Assessment of the Antioxidative Potential of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) Irrigated with Static Magnetic Field-Treated Water

Abstract Phenolic compounds are one of the main groups of secondary metabolites in plants and are known for their antioxidant activity. Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) contains different phenolic compounds including carnosol, carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid. In Cuba, rosemary cultivation is limited because it is difficult to propagate and has a low yield. As a result, it was removed from the Herbal Medicine National Formulary. However, the National Public Health System has a strong interest in rosemary because of its value as a natural antioxidant medicine. Irrigation with water treated with a static magnetic field (SMF) is a possible strategy to increase rosemary yield. This technology has been applied to accelerate plant growth and increase crop quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in aqueous leaf extracts from plants irrigated with SMF-treated water in comparison to control plants. Significant differences in phenolic content and antioxidant activity were observed between aqueous extracts of control plants and plants irrigated with SMF-treated water. Therefore, irrigation with SMF-treated water is a promising technology to improve the cultivation of rosemary as a raw material to obtain pharmaceutical products with high antioxidant activities.

Morfometria de cladódios de Opuntia stricta sob lâminas de irrigação e adubação orgânica no semiárido paraibano / Morphometry of Opuntia stricta cladodes submitted to different irrigation levels and organic fertilizer in the paraiba semi-arid region / Morfometría de cladodios de Opuntia stricta bajo cuchillas de riego y fertilización orgánica en el semiárido paraibano

A Palma Forrageira é uma planta xerófila de grande importância para a manutenção da pecuária nordestina, sobretudo, durante os períodos de estiagem. No entanto, diante da necessidade da recuperação dos palmais destruídos pela cochonilha do carmim, faz-se necessário conhecer os efeitos das práticas de manejo sobre as novas variedades introduzidas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito de diferentes lâminas de irrigação e fontes de adubação orgânica sobre a morfometria de cladódios da palma forrageira 'Orelha de Elefante Mexicana' (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) cultivada no Semiárido. O experimento foi conduzido na Fazenda Riachão, Boa Vista, Paraíba. A área de plantio utilizada estava no segundo ciclo depois de dois anos de implantação. Utilizou-se um fatorial duplo 3 x 6 (tipos de adubação; lâminas de irrigação) em delineamento em blocos casualizados, com cinco repetições. Utilizaram-se dois tipos de esterco, bovino e caprino e a testemunha, associados com a ausência de irrigação e cinco lâminas diferentes (0; 1,5; 2,5; 3,5; 4,5 e 5,5 L de água por semana por planta). Ao fim de três meses, foram mensurados a área do cladódio, índice de área de cladódio e volume de cladódios total. Observou-se efeito significativo a 1% de probabilidade, pelo Teste F, da lâmina de irrigação sob todos os parâmetros analisados, sendo a lâmina de 5,5 L/semana a que propiciou os melhores resultados para a maioria das variáveis. Os tipos de esterco isoladamente não diferiram estatisticamente entre si, no entanto, o esterco caprino associado com a irrigação apresentou melhores resultados.(AU)

The forage palm is a xerophilous crop of great importance for the maintenance of livestock in the Northeast region of Brazil during periods of drought. However, due to the need to recover the palm trees destroyed by the prickly pear cochineal, it is important to know the effects of management practices on the new varieties that have been introduced in the area. In this sense, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of different irrigation levels and sources of organic fertilization on the morphometric attributes of forage palm cladodes of the Erect Prickly Pear (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) grown in a semi-arid environment. The experiment was conducted at Fazenda Riachão, in the city of Boa Vista, state of Paraíba. The planting area used was at its second cycle after two years of implantation. Two types of manure ­ cattle and goat, as well as control, associated with absence of irrigation and five different levels of irrigation, ranging from 0; 1.5; 2.5; 3,.5; 4.5 and 5.5 L of water per week per plant were used. A 3 x 6 double factorial model (types of fertilization, irrigation levels) was used in a randomized block design, with five replications. At the end of a three-months' period, the cladode area, cladode area index, and total cladode volume were measured. A significant effect could be observed at 1% probability by F Test regarding the irrigation level for all analyzed parameters, with the 5.5 L/week irrigation mode providing the best results for most of the studied parameters. The manure types alone did not differ statistically from each other; however, the goat manure associated with irrigation presented better results than those for cattle manure.(AU)

