The market demand for uniformity and productivity of commercial carrot roots has prioritized hybrid materials over open-pollinated varieties. In this sense, the objective of this work was to estimate the combining ability of carrot genitors for root productivity and resistance to leaf scorch. The experiments were conducted in Gama, DF, in the agricultural years 2012/13 and 2013/14. We evaluated 33 carrot hybrids, originated from crosses between three male-sterile populations, with 11 male-fertile S2 lines, all the genitors being of tropical origin. At 90 days after sowing, the severity of the leaf blight disease was estimated in the plots. At 100 days after sowing, harvesting was performed and root yield characters were evaluated. Analysis of variance and partial diallel analysis were performed for each year and jointly for both years. It was found that additive and non-additive genes are important in the manifestation of root yield and leaf blight resistance traits in carrot hybrids. The male-sterile parents with higher overall combining ability for root productivity are strains LM-649 and LM-650 and, among the male-fertile, strain LM-555-2-2. The best hybrids for root yield and leaf blight resistance are LM-649 × LM-555-11-1, LM-650 × LM-555-7-1 and LM-650 × LM-554-8-1.

The analysis of the accumulation and export of nutrients by the cowpea crop is fundamental for a more sustainable fertilization program, because the definition of the doses of organic fertilizers based only on the estimated maximum yield does not guarantee the maintenance of soil fertility. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fertilization with chicken manure on the productivity, accumulation and exportation of nutrients by the pods of cowpea. A randomized block design was used, with five doses of chicken manure (0; 5; 10; 20 and 40 t ha^-1) and four repetitions. The highest levels of P and Mg were found in the leaves with the application of 40 t ha^-1 of manure. The maximum pod length was 14.47 cm, estimated with the dose of 33.33 t ha^-1 of manure. The highest values of diameter, number of pods per plant and pod productivity were observed at the highest dose of manure applied. In relative terms, that is, total exported in relation to the total extracted by the aerial part, phosphorus is the nutrient most exported by the pods, on average 58%, followed by N (55%), K (43%), Mg (40%), S (38%) and Ca (17%). At the highest dose, although Ca accumulation occurred in large quantities (31.3 kg ha^-1), only 13% of it was exported by the pods. Fertilizing cowpea with chicken manure supplied essential nutrients and increased pod yield from 7.2 (no fertilization) to 16.3 t ha^-1 (fertilization with 40 t ha^-1 of chicken manure). The plant remains of the cowpea constitute an important source of nutrients, being obtained at the highest dose of manure applied (40 t ha^-1) the following amounts of macronutrients (kg ha^-1): N (51.4); P (5.1); K (27.6); Ca (27.1); Mg (8.2); S (5.1), which may return to the soil, with the incorporation of the plants.

The article considers an actual problem of organizing a safe and sustainable urban transport system. We have examined the existing positive global experience in both infrastructural and managerial decisions. Then to assess possible solutions at the stage of infrastructure design, we have developed the simulation micromodels of transport network sections of the medium-sized city (Naberezhnye Chelny) with a rectangular building type. The models make it possible to determine the optimal parameters of the traffic flow, under which pollutant emissions from cars would not lead to high concentrations of pollutants. Also, the model allows to obtain the calculated values of the volume of emissions of pollutants and the parameters of the traffic flow (speed, time of passage of the section, etc.). On specific examples, the proposed method’s effectiveness is shown. Case studies of cities of different sizes and layouts are implementation examples and possible uses proposed by the models. This study has shown the rationality of the suggested solution at the stage of assessing infrastructure projects and choosing the best option for sustainable transport development. The proposed research method is universal and can be applied in any city.

Banana macropropagation in a thermal chamber is an economical technology, effective as a phytosanitary cleaning method, and efficient to enhance seedling production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of corm size (CS) and benzylaminopurine (BAP) on plantain cv. Barraganete seedling proliferation in two propagation environments (PE). The treatments consisted of two levels of BAP (with and without BAP), three CS (2 ± 0.5, 4 ± 0.5 and 6 ± 0.5 kg) and two PE (thermal chamber and raised bed). The variables evaluated were sprouting time (days), multiplication rate (MT) per unit (seedlings per corm) and area (seedlings per m²). Sprouting time was significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by the PE, where the thermal chamber advanced shoot emergence by 12 days, with respect to the raised bed. MT of seedlings per corm and m², were significantly influenced (p < 0.05) by BAP × AP and TC × AP interactions, where the highest seedling production per corm occurred inside thermal chamber with BAP and 6 ± 0.5 kg corms, while seedling production per m² was higher with 2 ± 0.5 kg corms under the same thermal chamber conditions and with BAP. The main effects results reported that with BAP there were 30 and 31% increases in MT per corm and per m², respectively, relative to the treatment without BAP. Within the thermal chamber the MT per corm and per m² increased by 44% relative to the raised bed. Regarding the effect of CS, larger corms achieved higher individual MT, while smaller corms achieved higher MT per area. The use of a thermal chamber and BAP is recommended for mass production of banana seedlings through macropropagation.