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Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da cobertura de plástico sobre alguns elementos meteorológicos que formam o microclima de vinhedos de Vitis vinifera L., cultivar Moscato Giallo, em Flores da Cunha, na Serra Gaúcha. O experimento foi conduzido na safra 2005/2006, com os tratamentos: fileiras de plantas descobertas; e fileiras de plantas cobertas com plástico transparente tipo ráfia, com 160 µm de espessura. Medições contínuas de radiação fotossinteticamente ativa, temperatura e umidade do ar, e velocidade do vento foram realizadas: acima da cobertura; entre a cobertura e o dossel; sobre o dossel descoberto; e junto aos cachos de ambos tratamentos. Estimou-se a evapotranspiração de referência nos dois tratamentos. Da radiação fotossinteticamente ativa incidente, 67,5% chegou ao dossel coberto, 16% atingiu os cachos cobertos e 36% chegou aos cachos descobertos. A cobertura aumentou em 3,4°C as temperaturas máximas do ar junto às plantas. A umidade relativa do ar diurna foi menor, enquanto a pressão de vapor e o deficit de saturação foram superiores debaixo da cobertura. A velocidade do vento foi reduzida pela cobertura em 88%. No ambiente coberto, a evapotranspiração de referência foi 65% daquela do ambiente externo. Embora aumente as temperaturas diurnas, a cobertura de plástico promoveu redução na demanda evaporativa do vinhedo.Termos para indexação: Vitis vinifera, microclima, micrometeorologia, plasticultura. Micrometeorological alterations in vineyards by using plastic coveringAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of plastic covering on the microclimate of vineyards (Vitis vinifera L., cultivar Moscato Giallo), in Serra Gaúcha region in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The experiment was performed in Flores da Cunha, RS, during the 2005/2006 growing season. It comprised uncovered and covered rows of vines, using a 160 µm thick plastic film. Photossinthetically active radiation (PAR), air temperature and humidity, and wind velocity were monitored: over the plastic covering; between the film and the canopy; over the uncovered canopy; and close to grapes of both treatments. Reference evapotranspiration was estimated for both treatments. From the incoming PAR, 67.5% reached the covered canopy, 16% reached the covered grapes, and 36% reached the uncovered grapes. The plastic covering increased by 3.4ºC the maximum air temperatures close to plants. Diurnal air relative humidity was reduced, while water vapor pressure and vapor pressure deficit were increased because of the plastic covering, which also reduced in 88% the wind velocity in comparison to open air. The reference evapotranspiration on the covered canopy was 35% lower than in open air. Although increasing diurnal air temperatures, the plastic covering may reduce the evaporative demand on vineyards, by reducing the incoming solar radiation and the wind velocity.

Apple production depends on the fulfilment of a chilling requirement for bud dormancy release. Insufficient winter chilling results in irregular and suboptimal bud break in the spring, with negative impacts on apple yield. Trees from apple cultivars with contrasting chilling requirements for bud break were used to investigate the expression of the entire set of apple genes in response to chilling accumulation in the field and controlled conditions. Total RNA was analysed on the AryANE v.1.0 oligonucleotide microarray chip representing 57,000 apple genes. The data were tested for functional enrichment, and differential expression was confirmed by real-time PCR. The largest number of differentially expressed genes was found in samples treated with cold temperatures. Cold exposure mostly repressed expression of transcripts related to photosynthesis, and long-term cold exposure repressed flavonoid biosynthesis genes. Among the differentially expressed selected candidates, we identified genes whose annotations were related to the circadian clock, hormonal signalling, regulation of growth, and flower development. Two genes, annotated as FLOWERING LOCUS C-like and MADS AFFECTING FLOWERING, showed strong differential expression in several comparisons. One of these two genes was upregulated in most comparisons involving dormancy release, and this gene's chromosomal position co-localized with the confidence interval of a major quantitative trait locus for the timing of bud break. These results indicate that photosynthesis and auxin transport are major regulatory nodes of apple dormancy and unveil strong candidates for the control of bud dormancy.

