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.

One of the biggest environmental problems that has affected the planet is global warming, due to high concentrations of carbon (CO₂), which has led to crops such as coffee being affected by climate change caused by greenhouse gases (GHG), especially by the increase in the incidence of pests and diseases. However, carbon sequestration contributes to the mitigation of GHG emissions. The objective of this work was to evaluate the carbon stored in above and below ground biomass in four six-year-old castle coffee production systems. In a trial established under a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with the treatments Coffee at free exposure (T1), Coffee-Lemon (T2), Coffee-Guamo (T3) and Coffee-Carbonero (T4), at three altitudes: below 1,550 masl, between 1,550 and 2,000 masl and above 2,000 masl. Data were collected corresponding to the stem diameters of coffee seedlings and shade trees with which allometric equations were applied to obtain the carbon variables in the aerial biomass and root and the carbon variables in leaf litter and soil obtained from their dry matter. Highly significant differences were obtained in the four treatments evaluated, with T4 being the one that obtained the highest carbon concentration both in soil biomass with 100.14 t ha^-1 and in aerial biomass with 190.42 t ha^-1.

In this study, ‘Xinli No. 3’, ‘Shengli rootstock’, ‘Shenli rootstock’ and ‘Shengzhen No. 1’ were used as rootstock, and ‘Jinchun No. 39’ cucumber was used as scion to study the effects of different rootstock on the yield and quality of grafted cucumber, and to select high quality rootstock suitable for cucumber grafting. Different rootstock affected the survival rate, phenology, the height of plant, stem diameter, growth potential, yield and quality of cucumber grafting. Among them, the survival rate of ‘Shenli rootstock’ grafted cucumber is the highest, and the growth of ‘Shengzhen No. 1’ grafted cucumber is relatively the strongest. There was no significant difference in fruit tuber, melon edge, thorn color and pulp crispness between self-rooted seedling (CK) and each rootstock grafting combination. The average yield of ‘Xinli No. 3’ grafted cucumber plot was not significantly different from that of self-rooted seedlings (CK). The length of ‘Shenli rootstock’ and ‘Shengli rootstock’ grafted cucumber was significantly higher than that of self-rooted seedlings (CK), and the length of ‘Shengzhen No. 1’ Grafted Cucumber was significantly higher than that of self-rooted seedlings (CK). The contents of vitamin C and soluble protein of ‘Shengli rootstock’, ‘Shenli rootstock’ and ‘Shengzhen No. 1’ grafted cucumber were significantly higher than those of self-rooted seedlings (CK), and the contents of soluble sugar were lower than those of self-rooted seedlings (CK). Therefore, ‘Shengzhen No. 1’ and ‘Jinchun No. 39’ have strong compatibility with cucumber. As rootstocks, the grafted cucumber plants not only have strong growth potential and high yield, but also significantly increase the content of soluble protein and vitamin C.

We analyzed the relationship between nutrient (N and K) parceling and population density on the severity of onion downy mildew under no-tillage fertigation cultivation in the conditions of Alto Vale do Itajaí (Barzil). For this purpose, field trials were conducted in the years 2017, 2018 and 2019, in Ituporanga (Barzil). The treatments corresponded to four population densities (300, 400, 500 and 600 mil plants ha^-1) subjected to applications of nitrogen (150 kg N ha^-1) and potassium (127.5 kg K₂O ha^-1) distributed throughout the vegetative cycle of the crop via fertigation on a weekly, biweekly and monthly basis, based on the absorption curve of these nutrients for the cultivar Empasc 352-Bola Precoce. In fertigated no-tillage systems, nutrient (N and K) tranches do not influence the severity of downy mildew. The severity of downy mildew increases linearly with increasing population density, especially from 500 mil plants per ha^-1.

