Soil cover is a major factor in the cultivation of creeping tomatoes, especially for in natura consumption. This study aimed to determine the combination of a suitable tomato hybrid and soil cover, resulting in superior production performance and quality attributes of tomato fruits. Tomato hybrids (Fascínio and Thaíse) were cultivated on five soil cover types (uncovered soil, plastic mulch, sorghum, Sudan grass, and pearl millet). The data were submitted to a principal component analysis (PCA), considering all the variables, through Biplot graphical analysis. A Pearson correlation analysis was performed at the 5% significance level. For biomass production, pearl millet and Sudan grass were distinguished from the other soil covers, showing lower decomposition rates and, consequently, longer half-lives. Covering with plastic mulch provided higher total (111 t ha⁻¹) and commercial (74.4 t ha⁻¹) yields, regardless of the analyzed hybrid. According to the PCA, soil cover management influences the production and quality of tomato fruits, except for chemical and post-harvest characteristics, and maintains ideal levels for commercialization for all treatments. The Fascínio hybrid presented better production attributes, higher total and commercial fruit production per plant as well as fruits with larger sizes, especially when grown in plastic mulch cover. The Fascínio hybrid also presented fruits with higher levels of bioactive compounds (lycopene and β-carotene).

Tomato is the most widely cultivated fruit–vegetable worldwide, and the tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta) is the primary pest of this crop. In this context, biological control using parasitoids belonging to the genus Trichogramma is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the biological characteristics of T. pretiosum strains collected from different locations and exposed to eggs from various T. absoluta populations/generations, using parameters such as parasitism capacity, viability (percentage of emergence), sex ratio, and female longevity. The presence of endosymbionts in the T. absoluta populations was also assessed. The experiment followed a randomized design, with treatments consisting of eggs from T. absoluta populations collected in different years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023) and different strains of T. pretiosum. We used 20 replicates, with one female per replicate in each treatment, organized in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme (five populations of T. absoluta × four strains of T. pretiosum). The S2 strain of T. pretiosum was found to be the most efficient in terms of biological characteristics for parasitism of T. absoluta eggs, especially in T. absoluta populations collected in recent years (2022 and 2023). These results suggest that S2 is the preferred strain for future studies aimed at using this parasitoid as a control agent to combat T. absoluta. The endosymbionts Arsenophonus and Serratia were identified in T. absoluta populations collected in 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, respectively. These findings highlight the presence of these microorganisms in pest populations in different years.

The aim was to evaluate the influence of soil covers on the dynamics of soil temperature and moisture, canopy air temperature, and yield of creeping fresh market tomatoes. The experiment was carried out in randomized blocks design, using the tomato cultivar Thaise, with 5 treatments, 4 replications, with different soil covers: a) Uncovered soil (conventional planting); b) Mulching (double-sided plastic film - black and white); c) Sorghum; d) Sudan grass and e) Pearl millet), cultivated in Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Soil temperature was monitored at depths of 5, 10, 20, and 30 cm and in the crop canopy, using thermocouple sensors of the type "K". Soil moisture was monitored in the 0 to 30 cm layer, using of time-domain reflectometry (TDR) probes. Soil temperature and moisture were evaluated throughout the cycle and, in the end, the total and commercial yield of tomato crop. Soil covers have a positive influence on soil temperature and moisture in the cultivation of creeping fresh market tomatoes so that soil cover with mulching provides the highest soil temperature in the early stages of development and covers with mulching and pearl millet provide the highest values of soil moisture. The highest total and commercial yield of tomato were in the soil cover with mulching, with 110.71 and 75.93 t ha-1, respectively, presenting ideal ranges of temperature and soil moisture, so that the other treatments do not differ from each other, with the average total yield of 91.45 t ha-1.

The use of inoculated microorganisms on seeds has increased in Brazil, as they help on the fixation and use of nutrients by plants, promoting increasing yields, mainly due to the reduction in the application of nitrogen fertilizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of single inoculation and co-inoculation of Azospirillum brasilense and Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteria on seeds and foliar inoculation on soybean, in the region of Tangará da Serra – MT, Brazil. The experimental design used was a randomized block with 9 treatments and 4 replicates. The treatments were composed by using B. japonicum and A. brasilense bacteria in different combinations and times of application on seeds and sprayed on the leaves. The use of A. brasilense together with B. japonicum significantly improved the agronomic characteristics of the evaluated soybean cultivar. There was an increase in yield with the use of A. brasilense through the co-inoculation technique when compared to the single use of Bradyrhizobium. The use of co-inoculation at V3 soybean stage promoted higher nodulation and yield than the standard inoculation performed in the seeds, ensuring better results of nodulation and yield besides increasing the size of the soybean root system, when there and co-inoculation techniques were implemented.

Despite having a vast area for agricultural production, Brazil is highly dependent on mineral sources forphosphate fertilisers, making their use unsustainable and highly dependent on the international market. The aim of the presentstudy was to evaluate the effect of different sources of phosphate fertiliser and the depth of application on the development andproductivity of maize over two crop seasons. A randomised block design was used in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme comprising 12 treatments,with four replications. Three sources of phosphorus were tested: single superphosphate (SSP), Top-Phos® (TOP-PHOS) andreactive natural phosphate (RNP), in addition to four methods of application (broadcast application [0.00 m] and in-furrowapplication at three depths [0.05 m, 0.08 m and 0.11 m]). The following parameters were evaluated: final plant stand, plantheight, stalk diameter, ear insertion height, number of rows per ear, number of grains per row, 1000-grain weight, and grainproductivity. The data were submitted to analysis of variance using the F-test at a level of 5%, and to principal componentanalysis (PCA) with biplot graphical analysis. The use of SSP and Top-Phos® increased productivity and the ear insertionheight compared to the use of RNP. Applications made at a depth of 0.11 m were the most efficient. Seasonal variables affectedproductivity, with Top-Phos® showing a greater correlation with the yield metrics at greater depths. Apesar de apresentar uma vasta área para produção agrícola, o Brasil é altamente dependente de fontes minerais para adubação fosfatada, o que torna essa prática pouco sustentável e altamente dependente do mercado internacional. Neste sentido, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a influência de diferentes fontes de fertilizantes fosfatados, bem como a profundidade de sua aplicação, no desenvolvimento e na produtividade do milho em duas safras agrícolas. Foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial (3 x 4), composto por 12 tratamentos, com quatro repetições. Foram testadas três fontes de fósforo: superfosfato simples (SFS), Top-Phos® (TOP-PHOS) e fosfato natural reativo (FNR), além de quatro métodos de aplicação (à lanço em superfície e aplicação no sulco de semeadura em três profundidades [0,05 m, 0,08 m e 0,11 m]). Foram avaliados: estande final de plantas, altura de plantas, diâmetro de colmo, altura de inserção de espiga, número de fileiras por espiga, número de grãos por fileira, massa de mil grãos e produtividade de grãos do milho. Os dados foram submetidos às análises de variância pelo teste F, a nível de significância de 5% de probabilidade, e a análises de componentes principais (PCA) por meio da análise gráfica Biplot. O superfosfato simples e o Top-Phos® elevaram a altura de inserção de espigas do milho, comparado ao fosfato natural reativo. Na safra 2018/2019, o superfosfato simples foi a fonte mais eficiente em relação à produtividade do milho; porém, na safra 2019/2020, não houve diferenças significativas entre as fontes fosfatadas.