Spatial-temporal distribution and potential risk of pesticides in ambient air in the North China Plain.

The intensive use of pesticides in the North China Plain (NCP) has resulted in widespread contamination of pesticides in the local atmosphere, posing risks to air quality and human health. However, the occurrence and distribution of atmospheric pesticides in the NCP as well as their risk assessment have not been well investigated. In this study, 300 monthly samples were collected using passive air samplers with polyurethane foam at ten rural sites with different crop systems in Quzhou county, the NCP, from June 2021 to May 2022. The pesticides were quantified using mass-spectrometric techniques. Our results revealed that chlorpyrifos, carbendazim, and atrazine were the most frequently found pesticides in the air samples, with detection frequencies of ≥ 87 % across the samples. The average concentrations of atmospheric pesticides during spring (7.47 pg m-3) and summer (16.05 pg m-3) were significantly higher than those during autumn (2.04 pg m-3) and winter (1.71 pg m-3), attributable to the intensified application of pesticides during the warmer seasons. Additionally, cash crop sites exhibited higher concentrations (10.26 pg m-3) of atmospheric pesticides compared to grain crop (5.59 pg m-3) and greenhouse sites (3.81 pg m-3), primarily due to more frequent pesticides spraying events in cash crop fields. These findings indicate a distinct spatial-temporal distribution pattern of atmospheric pesticides influenced by both seasons and crop systems. Furthermore, the model-based inhalation risk assessment indicates that inhalation exposure to atmospheric pesticides is unlikely to pose a significant public concern.

[Effects of Fertilizer Application Strategy Adjustments on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Loss from Typical Crop Systems in Taihu Lake Region].

The intensity of crop farming fertilizer input is generally high in the Taihu Lake Region, with chemical fertilizer as the main form. Due to inappropriate fertilizer application, nitrogen and phosphorus loss have occurred, causing serious agricultural non-point source pollution. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China has launched the "zero-growth action for chemical fertilizer use" and "replacement action with organic fertilizer" ("two actions" for short) campaigns since 2015. Local agricultural sectors adjusted fertilizer application strategies of crop farming to respond to the call of two actions. However, the current research is still focusing on reducing the total amount of fertilizer application and increasing the area of organic fertilizer application, which is mainly based on grain crops. The study of agricultural environment problems is still lacking, especially in vegetable, orchard, and tea systems. Therefore, a study was carried out in the typical agricultural area of Suzhou City Wuzhong District from 2019 to 2021. Based on the data of the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus removal by harvest crops and soil nitrogen and phosphorus residual in paddy, vegetable, orchard, and tea systems, the loss was estimated. The responses of nitrogen and phosphorus loss from typical crop systems to fertilizer application strategy adjustments were studied through analysis of different factors. The results showed that fertilizer application rate was the key to control nitrogen and phosphorus loss. Additionally, the suitable replacement ratio of organic fertilizer could further reduce the loss risk. It should be noted that the urgent demand for nutrients in crop growth should be considered to determine the timing of organic fertilizer application, and agricultural machinery should be used to assist organic fertilizer application to reduce labor output if possible. Fertilizer efficiency was the core of environmental friendliness and economic benefits of crop farming. Hence, improving fertilizer efficiency should be the guidance of fertilizer application strategy adjustment. Our suggestions on the adjustment of fertilizer application strategy in different crop systems in the study area are as follows:attention should be paid to the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium input ratio in paddy systems to further reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loss. Planting structure adjustment should be emphasized in vegetable systems to promote fertilizer efficiency. The strategy to satisfy both tea and orchard growth from a composite system perspective would help to build crop systems that meet the needs of green agricultural development.

Post-Intensification Poaceae Cropping: Declining Soil, Unfilled Grain Potential, Time to Act.

