Response of chia (Salvia hispanica) to sowing times and phosphorus rates over two crop cycles.

Chia (Salvia hispanica) is an annual oilseed crop of high nutritional value. This study aimed to analyze the performance of chia plants sown at different times and grown under different phosphorus rates. The experiment was conducted under field conditions at the Experimental Farm of the State University of Maringá, Umuarama, Brazil. Treatments were arranged in a randomized split-plot design with three replications. Phosphorus fertilizer was applied at the time of sowing at rates of 0, 40, 80, or 120 kg P2O5 ha-1. Seeds were sown on four dates at 14-day intervals, starting on March 21, 2017, for the first crop and March 29, 2018, for the second crop. Plant population density, raceme number, shoot dry matter yield, thousand seed weight, seed yield, and seed oil content were determined. It was observed that the end of March is the borderline for chia cultivation, because the low temperature and rainfall conditions occurring after this period compromise chia growth. The best phosphorous rate for chia growth was 80-120 kg ha-1, which led to optimum vegetative parameters.

Determinação de Cd, Cr e Pb no leite e na alimentação bovina do Brasil / Determination of Cd, Cr and Pb in milk and in cattle feed in Brazil

A contaminação do leite é uma das maiores preocupações sanitárias em função de seu grande consumo pela população, e pela enorme extensão do país, o que limita a fiscalização adequada. Apesar de estudos científicos indicarem contaminação do leite com elementos traço tóxicos, não há qualquer estratégia do Estado para detecção e prevenção destes componentes no leite. O presente trabalho investigou a ocorrência de chumbo, cádmio e cromo em amostras de leite in natura e em leite processado e com o propósito de identificar possíveis fontes de contaminação. No leite in natura e no leite processado houve evidência de contaminação por estes elementos traço, muitas vezes em níveis acima do permitido pela legislação brasileira. A mais provável fonte de contaminação foi o sal mineral utilizado na alimentação bovina.

The contamination of milk is one of the major health concerns because it is largely consumed bypopulation, and the huge extension of the country limits the adequate inspection of this product.Although scientific studies have indicated the occurrence of milk contamination with toxic trace elements,no government policy for the detection and prevention of these components has been available. Thisstudy aimed at investigating the occurrence of lead, cadmium and chromium in samples of raw milk andprocessed milk in an attempt to identify the possible sources of contamination. Both the in natura rawmilk and the processed milk evidenced the contamination with these toxic trace elements, and usually atlevels above those permitted by Brazilian legislation. The most probable contamination source was themineral salt employed for feeding cattle.