In the last decade in South Florida, approximately 200,000 avocado trees have succumbed to laurel wilt (LW), a fungal disease vectored by ambrosia beetles. Sanitation (e.g., pruning, stumping, and removal of LW–affected trees) and replanting with young trees are cultural practices currently used by avocado growers to reduce the incidence of LW. Surveillance in these managed orchards suggests a decline in ambrosia beetle abundance, and previous research determined that female flight activity is influenced by light intensity. Therefore, we investigated the effect of three canopy covers (i.e., full canopy, topworked, and new planting) on ambrosia beetle abundance. A total of 28,184 individuals, representing 15 species within Scolytinae and Platypodinae, were captured passively in three LW–affected avocado orchards over a one-year period. Full canopy cover exhibited the highest number of beetles and the lowest light intensity. The opposite was found for topworked and new planting covers. Additionally, we documented the effect of meteorological factors on the flight dispersal of five species known to vector the LW pathogen. The flight activity of Xylosandrus crassiusculus and Xyleborinus saxesenii was highly influenced by abiotic factors (R² > 0.50), especially solar radiation, whereas the flight of Xyleborus affinis, Xyleborus volvulus, and Xyleborus bispinatus was only partially explained by climatic variables (0.20 < R² < 0.30). Our results indicate that reducing canopy cover, thereby increasing light intensity, suppresses ambrosia beetle abundance, especially for species associated with the LW pathogen. Abiotic factors play a critical role in the dispersal of invasive species (X. crassiusculus and X. saxesenii), but their effect is less pronounced on native species (X. affinis, X. volvulus, and X. bispinatus). Canopy management alters the microclimatic conditions in avocado orchards, affecting ambrosia beetle abundance and flight activity.

Similarly to most breeding programs of native species, camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (Kunt) McVaugh) improvement is also restricted, due to the scarcity of research results. In this situation, the prospection, collection and conservation of germplasm in genebanks ensure successful selection and breeding studies of the species. In this sense, the purpose of this study was the intraspecific characterization of the biometric variability in fruits of native camu-camu populations of the State of Roraima, in the northern Amazon region. Of 16 populations, 247 sub-samples were evaluated. Analyses were performed with the multivariate technique of principal components and hierarchical clustering, to determine the variables with highest intraspecific variability for the studied traits. The populations found in the lower Rio Branco region performed best for the studied traits, indicating the great potential of the region as a reservoir of promising subsamples for future breeding programs of the species in the northern Amazon.

The need to diversify agricultural production has fostered the cultivation of several crops under environmental conditions atypical to their origin, justifying the extreme importance of studies on the agricultural management of crops in semiarid regions. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of irrigation depth and potassium doses on fig quality under semiarid conditions. The experiment was conducted in a 4 × 4 split-split-plot design, in randomized block design, with three replicates. The plots corresponded to four irrigation levels (50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% ETc), the subplots consisted of four potassium doses (0, 60, 120, and 240 g K₂O plant⁻¹), and the sub-subplot corresponded to the crop years (2018/19 and 2019/20). Results showed that water deficit reduced fig productivity, and the irrigation levels equal to or greater than 100% ETc performed cumulatively throughout the growing cycles. Therefore, irrigation depths from 85.19% to 95.16% ETc are recommended for greater water-use efficiency and fruit quality. Furthermore, potassium fertilization mitigated water stress in fig plants, allowing for reduced irrigation levels, especially in the second year, without compromising fruit traits.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity of and the content of bioactive compounds in camu-camu fruits harvested at different maturation stages and stored. The fruits were harvested in the municipality of Cantá, Roraima State, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized, with three replications, in a factorial arrangement consisting of three different maturation stages (immature, semi-mature and mature) and eight days of storage (3 x 8). The fruits were analysed every day regarding total vitamin C, carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity (FRAP and DPPH). According to the results obtained, the interaction of maturation stages x eight days of storage had a significant effect according to the F test at 5% probability. The highest antioxidant activity (FRAP) was observed in the fruits harvested in the semi-mature stage, providing a longer shelf life. The carotenoid pigment, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and vitamin C contents were higher in the fruits harvested in the mature stage, and this stage was the most suitable for obtaining these functional biocompounds. Additionally, in mature fruits, the highest mean content of total phenolics and antioxidant activity (DPPH) were observed during storage. It was concluded that the mature stage is the most recommended for the extraction of pigments and antioxidant biocompounds from camu-camu fruits.

Sugar apples have attracted attention in recent years due to their medicinal and nutritional properties. However, the shelf life of sugar apples is one of the most concerning problems owing to their perishability. This work aimed to determine the ideal harvest time for sugar apple fruits in relation to different classes of carpel interspaces. Therefore, fruits were classified into three stages according to the carpel interspace: stage 1 (0.0 - 2.0 mm); stage 2 (2.1 - 3.0 mm); and stage 3 (3.0 - 4.0 mm). After harvesting, the fruits were evaluated daily in the laboratory regarding their physical and physicochemical aspects until they reached the point of consumption (horticultural maturation). The following variables were evaluated: fruit diameter and length (mm); fruit, peel, pulp, and seed masses (g); color index, including the chromatic attributes L* (luminosity), C* (chroma), and h* (hue angle); bark firmness (N); soluble solids (°Brix); titratable acidity (g citric acid 100 g-1 of pulp-1); pulp yield; and ratio SS/TA. Fruits at stage 3 showed larger diameters, less firmness, and better chromaticity means. Fruits at stages 2 and 3 had eight days of postharvest life. However, fruits at stage 2 took longer for 50% of the fruits to be ready for consumption. The results demonstrate that stages 2 and 3 can be determinants for the harvest time of sugar apples.

Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh) is a native fruit tree of Amazon region that produces fruit with high content of vitamin C. The enormous economic potential has encouraged its domesticat...