The status and sustainability of Poaceae crops, wheat and barley, were examined in an Atlantic zone climate. Intensification had caused yield to rise 3-fold over the last 50 years but had also degraded soil and biodiversity. Soil carbon and nitrogen were compared with current growth and yield of crops. The yield gap was estimated and options considered for raising yield. Organic carbon stores in the soil (C-soil) ranged from <2% in intensified systems growing long-season wheat to >4% in low-input, short-season barley and grass. Carbon acquisition by crops (C-crop) was driven mainly by length of season and nitrogen input. The highest C-crop was 8320 kg ha-1 C in long-season wheat supported by >250 kg ha-1 mineral N fertiliser and the lowest 1420 kg ha-1 in short-season barley fertilised by livestock grazing. Sites were quantified in terms of the ratio C-crop to C-soil, the latter estimated as the mass of carbon in the upper 0.25 m of soil. C-crop/C-soil was <1% for barley in low-input systems, indicating the potential of the region for long-term carbon sequestration. In contrast, C-crop/C-soil was >10% in high-input wheat, indicating vulnerability of the soil to continued severe annual disturbance. The yield gap between the current average and the highest attainable yield was quantified in terms of the proportion of grain sink that was unfilled. Intensification had raised yield through a 3- to 4-fold increase in grain number per unit field area, but the potential grain sink was still much higher than the current average yield. Filling the yield gap may be possible but could only be achieved with a major rise in applied nitrogen. Sustainability in Poaceae cropping now faces conflicting demands: (a) conserving and regenerating soil carbon stores in high-input systems, (b) reducing GHG emissions and other pollution from N fertiliser, (c) maintaining the yield or closing the yield gap, and (d) readjusting production among food, feed, and alcohol markets. Current cropping systems are unlikely to satisfy these demands. Transitions are needed to alternative systems based on agroecological management and biological nitrogen fixation.

Crop-specific ammonia volatilization rates and key influencing factors in the upland of China - A data synthesis.

Ammonia (NH3) is an important alkaline reactive nitrogen (Nr) species which is involved in global nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycling, but which has negative impacts on the environment and human health. In order to better understand and control the NH3 loss potential in soil-upland crop systems in China, an integrated data analysis including 1302 observations from 236 published articles between 1980 and 2021 was conducted. The typical NH3 volatilization rate (AVR) and the main factors influencing AVR in the major Chinese upland crops (maize, wheat, openfield vegetables and greenhouse vegetables and others) were estimated and analyzed. The mean AVR for maize, wheat, openfield vegetables and greenhouse vegetables were 7.8%, 5.3%, 8.4% and 1.8%. The most important influencing factors were fertilizer placement, meteorological conditions (especially temperature and rainfall) and soil properties (especially SOM). Subsurface N application produced a significantly lower AVR compared to surface application. High N recovery efficiency and N agronomic efficiency were generally associated with low AVRs. In conclusion, high N application rates, inefficient application methods and the use of loss-prone N fertilizer types are the main factors responsible for high AVRs in major Chinese croplands.

[Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Cadmium Pollution in Soil-crops system of an E-waste Dismantling Area].

With the rapid development of electronic technology, soil heavy metal contamination caused by electronic waste dismantling activities has attracted the attention of many researchers. To investigate the contamination status and spatial distribution of Cd in soil-crop systems around an e-waste dismantling area, 171 pairs of soil and crop samples were collected for analysis. The concentrations of cadmium in root vegetable soil, leaf vegetable soil, solanaceous vegetable soil, and orchard soil were (1.292±0.647), (1.010±0.201), (0.921±0.125), and (0.861±0.135) mg·kg-1, respectively. The average values of cadmium in these four soil types were 10.0, 7.8, 7.1, and 6.3 times the background values of soil Cd in Zhejiang Province, respectively, and 4.31, 3.4, 3.07, and 2.72 times the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land, clearly indicating cadmium accumulation in the soil. However, only a small percentage of crops contained cadmium levels that exceeded food safety limits. Moreover, different types of crops showed different capacities for cadmium enrichment and can be ranked accordingly: leaf vegetables > root vegetables > solanaceous vegetables > fruits. The single factor pollution index and the potential ecological risk assessment revealed severe Cd contamination in the study area, with a high potential ecological risk. Cadmium exposure posed a higher health risk for children than for adults. However, the single heavy metal cadmium pollution index does not indicate a threat to local residents at this time. Moran's I index and kriging interpolation results revealed that Cd has significant spatial autocorrelation, with high values mainly concentrating around the e-waste dismantling area, indicating a significant correlation with e-waste dismantling activities.

Colonization and Spatial Distribution of Boll Weevil in Commercial Cotton Fields.

