Augustinho Borsoi

Agronomic characteristics and oil content of Brazilian sunflower hybrdids under different sowing densities

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has good productive capacity and the increase in production is possible by using hybrids adapted to the sowing region and an adequate arrangement of plants without losing quality and oil content. The objective of this work was to evaluate two sunflower hybrids cultivated in different sowing densities, observing the influence on the agronomic characteristics and oil content of the cultivation. The experiment was conducted at the experimental field of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Toledo. The experimental design was randomized blocks in 2 × 4 factorial scheme, with four repetitions consisted of two plant genotypes (BRS324 and M734) and four plant densities (30, 40, 50 and 60 thousand ha-1 plants). The variables analyzed in the field were: plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, chapter thickness and chapter size. On the other hand, the variables: mass of one thousand sunflower achene, yield and oil content were analyzed at PUCPR laboratory. According to the results obtained, there was interaction between the density of the BRS324 genotype with plant height, stem diameter and mass of a thousand sunflower achene. For the other variables there was a significant difference as a function of the genotype. The cultivar BRS324 produced a better oil content. For plant height and stem diameter, the cultivar showed opposite behavior, possibly due to adaptation in the western region of Paraná. The variable mass of one thousand sunflower achene was decreased due to the increase of the population density for cultivar BRS324.

Maturidade fisiológica de sementes de tungue (Aleurites fordii Hemsl.)

The test aimed to determine the physiological maturity of the seeds from tung nut trees (Aleurites fordii Hemsl.). Ten four-year-old fruits trees were collected in Cascavel - PR. The experiment followed a completely randomized design, with four fruit maturation stages and five replicates with 25 seeds each. The fruits were classified into three classes using the color of the epicarp and collected directly from the ground. To characterize the physiological maturity, digital colorimetric and biometric parameters were utilized. In seeds, the mass of dry matter, moisture content, germination and emergence speed index were determined. The seeds extracted from fruits with light brown eye color had higher dry matter, lower water content and percentage of germination and emergence rate, indicating the physiological maturity of seeds. Fruits collected from the ground are not suitable for seed collection. The harvest of the fruits to obtain seeds with physiological maturity is recommended when the fruits show light brown visual staining reflectance values in the visible spectrum (RGB) of 96.1, 69.9 and 64.1, respectively.

Technical and economic feasibility of biodiesel production by family farmers.

1 Post-Graduate Programs Masters in Energy in Agricultural Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná – UNIOESTE. Rua Universitária, 2069, CEP: 85.819-130, Bairro Faculdade, Cascavel/PR, Brazil. 2 Agronomist, Instituto Paranaense de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural – EMATER, Corbélia/PR, Brazil. 3 Post-Graduate Programs in Agronomy Masters and Doctorate Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná – UNIOESTE.Campus Marechal Cândido Rondon/PR, Brazil.