Maria Auxiliadora Coêlho de Lima

Mudanças relacionadas ao amaciamento da graviola durante a maturação pós-colheita

This work aimed to evaluate the physical, chemical and biochemical changes related to softening during maturation of Crioula soursop fruit (Annona muricata L.). Fruits were harvested at the physiological maturity stage from plants grown at Embrapa Agroindustria Tropical Experimental Station, in Pacajus, CE, Brazil, and were stored at 26.3±0.6 oC and 88±12% relative humidity, during 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days. A completely randomized design was used with four replicates. The following variables were evaluated: weight loss; starch content; total and soluble pectin content and enzymatic activity of amylase, pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase and alfa- and beta-galactosidases. There was no significant variation in the soluble pectin content. Weight loss reached 5% in the fifth day, without causing fruit shriveling. Reductions on starch and on total pectin contents occurred in the period of great enzymatic activity, respectively, of amylase and of polygalacturonase, and cell wall beta-galactosidase. The most significant changes on the contents of starch and total pectin, on pectin solubilization and on the activity of the enzymes amylase, pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase and cell wall beta-galactosidase occurred from the second to the fourth day after harvest.

Desempenho de cultivares de cebola em cultivo orgânico e tipos de solo no Vale do São Francisco

In this research were evaluated the yield of onion cultivars under organic growth in the Sao Francisco Valley. Two field trials were evaluated, one at the Experimental Farm Station of Embrapa Tropical Semi-Arid, in Petrolina, in an ultisol type and the other at the Experimental Farm Station of Mandacaru, in Juazeiro, in a vertisol type, from February to October of 2005. The experimental design was of randomized complete blocks, with 18 and 14 cultivars, respectively, and four replications. In the ultisol, the total yield of bulbs ranged from 13.52 to 39.52 t/ha. The commercial yield ranged from 7.45 to 38.32 t/ha where the cultivars Brisa (38.32 t/ha) and Sao Paulo (35.86 t/ha) showed the highest yield without statistical difference; Cultivars Botucatu-150 (26.41 t/ha) and Pira Ouro (26.37 t/ha) also stood out with high yield without statistical difference. The cultivars Conquista (7.45 t/ha) and Crioula Alto Vale (7.81 t/ha) presented the worst performance. In the vertisol the total yield of bulbs ranged from 6.87 to 24.68 t/ha. The cultivars Texas Grano PRR (21.56 t/ha) and IPA-10 (17.50 t/ha) presented the highest yield, without statistical differences. The cultivars Crioula Alto Vale, CNPH-6348, CNPH-6436 and CNPH- 6206 presented no commercial yield.

Abscisic Acid and Ethephon for Improving Red Color and Quality of Crimson Seedless Grapes Grown in a Tropical Region

This study sought to examine the effects of applying abscisic acid (ABA) and ethephon at different rates and times on color properties and quality of Crimson Seedless grapes grown in the São Francisco River Valley, Brazil. The experiments were carried out over three growing seasons (i.e., production cycles) in a commercial vineyard in Petrolina, Pernambuco State. The treatments consisted of a control (without ABA or ethephon), ethephon alone or with ABA, and ABA applied at 400 and 600 mg/L. ABA was tested in four different applications: a single application of ABA at veraison 90 to 97 days after pruning (DAP); two applications of half the application rate, the first one at veraison or berry softening (90 to 97 DAP) and the second at 17 to 20 days postveraison (DPV); a single application at 17 to 20 DPV; and ABA at 200 or 300 mg/L combined with ethephon. Application of ABA and ethephon did not influence yield, cluster weight, berry diameter, skin elasticity, soluble solids, or sugar content. Titratable acidity was influenced by application of 200 mg/L ABA at 90 DAP and 17 DPV but only in the first production cycle. Flesh (pulp) firmness was affected only in the third cycle by ethephon alone or when combined with 300 mg/L ABA. In 2012, ethephon application combined with 200 or 300 mg/L ABA at veraison (97 DAP), resulted in berries with significantly darker skin color, lower lightness (L*), and a higher b* value, indicating more advanced maturation. In all three production cycles, ABA and ethephon application increased anthocyanin content, resulting in a darker red berry color; the magnitude of this response varied among the cycles.

Assessment on nutrient levels in the aerial biomass of irrigated guava in São Francisco Valley, Brazil

A aplicacao de fertilizantes em culturas perenes baseia-se na reposicao das quantidades de nutrientes removidas pelos frutos, mas a imobilizacao de nutrientes deve ser tambem considerada. Assim, foram determinadas as concentracoes de nutrientes nas folhas e nos frutos da goiabeira cv.Paluma, irrigada, em Petrolina-PE, bem como as quantidades de nutrientes removidas pelos frutos e pela poda de frutificacao do ciclo seguinte. Entre os macronutrientes, o N e o K foram os mais removidos pelos frutos, enquanto o Fe , o Zn e Mn apresentaram maiores valores entre os micronutrientes. No minimo, 60% das quantidades totais de N,P,K,Fe e B removidas pela poda estavam imobilizadas na folha e no fruto nao-comerciavel.

