Objective: This study aimed to assess the productivity and quality of a melon crop treated with fruit thinning and main stem pruning under field conditions. Experimental Design: The treatments comprised the amount of fruit thinning in the plant (one, two and without thinning) and the period of main stem pruning (35, 40, 45 and 50 days after transplanting - DAT). The crop was set up in a randomized block design factorial of type 3x4, with five replications. Location and Duration of the Study: The experiment carried out at the Center for Agrifood Science and Technology (CCTA) of the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), Campus Pombal - PB, Brazil, from December 2016 to February 2017. Methodology: The Hopey King hybrid of the Cantaloupe group was cultivated at a spacing of 2.0 x 0.4 m. Results: The plants without thinning of fruits provided lower values ​​of leaf area and fruits of lower mass. However, due to their higher quantity per hectare, the crop total productivity was high. On the other hand, plants with fewer fruits had the highest values ​​of soluble solids, total and non-reducing soluble sugars. The leaf area, fruit mass, total productivity, and the concentration of reducing and non-reducing soluble sugars were higher when the plants were pruned at 35 DAT. Conclusion: The fruit thinning and main stem pruning affected the production and quality of melon fruits significantly. For more demanding markets, we recommend to treat the plants with one or two fruits and prune at 35 days after transplantation, aiming to enhance the quality variables.

Assessing the differential behavior of a group of genotypes in various environments is fundamentally important in any breeding program. As sugarcane is the most important crop in the state of Pernambuco, it is of great relevance to study its performance in different cultivation sites to assist in the recommendation of new cultivars that increase the productivity of the cane fields. In view of the new demand from the sugar-energy sector for cultivars with high energy potential, this work aimed to select and recommend new genotypes with high fiber and sucrose percentage in the sugarcane microregions of the state of Pernambuco. The methodologies used to classify genotypes for adaptability and stability were as follows: simple linear regression, the modified centroid method, additive main effects, multiplicative interaction analysis, and linear mixed models. Genotypes with higher productivity and specific adaptability to the tested microregions were identified. The methodologies applied were efficient and complementary in recommending genotypes with favorable prospects for increasing sugar productivity, cogeneration of electric energy and the production of renewable fuels. Genotypes 6, 7, 9, 14, 16, and 18 stand out in terms of the productivity of sugar and fiber, with high potential to be released as commercial cultivars.

O consórcio de culturas e organismos biológicos são formas sustentáveis de produzir devido aos benefícios para o meio ambiente, solo e planta, além de reduzir custos no cultivo. Objetivou-se avaliar a influência de doses de Azospirillum brasilense associadas a duas classes de solo no cultivo de milho solteiro e em consórcio com Brachiaria ruziziensis. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 2 × 2 × 3, com seis repetições, sendo o primeiro fator dois solos: Latossolo Vermelho Eutrófico (argiloso) e Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico (arenoso); o segundo fator dois tipos de cultivo: milho solteiro e milho consorciado com B. ruziziensis; o terceiro fator foi de inoculação: sem inoculante, com uma dose (120 mL por 50 kg de semente) e com duas doses de A. brasilense. O potencial dos solos argilosos apresentou valores elevados em relação ao solo arenoso para a característica massa de cem grãos, e, também quando associado em consórcio de milho com braquiária para altura de plantas, o número de grãos por espiga apresentou valores superiores aos dos solos arenosos. A inoculação com uma ou duas doses de A. brasilense em solo argiloso e consorciado de milho com braquiária resultou em maior produtividade de grãos de milho.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity and quality of melon fruits as a function of the dose and time of application of biostimulant in the conditions of the semi-arid region of Paraíba. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Campina Grande, campus of Pombal - PB, Brazil, in a randomized block design in a 4 x 5 split plot scheme, with doses of biostimulant (0; 0.5; 1.0; 1, 5 and 2.0 L ha-1) and in the subset of the biostimulant application times (15; 20; 25 and 30 days before harvest - DAC), in four replications. Characteristics related to fruit production and quality were evaluated. There was no interaction between the factors of dose and application time of the biostimulant in any of the evaluated characteristics. Thus, the highest estimated values of number of fruits per plant, fruit mass and total melon production were obtained with the application of doses ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 L ha-1 and at the time of application it varied from 22,5 to 23.6 DAC. The content of soluble solids increased 5.5% when the biostimulant dose of 2.0 L ha-1 was used and 4.4% when the product was applied 15 days before harvest.

Maize silage has been used as a forage reserve strategy for critical periods or continuous use in animal feed. However, new genotypes and their potential must be identified. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of maize genotypes for silage and grain in one off-season in the midwest region of Brazil, under limited water and frost, and select them for this dual purpose (silage and grain) using the GT Biplot tool. The experiment was performed at Embrapa Western Agriculture in the autumn-winter season of 2021 in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks of six maize genotypes (BRS1010, KWS9606, 1P2224, 1Q2383, BRS3046, and CAPO) with five replications under no-tillage. Silage points were evaluated at harvest when the grain milk line was at ¾ and maize grains at the maturation stage (dry plant). The 1P2224 and 1Q2383 maize genotypes present silage (high green and dry biomass) and grain yield potential. The GT Biplot tool identified the 1P2224 genotype as superior and suitable for cultivation or as a parent in a breeding program in the midwest region of Brazil for silage and grain yield evaluations of one off-season under limited water and frost.