Plant growth regulators and shade on emergence in macadamia nut tree / Reguladores vegetais e sombreamento na emergência de plântulas de macadâmia

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of plant growth regulators and shading on seed germination of macadamia nut trees. The experiment was conducted in a seedling production nursery of the company "QueenNut Macadâmia" located in the "Palmeiras" Farm, Dois Córregos, São Paulo (SP) state, Brazil. The Treatments were T1: water (control) under a shading screen, T2: GA4+7 + N-(phenylmethyl)-aminopurine (Promalin®) at 200 mL L-1 under a shading screen, T3: Promalin® at 400 mL L-1 under a shading screen, T4: gibberellic acid (GA3) + kinetin (Kt) + 3- indolebutyric acid (IBA) ­ Stimulate® at 5 mL kg-1 seeds under a shading screen, T5: Stimulate® at 10 mL kg-1 of seeds under a shading screen, and T6: water (control) under no shading screen. Seeds were soaked in the solutions or in water containing plant growth regulators for 24 hours. Then, they were dried and sown in sand. 450 seeds were used for each treatment. The evaluations began from seedling emergence by counting the total number of seedlings per treatment. A high average of macadamia nut tree seedling emergence was obtained in the treatments GA4+7 + N-(phenylmethyl)-aminopurine (Promalin®) 400 mL L-1 with Sombrite® (75.7%), GA4+7 + N-(phenylmethyl)-aminopurine (Promalin®) 200 mL L-1 (72.6%) Sombrite® and water (control) without Sombrite® (71.5%).

Este estudo objetivou avaliar os efeitos de reguladores vegetais e sombreamento na emergência de plântulas de macadâmia. O experimento foi conduzido no viveiro de produção de mudas de macadâmia da empresa QueenNut Macadâmia, na Fazenda Palmeiras no município de Dois Córregos-SP. Os tratamentos utilizados foram: T1. água (testemunha) com Sombrite®, T2. GA4+7 + N-(fenilmetil)-aminopurina (Promalin®) a 200 mL L-1 com Sombrite®, T3. Promalin® a 400 mL L-1 com Sombrite®, T4. GA3 + IBA + Kt ­ Stimulate® a 5 mL kg-1 sementes com Sombrite®, T5. Stimulate® a 10 mL kg-1 sementes com Sombrite® e T6. água (testemunha) sem Sombrite®. As sementes foram embebidas em água ou nas soluções contendo os reguladores vegetais durante 24h, secas à sombra e semeadas em sementeiras de areia. Foram utilizadas 450 sementes em cada tratamento. A partir da emergência das plântulas foram iniciadas as avaliações, realizadas através da contagem do número total de plântulas emergidas por tratamento. Os melhores resultados na emergência de plântulas de macadâmia foram obtidos nos tratamentos com GA4+7 + N-(fenilmetil)- aminopurina (Promalin®) a 400 mL L-1 com Sombrite® (75,7%), GA4+7 + N-(fenilmetil)-aminopurina (Promalin®) a 200 mL L-1 (72,6%) com Sombrite® e água (testemunha) sem Sombrite® (71,5%).

Chemical composition of nuts and seeds sold in Korea

Eleven types of nuts and seeds were analyzed to determine their energy (326-733 mg), moisture (1.6-18.3 mg), carbohydrate (8.8-70.9 mg), protein (4.9-30.5 mg), lipid (2.5-69.8 mg), and ash (1.2-5.5 mg) contents per 100 g of sample. Energy content was highest in pine nuts (733 mg/100 g), carbohydrate level was highest in dried figs (70.9 mg/100 g) and protein was highest in peanuts (30.5 mg/100 g). The amino acid compositions of nuts and seeds were characterized by the dominance of hydrophobic (range = 1,348.6-10,284.6 mg), hydrophilic (range = 341.1-3,244.3 mg), acidic (range = 956.1-8,426.5 mg), and basic (range = 408.6-4,738.5 mg) amino acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were highest in macadamia nuts (81.3%), whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were highest in the walnuts (76.7%). Macadamia nuts did not contain any vitamin E, whereas sunflower seeds contained the highest level (60.3 mg/kg). Iron (Fe) content was highest in pumpkin seeds (95.85 +/- 33.01 ppm), zinc (Zn) content was highest in pistachios (67.24 +/- 30.25 ppm), copper (Cu) content was greatest in walnuts (25.45 +/- 21.51 ppm), and lead (Pb) content was greatest in wheat nuts (25.49 +/- 4.64 ppm), significantly (P < 0.05). In conclusion, current commercial nuts and seeds have no safety concerns, although further analysis of Pb contents is necessary to ensure safety.

The effect of parasitism on the population dynamics of the macadamia nutborer Gymnandrosoma aurantianum (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Biological control on crop infesting insects represent an useful method in modern agriculture. A search for parasitoids of the macadamia nutborer was carried out during a three year study, and their effect on the population fluctuation of the borer was determined. An egg parasitoid belonging to the family Trichogrammatidae and four larval parasitoids, Microgastrine I, Microgastrine II, Ascogaster sp. (Hymeoptera: Braconidae) and Pristomerus sp. (Hymeoptera: Ichneumonidae) were recovered. Parasitism percentage by Microgastrine I was 15% in 1991, 16% in 1992 and 4% in 1993; Microgastrine II was not collected in 1991, but accounted for a 4.3% of parasitism in 1992 and 3.7% in 1993; Ascogaster sp. was registered since 1992 with 3% parasitism (29% in 1993). We found an inverse relationship between total parasitism and the mean of damaged nuts. Parasitoids play an important role in the reduction of the G. aurantianum population. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (4): 1245-1252. Epub 2009 December 01.

Durante tres años se realizó una búsqueda de los enemigos naturales del barrenador de la nuez de macadamia y se determinó el efecto sobre su población. Se registró un parasitoide de huevo perteneciente a la familia Trichogrammatidae y cuatro parasitoides de larva, Microgastrine I, Microgastrine II, y Ascogaster sp. (Hym: Braconidae) y Pristomerus (Hym: Ichneumonidae). El porcentaje de parasitismo por Microgastrine I fue del 15% en 1991, 16% en 1992 y 4% en 1993; Microgastrine II no se registró en 1991, pero alcanzó un 4.3% de parasitismo en 1992 y un 3.7% en 1993; Ascogaster sp. se registró a partir de 1992 con un 3% de parasitismo y con un 29% en 1993. Se encontró una relación inversa entre el parasitismo total y el promedio de nueces dañadas. Los resultados indican que los parasitoides juegan un papel importante en la disminución de la población de G. aurantianum.