We studied Spodoptera frugiperda development using different food sources in the laboratory and field. Newly hatched larvae were fed soybean, cotton, maize, wheat, and oat leaves. An artificial diet was used as the control. Duration of pre-pupal, pupal, and larva-adult period, pupal weight, sex ratio, survival, larva feeding preferences, oviposition preferences, and nutritional quality of different hosts were evaluated. Insects fed on wheat showed the shortest larva-adult period. The insects fed on cotton and soybean had longer larval development cycles and pupae of lower weight. Feeding preference was evident for third instar larvae and did not differ between wheat, oat, maize, and soybean, which were the preferred hosts. Moths oviposited to a greater extent on the upper canopy of wheat than that of other plants in both the no-choice and free-choice tests. Treatments influenced insect growth, food consumption, and digestion when nutritional variables were analyzed. Thus, grasses were better hosts for S. frugiperda development. Cotton was the least preferred food, followed by soybean. The present study can improve our understanding of S. frugiperda in these different crops and help in developing management strategies. Even though S. frugiperda is considered to be polyphagous, this pest is closely associated with grasses (maize, wheat, oat) and has lower potential as a soybean or cotton feeder. Howerver, S. frugiperda food intake regulation appears to be triggered by a complex of different mechanisms. Thus, S. frugiperda can also damage soybean and cotton and adapt to them in the absence of preferred hosts.

Rhythms produced by the endogenous circadian clock play a critical role in allowing plants to respond and adapt to the environment. While there is a well-established regulatory link between the circadian clock and responses to abiotic stress in model plants, little is known of the circadian system in crop species like soybean. This study examines how drought impacts diurnal oscillation of both drought responsive and circadian clock genes in soybean. Drought stress induced marked changes in gene expression of several circadian clock-like components, such as LCL1-, GmELF4- and PRR-like genes, which had reduced expression in stressed plants. The same conditions produced a phase advance of expression for the GmTOC1-like, GmLUX-like and GmPRR7-like genes. Similarly, the rhythmic expression pattern of the soybean drought-responsive genes DREB-, bZIP-, GOLS-, RAB18- and Remorin-like changed significantly after plant exposure to drought. In silico analysis of promoter regions of these genes revealed the presence of cis-elements associated both with stress and circadian clock regulation. Furthermore, some soybean genes with upstream ABRE elements were responsive to abscisic acid treatment. Our results indicate that some connection between the drought response and the circadian clock may exist in soybean since (i) drought stress affects gene expression of circadian clock components and (ii) several stress responsive genes display diurnal oscillation in soybeans.

The identification and quantification of flavonoids (rutin and genistin) present in extracts of soybean genotypes, and their effects on the biology and physiology of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lep.: Noctuidae) were studied. Analysis of covariance and bicoordinate utilization plots were used to remove the effect of feeding time from pupal weight and consumption as well as to separate pre- and postingestive effects of treatment on A. gemmatalis growth. Genotypes PI 274454, PI 227687, and "IAC-100" extracts in general, caused higher mortality, negatively influenced initial larval and pupal weight, and elongated larval cycle. Larvae fed on the "IAC-100" extract diet ingested larger amounts of food per unit of time, but were less efficient in its conversion to biomass. Leaf extracts of PI 227687 had the largest concentration of rutin (quercitin 3-O-rhamnosylglucoside), followed by PI 274454, and "IAC-100"; PI 74454 also had the highest genistin (genistein 7-O-glucoside) content. The susceptible cultivar "BR-16" showed only a kaempferol-based flavonoid in its chemical profile, indicating that after successive crosses, secondary compounds responsible for plant defenses were eliminated. Genotypes PI 274454, PI 227687, and "IAC-100" showed accentuated resistance characteristics and were considered inadequate sources for the development of A. gemmatalis. Considering rutin and genistin concentration in these genotypes, it is suggested that flavonoids are important factors conferring resistance to A. gemmatalis.

