Brazil is one of the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Fire foci across the country contributes to these emissions and compromises emission reduction targets pledged by Brazil under the Paris Agreement. In this paper, we quantify fire foci, burned areas, and carbon emissions in all Brazilian biomes (i.e., Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal and Pampa). We analyzed these variables using cluster analysis and non-parametric statistics to predict carbon and CO2 emissions for the next decade. Our results showed no increase in the number of fire foci and carbon emissions for the evaluated time series, whereby the highest emissions occur and will persist in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. The Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, Caatinga and Pampa biomes had low emissions compared to the Amazon and Cerrado. Based on 2030 projections, the sum of emissions from fire foci in the six Brazilian biomes will exceed 5.7 Gt CO2, compromising the national GHG reduction targets. To reduce GHG emissions, Brazil will need to control deforestation induced by the expansion of the agricultural frontier in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. This can only be achieved through significant political effort involving the government, entrepreneurs and society as a collective.

A virus survey conducted in the northwest region of Paraná, the main cassava-producing region of that state, showed Cassava common mosaic virus (CsCMV) to be widespread, infecting more than 90% of plants from all cassava cultivars. A CsCMV isolate was purified and used to raise a high-titer (1/1.000) polyclonal antiserum for indexing plants produced from meristem-tip culture, using PTA-ELISA. From an initial production of 110 plants of cultivar Olho Junto, 31 remained infected as indicated by PTA-ELISA. To improve the sensitivity of virus detection, an immunocapture-RT-PCR (IC-RT-PCR) protocol was established. Virus-specific IgG, purified and combined with a primer set for the genus Potexvirus, could readily detect CsCMV in cassava crude leaf extracts. IC-RT-PCR products of 750 bp were amplified from six out of 35 plants previously tested as virus-negative by PTA-ELISA. Sequence analysis of cloned IC-RT-PCR products confirmed they were part of the CsCMV replicase gene, indicating that the virus was still present after thermotherapy and meristem-tip culture. PTA-ELISA enabled initial screening of virus-positive cassava, reducing the number of plants to be further analyzed by IC-RT-PCR. Though CsCMV has been considered of minor importance, its widespread nature, as noticed in Paraná, indicates the need for adoption of effective control measures.

Banana streak virus (BSV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) are commonly found in all banana growing-areas of the world. These viruses cause diseases that lead to yield reduction and constrain plant breeding and distribution of Musa germplasm. Most of the diagnostic methods targeting BSV can generate dubious results because of the considerable genetic and serological diversity among BSV isolates and the presence of integrated BSV sequences in the banana plant. Both viruses are usually detected in single and mixed infections in banana plantations in the north region of Paraná state using DAS-ELISA and PCR. A rolling-circle amplification protocol tested in this study allowed specific detection and identification of an episomal BSV isolate infecting Nanicão Jangada cultivar, thus confirming the occurrence of Banana streak OL virus in Brazil.

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