No-till system and high plant density are common practices in soybean crops of the Brazilian southern region, which has increased the incidence of stem and pod diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of plant populations on stem blight incidence. The experiments were conducted in Muitos Capões Municipality, Rio Grande do Sul State, during the seasons 2006/07 and 2007/08, using cultivars BRS 255 RR and CD 213 RR. The evaluated populations had 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 plants m-2, spaced 0.45 m between rows. The experimental plot units consisted of 5m width and 10m length, arranged in randomized blocks with four replicates. Stem blight incidence was quantified at phenological stages R5.1, R5.5, R6 and R7 and the collected data underwent regression analysis. Higher soybean plant densities caused a positive and significant increase on stem blight incidence in all four phenological stages for both cultivars and seasons. There was no significant difference for soybean grain yield according to the increase in plant population. Results indicated that soybean management preventing high plant densities can contribute to reduce stem blight incidence.

Gibberella ear rot (GER) in maize, caused by Fusarium graminearum species complex, is a destructive disease in southern Brazil and worldwide. Five field-experiments were conducted to determine fungicide efficacy, grain yield and grain quality (study I), as well as response of increasing rates (study II) on GER control, grain yield (GY) and grain damage (GD) in maize during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 growing seasons. Fungicides were sprayed 48 h before (preventive action) or 48 h after (curative action) inoculation of two Fusarium meridionale isolates (PR and MG). Study I consisted in applying nine active ingredients (metconazole, pyraclostrobin, tebuconazole, trifloxystrobin, prothioconazole, thiophanate-methyl, azoxystrobin, cyproconazole and carbendazim) present in eight commercial formulations at two sowing dates. Study II consisted in applying increasing rates of three fungicides evaluated at three sowing dates using only PR isolate. In study I, no differences were observed among fungicides when the variables GER, GY and GD were analyzed together. There were interactions between time of fungicide application and F. meridionale isolates when GER severity and GY were considered. Preventive fungicide application at different sowing dates and the use of MG isolate reduced GER by 11.6% and increased GY by 5.3%, compared to curative application. In study II, there was a significant interaction between fungicides and application time for GER, GY and GD. Preventive application of trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole (0.15 + 0.17 and 0.22 + 0.26 L ha-1), pyraclostrobin + metconazole (0.19 + 0.12 and 0.29 + 0.18 L ha-1) and carbendazim (2 L ha-1) reduced GER by 41 and 50%, 47 and 54%, and 54% at the three sowing dates, respectively. There was an increment of 45.7% and 46.8% in GY when trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole (0.15 + 0.17 and 0.22 + 0.26 L ha-1), respectively, were preventively sprayed at the three sowing dates, compared to the control treatment. Trifloxystrobin + prothiocanazole, pyraclostrobin + metconazole and carbendazim (1.0 and 2.0 L ha-1) preventively sprayed at two rates reduced GD incidence by 53.5 and 48.7%, 47.7 and 57.5%, 48.1 and 50.5%, respectively, for each fungicide and rate, and could be incorporated into a disease management program.

Occurrence of rice seeds infected by Fusarium graminearum has shown the importance of identifying the most favorable phenological stage of panicles to grain infection. The experiments were conducted in two crop seasons under greenhouse conditions, using the rice hybrid INOV CL. The phenological stages during inoculation were complete booting, full heading and flowering. All plots were inoculated using two isolates of Fusarium graminearium species complex 15A (F. graminearium - 15-ADON) and FmNiv (F. meridionale - Nivalenol). Disease severity was estimated at weekly intervals and was used to calculate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), while panicles were collected to determine the percentage of spotted grains and Fusarium incidence. Percentage of spotted grains and incidence of F. graminearum and F. meridionale were greater when inoculation was made during flowering stage, significantly differing from heading and booting stages. Rice flowering stage is more susceptible to infection by F. graminearum and F. meridionale, inducing higher disease severity and incidence of spotted grains, as well as presence of fungi in the grains. Flowering was the most susceptible stage in the two crop seasons for both isolates, and the complete booting stage presented the lowest values of AUDPC.

Objetivou-se comparar a evolução da cicatrização de feridas cirúrgicas com cinco protocolos de tratamento através de análise planimétrica. Grupos de 12 ratos Wistar, foram alocados em cinco estudos experimentais: A - controle negativo (GCN); B - ferida cirúrgica, tratada com ultra-som terapêutico (UST) desligado (GUD); C-  ferida tratada somente com citrado de sildenafila (GCS); D-  ferida tratada com citrato de sildenafila e UST (GCU) e grupo E - ferida tratada somente com UST (GU). A evolução cicatricial foi acompanhada diariamente e avaliada por imagem fotográfica computadorizada aos sete, 14 e 21 dias. A aplicação do UST pulsado, com doses 1MHZ e 0,4Wcm2 reduziu o tempo de cicatrização epitelial em condições experimentais, favorecendo precocemente a reparação tecidual com efeitos qualitativos superiores ao tratamento com citrato de sildenafila (CS). A mensuração computacional mostrou-se um recurso de fácil aplicação sendo de baixo custo e eficiente para a aplicabilidade na rotina médica veterinária.