Alternative products to control late season diseases in soybeans

ABSTRACT: In the last crop seasons, the complex of late season diseases (CLSD) of soybean (Glycine max L. (Merrill)), has been causing considerable reductions in the crop yield. Currently, there are no cultivars resistant to all pathogens that causes CLSD. The present study evaluated the effect of applying the acibenzolar-S-methyl resistance inducer, alternative products and fungicide on the severity of CLSD in the soybean cultivar BMX Potência RR during the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 crops, in the field. The treatments for the experiments were: 1 - control (water); 2 - acibenzolar-S-methyl; 3 - calcium; 4 - micronutrients: copper, manganese and zinc; 5 - micronutrients: manganese, zinc and molybdenum; 6 - nitrogen-potassium fertilizer; 7 - Ascophyllum nodosum and 8 - azoxystrobin + cyproconazole with the addition of the adjuvant. Four applications of alternative products and two of fungicide were carried out in both harvests. A diagrammatic scale assessed the severity of CLSD at the phenological stage R7.1. The acibenzolar-S-methyl resistance inducer, alternative products (macro and micronutrients) and A. nodosum had no effect on the severity of CLSD in the two harvests. The fungicide (azoxystrobin + cyproconazole) reduced the severity of CLSD and prevented damage to productivity in both experiments.

The trace elements influence on the tomato plants heat resistance in arid climate

In the arid conditions of the Astrakhan region agricultural plants heat resistance is one of the important criteria of quality production getting. In this regard, and also taking into consideration the fact that the soils of our region are characterized by a very low content of trace elements in the form accessible to plants, researches were carried out to study the effect of trace elements of copper, manganese and zinc for tomato plants heat resistance. To exclude the trace elements rapid absorption by the soil, plants foliar treatments were used during the growing season with 0.05% solutions of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), manganese sulfate (MnSO4) and copper sulfate (CuSO4). In the control variant, the plants were sprayed with water. The results showed that tomato plants foliar feeding during the III-V organogenesis stages with 0.05% solutions of zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate and copper sulfate have not got a significant effect on tomatoes growth and productivity. However, the zinc and copper trace elements positively influenced such physiological parameters of plants as the leaf cells hydration, the bound water content in them, the protoplasm viscosity, thereby contributing to the increase in tomato resistance to the adverse effects of high temperatures in the arid climate.

Alterations in Metal Homeostasis Occur Prior to Canonical Markers in Huntington Disease

Objective: The importance of metal biology in neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntingtin Disease is well documented with evidence of direct interactions between metals such as copper, zinc, iron and manganese and mutant Huntingtin pathobiology. To date, it is unclear whether these interactions are observed in humans, how this impacts other metals, and how mutant Huntington alters homeostatic mechanisms governing levels of copper, zinc, iron and manganese in cerebrospinal fluid and blood in HD patients.Methods: Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid from control, pre-manifest, manifest and late manifest HD participants were collected as part of HD-Clarity. Levels of cerebrospinal fluid and plasma copper, zinc, iron and manganese were measured as well as levels of mutant Huntingtin and neurofilament in a sub-set of cerebrospinal fluid samples.Results: We find that elevations in cerebrospinal fluid copper, manganese and zinc levels are altered early in disease prior to alterations in canonical biomarkers of HD although these changes are not present in plasma. We also evidence that CSF iron is elevated in manifest patients. The relationships between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid metal are altered based on disease stage.Interpretation: These findings demonstrate that there are alterations in metal biology selectively in the CSF which occur prior to changes in known canonical biomarkers of disease. Our work indicates that there are pathological changes related to alterations in metal biology in individuals without elevations in neurofilament and mutant Huntingtin.

Alternative products to control powdery mildew in soybeans culture in field

The occurrence of powdery mildew (Microsphaera diffusa) in soybean (Glycine max L.) has increased in the last harvests. In order to study the efficiency of powdery mildew control due to the application of alternative products and conventional fungicide, trials were conducted in Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil, during the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 growing seasons. The design used was randomized blocks with four replications. The treatments for the experiments were: 1 - control; 2 - acibenzolar-S-methyl (Bion 500 WG®); 3 - calcium (Max Fruit®); 4 - Micronutrients: copper, manganese and zinc (Wert Plus®); 5 - Micronutrients: manganese, zinc and molybdenum (V6®); 6 - NK fertilizer (Hight Roots®); 7 - Ascophyllum nodosum (Acadian®) and 8 - fungicide (azoxystrobin + cyproconazole) (Priori XTRA®) with the addition of the adjuvant. Four applications of alternative products (phenological stages V3, V6, R1 and R5.1) and two of fungicide (phenological stages R1 and R5.1) were carried out. The parameters evaluated were powdery mildew severity and productivity. The severity data made it possible to calculate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPG). Alternative products didn’t reduce powdery mildew in the two harvests. The conventional fungicide treatment was the only one that controlled powdery mildew and didn’t reduce the productivity in both experiments.

Review of Materials and Fabrication Methods for Flexible Nano and Micro-Scale Physical Property Sensors

The use of flexible sensors has tripled over the last decade due to the increased demand in various fields including health monitoring, food packaging, electronic skins and soft robotics. Flexible sensors have the ability to be bent and stretched during use and can still maintain their electrical and mechanical properties. This gives them an advantage over rigid sensors that lose their sensitivity when subject to bending. Advancements in 3D printing have enabled the development of tailored flexible sensors. Various additive manufacturing methods are being used to develop these sensors including inkjet printing, aerosol jet printing, fused deposition modelling, direct ink writing, selective laser melting and others. Hydrogels have gained much attention in the literature due to their self-healing and shape transforming. Self-healing enables the sensor to recover from damages such as cracks and cuts incurred during use and this enables the sensor to have a longer operating life and stability. Various polymers are used as substrates on which the sensing conductive material is placed. Polymers including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), and Kapton are extensively used in flexible sensors. The most widely used nanomaterials in flexible sensors are carbon and silver, however, other nanomaterials such as iron, copper, manganese dioxide and gold are also used to provide controlled levels of conductivity or other functional properties.

Jeevamrut and Panchagavya’s Consequences on Growth, Quality and Productivity of Organically Grown Crops: A Review

Organic farming and organically produced food products are gaining popularity very rapidly in India and world. To trounce the reliance on chemical fertilizers for crop production liquid organic bio-fertilizers and manures are very excellent and cheap sources on the earth because of easy availability and good source of nutrients. Among these Jeevamrut, Beejamrut and panchagavya are the one of the best, which contains almost essential plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese etc.), enzymes (acid phosphatise, alkaline phosphatise, dehydrogenase etc.) and microbes (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, free living nitrogen fixers and phosphorus solubilising organisms), which directly enhances plant metabolism resulting better growth and development. Jeevamrut is well thought-out to be a brilliant source of natural carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and lot of other micro nutrients required for the crops and popularly used as means of organic farming. Panchagavya was used in conventional Hindu rituals which is prepared by mixing five ingredients viz., cow dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee. Jeevamrut and Panchagavya have potential to play the role of promoting growth and provide immunity in plant system. In this manuscript various effects of applications of Jeevamrut and Panchagavya on crops grown in organic farming and their consequences will be discussed.