Delay in ripening of African Pride atemoya fruits after postharvest treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene

Atemoya fruits (cv. African Pride) were harvested at physiological maturity stage with the objective of evaluating the influence of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) application on postharvest maturation. The following parameters were analyzed: 1-MCP doses (0, 100, 200 and 400 nL.L-1) and time of storage (0, 8 and 15 days under refrigeration, at 14.5 ± 2.0 oC and 60 ± 6% RH, followed by 2, 4, and 5 days at 23.8 ± 2.0 oC and 65 ± 5% RH). The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 4x 5 (dose of 1-MCPx time of storage) factorial with four replications. Besides the statistically significant interaction between the factors on weight loss, the differences among the treatments in each evaluation were not higher than 1.3%. The fruits treated were firmer, presented slightly higher titratable acidity, and an initial delay in the increase of soluble solids. The reduction on pectin content was only observed from the 15th day onwards, when the highest softening rate occurred. The appearance was also maintained by 1-MCP and the absence of spots and/or microorganisms was observed in the treated fruits until the 17th day. The most efficient dose was 200 nL.L-1 because it delayed the firmness loss and maintained the pectin content slightly higher.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity during maturation of strawberry guava fruit

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar compostos bioativos e atividade antioxidante de frutos de genotipos de aracazeiros durante a maturacao e identificar as caracteristicas que influenciaram a variabilidade genetica. Os frutos foram colhidos a partir de 15 genotipos de ocorrencia espontânea no municipio de Areia-PB, nos seguintes estadios de maturacao: Totalmente Verde, Inicio de Pigmentacao Amarela, Pigmentacao Amarela Predominante e Totalmente Amarela. Durante a maturacao, o conteudo de acido ascorbico aumentou paralelo a reducao da clorofila total e flavonoides amarelos. A atividade antioxidante aumentou com o avanco da maturacao, sendo a dos genotipos P1, P4, P6, P7, P14 e P15 superior aos demais. A analise de componentes principais mostrou que, durante a maturacao, a variabilidade entre frutos de genotipos de aracazeiros foi relacionada aos conteudos de acido ascorbico e carotenoides.

Phenotypic variability among pumpkin accessions in the Brazilian semiarid

The aim of this study was to estimate the phenotypic divergence among fourteen pumpkins accessions of the cucurbits Germplasm Active Bank of Embrapa Semiarido, in order to support breeding program to these species. Nine morphoagronomic descriptors were analyzed by the principal components and by UPGMA techniques. In the analysis of principal components, the formation of three contrasting clusters was observed, each one composed of two accessions. There occurred also the formation of one core group composed of five accessions, being the accessions called 683 and 684 collected in Bahia and the other in Maranhao. The most divergent accessions were 620, 624 and 748. The variables of the greatest contribution to the genetic divergence were diameter, weight and average length of the fruit. In the UPGMA analysis, obtained from the symmetric matrices generated by the Mahalanobis distance for the nine descriptors, there was the formation of one core group, composed of ten accessions, whose similarity was 45.71%, with geographically divergent accessions presenting the greatest similarity. Three accessions were not clustered with others. The study identified phenotypic variability for the analyzed characters and the absence of relationship between place of collection and phenotypic diversity.

Metabolic responses of guava trees irrigated withdifferent N and K levels in São Francisco Valley

The guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Paluma has been cultivated in Sao Francisco Valley, Northeastern of Brazil, for in natura consumption and processing purposes. In spite of its importance, there are few scientific knowledge regarding guava physiology, nutrition, irrigation and fertigation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of weather conditions and different concentrations of N and K applied by fertigation in foliar contents of reducing sugars, total soluble sugars, starch, sucrose, amino acids, and proteins. The field experiment was carried out at Bebedouro Experimental Field and the biochemical evaluations at the Laboratory of Seed and Plant Physiology, both located at Embrapa Semi-Arido, Petrolina-PE. The doses of 200 g N and 100 g K2O; 400 g N and 200 g K2O; 600 g N and 300 g K2O; and 800 g N and 400 g K2O per plant were applied in an experiment field. The experimental design was totally randomized blocks, with four treatments and five blocks. The weather conditions influenced the plant photosynthesis, which affects the plants metabolism. Guava presented specific responses to N and K fertigation for each parameter evaluated. The weather conditions during the evaluation period influenced guava responses to N and K fertigation.

QUALIDADE DE MANGA ‘TOMMY ATKINS’ DA PRODUÇÃO INTEGRADA RECOBERTA COM FÉCULA DE MANDIOCA ASSOCIADA A ÓLEOS ESSENCIAIS E QUITOSANA

This study had as objective to evaluate the quality of ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango from the Integrated Production (IP) coated with cassava starch (S) associated with essential oils and chitosan. Mango was harvested, at the commercial maturity, from a certified orchard by the Mango IP. The coatings were: Control; S 3%; S 3% + Foeniculum 0.9% (SF); S 3% + Origanum 0.5% (SO), and S 2% + Chitosan 2% (SCH). Coated mangos were stored for 20 days at 12+1°C and 80 + 2% RH and, following, transferred to room conditions (24+2°C; 75+4% RH) for more 12 days, simulating the marketing condition. The combination SCH delayed ripening, maintaining the coloration, soluble solids, and acidity contents, providing mangos with purchase intention and flavor higher than the control.

Quality of different tropical fruit cultivars produced in the Lower Basin of the São Francisco Valley

The present study evaluated the physical, physico-chemical and chemical characteristics of fruit from commercial cultivars of the mango, acerola, guava, atemoya and custard apple, produced in the Lower Basin of the Sao Francisco Valley. Fruit harvested in commercial areas of the region were evaluated for weight, length, diameter, colouration of the peel and pulp, firmness, pH, titratable acidity (TA), soluble solids (SS), SS to TA ratio, and levels of total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, starch and pectic substances. The data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. Fruits from cultivars of the guava (Paluma, Rica and Pedro Sato), the custard apple and atemoya display a high level of pectic substances, a characteristic which favours industrial use. In the mango, a high level of pectic substances was noted in fruit of the cultivars Kent, Espada, Tommy Atkins and Van Dyke. Fruits of the acerola cultivar Costa Rica show high SS content and a low AT, favouring consumption in natura.