La palma forrajera es una planta xerófila de gran importancia para el mantenimiento del ganado del noreste, especialmente durante los períodos de sequía. Sin embargo, en vista de la necesidad de recuperación de las palmas destruidas por la cochinilla carmínica, es necesario conocer los efectos de las prácticas de manejo en las nuevas variedades introducidas. En ese sentido, esta investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de diferentes cuchillas de riego y fuentes de fertilización orgánica en la morfometría de cladodios de la palma forrajera 'Oreja de Elefante Mexicano' (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) cultivada en el Semiárido. El experimento se realizó en la Hacienda Riachão, Boa Vista, Paraíba. El área de plantación utilizada estaba en el segundo ciclo después de dos años de implantación. Se usó un factorial doble 3 x 6 (tipos de fertilización; cuchillas de riego) en un diseño de bloques al azar con cinco repeticiones. Se utilizaron dos tipos de estiércol, siendo de ganado y cabras y el control, asociados con la ausencia de riego y cinco diapositivas diferentes (0; 1.5; 2.5; 3.5; 4.5 y 5.5 L de agua por semana por planta). Después de tres meses, se midieron el área del cladodio, el índice del área del cladodio y el volumen total del cladodio. Se observó un efecto significativo con una probabilidad del 1%, mediante la Prueba F, de la cuchilla de riego bajo todos los parámetros analizados, con la cuchilla de 5.5 L/semana proporcionando los mejores resultados para la mayoría de las variables. Los tipos de estiércol por sí solos no difirieron estadísticamente, sin embargo, el estiércol de cabra asociado con el riego presentó mejores resultados.(AU)

Effects of deficit irrigation and kaolin application on vegetative growth and fruit traits of two early ripening apple cultivars

BACKGROUND: Drought is one of the main serious problems for agriculture production which its intensity is increasing in many parts of the world, hence, improving water use efficiency is a main goal for sustainable agriculture. RESULTS: Growth indices including relative shoot length growth (SL), relative stem diameter increase (SD) and relative trunk cross sectional area growth (TCSA) measured at the start and end of the season decreased by reducing the irrigation level. Chlorophyll index (CI) was decreased at 70% crop evapotranspiration, however water use efficiency (WUE), leaf and fruit total phenolic content (TPC), and fruit anthocyanin content (AC) were among the traits that showed increment by water deficit stress in both cultivars. Shafi-Abadi cultivar showed to be more sensitive to the water stress than 'Golab' Kaolin treatment improved SL, SD and CI traits, but this increase was statistically significant only for SD at 5% level. Kaolin had no significant effect on yield and water use efficiency (WUE), however, it had negative effect on yield efficiency (YE). Kaolin treatments also significantly increased fruit and leaf TPC (P< 0.01) but had no effect on leaf and fruit total antioxidant activity (AA), as well as fruit anthocyanin content (AC) and soluble proteins (SP). CONCLUSIONS: Irrigation at 85% ETc showed better results than 100% and 70% ETc levels for yield attributes. It seems that the more pronounced effect of kaolin on vegetative traits but not on the fruits, might be attributed to the early ripening and harvest time of the examined cultivars.

Huevos de helmintos como indicadores de contaminación de origen fecal en aguas de riego agrícola, biosólidos, suelos y pastos / Helminth eggs as parasitic indicators of fecal contamination in agricultural irrigation water, biosolids, soils and pastures

