O valor comercial do maracujá possui grande relevância, contudo, a potencialidade agronômica de espécies silvestres não foi completamente explorada. Objetivou-se discutir sobre maracujá-do-mato e suas potencialidades diante de uma perspectiva econômica. A pesquisa possui uma abordagem qualitativa, de cunho exploratório, cujos procedimentos caracterizam-se como revisão narrativa. A pesquisa foi realizada no ano de 2021 a partir de documentos indexados em periódicos da área a partir de descritores selecionados. Critérios de inclusão e exclusão foram considerados, resultando em cinco documentos para análise. A partir da busca bibliográfica realizada foi possível determinar que existem potenciais promissores, em especial de mercado, para o maracujá-do-mato. Por sua resistência a seca, ao manuseio, e a diferentes tipos de solo, suas diversas formas de beneficiamento, e seu potencial fitoterápico, por exemplo, a espécie compõe um rol de perspectivas que culminam em produtos de qualidade. Nessa perspectiva, são necessários mais estudos que possam trazer reflexões que tornem o debate mais amplo e eficiente, bem como dados práticos que permitam a descoberta destas potencialidades.

O mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC) é uma espécie endêmica da caatinga que se encontra em extinção devido a ação antrópica por meio da pratica da agropecuária extrativista, desmatamento, queimadas entre outras.A pesquisa objetivou avaliar as taxas de sobrevivência e de desenvolvimento de Cereusjamacaru DC. Introduzido por propagação vegetativa em áreas de clareira no semiárido paraibano.Foi realizado o plantio de223 cladódios em três clareiras no Espaço Experimental Reservado para Estudos de Ecologia e Dinâmica da Caatinga - Área II, dispostos em linhas no espaçamento de 1m entre plantas e 2m entre linhas. Realizou-se a medição detamanho e diâmetro dos cladódiose o monitoramento mensal da sobrevivência e das fenofases reprodutivas, correlacionado com os dados de precipitação para o período de janeiro a julho de 2017. Não ocorreu mortalidade nos primeiros meses seguintes ao plantio, mas somente a partir do mês de maio, quando foi registrado o pico com 33 indivíduos, sendo observada mortalidade ainda no mês de julho, quando se registrou a morte de nove indivíduos, perfazendo um percentual de 18,8% do total de cladódios implantados. De modo geral, C. jamacaru apresentou-se viável para plantio em área de clareira, podendo se tornar uma alternativa de cultivo para os agricultores em suas propriedades, servindo na recuperação de áreas degradadas.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) is a vegetable of great socioeconomic importance for the Brazilian semi-arid region, but its production faces challenges due to adverse edaphoclimatic conditions. Environmental stresses, such as water deficit, are limiting factors during seed germination and plant establishment. Therefore, this study aimed to select pumpkin cultivars that are more resistant when subjected to water deficit. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with four replicates of 25 seeds, in a 3 × 6 factorial scheme, combining three levels of water deficit (0.0, -0.15, and -0.3 MPa of polyethylene glycol, PEG 6000) and six Cucurbita spp. cultivars, including five pumpkin cultivars (“Tetsukabuto”, “Soberana”, “Kin”, “Bahiana Tropical”, and “Sergipana”) and one zucchini cultivar (“Adele”). The evaluated variables included germination, germination speed index, shoot and root length, shoot and root dry mass, total free amino acids, proline, total soluble sugars, and citrulline. The data were analyzed and subjected to cluster analysis and variance analysis compared by the Scott-Knott test (P ≤ 0.05). Water deficits of -0.15 and -0.3 MPa affect the initial growth of pumpkin cultivars, with negative impacts on germination, growth, biomass accumulation, and cellular osmotic homeostasis. The “Adele” cultivar stands out as the most tolerant to the -0.15 MPa water deficit, while “Tetsukabuto” is the most sensitive. Water deficit tolerance in pumpkins is related to the ability to accumulate metabolites such as proline, soluble sugars, and amino acids.

Among the main factors affecting maize (Zea mays L.) productivity, water scarcity stands out, especially during the early stages of development. This study aimed to evaluate the tolerance of maize cultivars subjected to water deficit conditions during germination and early seedling growth. The experiment followed a completely randomized design in a 20 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of twenty maize cultivars (‘BRS 2022’, ‘BRS 4103’, ‘BRS Cruzeta’, ‘BRS Gorutuba’, ‘Capo 22’, ‘HTC697’, ‘HTC717’, ‘HTC795’, ‘MC 70’, ‘PF 7008’, ‘Potiguar, Sintético 91801587’, ‘Sintético 91801590’, ‘Sintético 91801592’, ‘Sintético 91801596’, ‘Sintético 91801599’, ‘Sintético 91801600’, ‘Sintético 91801601’, ‘Sintético PESAGRO-RIO’, and ‘UFLA JM100 POP AXB’) and three polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) concentrations at water potentials of 0.0, −0.2, and −0.4 MPa to simulate water deficit. The analyzed variables included germination, first germination count, germination speed index, shoot and root length, root volume, shoot and root fresh and dry mass, and electrolyte leakage. Water deficit reduced germination and vigor in the maize cultivars. The potential of -0.4 MPa had a significant impact on shoot length and shoot fresh mass of the cultivars, causing mean reductions 75%. The cultivars ‘BRS 2022’, ‘UFLA JM100 POP AXB’, ‘Sintético PESAGRO-RIO’, ‘PF 7008’, ‘HTC697’, ‘BRS Gorutuba’, ‘Sintético 91801596’, ‘MC 70’, ‘Capo 22’, ‘BRS Cruzeta’, and ‘Potiguar’ were the most tolerant at −0.2 and −0.4 MPa. The cultivars ‘HTC717’, ‘HTC795’, ‘Sintético 91801587’, ‘Sintético 91801590’, ‘Sintético 91801599’, and ‘Sintético 91801600’ were the most sensitive under more severe water deficit conditions (−0.4 MPa).

Salinity compromises seed germination and early seedling growth, highlighting the need to identify tolerant cultivars and effective management strategies. This study aimed to evaluate tolerance to salt stress, antioxidant activity, and the effectiveness of seed-applied stress attenuators in pumpkin cultivars. The research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, six cultivars (Tetsukabuto, Soberana, Kin, Bahiana Tropical, Sergipana, and Adele) were subjected to three levels of osmotic potential induced by NaCl (0.0, −0.2, and −0.4 MPa). Germination, growth, and biochemical variables were evaluated. In the second stage, two contrasting cultivars were subjected to six treatments: control (0.0 MPa), salt stress (−0.4 MPa), hydropriming, gibberellic acid, ascorbic acid, and salicylic acid, all under salt stress (−0.4 MPa). In addition to germination and growth variables, oxidative damage (H₂O₂ and lipid peroxidation) and antioxidant activity (SOD, CAT, and APX) were evaluated. Salt stress significantly reduced germination, growth, and biomass accumulation. Cultivar Adele showed greater tolerance, whereas Tetsukabuto was more sensitive. Hydropriming, gibberellic acid, ascorbic acid, and salicylic acid mitigated the effects of salinity, with hydropriming showing the greatest reduction in lipid peroxidation. It is concluded that Adele, combined with gibberellic acid, and Tetsukabuto, combined with hydropriming and gibberellic acid, showed better performance under salinity stress, highlighting the potential of physiological and biochemical traits for identifying contrasting responses to salinity.