O objetivo deste trabalho foi ajustar e testar modelos matemáticos simples, precisos e acurados para estimar a área foliar de macieiras 'Royal Gala' e 'Fuji Suprema' cultivadas sob tela antigranizo e em céu aberto. O experimento foi conduzido em pomar comercial no município de Vacaria-RS, nos ciclos vegetativos de 2008/2009 e 2009/2010. Equações de regressão linear e quadrática foram ajustadas para estimativa da área foliar em função das dimensões das folhas. A seleção dos melhores modelos baseou-se no quadrado médio do erro, no coeficiente de determinação, no erro-padrão da estimativa e na significância dos coeficientes das equações. A área foliar estimada pelos melhores modelos foi comparada com dados obtidos de medição por planímetro e estimados por fotografias digitais. A prova dos modelos baseou-se na significância do coeficiente angular, na linha 1:1 e na raiz quadrada do quadrado médio do erro. Modelos linear e quadrático que consideram o comprimento e a largura das folhas estimam com acurácia e precisão a área foliar de macieiras 'Royal Gala' e 'Fuji Suprema', tanto sob tela antigranizo quanto em céu aberto. A área foliar de macieira estimada por modelos de regressão que utilizam comprimento e largura de folhas é similar à obtida por planímetro ou fotografia digital.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a variabilidade e as tendências temporais das principais variáveis climáticas - temperaturas máxima, mínima e média do ar, horas de frio (abaixo de 7°C), precipitação pluvial e umidade relativa do ar - no período 1983-2009 e confrontá-las com as necessidades de macieiras dos grupos Gala e Fuji, na região de Vacaria, RS. Foram utilizados dados diários de estação meteorológica da Embrapa, do período de 1983 a 2009, e comparados com as normais 1931-1960 e 1961-1990, para análise de tendência temporal. A precipitação pluvial apresentou diferenças significativas entre a média do período 1983-2009 e as normais, com aumentos de 479 e 256mm, respectivamente. Não houve diferenças significativas na temperatura do ar mensal entre os períodos analisados. A precipitação pluvial da primavera e a temperatura mínima do ar mensal apresentaram tendência significativa de aumento. O número médio de horas de frio foi de 657 de maio-agosto. O número mínimo de horas de frio delimitado no zoneamento agroclimático é atingido, na maioria dos anos, na região de Vacaria, no entanto, não significa a superação natural da dormência de gemas de macieiras. Além disso, o número de horas de frio apresentou tendência temporal de redução.

The profitability of the fresh market blueberry industry in many areas is constrained by the extensive use and cost of soil amendments, high labor requirements for hand harvesting, and the inefficiencies of mechanical harvesters. Vaccinium arboreum Marsh is a wild species that has wide soil adaptation and monopodial growth habit. It has the potential to be used as a blueberry rootstock, expanding blueberry production to marginal soil and improving the mechanical harvesting efficiency of cultivated blueberry. The objectives of this research were to compare yield, berry quality, and postharvest fruit storage of own-rooted vs. grafted southern highbush blueberry (SHB) cultivars (Farthing and Meadowlark) grown on amended vs. nonamended soil and either hand or mechanical harvested. Yields of hand-harvested SHB during the first two fruiting years were generally greater in own-rooted plants grown on amended soil compared with own-rooted plants on nonamended soil or grafted plants on either soil treatment. However, by the second fruiting year, hand-harvest yields of grafted SHB were ≈80% greater than own-rooted plants when grown in nonamended soil. Yields of mechanical-harvested SHB grafted on V. arboreum and grown in either soil treatment were similar to yields of mechanical-harvested own-rooted plants in amended soil the second fruiting year, and greater than yields of own-rooted plants in non-amended soil. In general, mechanical harvesting reduced marketable yield ≈40% compared with hand harvesting. However, grafted plants reduced ground losses during harvest by ≈35% compared with own-rooted plants for both cultivars. Mechanical-harvested berries had a greater total soluble solids:total titratable acidity ratio (TSS:TTA) than hand-harvested berries, and berries harvested toward the end of the harvest season had a greater TSS:TTA than those from early-season harvests. As postharvest storage time increased, berry appearance ratings decreased and berry softness and shriveling increased, particularly in mechanical-harvested compared with hand-harvested berries. Firmness of mechanical-harvested berries decreased during storage, whereas firmness of hand-harvested berries remained relatively stable. However, fruit quality at harvest and during postharvest storage was unaffected by V. arboreum rootstocks or lack of pine bark amendment. This study suggests that using V. arboreum as a rootstock in an alternative blueberry production system has the potential to decrease the use of soil amendments and increase mechanical harvesting efficiency.

