Carlos Alberto da Silva Oliveira

Sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum production and powdery mildew severity in pea cultivars under different water depths

The effect of water depth on the number of sclerotia produced by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, oidium severity caused by Erysiphe pisi, and top plant dry matter of dry pea (Pisum sativum L.) was studied under soil and climate conditions of Central Brazil. It was used a randomized complete block design with four replications (cultivar as a factor and a split plot on water depth). Water depths, applied through a single irrigation sprinkler line, varied from 125 to 499 mm, and the cultivars studied were Maria, Luiza, Marina, Mikado, Triofin, Vicosa, Amelia and Kodama. Top plant dry matter did not vary among cultivars; however, it increased with total water depth applied. Number of sclerotia produced in infected plants increased significantly as water applied increased and did not differ for semi-leafless and normal leaf cultivars. Cultivars Marina, Mikado and Luiza showed a significant reduced number of sclerotia in comparison with cv. Triofin. Water depth and cultivar interacted significantly for oidium severity evalueted 70 days after planting. Increasing water depth applied to the crop reduced oidium severity on the susceptible cultivars Amelia and Mikado. Cultivars Maria and Marina showed good potential for use in areas infected with Sclerotinia.

Determinação da tensão de água em solo agrícola usando um sensor de dissipação de calor

A study was carried out under laboratory and field conditions to evaluate a type of soil sensor used to measure temperature and soil water matric potential. Due to gypsum solubility, porous media used to make the sensor, there was cross sectional area and volume decrease and sensor effective porosity increase in comparison with values obtained prior to the tests. Temperature average values obtained with the sensor were similar to the ones obtained with a reference thermometer having 0.1°C accuracy. Regarding to Delta T values, sensor response time was a little higher than 24 hours when saturated sensors were installed 5 cm deep inside an air dry silty clay loam. Under lab and field conditions observed, Delta T values had increased variability for the dry soil region in comparison with the wet soil region. There was no statistical difference (test F; 5%) between Delta T averages, obtained under field conditions with the heat dissipation sensor installed at 10 cm of depth, and soil water tension averages provided by the tensiometer and transformed to Delta T.

Mini sensor Irrigas® na determinação da curva de retenção de água em substratos para hortaliças

In Brazil, no reliable standard method exists to determine the water retention curve in all available types of substrates for the cultivation of vegetables, mainly for substrates with long and short fibers, such as those of green coconut shell. In this work, the objective was to obtain the substrate water retention curve for the cultivation of vegetables, using a mini Irrigas® sensor. Green coconut substrate was used without composting and with composting during 45; 90; 135 and 180 days while the Plantmax® substrate was used as control in a complete block experimental design with 6 substrates, 11 water tension levels and three replications. For the substrates S0, S45, S90, S135 and S180 the obtained average were: total porosity; 85%; aeration space: 72%; easily available water: 4%; available water: 9%; buffering water: 5% and remaining water: 4%. The aeration space (72%) was indicative that it is convenient to improve the particle size distribution of this substrate, in order to reduce the aeration space to gain water retention capacity. Water tension in the samples was slowly increased by evaporation as the substrate air interface and mini Irrigas® sensors enabled the required water tension measurements, continuously, in three parallel substrate samples for water tensions ranging from zero to 11 kPa. These results make evident the possibility of using the mini Irrigas® sensor for the determination of water retention curves in substrates for growing vegetables, and also opens the possibility of future studies, aiming at comparative tests for other methods.