The importance of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) to the Northeast region of Brazil is undeniable, it is a major crop in local family agriculture. As a result, the research aimed to evaluate the physiological and sanitary quality of local varieties of cowpea coming from the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The experiment was carried out at the Seed

RESPOSTAS FISIOLÓGICAS DE MULUNGU SUBMETIDA A ESTRESSE SALINO E APLICAÇÃO DE ÁCIDO SALICÍLICO     FRANCISCO ROMÁRIO ANDRADE FIGUEIREDO1; MARIA DE FÁTIMA QUEIROZ LOPES2; RONIMEIRE TORRES DA SILVA2; JACKSON SILVA NÓBREGA2; TOSHIK IARLEY DA SILVA3 E RISELANE DE LUCENA ALCÂNTARA BRUNO2   1 Departamento de Ciências Vegetais, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido - UFERSA, Rua Francisco Mota, 572, Presidente Costa e Silva, 59625-900, Mossoró - RN, Brasil. E-mail: romarioagroecologia@yahoo.com.br 2 Departamento de Fitotecnia e Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Paraíba - UFPB, Rodovia PB-079, 58397-000, Areia-PB, Brasil. E-mails: fatimaqueiroz0@gmail.com; ronimeiretorres@hotmail.com; jacksonnobrega@hotmail.com; lanebruno.bruno@gmail.com 3 Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa - UFV, Avenida Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n - Campus Universitário, 36570-900, Viçosa – MG, Brasil. E-mail: iarley.toshik@gmail.com     1 RESUMO   O mulungu (Erythrina velutina Willd.) é uma espécie florestal nativa da região Nordeste do Brasil, sendo utilizada para fins econômicos e medicinal. No entanto, o seu desempenho fisiológico pode ser comprometido por diversos fatores bióticos e abióticos, dentre estes, o estresse salino. Nesse sentido, a aplicação do ácido salicílico, fitohormônio de origem fenólica, torna-se uma estratégia promissora na busca de minimizar esses efeitos deletérios. Assim, o objetivou-se conhecer as respostas fisiológicas do mulungu irrigado com água salina associado a aplicação de ácido salicílico. O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial incompleto 5x5, gerados a partir da matriz Composto Central de Box com cinco níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação (0,5; 1,74; 4,75; 7,76 e 9,0 dS m-1) e cinco doses de ácido salicílico (0,0; 0,29; 1,0; 1,71 e 2,0 mM L-1), com quatro repetições. Foram avaliadas as trocas gasosas, fluorescência e índice de clorofila aos 60 dias após a irrigação com água salina. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância pelo teste F, nos casos de significância foi realizada análise de regressão polinomial. A salinidade da água de irrigação ocasiona efeitos deletérios nas trocas gasosas de Erythrina velutina Willd. Os índices de clorofila foram afetados positivamente pelos níveis salinos aplicados e a fluorescência inicial das plantas foi atenuada pela aplicação de ácido salicílico.   Palavras-chave: Erythrina velutina Willd, caatinga, salinidade, trocas gasosas     FIGUEIREDO, F. R. A.; LOPES, M. F. Q.; SILVA, R. T.; NÓBREGA, J. S.; SILVA, T. I.; AND BRUNO, R. A. L. PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF MULUNGU SUBMITTED TO SALT STRESS AND APPLICATION OF SALICYLIC ACID           2 ABSTRACT   Mulungu (Erythrina velutina Willd.) is a forest species native to the Northeast region of Brazil, being used for economic and medicinal purposes. However, its physiological performance can be compromised by several biotic and abiotic factors, among them, saline stress. That way, the application of salicylic acid, phytohormone of phenolic origin, becomes a promising strategy in the search to minimize these deleterious effects. Thus, the objective was to learn the physiological responses of mulungu irrigated with saline water associated with the application of salicylic acid. The design was a randomized complete block, in an incomplete factorial scheme, using the Box Central Composite (CCB) matrix with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (0.5; 1.74; 4.75; 7.76 and 9.0 dS m-1), and five salicylic acid doses (0.0, 0.29, 1.0, 1.71 and 2.0 mM), with four replicates. Gas exchange, fluorescence and chlorophyll indices were evaluated 60 days after irrigation with saline water. Data were submitted to analysis of variance by the F test, in cases of significance polynomial regression analysis was performed. The salinity of irrigation water causes deleterious effects on the gas exchange of Erythrina velutina Willd. The chlorophyll indices were positively affected by saline levels applied and the initial fluorescence of the plants was attenuated by the application of salicylic acid.   Keywords: Erythrina velutina Willd, caatinga, salinity, gas exchange

The sesame fruits present differences on maturity due to their position on the plant stem. Thus, the objective of this paper is to evaluate the physiological quality of sesame seeds from three fruits locations on the plant stem (lower, middle and upper thirds) due to fertilizing with cattle manure (0, 20, 40 and 60 t.ha -1 ). We evaluated the germination percentage, first germination count, germination speed index, average germination time, accelerated-aged seeds germination and electrical conductivity of seeds. In addition, to evaluate seedling establishment we observed emergence percentage, emergence speed index, and average emergence time, as well as length and dry mass of seedlings. The experimental arrange used was entirely randomized in a factorial scheme (3×4) with four repetitions, and means were compared through the Tukey test at 5% probability. The fruits position on the plant stem influenced the sesame seeds quality. The yellowish green fruits from middle third of stem, as well as yellowish ones from lower third of stem showed best results for most variables evaluated. Seed vigor was positively influenced by cattle manure application in the soil; however, fertilizing did not have any effect on seeds germination.

The Silk Flower (Calotropis procera) is widely used by farmers in the Northeast region, due to the adaptation of the climatic and soil conditions of the semi-arid region, but the incidence of pathogens has reduced the physiological and sanitary quality standards acceptable for sexual propagation of these plants in the field. Thus, the objective of this research was to verify the effects of the Copaíba (C. langsdorffii) and Cravo (S. aromaticum) oils on the health and physiological quality of silk flower seeds (C. procera) harvested in the city of Tacima, PB. The treatments were constituted by Copaíba (C. langsdorffii) and Cravo (S. aromaticum) essential oils at concentrations of 0.5; 1; 1.5; 2% and the fungicide Captan® (240 g, i.a. 100 kg-1 seed). The control 0 (zero) corresponded only to the immersion of the seeds in distilled and sterilized water (ADE). In the evaluation of sanity, the method of incubation on filter paper (Blotter test) was performed, using twenty replicates of 10 seeds for each treatment. The physiological quality was evaluated by the germination test (G%), first germination count (FGC), germination speed index (GSI) and seedling dry mass (SDM). A microflora composed mainly of Alternaria sp. (52%), Fusarium sp. (70%), Helminthosporium sp. (40%), Cladosporium sp. (50%), Curvularia sp. (20%) and Nigrospora sp. (5%). The essential oils considerably reduced the percentage of fungi associated with silk flower seeds, but there was moderate phytotoxic effect under the germination and vigor of C. procera seeds.

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