difference was 1.72%, in their contents of oleic fatty acid the difference reached 1.33%, and in polyphenols a difference of 28.7%. The diversity in natural vegetation seemed higher in organic plots, particularly in the spices that belong to leguminous plants such as wild vetch, lupine and types of clover, that allow taking advantage of these spices to enhance the existence of natural enemies, enrich the grove soil and maintain its moisture.

The Assessment of a Multifactorial Score for the Adaptability Evaluation of Six Poultry Genotypes to the Organic System

This study aimed to develop an adaptability score (AS) for chicken strains, which includes behavioral, plumage conditions, and body lesion indicators through a multifactorial approach. A total of 600 male chickens from 6 poultry genotypes—Ranger Classic (R1), Ranger Gold (R2), Rowan Ranger (R3), Hubbard Red JA (A), CY Gen 5 × JA87 (CY), and M22 × JA87 (M)—were reared under organic conditions, fed ad libitum, and individually weighed weekly to calculate the daily weight gain (DWG). The behavioral observations consisted of the explorative attitude (EA), recorded at 21 days, and the behavioral patterns (BPs) recorded the week before the slaughter. The AS was established by a principal component analysis, and the AS of these genotypes was compared. Moreover, the effect of DWG and genotype on the AS was evaluated by univariable and multivariable regression models. Although the DWG and genotype were strictly dependent, genotype was the most important factor affecting the AS. In fact, its effect was significant both in univariable (p < 0.001) and multivariable models (p < 0.001). Conversely, the DWG was significant only in the univariable and lost significance when the effect of genotype was introduced in the model.