Fumonisins are mycotoxins (MTs) produced mainly by the fungus Fusarium verticillioides, the main pathogens of maize which cause ear rot. The aim of this work was to evaluate some factors that may lead to high fumonisin production by F. verticillioides in maize grains, correlating the pathogen inoculation method with different genotypes grown in four Brazilian states. Experiments were conducted in 2015–2016 in maize crops from experimental maize fields located in four distinct states of Brazil. Results showed that contamination by fumonisin mycotoxins occurred even on symptomatic or asymptomatic grains. In all municipalities, the samples showed levels of fumonisin B1 that were higher than would be tolerable for the human consumption of corn products (the current tolerance limit for fumonisin is 1.5 μg g⁻¹). High severity of grains infected with F. verticillioides does not always show high concentrations of fumonisins. Environments with higher temperatures may influence the production of high concentrations of fumonisin in maize hybrids. Spray inoculation methods and inoculation at the center of spikes did not influence fumonisin concentrations. Results showed that the hybrids P3630H, P32R48 and P3250 presented higher disease severity, as well as higher mycotoxin levels in the studied locations with higher temperatures.

Este trabalho objetivou analisar o teor e a composição do óleo essencial do Cymbopogon nardus, em cinco épocas de colheita no Estado do Tocantins. As colheitas foram realizadas em cinco épocas em intervalos regulares de 28 dias, sendo a primeira aos 56 dias e a última aos 168 dias após transplante. A extração do óleo essencial foi realizada por hidrodestilação e a identificação dos componentes por CG e CG/EM. Os maiores teores de óleo essencial foram obtidos na segunda época de colheita (1,10%) e na última época de colheita (1,07%). Foram identificados vinte e três compostos químicos no óleo essencial. Os monoterpenos identificados foram: limoneno, linalol, isopulegol, citronelal, citronelol, neral, geraniol, acetato de citronelol e acetato de geraniol. Os sesquiterpenos identificados foram: beta-elemeno, germacreno, alfa-muroleno, gama-cadineno, delta-cadineno, elemol, germacreno D-4-OL, óxido de cariofileno, tau-cadinol, beta-eudesmol e alfa-eudesmol. Os compostos majoritários do óleo essencial foram o citronelol, o geraniol e o elemol. This study aimed to analyze the content and the composition of the essential oil of Cymbopogon nardus in five harvest times in Tocantins State. Five harvesting were carried out in regular space of 28 days, the first in 56 days and the last in 168 days after transplanting. The essential oil was obtained by hydro distillation and the identification of the oil components by GC and GC/MS. The highest contents of the essential oil were obtained in the second harvest time (1.15%) and in the last harvest time (1.07%). Twenty three chemical compounds were identified in the essential oil. The monoterpenes identified were: limonene, linalool, isopulegol, citronellal, citronellol, neral, geraniol, citronellol acetate and geraniol acetate. The sesquiterpenes identified were: beta-elemene, germacrene, alpha-muurolene, gamma-cadinene, delta-cadinene, elemol, germacrene D-4-OL, caryophyllene oxide, tau-cadinol, beta-eudesmol, alpha-eudesmol. The main constituents of the essential oil were the citronellol, geraniol and elemol

The fungal genus Curvularia is associated with a number of diseases in plants, commonly producing foliar spots in forage grasses. The objective of this study was to characterize the morphological and molecular diversity of the isolates of Curvularia sp. associated with Andropogon seeds, and to assess both their capacity to transmit disease and the pathogenicity of this fungus to crop. Ten isolates of Curvularia sp. were sourced from Andropogon seeds from agricultural producing regions in the Brazilian states Tocantins and Pará. Morphological characterization was achieved by observing fungus colonies and conidia and molecular characterization by DNA extraction and amplification with sequence-specific primers. The disease transmission was evaluated from seed sowing, in which after 40 days typical symptoms of Curvularia sp. were observed. Pathogenicity was evaluated by inoculating conidial suspension into the leaves of healthy plants, and after ten days, inspecting for pathogenic symptoms. Based on morphological and molecular features, the pathogen associated with Andropogon seeds was identified as Curvularia lunata, which, as such, is transmitted through the Andropogon plants via its seeds and is pathogenic to this species of forage grass.

