This study aimed to evaluate the response of Toona ciliata seedlings to sublethal doses of glyphosate. The increasing use of glyphosate in agriculture concerns the scientific community, as the drift of this pollutant into aquatic systems or atmospheric currents can affect non-target species. Therefore, we need to understand how non-target species respond to small doses of this herbicide. T. ciliata seedlings (clone BV-1110) were exposed to sublethal doses of glyphosate (0, 9.6, 19.2, 38.4, 76.8 g ae ha⁻¹). Anatomical, physiological, and photochemical analyses were performed 60 days after herbicide application, and growth assessments were carried out after 160 days of cultivation. We found that sublethal doses of glyphosate above 19.2 g ae ha⁻¹ induced toxicity symptoms in Toona ciliata leaves. These symptoms were mild in some cases, such as chlorosis, but severe in other cases, such as tissue necrosis. We observed a positive relationship between increased plant height and photochemical yield with plant exposure to sub-doses 9.6 and 19.2 g ae ha⁻¹. A sublethal dose of 38.4 g ae ha⁻¹ improved the photosynthetic rate and carboxylation efficiency. Thus, we confirmed the hypothesis of a hormetic effect when T. ciliata was exposed to sub-doses of glyphosate equal to or lower than 38.4 g ae ha⁻¹. However, the sublethal dose of 76.8 g ae ha⁻¹ must be considered toxic, impacting photosynthetic activity and, consequently, the height of T. ciliata. The stem diameter of T. ciliata responded positively to increasing glyphosate doses. This occurs to compensate for the negative effect of glyphosate on water absorption. Further research will provide valuable information for harnessing the potential benefits of hormesis to improve the productivity of T. ciliata.

Hymenaea stigonocarpa Mart. ex Hayne has leaves with adaxial and abaxial epidermis covered by a very thick cuticle, in addition to anatomical structures involved in reducing the amount of herbicide absorbed by plants. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that H. stigonocarpa is potentially resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, exposing the plants to different doses (0, 96, 240, 480, and 960 g a.e ha^-1). We carried out assessments of the symptoms, anatomy, growth and physiology of the plants and found that exposure to glyphosate negatively affected the height and number of leaves of the plants. Leaf fall resulted in a reduction in the photosynthetic capacity of plants, which responded by investing in stem diameter. Despite this, no visual symptoms of glyphosate toxicity were observed at the concentrations evaluated and histochemical tests did not detect signs of oxidative stress in the leaves, nor starch accumulation, indicating that carbohydrate translocation was not impaired. These results confirm our hypothesis of tolerance of H. stigonocarpa to glyphosate. Furthermore, plants exposed to the lowest doses of glyphosate (96 and 240 g ha^-1) showed good growth, photosynthesis, transpiration and photochemical potential responses, indicating a hormetic effect in this application range.

Advances in agriculture have been significant drivers of humanity's economic and social development. However, professional training remains a major challenge for agricultural production. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of Brazilian public educational institutions in training professionals for Agriculture 4.0. To this end, an extensive literature review was combined with a scientometric analysis of national and global production on the topic and a survey with the coordinators of the 357 agronomy or agricultural engineering programs active in Brazil in 2021. Between 1993 and 2020, Brazilian authors published 240 articles on Agriculture 4.0, while globally, 4,485 were identified, most in the last decade. Six countries contributed most significantly to the topic worldwide, with Brazil occupying the 6th position. Regarding professional training, 59 program coordinators responded to the survey, and 88.1% stated that Agriculture 4.0 is addressed, in some form, in student training. Approximately 37% of the programs updated its Pedagogical Political Project in the last two to four years, incorporating topics such as remote sensing (28.9%), machine learning (16.6%), Internet of Things (11.8%), artificial intelligence (9.6%), and gene editing (9.1%). However, topics such as cloud computing, robotics, and nanotechnology are still underrepresented in curricula (less than 10% of programs). Therefore, the effectiveness of Agriculture 4.0 also depends on the modernization of higher education, and the collaboration among institutions, companies, and the State, with public policies, investments, and knowledge exchange to expand access to technologies, is essential for this advancement.