Décio Luiz Gazzoni

Efeito de doses e de refúgio sobre a seletividade de inseticidas a predadores e parasitóides de pragas de soja

Com o objetivo de avaliar o impacto sazonal de alguns inseticidas sobre predadores e parasitoides de pragas da cultura da soja, instalou-se um experimento com delineamento de blocos ao acaso, constando de oito tratamentos e tres repeticoes, no campo experimental da Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Soja, em Londrina, PR. Os tratamentos consistiram de aplicacoes de inseticidas para o controle da lagarta-da-soja (pulverizados em 21/1/93) e percevejos (4/3/93). A tecnica empregada para levantamento da populacao de insetos foi a do metodo do choque, que consiste na aplicacao de um inseticida de alto impacto sobre a comunidade de insetos presente nas plantas, sua coleta sobre panos estendidos no solo, e sua posterior identificacao e contagem em laboratorio. A analise da variância revelou nao haver diferencas significativas entre as populacoes de predadores, himenopteros e dipteros encontrados, nos diferentes tratamentos estudados. Tambem nao foram verificados os fenomenos de ressurgencia de pragas ou o aparecimento de elevadas populacoes de pragas secundarias.

Feedstocks for Biofuels

Considering the great interest of the countries around the world and the great number of research of many groups from Institutes, Universities, Companies, aiming to allow the use of biomass to produce biofuel, this chapter may give data and basic information about vegetable cultures and organic residues available to generate any kind of biofuel. Concerning to this a general view is given about crops where its main constituent component is sugar, starch, oil, with some principal examples. Besides, data, facilities and examples are given about lignocellulolytic cultures and residues, as far as solid and liquid residues generated in some industrial processes. The data available, includes, amount of each potential energetic source of raw material for biofuel, physic-chemical characteristics, production region, agronomic data, productivity, production, and other information useful for researchers works aiming the production of bioethanol, biodiesel, and biohydrogen.

Modeling insect resistance to insecticides using velvetbean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis) as an example

Evolution of insect resistance to insecticides, using the velvetbean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis) as an example, was evaluated with the help of a computer simulation model. The effects of the following factors were studied: mortality rate, dominance and initial frequency of the resistant gene, migration rate, reproductive disadvantage and action level. According to results of the model, mortality rate, genetic dominance and frequency, and insect migration were the most critical factors involved with the rate of evolution of insect resistance to insecticides. Mortality rate can be directly managed, and migration indirectly through preservation of refugia, as part of a program of resistance management, which should include insecticides with different modes of action on the insect, and at minimum efficient rates.

Oil Crops in the Context of Global Biodiesel Production

There are hundreds of plants with potential to produce oil for biodiesel industry but only a few are largely cultivated, being the same that have been used for other purposes, especially for nutrition. Along the last 10 years, palm, soybean, canola, and sunflower accounted for 80 % of the world vegetable oil production, or 90 % if peanut, cotton, coconut, and olive are also included. Similarly, almost all countries are potential producers of oil but USA, China, Brazil, India, Argentina, and Indonesia account for about 70 % of the 180 Mton produced worldwide, and for almost all of the vegetable oil traded in the international market. In order to consider an oil crop as a trusty supplier of raw material for the biodiesel industry, it must fulfill the following criteria: (a) must be produced on a large scale; (b) should belong to a well-organized supply chain; (c) be considered a commodity in the international market and its oil be competitive in price with not only other vegetable oils but also with petrol; (d) its by-products obtained besides the oil should also have a steady demand on the domestic and international market. The world biodiesel production strongly accelerated within 2000–2009, reducing the rates of expansion after 2009 because of the world financial crisis (2008–2010). Currently (2016), biodiesel global production is estimated to be slightly over 35 Mton, awaiting new stimuli to reaccelerate considering the well-known environmental and social benefits of biodiesel, which can overcome the disadvantage of the higher cost as compared to mineral diesel.