Resumen Introducción. La disposición de las aguas residuales y de los biosólidos provenientes de los sistemas de depuración es una práctica común en la agricultura debido a su alta concentración de nutrientes, lo cual mejora el rendimiento de las cosechas. Sin embargo, la presencia en ellos de microorganismos patógenos de origen fecal genera riesgos sanitarios para los agricultores y los consumidores. Objetivo. Determinar la presencia y la concentración de huevos de helmintos en aguas utilizadas para riego agrícola, así como en biosólidos, suelos y pasto. Materiales y métodos. Se recolectaron y analizaron muestras de agua, biosólidos, suelos y pasto, para la detección y el conteo del total de huevos de helmintos y de huevos viables, y para la evaluación de su comportamiento en aguas utilizadas en el riego agrícola y el cultivo de pasto para ganado lechero en los que se habían utilizado biosólidos como enmienda orgánica. Resultados. En las aguas se encontraron concentraciones totales de 0,1 a 3 huevos de helmintos por litro y de 0,1 a 1 huevos viables de helmintos por litro. En biosólidos y suelos, hubo entre 3 y 22 huevos de helmintos por 4 g de peso seco, y entre 2 y 12 huevos viables por 4 g de peso seco. En los pastos, hubo un número total de menos de 2 a 9 huevos de helmintos por g de peso fresco y menos de 1 a 3 huevos viables por g de peso fresco. La permanencia en cada una de las matrices varió de días a meses, lo cual puede representar un riesgo sanitario para la población que trabaja en los cultivos y para los consumidores. Conclusiones. La presencia de huevos de helmintos en las matrices evaluadas confirmó el riesgo sanitario de este tipo de entornos, por lo cual es importante su control e inclusión en las normas sobre el uso de aguas residuales y biosólidos en la agricultura.

Abstract Introduction: A very common practice in agriculture is the disposal of wastewater and biosolids from water treatment systems due to their high nutrient content, which substantially improves crop yields. However, the presence of pathogens of fecal origin creates a sanitary risk to farmers and consumers. Objective: To determine the presence and concentration of helminth eggs in irrigation waters, biosolids, agricultural soils, and pastures. Materials and methods: Water, biosolids, soil, and pasture samples were collected and analyzed for helminth egg detection, total eggs and viable eggs counts. The behavior of helminth eggs was evaluated in irrigation waters and dairy cattle grassland, where biosolids had been used as an organic amendment. Results: Concentrations between 0.1-3 total helminth eggs/L, and 0.1-1 viable helminth eggs/L were found in water. In biosolids and soil, we found 3-22 total helminth eggs/4 g of dry weight, and 2-12 viable helminth eggs/4 g of dry weight, and in grass, we found <2-9 total helminth eggs/g of fresh weight, and <1-3 viable helminth eggs/g of fresh weight. The presence of helminth eggs in each matrix varied from days to months, which may represent a sanitary risk to farmers as well as to consumers. Conclusions: The presence of helminth eggs in the assessed matrixes confirms the sanitary risk of such practices. Therefore, it is important to control and incorporate regulations related to the use of wastewater and biosolids in agriculture.

Advanced techniques using the plant as indicator of irrigation management / Técnicas avançadas utilizando a planta como indicadora do manejo de irrigação

The methodologies which are considered the most promising for irrigation management are those based on the analysis of the water status of the plants themselves. This justifies the study and improvement of indicators based on automatic and continuous measures to enable real-time monitoring data, as indices from sap flow, dendrometry and leaf turgor pressure techniques. The aim of this paper is to analyze such methodologies in order to demonstrate their principles, advantages and challenges. In conclusion, the methodologies analyzed still have many technological advances and challenges before being presented to the final user. The future research should work these tools for elaboration of technical indexes that allow their simplification, on the instrumental point of view, and the interpretation of their results.

As metodologias que se apresentam como as mais promissoras para o manejo de irrigação são aquelas baseadas na análise do status hídrico das próprias plantas. Isso justifica este estudo e o aprimoramento de indicadores baseados em medidas automáticas e contínuas que permitam acompanhamento em tempo real dos dados, como os índices provindos das técnicas do fluxo de seiva, dendrometria e da pressão de turgescência foliar. Nesse sentido, esta revisão se propõem a analisar tais metodologias de maneira a demonstrar seus princípios, vantagens e desafios. Como conclusão, tem-se que as metodologias analisadas ainda têm diversos desafios tecnológicos para serem apresentadas de maneira satisfatória ao usuário final. As pesquisas devem trabalhar estas ferramentas para elaboração de índices técnicos que permitam sua simplificação, tanto do ponto de vista instrumental, quanto para a interpretação dos seus resultados.