The departure and arrival of boll weevil in cotton fields have fostered major control decisions against this pest over time. Field colonization and distribution of boll weevil were evaluated using cotton fields from 93.7 to 154 ha each, located in Serra da Petrovina and Campo Verde, both in the Cerrado biome of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, as a function of cotton field bordering vegetation and crop phenology. The monitoring of adult weevils was carried out using traps containing sex and aggregation pheromone. The traps were set up considering the four coordinates of the field, bordering vegetation, and distances from the field margin. Six traps were set in each direction with three representing the field margin (0 m, 60 m, and 120 m from the borderline) and the other three set up equidistant from the center of the field (> 200 m). Traps were evaluated weekly beginning 10 days after plant emergence (DAE) throughout the cotton phenology until harvesting. Boll weevils were caught in the first evaluation 10 DAE, irrespective of the vegetation bordering the cotton field and distance of trap from field margin. The average weevils per trap was relatively low throughout the crop development but increased significantly through the maturation and harvesting periods. Furthermore, the bordering vegetation was not the only determinant factor for boll weevil colonization and distribution throughout the cotton field. Based on these data, boll weevil exhibited early colonization, already occurring beyond the border of the field.

Mycotoxins in Feed and Food and the Role of Ozone in Their Detoxification and Degradation: An Update.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some filamentous fungi, which can cause toxicity in animal species, including humans. Because of their high toxicological impacts, mycotoxins have received significant consideration, leading to the definition of strict legislative thresholds and limits in many areas of the world. Mycotoxins can reduce farm profits not only through reduced crop quality and product refusal, but also through a reduction in animal productivity and health. This paper briefly addresses the impacts of mycotoxin contamination of feed and food on animal and human health, and describes the main pre- and post-harvest systems to control their levels, including genetic, agronomic, biological, chemical, and physical methods. It so highlights (i) the lack of effective and straightforward solutions to control mycotoxin contamination in the field, at pre-harvest, as well as later post-harvest; and (ii) the increasing demand for novel methods to control mycotoxin infections, intoxications, and diseases, without leaving toxic chemical residues in the food and feed chain. Thus, the broad objective of the present study was to review the literature on the use of ozone for mycotoxin decontamination, proposing this gaseous air pollutant as a powerful tool to detoxify mycotoxins from feed and food.

BarleyNet: A Network-Based Functional Omics Analysis Server for Cultivated Barley, Hordeum vulgare L.

Cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most produced cereal crops worldwide after maize, bread wheat, and rice. Barley is an important crop species not only as a food source, but also in plant genetics because it harbors numerous stress response alleles in its genome that can be exploited for crop engineering. However, the functional annotation of its genome is relatively poor compared with other major crops. Moreover, bioinformatics tools for system-wide analyses of omics data from barley are not yet available. We have thus developed BarleyNet, a co-functional network of 26,145 barley genes, along with a web server for network-based predictions (http://www.inetbio.org/barleynet). We demonstrated that BarleyNet's prediction of biological processes is more accurate than that of an existing barley gene network. We implemented three complementary network-based algorithms for prioritizing genes or functional concepts to study genetic components of complex traits such as environmental stress responses: (i) a pathway-centric search for candidate genes of pathways or complex traits; (ii) a gene-centric search to infer novel functional concepts for genes; and (iii) a context-centric search for novel genes associated with stress response. We demonstrated the usefulness of these network analysis tools in the study of stress response using proteomics and transcriptomics data from barley leaves and roots upon drought or heat stresses. These results suggest that BarleyNet will facilitate our understanding of the underlying genetic components of complex traits in barley.

Genetics-based dynamic systems model of canopy photosynthesis: the key to improve light and resource use efficiencies for crops.

Improving canopy photosynthetic light use efficiency instead of leaf photosynthesis holds great potential to catalyze the next "green revolution". However, leaves in a canopy experience different biochemical limitations due to the heterogeneities of microclimates and also physiological parameters. Mechanistic dynamic systems models of canopy photosynthesis are now available which can be used to design the optimal canopy architectural and physiological parameters to maximize CO 2 uptake. Rapid development of modern crop genetics research now makes it possible to link such canopy models with genetic variations of crops to develop genetics-based dynamic systems models of canopy photosynthesis. Such models can guide marker-assisted breeding or genomic selection or engineering of crops to enhance light and nitrogen use efficiencies for different regions under future climate change scenarios.

Effect of trees on the reduction of nutrient concentrations in the soils of cultivated areas.

