Morpho-Physiological Traits and Oil Quality in Drought-Tolerant Raphanus sativus L. Used for Biofuel Production.

Raphanus sativus L. is a potential source of raw material for biodiesel fuel due to the high oil content in its grains. In Brazil, this species is cultivated in the low rainfall off-season, which limits the productivity of the crop. The present study investigated the effects of water restriction on the physiological and biochemical responses, production components, and oil quality of R. sativus at different development stages. The treatments consisted of 100% water replacement (control), 66%, and 33% of field capacity during the phenological stages of vegetative growth, flowering, and grain filling. We evaluated characteristics of water relations, gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, chloroplast pigment, proline, and sugar content. The production components and chemical properties of the oil were also determined at the end of the harvest cycle. Drought tolerance of R. sativus was found to be mediated primarily during the vegetative growth stage by changes in photosynthetic metabolism, stability of photochemical efficiency, increased proline concentrations, and maintenance of tissue hydration. Grain filling was most sensitive to water limitation and showed a reduction in yield and oil content. However, the chemical composition of the oil was not altered by the water deficit. Our data suggest that R. sativus is a drought-tolerant species.

Qualidade pós-colheita de batatas (Solanum tuberosum L. ) submetidas a tratamento hidrotermico / Post-harvest quality of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. ) submitted to hydrothermal treatment

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a qualidade pós-colheita de batatas, submetidas ao tratamento hidrotérmico. Tubérculos de batatas foram submetidos a água nas temperaturas de 50 e 60ºC, por 1, 6, 11 e 21 minutos, e avaliados quanto ao coração preto, brotação, esverdeamento, mancha preta e exsudação aos 1, 5, 10, 15 e 20 dias de armazenamento. Os dados foram analisados por meio do teste Dunnett (5%). Não houve presença de coração preto e esverdeamento. A incidência de brotação foi menor nos tratamentos de 50°C por 21 minutos e 60°C por 6 minutos. No 1° dia de armazenamento, os tratamentos de 50°C por 21 minutos, 60°C por 12 e 21 minutos e 70°C por 1, 6, 12 e 21 minutos desencadearam a presença de mancha preta. Os tratamentos de 50°C, por 1, 6 e 11 minutos e 60°C, por 1 e 6 minutos proporcionaram maior vida pós-colheita dos tubérculos.

Impact of light quality on flavonoid production and growth of Hyptis marrubioides seedlings cultivated in vitro

ABSTRACT Hyptis marrubioides Epling, Lamiaceae, a species from Brazilian Cerrado, has been used against gastrointestinal infections, skin infections, pain, and cramps. Herein, H. marrubioides seedlings were cultured in vitro under different wavelengths (white, blue, green, red, and yellow) with 50 µmol m-2 s-1 irradiance and a 16-h photoperiod. After 20 and 30 days of cultivation, shoot length, leaf number, fresh mass, and dry mass were evaluated. The flavonoid rutin content was determined by the HPLC-DAD method. The shoots were longer in plants cultivated under yellow (16.603 ± 0.790 cm, 1.8-fold), red (15.465 ± 0.461 cm, 1.7-fold), and green (14.677 ± 0.737 cm, 1.6-fold) lights than in control plants exposed to white light (9.203 ± 0.388 cm). The number of leaves increased in plants exposed to red (23.425 ± 1.138, 1.1-fold) and green (22.725 ± 1.814, 1.1-fold) lights, compared to control plants (20.133 ± 0.827). Fresh (0.665 ± 0.048 g, 1.2-fold) and dry (0.066 ± 0.005 g, 1.3-fold) mass of seedlings were the highest in seedlings grown under red light, compared to seedlings grown under white light (0.553 ± 0.048 and 0.028 ± 0.004, respectively). However, rutin production was higher under white (0.308 mg g-1 of dry weight) and blue lights (0.298 mg g-1 of dry weight). Thus, red light induces plant growth and increases leaf number and dry weight in in vitro-cultivated H. marrubioides, whereas blue and white lights promote the greatest rutin accumulation.