Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is currently one of the most efficient crops in the production of first-generation biofuels. However, the bagasse represents an additional abundant lignocellulosic resource that has the potential to increase the ethanol production per plant. To achieve a more efficient conversion of bagasse into ethanol, a better understanding of the main factors affecting biomass recalcitrance is needed. Because several studies have shown a negative effect of lignin on saccharification yield, the characterization of lignin biosynthesis, structure, and deposition in sugarcane is an important goal. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first systematic study of lignin deposition during sugarcane stem development, using histological, biochemical, and transcriptional data derived from two sugarcane genotypes with contrasting lignin contents. Lignin amount and composition were determined in rind (outer) and pith (inner) tissues throughout stem development. In addition, the phenolic metabolome was analyzed by ultra-highperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, which allowed the identification of 35 compounds related to the phenylpropanoid pathway and monolignol biosynthesis. Furthermore, the Sugarcane EST Database was extensively surveyed to identify lignin biosynthetic gene homologs, and the expression of all identified genes during stem development was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Our data provide, to our knowledge, the first in-depth characterization of lignin biosynthesis in sugarcane and form the baseline for the rational metabolic engineering of sugarcane feedstock for bioenergy purposes.

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Lowland rice is a staple food for more than 50% world population. Iron toxicity is one of the main nutritional disorders, which limits yield of lowland rice in various parts of the world. The toxicity of iron is associated with reduced soil condition of submerged or flooded soils, which increases concentration and uptake of iron (Fe 2+ ). Higher concentration of Fe 2+ in the rhizosphere also has antagonistic effects on the uptake of many essential nutrients and consequently yields reduction. In addition to reduced condition, increase in concentration of Fe 2+ in submerged soils of lowland rice is associated with iron content of parent material, oxidation-reduction potential, soil pH, ionic concentration, fertility level, and lowland rice genotypes. Oxidationreduction potential of highly reduced soil is in the range of -100 to -300 mV. Iron toxicity has been observed in flooded soils with a pH below 5.8 when aerobic and pH below 6.5 when anaerobic. Visual toxicity symptoms on plants, soil and plant tissue test are major diagnostic techniques for identifying iron toxicity. Appropriate management practices like liming acid soils, improving soil fertility, soil drainage at certain growth stage of crop, use of manganese as antagonistic element in the uptake of Fe 2+ and planting Fe 2+ resistant rice cultivars can reduce problem of iron toxicity.

Sugarcane is an important crop worldwide for sugar and first generation ethanol production. Recently, the residue of sugarcane mills, named bagasse, has been considered a promising lignocellulosic biomass to produce the second-generation ethanol. Lignin is a major factor limiting the use of bagasse and other plant lignocellulosic materials to produce second-generation ethanol. Lignin biosynthesis pathway is a complex network and changes in the expression of genes of this pathway have in general led to diverse and undesirable impacts on plant structure and physiology. Despite its economic importance, sugarcane genome was still not sequenced. In this study a high-throughput transcriptome evaluation of two sugarcane genotypes contrasting for lignin content was carried out. We generated a set of 85,151 transcripts of sugarcane using RNA-seq and de novo assembling. More than 2,000 transcripts showed differential expression between the genotypes, including several genes involved in the lignin biosynthetic pathway. This information can give valuable knowledge on the lignin biosynthesis and its interactions with other metabolic pathways in the complex sugarcane genome.

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Urea and ammonium sulfate are principal nitrogen (N) sources for crop production. Two field experiments were conducted during three consecutive years to evaluate influence of urea and ammonium sulfate application on grain yield, soil pH, calcium (Ca) saturation, magnesium (Mg) saturation, base saturation, aluminum (Al) saturation, and acidity (H + Al) saturation in lowland rice production. Grain yield was significantly influenced by urea as well as ammonium sulfate fertilization. Soil pH linearly decreased with the application of N by ammonium sulfate and urea fertilizers. However, the magnitude of the pH decrease was greater by ammonium sulfate than by urea. The Ca and Mg saturations were decreased at the greater N rates compared to low rates of N by both the fertilizer sources. The Al and acidity saturation increased with increasing N rates by both the fertilizer sources. However, these acidity indices were increased more with the application of ammonium sulfate compared with urea. Rice grain yield had negative associations with pH, Ca saturation, Mg saturation, and base saturation and positive associations with Al and acidity saturation. This indicates that rice plant is tolerant to soil acidity.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a resposta de genótipos de arroz irrigado à aplicação de nitrogênio. O experimento foi conduzido em campo, por dois anos consecutivos, com 12 genótipos e cinco doses de N. Foram utilizadas doses de 0, 50, 100, 150 e 200 kg ha -1 de N. Os genótipos de arroz irrigado apresentaram diferenças significativas na produtividade de grãos. Houve resposta significativa e quadrática à aplicação de N. Nos dois anos de cultivo, os genótipos mais produtivos foram BRSGO Guará e BRS Alvorada, e os menos produtivos foram BRS Jaburu e BRS Biguá. A maior produtividade dos genótipos BRS Guará e BRS Alvorada está associada ao maior número de panículas, maior índice de colheita e menor esterilidade de espiguetas sob alta dose de N. Os genótipos diferiram, também, na eficiência do uso de N, no que se refere à produtividade de grãos por quilograma de N aplicado, N acumulado na planta ou recuperado pela planta.Termos para indexação: Oryza sativa, arroz irrigado, componentes de rendimento, eficiência agronômica. Yield and nitrogen use efficiency of lowland rice genotypes as influenced by nitrogen fertilizationAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the yield of lowland rice genotypes as affected by nitrogen fertilization. A field experiment was conducted, during two consecutive years, in order to evaluate the response of 12 irrigated rice genotypes to five doses of N application. The N doses used were 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha -1 . Genotypes differed significantly in relation to grain yield. Response of genotypes to N rate was significant and quadratic. Genotypes BRSGO Guará and BRS Alvorada had maximum grain yield and BRS Jaburu and BRS Biguá were the lowest yield producers, during two years of cultivation. Higher productivity of BRSGO Guará and BRS Alvorada was associated with higher panicle number, higher grain harvest index, and low grain sterility at higher N rates. Genotypes also differed in N use efficiency regarding grain produced per kilogram of N applied, and regarding N accumulated in the plant or recovered by plant