Phenolic compounds and vitamins in wild and cultivated apricot (Prunus armeniaca L) fruits grown in irrigated and dry farming conditions

BACKGROUND: Turkey is the main apricot producer in the world and apricots have been produced under both dry and irrigated conditions in the country. In this study, phenolic compounds and vitamins in fruits of one wild (Zerdali) and three main apricot cultivars ('Cataloglu', 'Hacihaliloglu' and 'Kabaasi') grown in both dry and irrigated conditions in Malatya provinces in Turkey were investigated. RESULTS: The findings indicated that higher content of phenolic compounds and vitamins was found in apricot fruits grown in irrigated conditions. Among the cultivars, 'Cataloglu' had the highest rutin contents both in irrigated and dry farming conditions as 2855 µg in irrigated and 6952 µg per 100 g dried weight base in dry conditions and the highest chlorogenic acid content in irrigated and dry farming conditions were measured in fruits of 'Hacihaliloglu' cultivar as 7542 µg and 15251 µg per 100 g dried weight base. Vitamin C contents in homogenates of fruit flesh and skin was found to be higher than ß-caroten, retinol, vitamin E and lycopen contents in apricot fruits both in irrigated and dry farming conditions. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that apricot fruits grown in both dry and irrigated conditions had high health benefits phytochemicals and phytochemical content varied among cultivars and irrigation conditions as well. However, more detailed biological and pharmacological studies are needed for the demonstration and clarification of health benefits of apricot fruits.

Desenvolvimento vegetativo do noni (Morindacitrifolia L. ) sob diferentes sistemas e lâminas de irrigação / Vegetative development of noni (Morinda citrifolia L. ) under different irrigation systems and water depths

O noni é uma cultura de origem asiática que vem despertando interesse de agricultores brasileiros em virtude de suas propriedades fitoterápicas na medicina popular e de seu elevado valor comercial; contudo, são escassas as informações quanto ao manejo da cultura em geral e inexistentes estudos a respeito da irrigação da cultura no Brasil. Objetivou-se com este estudo definir, entre dois sistemas de irrigação e cinco laminas d´água, qual a melhor condição para o desenvolvimento vegetativo da cultura. O experimento foi realizado no período de maio de 2009 a março de 2010, em Trairi-CE. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados e dois sistemas de irrigação localizada (gotejamento e microaspersão) dispostos em faixas verticais. Dentro de cada faixa foram distribuídos os blocos com as parcelas dos cincos níveis de irrigação correspondentes à aplicação de frações da evapotranspiração de referência FAO (ETo) de 40%, 60%, 80% 100% e 120%. Para o sistema de irrigação por microaspersão as lâminas correspondentes foram: 109,3 mm, 135,8 mm, 187,9 mm, 227,8 mm e 297,7 mm e para sistema de irrigação por gotejamento: 83,4 mm, 1237 mm, 166,5 mm, 204,7 mm e 254,4 mm, respectivamente. Foram utilizadas cinco repetições. O desenvolvimento vegetativo de plantas de noni foi influenciado tanto pelos sistemas de irrigação, quanto pelas lâminas d´água aplicadas. A lâmina de irrigação equivalente a 227,8 mm, correspondente a 100% da ETo, na irrigação por microaspersão, proporcionou maiores ganhos de diâmetro do coleto, altura da planta, e diâmetro de copa.

Noni is a crop of Asian origin that has piqued the interest of Brazilian farmers because of its properties in herbal folk medicine and its high commercial value. However, there is little information about the crop management in general, and particularly on the irrigation of the crop in Brazil. The objective of this study was to define what localized irrigation system (drip or micro sprinklers) and water depth that provide the best vegetative growth of noni plants. The experiment was conducted from May 2009 to March 2010 in the city of Trairi, Brazil. We used a split block experimental design, with two irrigation systems (drip and micro sprinklers) arranged in vertical lines. Within each line, five irrigation levels, corresponding to the application of fractions of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) 40% 60% 80% 100% and 120%, were distributed in five blocks. For the micro sprinkler irrigation system, the corresponding slides were: 109.3 mm, 135.8 mm, 187.9 mm, 227.8 mm and 297.7 mm, respectively, and for the drip irrigation system, they were: 83.4 mm, 123.7 mm, 166.5 mm, 204.7 mm and 254.4 mm, respectively. The noni vegetative growth was influenced both by the irrigation systems and the depths of irrigation applied. The application of irrigation depths equivalent to 227.8 mm, which corresponds to 100% of ETo with the use of micro sprinklers, provided the largest gains in stem diameter, plant height and canopy diameter.