The function of trees in reducing nutrient migration to groundwaters in cultivated areas, under Mediterranean climate conditions, is tested. Three cultivated fields were monitored for two cultivation periods. The common characteristic of the three fields was that on one side, they bordered with a poplar tree field. Four different crops were cultivated, and two cultivation periods were monitored. Based on the number of fields (i.e., three) and the cultivation periods (i.e., two), six different conditions (systems) were studied with four crops (i.e., sunflower, cotton, rapeseed, and corn). Soil samples were collected in all systems at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the cultivation period at various sampling sites (i.e., various distances from the tree row) and at various depths, and were analyzed in the laboratory for the determination of ΝΟ3-Ν and P-Olsen. In all systems, the greatest concentration of P-Olsen was measured in the surface layers (0-5, 10-15, and 30-35 cm) and was gradually decreased in the deeper layers (55-60 and 75-80 cm) indicating that P mobility is low. The ΝΟ3-Ν concentration in the deeper layers (55-60 and 75-80 cm) at all sampling sites was equal to or greater than that of the surface layers, indicating that ΝΟ3-Ν has high mobility in soils. At the sampling sites in the soil zone near the tree row, the ΝΟ3-Ν concentration in the deeper layers was lower than that of the surface, indicating that the tree root system takes up nutrients which otherwise would move toward the water table. There was also a reduction observed of the depth-averaged P-Olsen and ΝΟ3-Ν concentrations at the soil zone at a distance of 2.0-3.5 m from the tree row compared to locations more distant from the trees; this reduction ranged between 15 and 50 % and 36 and 54 %, respectively. The results indicate that planting of trees in cultivated fields can contribute to the reduction of nitrate pollution of groundwaters.

Frações de carbono e nitrogênio de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico sob diferentes usos na Amazônia brasileira / Carbon and nitrogen fractions in a dystrophic Red Yellow Latosol (Oxisol) soil under different uses in the Brazilian Amazon

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar indicadores de qualidade de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distrófico sob vegetação nativa de floresta, pastagem (Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu), plantio convencional, cultivo mínimo e sistema de plantio direto. Foram determinados o carbono e o nitrogênio da biomassa microbiana do solo, o carbono orgânico e o nitrogênio total do solo, quocientes microbianos para carbono e nitrogênio e relações entre carbono orgânico e nitrogênio total do solo (C/N tot) e entre carbono e nitrogênio da biomassa microbiana (C/N mic). As amostras foram coletadas em Cerejeiras/RO, em duas profundidades (0-10 e 10-20 cm) nos cinco tratamentos, com cinco repetições. A análise estatística consistiu na análise de dados discrepantes, pelo método de Chauvenet, e dos pressupostos das variâncias, pelo teste de Bartlett e de Shapiro-Wilk, seguidos do teste de Kruskal-Wallis, entre os tratamentos, e comparação das variáveis entre as profundidades, pelo teste de Mann-Whitney, e ainda da análise de agrupamentos utilizando o método de Ward, todos ao nível de 5 por cento de probabilidade. Os diferentes usos do solo influenciam as variáveis avaliadas, com exceção da relação C/N tot, sendo que as variáveis microbiológicas demonstram-se mais sensíveis às mudanças do uso e manejo do solo. O sistema de plantio convencional é o tratamento que apresenta maior homogeneidade entre as profundidades. A análise de agrupamentos evidencia que o solo sob plantio direto, sistema de cultivo mínimo e plantio convencional apresenta semelhanças entre si, assim como, o solo sob vegetação nativa de floresta e pastagem também se assemelham.

The aim of this study was to assess quality indicators of a dystrophic Red Yellow Latosol (Oxisol) soil under native forest, pasture (Brachiaria brizantha cv. marandu), conventional tillage, minimum tillage system and no till system. It was determined the soil carbon and soil nitrogen in the microbial biomass, organic carbon and total nitrogen, ratios for microbial carbon and nitrogen and relationships between organic carbon and total nitrogen (C/N tot) and between carbon and soil nitrogen in the microbial biomass (C/N mic). The soil samples were collected in the Municipality of Cerejeiras/RO, at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm) in five treatments with five replications. The statistical analysis consisted of outliers analysis by Chauvenet method, and assumptions of variances by Bartlett's test and Shapiro-Wilk, followed by Kruskal-Wallis, between treatments, and comparison the variables between the depths, by Mann-Whitney' test, and the group analysis using Ward's method, all at 5 percent probability. The results show that different uses influence the variables, except for ration C/N tot, and the microbiology variables showed themselves more sensitive to changes in land use and management than other. The conventional tillage is the treatment that has greater homogeneity among the depths. The group analysis shows that the soil under no till system, minimum tillage system and conventional tillage have similarities among well as the soil under native forest and pasture are similar.

