ABSTRACT. Endophytic bacteria live inside plant tissues without causing disease. Studies of endophytes in sugarcane have focused on the isolation of diazotrophic bacteria. We examined the diversity of endophytic bacteria in the internal tissues of sugarcane stems and leaves, using molecular and biochemical methods. Potato-agar medium was used to cultivate the endophytes; 32 isolates were selected for analysis. DNA was extracted and the 16S rRNA gene was partially sequenced and used for molecular identification. Gram staining, catalase and oxidase tests, and the API-20E system were used to characterize the isolates. The strains were divided into five groups, based on the 16S rRNA sequences. Group I comprised 14 representatives of the Enterobacteriaceae; group II was composed of Bacilli; group III contained one representative, Curtobacterium sp; group IV contained representatives of the Pseudomonadaceae family, and group V had one isolate with an uncultured bacterium. Four isolates were able to reduce acetylene to ethylene. Most of the bacteria isolated from the sugarcane stem and leaf tissues belonged to Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonaceae, respectively, demonstrating niche specificity. Overall, we found the endophytic bacteria in sugarcane to be 251 ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 9 (1): 250-258 (2010) Microbial diversity in sugarcane more diverse than previously reported.

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A two-year research was carried out in 2004-2005 in order to evaluate the effects of biodegradable green mulch on melon (Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud.) yield and quality. The loss of quality due to the presence of spot caused by the residues of biodegradable plastics was also investigated. The research was conducted over two years, in open field, at S. Piero a Grado, Pisa, Italy, (lat. 43.67498, long. 10.34737), from the beginning of May to the end of July of each year. The films tested in the first year experiment were two biodegradable ones with different colours (black and green) compared with a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film, while in 2005 three biodegradable films, (two green and one black) were compared with a traditional LDPE film. The two green biodegradable films had different properties related to the biodegradation rate, faster in film Cv205, because of a different degree of Mater Bi polymer inside the film. In each year a randomized block design with four replications was followed. Green biodegradable films allowed obtaining a higher yield than LDPE films maybe because of the higher soil temperatures reached, and excellent fruit quality, especially for the soluble solids content and the ripening process. At the same time, the presence of residues on the fruit skin was rather low because of the degradation of films occurred at the ripening time. In the first year, the percentage of spotted fruits was low for every kind of film, while in the second one the green film showed a higher presence of residues on skin compared with the black one. The biodegradable materials covered the soil for the whole crop cycle with a good mulching effect, and the successive degradation allowed to avoid the removal and disposal of plastic film, with a certain economic advantage

ABSTRACT. Sugarcane is an economically important culture in Brazil. Endophytic bacteria live inside plants, and can provide many benefits to the plant host. We analyzed the bacterial diversity of sugarcane cultivar RB-72454 by cultivation-independent techniques. Total DNA from sugarcane stems from a commercial plantation located in Paraná State was extracted. Partial 16S rRNA genes were amplified and sequenced for library construction. Of 152 sequences obtained, 52% were similar to 16S rRNA from Pseudomonas sp, and 35.5% to Enterobacter sp. The genera Pantoea, Serratia, Citrobacter, and Klebsiella were also represented. The endophytic communities in these sugarcane samples were dominated by the families Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae (class Gammaproteobacteria).

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