ResumoO uso de fungos micorrízicos na produção de mudas de videira é importante alternativa para acelerar o desenvolvimento inicial das plantas. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o comportamento de dois FMA sobre o crescimento vegetativo de três porta-enxertos (PE) de videira. Foram utilizados os FMA Glomus etunicatum e Scutellospora heterogama e os PE SO4, Paulsen 1103 e 043-43. Os PE, oriundos de micropropagação, foram transferidos e aclimatizados em copos plásticos de 300 mL e após 58 dias transplantados para sacos plásticos de 2 L de capacidade, contendo como substrato uma mistura de casca de arroz carbonizada e Plantmax® na proporção de 1:1 v/v. Utilizaram-se, como inóculo, 20 g de solo rizosférico mais fragmentos de raízes contendo as estruturas dos FMA, adicionados ao substrato na fase de aclimatização. Aos 135 dias após inoculação, foram avaliadas as massas de matéria fresca e seca das raízes e parte aérea, comprimento de raízes e parte aérea, diâmetro de colo e teores de nutrientes da parte aérea. Os FMA Glomus etunicatum e Scutellospora heterogama proporcionaram melhor nutrição e maior crescimento vegetativo dos porta-enxertos de videira, se comparadas as plantas testemunhas. Os benefícios oriundos da simbiose dependeram da combinação específica entre o isolado fúngico e a variedade de porta-enxerto utilizada, sendo o 043-43 beneficiado preponderantemente pelo FMA Glomus etunicatun e o SO4 e Paulsen 1103 por Glomus etunicatum e Scutellospora heterogama.Palavras-chave: endomicorrizas, propagação, mudas, Vitis sp. Use of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) fungi in micropropagated grape rootstocks AbstractThe use of mycorrhizal fungi is an activity of great importance to accelerate the initial development of grape seedlings. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of two AMF on the vegetative growth of three grape rootstocks. Such experiment used the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus etunicatum and Scutellospora heterogama, and the rootstocks SO4, Paulsen 1103 e 043-43. The micropropagated rootstocks were transferred and acclimated in 300 mL plastic cups, and after 58 days were transplanted to 2 L plastic bags containing a mixture of carbonized rice husks and Plantmax® on the proportion 1:1, as substrate. The inoculum consisted of 20 g of rhizospheric soil and roots fragments containing the structures of AMF added to the substrate during the acclimatization stage. Fresh and dry matter of roots and shoots, length of roots and shoots, stem diameter and nutritional status of shoots were evaluated after 135 days of inoculation. The AMF Glomus etunicatum and Scutellospora heterogama provided better nutrition and greater vegetative growth of rootstock varieties when compared to the non-inoculated plants. The benefits of symbiosis were depended on the specific combination of the fungal isolate and rootstock variety employed, with 043-43 benefited mainly by AMF Glomus etunicatun and SO4 and Paulsen 1103 by Glomus etunicatum and Scutellospora heterogama.

Pruning is a recommended practice for blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) production and is usually done in the summer in warm subtropical climates with long growing seasons. Summer pruning promotes healthy vegetative growth during the remainder of the growing season; however, research-based recommendations for summer pruning strategies are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine effects of summer pruning timing and intensity on vegetative growth in ‘Jewel’ and ‘Emerald’ southern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum-interspecific hybrid), two cultivars of the primary species grown in subtropical areas. To determine effects of pruning time, 30% of the canopy was removed in June or July. To determine pruning intensity effects, either 30% or 60% of the canopy was removed in June, both followed by shoot tipping in July. Both timing and intensity treatments were compared with a non-pruned control. Lack of pruning in the first year had no negative effects on growth; however, lack of pruning for two or more seasons decreased regrowth volume and shoot length of both cultivars. By the third season, canopy regrowth volume in both cultivars decreased in the non-pruned control compared with the 30% and 60% pruning treatments and compared with the June pruning treatment. Disease infection in ‘Jewel’ was also increased in the non-pruned control compared with these pruning treatments. Summer pruning, regardless of timing or intensity, generally increased vigor of vegetative growth for both cultivars and decreased incidence of leaf disease in ‘Jewel’.