Atributos químicos de um Cambissolo Húmico após 12 anos sob preparo convencional e semeadura direta em rotação e sucessão de culturas / Chemical properties of a Humic Dystrudept after 12 years under conventional and no tillage with crop succession and rotation

O manejo adequado do solo é uma das bases para a sustentabilidade do sistema agrícola. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar atributos químicos de um Cambissolo Húmico Alumínico após 12 anos em dois sistemas de preparo do solo, com rotação e sucessão de culturas. O experimento foi conduzido em Lages, SC, utilizando preparo convencional (PC) e semeadura direta (SD), sob rotação (r) e sucessão (s) de culturas. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. As sequências de cultivo foram: feijão-pousio-milho-pousio-soja-pousio no PCr; milho-pousio no PCs; feijão-aveia-milho-nabo-soja-ervilhaca na SDr; e milho-ervilhaca na SDs. As amostras de solo foram coletadas nas camadas 0-2,5; 2,5-5; 5-10; e 10-20cm. Avaliou-se carbono orgânico total (COT), cálcio, magnésio, alumínio trocável, fósforo, potássio, nitrogênio total (NT) e pH em água. A SD aumentou os teores de COT e nutrientes em comparação ao PC, especialmente na camada superficial do solo. O cultivo de milho e ervilhaca em sucessão aumentou os teores de COT e NT na camada superficial do solo em comparação com a rotação sob semeadura direta.

Suitable soil management is one of the bases for sustainability in agricultural systems. The study aimed to evaluate chemical properties of a Humic Dystrudept for 12 years under two tillage systems, with crops rotation and succession. The experiment was carried out in Lages, SC, under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT), with rotation (r) and succession (s) cropping systems, using crop sequences of beans-fallow-maize-fallow-soybean in CTr; maize-fallow in CTs; beans-oats-maize-fodder radish-soybean-vetch in NTr; and maize-vetch in NTs. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replicates. The soil samples were collected in the layers 0-2.5, 2.5-5, 5-10 and 10-20cm. The variables assessed were total organic carbon (TOC), calcium, magnesium, exchangeable aluminum, phosphorus, potassium, total nitrogen (TN) and water pH. The no-tillage system increased TOC and nutrient levels in comparison with conventional tillage, especially in the surface soil layer. Maize and vetch crop succession had higher TOC and TN contents in the surface soil layer compared to crop rotation under no-tillage.

Análise econômica da produção do Maracujazeiro amarelo em sistemas orgânico e convencional / Economical analysis of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg.) production in organic and conventional systems

Este trabalho foi realizado no município de Maringá, localizado na região noroeste do Paraná, com o objetivo de analisar e comparar economicamente sistemas de produção orgânico e convencional de maracujazeiro-amarelo (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg.). Para se montar a matriz de coeficientes técnicos, os custos de implantação e produção e os indicadores de lucratividade da cultura, os dados foram obtidos com extensionistas da região e baseados em trabalho de pesquisa, realizado na Fazenda Experimental de Iguatemi da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, no período de junho de 2002 a julho de 2004. O custo total de produção da cultura em dois anos agrícolas alcançou um valor 12,94% maior para o sistema convencional, e referente ao mesmoperíodo, o índice médio de lucratividade foi 21,39% maior para o sistema orgânico. O sistema orgânico de produção se mostrou viável economicamente, proporcionando maior lucratividade.

This work was carried out in the city of Maringá, located in the Northwest region of Paraná, with the aim of analyzingeconomically the yellow passion fruit crop (Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg.), comparing organic and conventional production systems. To estimate technical coefficients, planting and production costs, and profitability indicators of culture, the data weresurveyed from technicians of the region and based in experimental work, carried out at the Experimental Farm of Iguatemi from the Maringá State University, in the period of june/2002 to july/2004. The total production costs of the culture in two agricultural yearsreached a value 12.94% higher for the conventional system, and in this same period the medium index of profitability was 21.39% higher for the organic system. The organic production system was economically feasible and provided a larger index of profitability.

