ISHS VIII International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits - Ethical and Technological Issues Preharvest treatment of 'Gala' apples with 1-MCP and AVG – I: effects on fruit maturation on the tree

Pastures are of central importance in food production and provide multiple ecosystem services. The objective of this paper was to determine whether the intensification of pasture-based animal production systems, through practices such as fertilization and improved pasture species, has a higher capacity in the short-term (five years) to sequester carbon in the soil compared to (1) natural grassland without anthropogenic interactions, (2) natural grassland fertilized and overseeded with exotic species, and (3) annual pastures with frequent soil disturbance. The study assessed the organic carbon stock (OCS), total organic carbon (TOC), particle size, porosity, and density at different soil strata, as well as the root system and forage production. Forage dry matter (DM) production varied significantly with means ranging from 6615 to 13,000 kg ha^–1 year^–1 for natural grassland (NG) and permanent pasture (PP), respectively. Improved natural grassland (ING) and NG presented a higher density and root diameter than PP and annual pasture (AP). Forage systems significantly influenced soil porosity and density, with NG and ING showing lower soil densities and higher soil porosities. The OCS (0–100 cm) was similar between NG (270 Mg ha^–1), ING (255 Mg ha^–1), PP (274 Mg ha^–1), and AP systems (256 Mg ha^–1). Over a period of five years, the intensification of pasture-based animal production systems did not have a significant impact on OCS in the soils of a Brazilian subtropical highland.

Like many other species of trees native to the Brazilian Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest), the Myrtaceae, such as the Red Araza (Psidium cattleianum Sabine), are widely cited as arbuscular mycorrhizal formers. Nevertheless, recent studies show evidence that Myrtaceae from different tropical, subtropical and neotropical ecosystems can also prompt the formation of ectomycorrhizae, indicating that this species' ectomycorrhizal status should be further explored. Because of this, this research effort studied the in vitro interaction between the Red Araza and two ectomycorrhizal fungi isolates, belonging to the Pisolithus microcarpus (D17) and Scleroderma citrinum (UFSC-Sc133) species. An analysis was performed to determine the formation of ectomycorrhizal structures, or lack thereof, and the developmental differences between the in vitro mycorrhized and non-mycorrhized plants. The analysis proved that indeed an ectomycorrhizal association was developed between the Red Araza, and the D17 and UFSC-Sc133 isolates, a fact never before registered in the existing literature. After an in vitro period of 110 days, it was confirmed that the D17 and UFSC-Sc133 isolates formed mycorrhizal colonization of 91.6% and 15.7%, respectively. Furthermore, both isolates also promoted root thickening, and the formation of a fungal mantle and a Hartig net. However, when compared to the Control plants, the fungal isolates did not contribute to an increase in the development of the subject plants, possibly due to the specific experimental conditions used, such as a high humidity environment and high availability of nutrients in the symbiotic substrate.

We investigated the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs in rural areas of the municipality of Painel, Santa Catarina, Brazil. For this, 91 canine feces samples were collected from 82 farms between August, 2017 and January, 2018. These fecal materials were processed using the techniques of spontaneous sedimentation, centrifugation-floatation in zinc sulfate and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. A questionnaire in the form of an interview was administered to the dogs’ owner and information about the farm and the main care provided for the dogs was obtained. Among 91 sampled dogs, 27 (29.7%) were positive for at least one parasite species. Ancylostoma was the most prevalent genus (16.5%), followed by Giardia duodenalis (14.3%), Trichuris vulpis (6.6%), Toxocara canis (5.5%), Entamoeba spp. (4.8%), Cryptosporidium spp. (3.3%) and Taeniidae (1.1%). Most dogs do not receive veterinarian care and rarely received antiparasitic treatment. They were free to roam and had free access to animal remains and garbage, which was reflected in the significant associations with the occurrence of parasites that were found. We conclude that rural dogs harbor gastrointestinal parasites, but that their owners are unaware of the risks that these parasites can bring to human health.