Alternative sources of fuel have been a concern in the last few decades. The growth of urbanization and industrialization will lead to the exhaustion of fossil fuels, attracting studies on alternative routes. The main aim of this study was to produce biodiesel from waste cooking oil (WCO) by methyl transesterification using sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. For this, the physicochemical parameters of biodiesel were studied in triplicate (density, acidity, saponification, viscosity, corrosiveness to copper, visual appearance, and cloud point). An analysis by thin layer chromatography and infrared spectrometry was also performed. The increase in yield (83.3%) was directly proportional to the increase in the catalyst (0.22 g of NaOH). The infrared absorption spectra of WCO and biodiesel showed the presence of common and singular bands of each material. Furthermore, a simple and low-cost mechanism was proposed for purifying glycerol. The spectra of glycerol versus purified glycerin showed that the glycerin produced was pure, being used in the formulation of bioplastic. The product was checked for biodegradation and photodegradation, with incredible soil-degradation times of 180 days and photodegradation of only 60 days. In this way, biodiesel production from WCO showed environmentally friendly proposals and applicability. As the next steps, it is necessary to test the biodiesel produced in combustion engines and improve the bioplastic production, including a spectroscopic characterization and extensive biodegradation testing.

Soil-borne fungal pathogens such as Sclerotium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., and Macrophomina spp. pose significant threats to global agriculture, with soybean crops among the most severely affected due to damping-off disease. These pathogens cause substantial yield losses, making their management a critical concern. In this study, we investigated the potential of Bacillus siamensis BCL, a novel Neotropical strain, as an eco-friendly solution for managing Sclerotium, Rhizoctonia, and Macrophomina species. The strain exhibited strong antifungal activity, significantly inhibiting fungal growth in vitro, with the greatest suppression observed against Macrophomina spp., reaching up to 81%. In vivo assays further confirmed the biocontrol potential of B. siamensis. When applied at 10⁶ colony-forming units (CFU)/mL, the strain reduced disease symptoms and improved plant growth parameters—including root length, shoot biomass, and leaf number—compared to untreated, infected controls. The protective effect varied by pathogen, with the most significant recovery in root length observed against Macrophomina spp. (85%) and Sclerotium spp. (78%). In preventive treatments, fermentation extracts of the B. siamensis strain suppressed disease progression, although they did not promote seedling growth. A genomic analysis of B. siamensis BCL revealed genes encoding antimicrobial secondary metabolites, including terpenes, fengycins, and surfactins. These findings highlight B. siamensis BCL as a promising candidate for sustainable crop protection and a valuable resource for developing novel antimicrobial strategies in agriculture.

Tendo em vista as diversas atividades biológicas apresentadas pelos óleos essenciais e o potencial antibacteriano do óleo essencial de Lippia sidoides Cham., objetivou-se, com este trabalho, caracterizar o óleo essencial desta espécie coletada na região sul do estado de Minas Gerais-Brasil, bem como identificar as suas estruturas secretoras e avaliar sua atividade antimicrobiana sobre as fitobactérias Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. Michiganensis, Xanthomonas vesicatoria e Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. As plantas foram coletadas no município de Itumirim e os óleos essenciais de suas folhas, extraídos por hidrodestilação, utilizando-se um aparelho de Clevenger modificado. O óleo essencial apresentou como constituintes majoritários o carvacrol (26,44%) e o 1,8-cineol (22,63%). Nas superfícies foliares de L. sidoides foram encontrados tricomas glandulares e não glandulares. Entre os tricomas glandulares, encontram-se tricomas capitados do tipo I e tricomas peltados. Foram reveladas a presença de substâncias lipídicas e terpênicas no interior das células das cabeças dos tricomas peltados e capitados. apresentando as seguintes CMI: 7,81 µg mL-1 sobre C. michiganensis, 3,9 µg mL-1 sobre P. syringae e 15,62 µg mL-1 sobre X. vesicatoria. O carvacrol, seu constituinte majoritário, apresentou valores de CMI igual a 3,9 µg mL-1 sobre todas as três bactérias estudadas. Ambos demonstraram a capacidade de inibir o crescimento de bactérias Gram-positivas e Gram-negativas