Altura de planta e acúmulo de matéria seca do feijoeiro cvs. BRS MG Talismã e Ouro Negro em plantio direto e convencional / Plant height and dry matter acumulation by common bean cvs. BRS MG Talismã and Ouro Negro under no-tillage and conventional crop systems

Com o objetivo de estudar a curva de crescimento em altura de planta, taxa e acúmulo de matéria seca da parte aérea ao longo do ciclo cultural do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) foram conduzidos quatro experimentos de campo, com as cvs. Ouro Negro e BRS MG Talismã, em plantio direto e convencional, sendo um em Lavras (Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico, inverno primavera 2002) e os demais em Madre de Deus de Minas (Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo ácrico, seca 2005). O delineamento experimental foi feito com blocos casualizados com três repetições e 11 ou 12 tratamentos (épocas de coleta). De 7 em 7 dias foram amostradas 10 ou 20 plantas para determinação da altura, através do comprimento da haste principal, e outras 20 plantas para determinação do peso da matéria seca da parte aérea após secagem em estufa com circulação de ar a 65-70ºC até peso constante. Os dados foram submetidos a análises de variância e regressão, com ajuste de curvas representativas do comportamento das características avaliadas. Em plantio direto, a altura máxima foi alcançada aos 50 DAE, enquanto no plantio convencional o feijoeiro continuou crescendo até os 72-73 DAE, ocorrendo fechamento mais tardio da lavoura. As cvs. Ouro Negro e BRS MG Talismã mostraram padrões de acúmulo de matéria seca muito próximos, com pouco incremento até os 81 DAE, na BRS MG Talismã, e ambas alcançaram maiores acúmulos em plantio direto. Em geral, as maiores taxas de acúmulo de matéria seca foram verificadas entre 45-48 DAE.

The aim of this research was to study the plant growth in height and the dry matter accumulation pattern along the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) crop cycle. Four field experiments were carried out in Lavras (winter-spring 2002) and other were performed in Madre de Deus de Minas, MG (dry crop season 2005) with common bean, cvs. Ouro Negro and BRS MG Talismã, under no-tillage and conventional crop systems. Every seven days 10 or 20 plants were sampled to height measurements and other 20 plants for dry matter evaluation. The experiments were carried out in randomized block outlines with three replications and 11 or 12 treatments (sampling times). The data were treated with a variance and regression analysis and representative curves of the evaluated variables were fitted and adjusted. The growth curves had showed that the maximum height was reached by the 50 DAE in no-tillage crop system while in the conventional crop system the bean kept on growing up to the 72-73 DAE, closing further in field. The pattern of dry matter accumulation showed that there was a small increment until the 21-24 DAE for the two cultivars. The maximum accumulation could be observed in the no-tillage croping systems by the 75-76 DAE for the cv. Ouro Negro and by the 80-81 DAE for the cv. BES MG Talismã. In general, the highest rates of dry matter accumulation were verified by the 45-48 DAE.

Influência da rotação de culturas na infestação e danos causados por Sternechus Subsignatus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) em plantio direto / Influence of crop rotation on Sternechus Subsignatus (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) infestation and damage under no-tillage

Avaliou-se, a campo, a influência da rotação de culturas com milho e soja na infestação e nos danos causados pelo tamanduâ-da-soja, Sternechus subsignatus (Boheman, 1836), em solos manejados no sistema de plantio direto. no município de Cruz Alta, RS. Os resultados indicaram que a infestação de adultos, larvas olivas e larvas hibernantes e os danos de percentagem de plantas de soja atacadas e mortas foram significativamente inferiores na rotação com milho e soja do que o verificado no monocultivo de soja. A soja em rotação com o milho produziu significativamente mais grãos do que a soja em monocultivo. Concluiu-se que a rotação com milho e soja constitui-se numa prática importante a ser usada no manejo de S. subsignatus em áreas infestadas, pelo fato do inseto não se alimentar e nem ovipositar nas plantas de milho, o que propicia a diminuição da sua população.

The corn and soybean crop rotation on Sternechus subsignatus (Boheman. 1836) infestation and damage under notillage was evaluated in the field in the county of Cruz Alta, Rio Grande do Sul State. Brazil. The results indicated that adult infestation. active larvae and hibernating larvae, and that the percent damage of soybean plants attacked and dead, were significantiy lower in the corn-soybean crop rotation in relation to soybean under monocultural system. Soybean in rotation with corn showes significant more grain productivity than soybean under monocultural system. It was concluded that the corn-soybean rotation is an important tool for the management of S. subsignatus in infested areas due to the fact that the insect neither feed nor perform oviposition on corn plants, thus reducing its population.