Consumption of teas has been increasing around the world. In Brazil, mate tea, prepared from yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), is the most popular tea and its popularity is increasing due to the development of new mate-based products and the increasing health consciousness of the Brazilian population. Further development of the mate market in Brazil requires accurate consumer profiling, focusing on tea drinking behavior, preferences and perceptions. We applied a questionnaire to mate tea consumers to assess their beliefs, consumption behavior, and taste preferences. We also explored the acceptability of tea made from yerba mate processed in different ways: immediately after harvest and after eight months of storage, varying the percentage of leaves and sticks. One hundred consumers evaluated six experimental samples and two commercial mate teas. Results indicated that mate was most consumed in tea bag form, followed by ice teas. The preferred flavors were natural and lemon. Most of the consumers (61%) consumed mate with sugar, drinking it at home before bedtime. Product quality, brand and price were the most important aspects taken into account when purchasing mate. The majority of consumers were not satisfied with the products currently offered in the market, and the main criticism was poor quality and packaging. Consumers accepted all tasted samples, except the tea prepared with 100% sticks. Commercial teas were less preferred than the experimental teas, indicating that there are opportunities for further development of commercially viable mate products.

The development of common bean cultivars with early cycle, upright plant architecture, and high grain yield represents marketing advantages to bean farmers. This study aimed to evaluate whether common bean inbred lines differ for phenological, plant architecture, and grain yield traits; analyze the correlations between these traits; and select early and upright common bean lines with high grain yield. To this end, 14 common bean inbred lines were evaluated in two growing seasons in Santa Maria - RS, Brazil. Common bean inbred lines showed significant differences for all traits, except for insertion of the first pod and length of the fourth and fifth internodes. The four superior common bean lines selected by the multiplicative index were CNFP 10794, CNFC 10762, DF 06-09, and BRS Valente. CNFP 10794 presents earliness (flowering and cycle), upright plant architecture (lower values of general adaptation score, lodging, and stay-green phenotype) and high grain yield (higher values of number of pods per plant, number of grains per plant, mass of 100 grains, and grain yield). Mass of 100 grains showed a positive correlation with grain yield (r= 0.68). The indirect selection using mass of 100 grains is of intermediate efficiency to increase grain yield in common bean. CNFP 10794 presents earliness, upright plant architecture, and high grain yield and will be selected for the breeding program.

The development of new common bean cultivars with grain characteristics that achieve greater acceptance by consumers and faster cooking time is a recent trend in bean breeding programs. This study aimed at evaluating whether different common bean lines exhibit differences in grain morphological traits and cooking time, investigating the linear relationships between these traits and cooking time, and selecting lines with superior grain commercial characteristics and faster cooking times. A randomized blocks design with three replications was used. Treatments consisted of 14 common bean genotypes grown during two seasons. Differences in the mass of 100 grains and grain length, width, thickness, shape, flatness, percentage of water uptake and cooking time were observed between lines. A high positive correlation was observed between grain thickness and cooking time (r = 0.9727). The path analysis revealed that grain thickness had the highest positive direct effect on cooking time (0.62). Therefore, fast-cooking common bean lines can be indirectly selected based on lower grain thicknesses. The DF 06-17 line presents fast-cooking grains with characteristics well accepted by the market and consumers.

The development of common bean cultivars with upright plant architecture and high grain yield meets the needs of bean growers by facilitating culture management and mechanized harvest. The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether Mesoamerican common bean lines differ for upright plant architecture traits and grain yield, analyze correlations between these traits, and to select superior common bean lines based on a selection index. Four experiments were carried out in different years and growing seasons at low altitude (95 m above sea level) in southern Brazil. These experiments were composed of 17 carioca and black bean inbred lines, which are representative of the most widely produced and consumed common bean classes in Brazil. Upright plant architecture was assessed by 12 characters, and the resulting data were subjected to individual and joint analyses of variance, correlation, and selection index (rank sum). A significant effect for genotype and/or genotype x environment interaction was observed for all traits, except for the length of the first internode and hypocotyl diameter. Most plant architecture traits were correlated, indicating that it is possible to reduce the number of traits that need to be evaluated. Grain yield was negatively correlated with the lengths of ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 18 (2): gmr18323 N.D. Ribeiro et al. 2the fourth (r = -0.574) and fifth internodes (r = -0.641). General adaptation score, insertion of the first pod, and lengths of the fourth and fifth internodes were efficient to characterize upright plant architecture in the common bean. Indirect selection by the shortest length of the fourth and fifth internodes was efficient to increase grain yield. The genotypes LP 11-117, SM 0312, BRS Valente, and Guapo Brilhante were selected based on a rank sum index. These genotypes present upright plant architecture and high grain yield, which is a common bean ideotype suitable for cultivation at low altitude in southern Brazil.

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Resumo: Motivado por investigar aspectos sucessórios no agronegócio, buscou-se analisar a contabilidade e as capacidades de absorção (potencial e realizada) como determinantes para o processo de sucessão familiar e a continuidade da atividade rural. Os dados foram obtidos por meio da aplicação de questionário com produtores rurais da região central do Rio Grande do Sul. A amostra é composta por 200 respondentes. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de modelagem de equações estruturais. Para os produtores rurais a sucessão é um processo que ocorre de forma gradual, quando o sucessor estiver apto para assumir as responsabilidades, porém, a maioria não possui sucessores definidos. No modelo validado, a contabilidade explica 10% da sucessão familiar rural; e contabilidade e capacidade de absorção potencial explicam 25,6% a continuidade da atividade rural. Este estudo reduz a lacuna na literatura científica sobre contabilidade, capacidades de absorção, sucessão familiar e continuidade da atividade rural, temáticas raramente retratadas conjuntamente. A pesquisa implica em melhorar a gestão das propriedades rurais frente às temáticas de sucessão familiar e continuidade da atividade rural, realçando a prática da contabilidade junto ao agronegócio. Isso também reflete em fomento para atuação da classe contábil.

Cultivated bananas have very low genetic diversity making them vulnerable to diseases such as black-Sigatoka leaf spot. However, the decision to adopt a new banana variety needs to be based on a robust evaluation of agronomical and physical

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