The Amazon rainforest and the biodiversity hotspot of the Atlantic Forest are home to fruit trees that produce functional foods, which are still underutilized. The present study aimed to select potential functional nut donor trees from two Brazilian chestnuts, by evaluating the nutritional and antioxidant composition of the nuts and the fatty acid profile of the oil. The nutritional characteristics, antioxidants, oil fatty acid profile, and X-ray densitometry of the nuts were evaluated, as well as the characterization of leaf and soil nutrients for each parent tree. The nut oil was evaluated through Brix (%), mass (g), yield (%), and the fatty acid profile. For L. pisonis, the most nutritious nuts were produced by L. pisonis tree 4 (N > P > K > Mg > Ca > Zn > Fe) and L. pisonis tree 6 (P > Ca > Mg > Mn > Zn > Cu > Fe), and for the species L. lanceolata, L. lanceolata tree 6 (N > P > Ca > Mg > Zn > Fe > Cu) and L. lanceolata tree 2 (P > K > Mg > Zn > Cu). In L. pisonis, the highest production of anthocyanins, DPPH, total phenolics, and flavonoids was obtained from the nuts of L. pisonis tree 4 as well as for L. lanceolata, from L. lanceolata tree 1, except for flavonoids. The Brix of the oil from the nuts of both species showed no difference between the trees and the fatty acid profile with a similar amount between saturated (48–65%) and unsaturated (34–57%) fatty acids. Both species have nuts rich in nutrients and antioxidant compounds and can be considered unconventional functional foods. The data collected in the present study confirm that the nuts of these species can replace other foods as a source of selenium.

CONTROLLED RELEASE FERTILIZER IN THE GROWTH OF Moringa oleifera LAM. SEEDLINGS

The objective of this work was to evaluate the biometry of fruit and seed, and the diversity of paradise nut (Lecythis pisonis) genotypes. Fruit of 12 paradise nut genotypes were collected from plants in the northern region of the state of Espírito Santo and in the eastern region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were subjected to the analysis of variance, and means of the different genotypes were compared by Scott-Knott’s mean clustering test. The phenotypic diversity was analyzed using Mahalanobis’ generalized distance, and clustering, by Tocher’s optimization method and the graphical dispersion of canonical variables. The relative contribution of the characters to diversity was assessed by Singh’s method. The paradise nut genotypes differed regarding the morphological characteristics of fruit and seed. Genotype 1 produced the largest number of seed per fruit, and genotypes 2 and 7 produced the largest seed. These genotypes were clustered into different groups, which is indicative of their potential combination for use in genetic breeding programs.

The jacaranda of Bahia (Dalbergia nigra (Vell.) Allemão ex Benth) is an endemic tree of a Brazilian neotropical biodiversity hotspot and is of great ecological and economic interest. Given the threat of extinction due to timber overexploitation and climate change, the present study aimed to analyze the physiological and biochemical quality of D. nigra seeds exposed to heat stress. The seeds were sown in a test tube containing woody plant culture medium, kept in a biochemical oxygen demand chamber at 45°C for 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours, and then maintained in the same chamber at 25°C for 30 days. Physiological analyses of moisture, electrical conductivity, germination speed index, normal and abnormal seedlings, seedling length, root length, hypocotyl length, collar diameter, seedling and root dry mass, and Dickson quality index revealed a drop in germination and vigor with prolonged heat stress, dropping from 95% to 0% between 0 and 96 hours. This was accompanied by a reduction in the content of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. Therefore, the vigor and quality of seedlings is negatively influenced by exposure to heat stress at 45°C.

Commercial substrates and their fertilization are essential for the morphophysiological, nutritional, and sanitary quality of seedlings. In this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of clonal seedlings of the black pepper cultivar Bragantina under doses of controlled-release fertilizers (CLF) in a commercial substrate. The treatments were constituted by five doses of the CLF Osmocote^® 19-06-10 Mini Prill (3-4 months) (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 kg m^-3), with four replications of 16 cuttings. The CLF Osmocote^®, especially in doses close to 4.16 kg m^-3, showed to be promising for the production of clonal seedlings of the black pepper cultivar Bragantina.