STRATEGIES THAT FAVOR MYCORRHIZATION IN THE REFORESTATION OF A DISTURBED AREA IN THE SEMIARID REGION

Hydrogel and mulch added to the soil may favor arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), contributing to the reforestation of disturbed lands in semiarid regions. This study aimed to evaluate AMF colonization in the roots of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong in response to the application of hydrogel and mulch (bagana) from carnauba palm (Copernicia cerifera L.) to the soil and their effects in the soil and plants. A field experiment was set up in April 2014 in Ibaretama (Ceará, Brazil) in a randomized block design in a 2×4 factorial scheme – with mulch (+M) e without mulch (−M) × hydrogel doses (0, 4, 5, and 6 g L−1) –, with five replicates. Samples of roots, soil, and leaves were collected 18 months after the beginning of the experiment to determine AMF colonization in the roots and nutrient contents in the soil and plant material. The hydrogel dose of 6 g L−1 and mulch application equivalent to 10 Mg ha−1 increased AMF colonization by 21 e 44%, respectively. Soil contents of Ca, K, and Zn decreased with hydrogel doses without mulch but increased in the presence of the carnauba palm residue applied as mulch. A higher P content in the plant material was not associated with AMF colonization. The leaf content of Ca responded only to the treatment with mulch, reaching the highest value (3.8 g kg−1) in the absence of mulch.

USE OF CARNAUBA PALM BAGANA TO REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION IN THE PRODUCTION OF IRRIGATED RADISH

ABSTRACT In regions with limited water resources, efficient use of water has become increasingly essential for agricultural production. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of the carnauba palm bagana (leaf fibers) as an option of ground cover to reduce the use of water in irrigated radish. The study was conducted from July to October 2018 in two crop cycles in Pentecoste-CE, Brazil. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks with split plots and four replicates, whose primary treatments consisted of five irrigation depths (50%; 75%; 100%; 125% and 150% of the evapotranspiration crop) and secondary treatments consisted of five different levels of ground cover using carnauba bagana (0%; 25%; 50%; 75% and 100% of 16 t ha-1), in a 5 x 5 interaction, totaling 100 experimental plots. The following variables were evaluated: fresh mass of shoots and tuber, plant height, number of leaves, tuber diameter and gas exchange. For tuber fresh mass in the first crop cycle, a first order model was obtained with the response surface, with linear increase of the factors irrigation depths (0.064 g plant-1) and ground cover (0.065 g plant-1), with the highest value (40.44 g plant-1) observed for the level of 150% ETcloc and 100% bagana. Application of 16 t ha-1 of carnauba bagana can be considered recommended, within the limits studied, for use in the radish crop.

Potential seed dispersers: a new facet of the ecological role of Boa constrictor constrictor Linnaeus 1758

The boa (Boa constrictor) is considered a top predator and its diet includes a wide variety of birds, mammals, and other reptiles, all related directly to their availability in the environment inhabited by the snake. Seven boas were found roadkilled on highways adjacent to conservation units in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte state, in northeastern Brazil. Their digestive tract was analyzed to identify food items and classify them according to their orientation in the tract. Among the food items found, the white-eared opossum (Didelphis albiventris) and the black-and-white tegu (Salvator merianae) were ingested head-first, while teeth of a punaré (Thrichomys laurentius) and a Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii) and hairs of an unidentified rodent were found in the intestinal tract. In addition, two novel items were identified: the plain-breasted ground-dove (Columbina minuta), which were ingested tail-first, and carnauba palm seeds (Copernicia prunifera). The orientation of the prey (head-first or tail-first) followed what was expected for each type of prey. In addition, the presence of carnauba palm seeds indicates that, while being a top predator, the boa may also be a potential disperser of seeds, which would constitute a previously unrecorded ecological role for this species.

Desmatamento da carnaúba (Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. Moore) em Campo Maior-PI

Esse estudo busca analisar as áreas de carnaubais que foram suprimidas no município de Campo Maior, verificando a evolução e a mudança na cobertura vegetacional, os índices pluviométricos, a composição do PIB nos setores da economia (primário, secundário e terciário), a densidade demográfica e a taxa de urbanização. Para tanto, utilizou-se as imagens disponíveis no site da Empresa Brasileira de Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) (MODIS/NDVI) referentes ao período de 2002 a 2016. Os dados demográficos e econômicos foram obtidos no site do IBGE, e as informações sobre precipitação, no site do INPE Além disso, realizou-se pesquisas in loco em áreas de carnaubais e conversas informais com representantes do poder público local. Concluiu-se que houve supressão de carnaúbas para a implantação de empreendimentos imobiliários na área urbana, em consonância com o crescimento econômico e demográfico do município. As imagens do Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada (NDVI) de 2005 e 2016 refletiram essas modificações. Abstract DEFORESTATION OF CARNAUBA (Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. Moore) IN CAMPO MAIOR - PI This study investigates the areas of carnauba palm forest that were removed in the municipality of Campo Maior, checking the progress and change in vegetation coverage, rainfall rates, the composition of GDP in the sectors of the economy (primary, secondary and tertiary), population density and the rate of urbanization. To this end, there were used images available in the Embrapa site (MODIS / NDVI) from the period of 2002 to 2016. Data on GDP, population density and urbanization rate were obtained from the IBGE site. In addition, there were conducted surveys on-site in areas of carnauba palm forest and informal talks with representatives of local government. It was concluded that there was suppression of carnaubas to implementation of real estate projects in the urban area, consistent with the economic and demographic growth of the municipality. The images of NDVI of 2005 and 2016 reflected this modifications.

Emergence and initial growth of Copernicia prunifera (Arecaceae) as a function of fruit maturation

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of fruit maturation on the physiological quality of seeds and on the initial growth of carnauba palm (Copernicia prunifera). Propagules were collected from specimens of urban tree growth in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. The treatments were set up with four replications in a 2x3+1 factorial arrangement; the factors consisted of two color tones of fruit (yellowish-green and dark colored fruit), three types of propagules (whole fruit, pulped fruit and seeds) and an additional control (pre-germinated seed extracted from dark colored fruits) in a completely randomized design. The variables assessed were: percentage of emergence, plant height, stem diameter, dry weight of the shoots and of the root system, and the Dickson quality index. The yellowish-green fruits may be used in carnauba palm propagation if the pulp and the pellicle around the seed are removed. Plants derived from dark colored fruits exhibit greater values for height, stem diameter, dry weight of the above ground part and of the roots. From the Dickson quality index, plants derived from dark colored fruits have a better standard of quality than those from yellowish-green fruits.