Although the cultivation of transgenic plants expressing toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) represents a successful pest management strategy, the rapid evolution of resistance to Bt plants in several lepidopteran pests has threatened the sustainability of this practice. By exhibiting a favorable safety profile and allowing integration with pest management initiatives, plant essential oils have become relevant pest control alternatives. Here, we assessed the potential of essential oils extracted from a Neotropical plant, Siparuna guianensis Aublet, for improving the control and resistance management of key lepidopteran pests (i.e., Spodoptera frugiperda and Anticarsia gemmatalis). The essential oil exhibited high toxicity against both lepidopteran pest species (including an S. frugiperda strain resistant to Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab Bt toxins). This high insecticidal activity was associated with necrotic and apoptotic effects revealed by in vitro assays with lepidopteran (but not human) cell lines. Furthermore, deficits in reproduction (e.g., egg-laying deterrence and decreased egg viability), larval development (e.g., feeding inhibition) and locomotion (e.g., individual and grouped larvae walking activities) were recorded for lepidopterans sublethally exposed to the essential oil. Thus, by similarly and efficiently controlling lepidopteran strains susceptible and resistant to Bt toxins, the S. guianensis essential oil represents a promising management tool against key lepidopteran pests.

A batata-doce (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) tem sido reportada como uma das espécies de planta com grande capacidade de converter biomassa em matéria prima para produção de etanol. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o potencial de clones de batata-doce para produção de etanol. Foram avaliados 60 clones de batata-doce para produtividade de raízes, teor de amido nas raízes, produtividade de amido, coloração da casca e da polpa e o rendimento de etanol. O clone BDTO#122,32 e as cultivares Ana Clara e Carolina Vitória com média de 46,77; 42,75 e 41,25 t ha-¹, respectivamente, foram os que mais conseguiram acumular biomassa na forma de raiz. Os clones que apresentam as maiores médias de produtividade de amido por hectare foram BDTO#144.22 e BDTO#100.23, com valores de 15,46 e 14,16% t ha-1, com rendimentos de etanol de 8,33 e 7,63 m³ ha-¹. Os clones BDTO#144.22 e BDTO#100.23 apresentaram as maiores médias de produtividade de amido por hectare e rendimento de etanol, sendo, portanto, os mais promissores para a produção de etanol.Palavras-chave: Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam, melhoramento genético, seleção, biocombustível. POTENTIAL OF EXPERIMENTAL CLONES OF SWEET POTATO FOR ETHANOL PRODUCTION ABSTRACT:Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) Has been reported as one of the plant species with great ability to convert biomass into feedstock for ethanol production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of sweet potato clones for ethanol production. Twenty-six sweet potato clones were evaluated for root productivity, root starch content, starch yield, bark and pulp color, and ethanol yield. Clone BDTO # 122.32 and cultivars Ana Clara and Carolina Vitória averaging 46.77; 42.75 and 41.25 t ha-1, respectively, were the ones that were able to accumulate biomass in the root form. The clones presenting the highest starch productivity per hectare were BDTO # 144.22 and BDTO # 100.23, with values of 15.46 and 14.16% t ha-1, with ethanol yields of 8.33 and 7.63 m³ ha-¹. The clones BDTO # 144.22 and BDTO # 100.23 showed the highest averages of starch productivity per hectare and yield of ethanol, thus being the most promising for the production of ethanol.Keywords: Ipomoea potatoes (L.) Lam, breeding, selection, biofuel.