In the last three decades, the no-tillage system (NT) has provided environmental and economic advantages for farming in southern Brazil, especially when associated with crop rotation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different tillage and cropping systems on the grain yields of soybean, maize and wheat, in a 23-year experiment established on an Oxisol in the southern region of Brazil. The experiment was carried out in randomized block experimental design with four replications. The treatments consisted of three tillage systems [NT, NT with chiseling every three years (NTC), and conventional tillage (CT)] and two cropping systems [an annual crop sequence with wheat in the winter and soybean in the summer, designated as crop succession (CS), and a 4-year crop rotation with the following species in winter-summer, respectively: white lupine-maize; black oat-soybean; wheat-soybean; and wheat-soybean (CR)]. Soybean yields were correlated to the water requirement satisfaction index (WRSI) estimated for the soybean reproductive period. With few exceptions, the NT showed higher soybean yields in relation to CT from the 7th year of the experiment onwards, especially under crop rotation and in growing seasons with lower water availability expressed by lower WRSI values. The percentage of NT soybean yield advantage over CT increased consistently over the time, and this increase was greater in CR than in CS, reaching on average 23%. The yields of wheat and maize were not influenced by the tillage systems, but the wheat yields were increased by crop rotation. In the most of the growing seasons, the soil chiseling, at every three years, did not increase significantly the yields of soybean, maize and wheat. Crop rotation and NT, allowed high and stable crop yields, especially under water-stress conditions. Results indicate the need of minimizing soil disturbance and diversifying cropping system for sustainable grain production in southern Brazil.

To investigate the processes involved in the susceptibility of sugarcane plants to water deficit, several physiological parameters were evaluated in drought tolerant (SP83-2847 and CTC15) and sensitive (SP86-155) cultivars. The water deficit affected the photosynthetic apparatus of all the plants in different ways, within and among cultivars. The photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance decreased significantly in all cultivars submitted to water deficit. In control plants of the tolerant cultivars (SP83-2847 and CTC15) the photosynthetic rate was higher than in the sensitive cultivar (SP86-155). Cultivar CTC15 showed the highest relative water content during the dry period. The quantum efficiency photosystem II of cultivar SP83-2847 was more stable in the last days of the experimental treatment, suggesting that the decline in relative water content stimulated an adjustment of photosynthetic capacity to tolerate the changes in water availability. As a whole, the tolerant SP83-2847 and CTC15 cultivars exhibited a better photosynthetic performance than the sensitive SP86-155 cultivar. The data suggest that these physiological parameters can be used in the evaluation and distinction of drought tolerant and sensitive sugarcane genotypes.Key words: Photosynthetic efficiency, relative water content, Saccharum, water stress, drought. resuMo parâmetros fisiológicos de cultivares de cana-de-açúcar submetidas ao déficit hídrico. Para investigar o processo envolvido na susceptibilidade de plantas de cana-de-açúcar ao déficit hídrico, diferentes parâmetros fisiológicos foram avaliados em cultivares tolerantes (SP83-2847 e CTC15) e sensível (SP86-155) ao déficit hídrico. O déficit hídrico afetou o aparato fotossintético de todas as plantas de forma diferenciada dentro e entre as cultivares. A taxa fotossintética e condutância estomática diminuíram significativamente para todas as cultivares submetidas ao déficit hídrico. Nas plantas controle das cultivares tolerantes (SP83-2847 e CTC15) a taxa fotossintética foi maior do que a cultivar sensível (SP86-155). A cultivar CTC15 apresentou O teor relativo de água mostrou que a cultivar CTC15 apresentou o maior teor relativo de água durante o período de déficit hídrico. A eficiência fotossintética da cultivar SP83-2847 foi mais estável nos últimos dias do tratamento experimental, sugerindo que o decréscimo do teor relativo de água estimulou o ajustamento da capacidade fotossintética para tolerar as mudanças da disponibilidade hídrica. sensível SP86-155. Os dados permitem sugerir que tais parâmetros fisiológicos podem ser usados na avaliação e distinção de genótipos de cana-de-açúcar tolerantes e sensíveis ao déficit hídrico. palavras-chave: Eficiência fotossintética, teor relativo de água, Saccharum, estresse hídrico, seca.