The three economic injury levels and the sequential sampling plans generated in the present study can be incorporated into integrated pest management programmes for watermelon crops because these plans provide a rapid and adequate control decision for F. schultzei. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The sampling plan determined in this study can be adopted by farmers because it enables the adequate evaluation of B. tabaci populations in watermelon fields (10% maximum evaluation error) and is a low-cost (US$ 2.22 per sampling), fast (56 min per sampling) and feasible (because it may be used in a standardized way throughout the crop cycle) technique. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

No abstract

The Brazilian Cerrado biome has undergone major changes, with the incorporation of new areas for agricultural production. While this can certainly provide for the worldwide growing need for agricultural products, especially food, care should be taken to prevent possible environmental degradation. Worldwide, mites of the cohort Gamasina constitute the most abundant and diverse group of soil predatory mites, usually considered important in maintaining the ecological balance of natural environments. Little is known about the abundance and diversity of Gamasina in the Cerrado. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the abundance and diversity of Gamasina in soils of natural vegetation and of agroecosystems in Cerrado areas of the northern Brazilian state of Tocantins. This is considered the first step in the determination of possible role of the local predators as biological control agents, and their potential for practical use locally and elsewhere. Soil samples were taken monthly between July 2015 and June 2016. In total, 1373 Gamasina representing 45 species of 24 genera and 9 families were collected. The most abundant Gamasina belonged to Rhodacaridae in areas of the natural vegetation and to Ascidae in the agroecosystems. Abundance and diversity were much higher in the rainy than in the dry season. Rhodacarids and ascids have not been used commercially for pest control, but investigations conducted so far suggest their potential as biological control agents. The confirmation of this possibility and the development of techniques that would allow their maintenance in agricultural areas require subsequent research efforts.

This study aimed to verify the genetic variability of matrix trees of Caryocar brasiliense, best known by the popular name of "pequi", in a completely random delineation, with 20 treatments (matrices), and 50 repetitions (collected fruits in each matrix). We have evaluated the following traits of each fruit: weight (g), diameter (cm), length (cm), width (cm), and thickness (cm). As results we obtained a coefficient of experimental variation (CVe(%)) that showed advantageous values of 2.82 to 7.80, and the genotype heritability (((%)) h g 2 (%)) of 55 to 95; both results can indicate favorable genetic control in the traits of the fruit. At the same time certain traits have significant genotypic and phenotypic correlations, which can be understood as an advantage for the improvement of the specie. In conclusion, we have noted that the population of Caryocar brasiliense has a high genetic variation, these results support the planning for genetic improvement programs.