The cultivation of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) for table or horticultural purposes is largely carried out in the conventional way which is characterized by intense mechanization causing soil degradation and high labor costs. New cultivation techniques are being employed in the production of vegetables aiming to ensure improvements in environmental and economic conditions, such as the no-till farming system. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the vegetable classification and physicochemical characteristics of beets from different corn planting densities. The experiment was conducted in the period from October 2018 to June 2019 in the municipality of Nova Laranjeiras (PR). Corn was used as a cover plant and the vegetable used was beet cultivar Early Wonder Tall Top. The experimental design used was in interspersed blocks in unifactorial scheme (corn densities 40, 60, 80, 100 thousand plants/ha and control) with four blocks, with plots 3.60 m long and 1.20 m wide. The parameters evaluated 60 days after planting were: commercial classification (class, group, subgroup, category), length, diameter, mass, pulp firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH and ratio, phenolic compounds. Of which the variables that were not significant at 0.5 probability were length, category (defects), firmness, subgroup (flesh color), soluble solids and phenolic compounds. It is concluded that high densities of corn as mulch for SPDH of sugar beet crop negatively affect the grade and physicochemical characterization of the products.

The objective of this study was to develop a model based on fuzzy rules to evaluate the effects caused by varying the dosages of two soil fertilizers (mineral and organic) on root diameter. Fuzzy logic is a method that presents a language, more appropriate to day-to-day life, as the sky is a bit cloudy. For the input variables of this system the mineral and an organic fertilizer were used, for the output the root diameter, in cm. After optimization of the input rules, it can be seen that for the application of the fertilizers (mineral and organic) the best dosages were from 15 to 60 and 20 to 60 g·m^-2, respectively. With this application of fuzzy rules in real data, it is possible to take these benefits to those involved in the production chain of radish, resulting in a reduction in the dosages of products and improving its final profitability.

The agronomic use of mushroom post-harvest substrates (SPCHs) in horticultural seedbeds could be an interesting alternative for the reuse of these wastes in line with the European circular economy strategy. This work evaluates the potential use of four treatments with different SPCHs, mushroom (-Ch), mushroom (-St), mushroom compost (-CO), and a mixture (SPCH-Ch and SPCH-St) as substrates for lettuce and chili pepper seed germination. The trial was carried out in a germination chamber using commercial compost as a control treatment. The evaluation was based on its chemical (salinity, N and C content), physical (bulk and real density, porosity and water retention) and plant effect (germination and biomass) characteristics. Of the chemical properties studied, the high salinity in SPCH-Ch and SPCH-CO was a limiting factor for the development of the horticultural species evaluated (electrical conductivity 1:2.5; p/v; ~11 dS m^-1), and low germination percentages were observed. Regarding physical properties, porosity and water retention, the SPCH-CO, SPCH-St and mixture treatments presented some values outside the optimal range established for germination substrates. In the case of SPCH-St, its high C/N ratio could be a limitation for supplying N to the crop. In relation to biomass production (aerial and root) of lettuce and chili pepper, all the treatments evaluated obtained similar values to the control treatment. The mixed treatment presented the highest biomass values, significantly higher in the lettuce crop. In general, the mixed treatment proved to be the best alternative for use in the seedbed.

The performance of five cauliflower cultivars in conventional and alternative phytosanitary management—without the use of synthetic pesticides—was evaluated. Two experiments were conducted at Epagri, Ituporanga Experimental Station in February 2018 and 2019. A randomized block design with four repetitions was adopted, with twenty plants of each cultivar as plots. The seedlings were transplanted on millet and mucuna straw at a spacing of 0.5 m × 0.8 m. We evaluated agronomic yield, inflorescence quality, pest damage and plant diseases, especially bacterial and fungal rots. The cauliflower hybrids Vera, Verona and Serena stood out in productivity and quality, being the most indicated for sowing in off-season crops, in the Alto Vale do Itajaí region. The most productive cultivars were less damaged by bacterial diseases and defoliating caterpillars and without interference of whitefly infestation on yield. The results also reveal that it is possible to control pests and diseases with phytosanitary products of lower toxicity, i.e., with lower residues of synthetic pesticides.