RESUMO -O cultivo protegido de videira no Brasil tem-se expandido, em área, visando principalmente à diminuição de danos por adversidades climáticas sobre a produção e a maturação das uvas. Entretanto, não se dispõe de informações sobre o microclima e as necessidades de controle fitossanitário que são impostas por essa tecnologia, as quais constituem os objetivos deste trabalho. O experimento foi instalado no ciclo [2005][2006], em Flores da Cunha-RS, em um vinhedo de 'Moscato Giallo', conduzido em "Y", com cobertura plástica impermeável (160µm), em 12 fileiras com 35m, deixando-se 5 fileiras sem cobertura (controle). Em ambas áreas, avaliou-se o microclima quanto à presença de água livre (registro visual), temperatura (T), umidade relativa (UR) do ar, radiação fotossinteticamente ativa (RFA) e velocidade do vento (VV) próximos ao dossel vegetativo e aos cachos. Na área coberta, foram aplicados fungicidas quando necessário, enquanto na área descoberta foram realizadas aplicações por calendário. Durante a floração e a maturação, avaliaram-se a incidência e a severidade de míldio (Plasmopara viticola), oídio (Uncinula necator), podridão-cinzentada-uva (Botrytis cinerea), podridão-da-uva-madura (Glomerella cingulata) e podridão ácida (leveduras imperfeitas e leveduras esporógenas). A cobertura plástica aumentou a temperatura diurna próxima ao dossel vegetativo, não influenciou na umidade relativa do ar, diminuiu a radiação fotossinteticamente ativa e a velocidade do vento e restringiu drasticamente a água livre sobre as folhas e cachos. Nessas condições, na área coberta, realizaram-se apenas duas aplicações para o controle do oídio, enquanto na área descoberta foram realizadas 17 aplicações para o controle de doenças fúngicas. Não houve incidência de doenças na avaliação realizada na floração, nos dois sistemas de cultivo; contudo, no período de maturação, houve decréscimos significativos de incidência de podridão ácida (-77,10%) e a severidade de podridão-da-uva-madura (-89,47%), podridão-cinzenta-da-uva (-57,56%) e podridão ácida (-84,54%) em função da cobertura plástica. De modo geral, as condições microclimáticas do cultivo protegido não permitiram o estabelecimento de míldio e diminuíram a incidência e severidade de podridões de cacho reduzindo as exigências e os custos com controle fitossanitário. Portanto, essa tecnologia pode apresentar-se como uma possibilidade de cultivo com menores impactos de contaminação para o ambiente, produtor e consumidor, desde que sejam consideradas as reduções de tratamentos fitossanitários. Isso fica evidente com os dados de acúmulo residual de fungicidas, que foi maior no cultivo protegido comparado ao convencional, de forma que o manejo fitossanitário deve ser diferenciado em relação ao cultivo convencional. Termos para indexação: Vitis vinifera, plasticultura, doenças fúngicas, custo, sistema de produção, microclima. INCIDENCE OF DISEASES AND NEEDS OF CONTROL IN OVERHEAD COVERED GRAPESABSTRACT -The plastic overhead cover (POC) of grapes is increasing in Brazilian vineyards a...

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Hymenaea courbaril is a leguminous tree species from the neotropical rain forests. Its cotyledons are largely enriched with a storage cell wall polysaccharide (xyloglucan). Studies of cell wall storage polymers have been focused mostly on the mechanisms of their disassembly, whereas the control of their mobilization and the relationship between their metabolism and seedling development is not well understood. Here, we show that xyloglucan mobilization is strictly controlled by the development of first leaves of the seedling, with the start of its degradation occurring after the beginning of eophyll (first leaves) expansion. During the period of storage mobilization, an increase in the levels of xyloglucan hydrolases, starch, and free sugars were observed in the cotyledons. Xyloglucan mobilization was inhibited by shoot excision, darkness, and by treatment with the auxin-transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid. Analyses of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid in the cotyledons revealed that its increase in concentration is followed by the rise in xyloglucan hydrolase activities, indicating that auxin is directly related to xyloglucan mobilization. Cotyledons detached during xyloglucan mobilization and treated with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid showed a similar mobilization rate as in attached cotyledons. This hormonal control is probably essential for the ecophysiological performance of this species in their natural environment since it is the main factor responsible for promoting synchronism between shoot growth and reserve degradation. This is likely to increase the efficiency of carbon reserves utilization by the growing seedling in the understorey light conditions of the rain forest.

The molecular control of bud dormancy establishment and release is still not well understood, although some genes have already been demonstrated to play important roles in this process. The dormancy-associated MADS-box (DAM) genes were first identified in the peach EVERGROWING locus and are considered the main regulators of bud dormancy control. In this work, the apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), a perennial plant adapted to temperate climates that displays cycles of growth and bud dormancy, was screened for the presence of DAM genes. The candidate genes retrieved were characterized in comparison to DAM genes from other species. Four of them (MdDAM1-4) are structurally very similar to the reported DAM genes. When apple genomic segments containing these candidates were compared to the peach EVERGROWING locus, a highly conserved noncoding region was detected inside their largest intron. Similar sequences were also identified inside introns of apricot and pear DAM genes. Organ expression patterns revealed that MdDAM1-4 are mainly expressed in dormant buds and seeds, with low transcript accumulation in vegetative structures. In addition, the MdDAM genes showed seasonally oscillating patterns of steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels and were downregulated by artificial chilling. Motif analyses in the promoter and in the intronic conserved region of the MdDAM genes disclosed some clues to the regulation of the expression patterns observed. Possible roles for the conserved intronic sequence in dormancy regulation are discussed.

RESUMO: O uso de cobertura plástica no cultivo de videira encontra-se em expansão no Rio Grande do Sul, por ser uma alternativa que visa a proteger as plantas da precipitação pluvial e do granizo. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os impactos de uma cobertura plástica translúcida e impermeável sobre a fenologia, o crescimento (de ramos, folhas, cachos e bagas) e a produtividade em videiras 'Cabernet Sauvignon' (Vitis vinifera L.), com cinco anos de idade, conduzidas em sistema 'Y', sobre porta-enxerto Paulsen 1103. O experimento, conduzido no município de Caxias do Sul-RS, seguiu o delineamento em blocos ao acaso, tendo os tratamentos sem e com cobertura plástica, com quatro repetições de 15 plantas (unidade experimental). As alterações microclimáticas impostas pela cobertura plástica não foram expressivas para alterar a fenologia da videira. As plantas cultivadas sob cobertura plástica apresentaram maiores valores de comprimento e massa fresca de ramos e de área, e massa seca foliar em comparação às plantas descobertas. O peso e o diâmetro de bagas foram superiores nas videiras cobertas apenas no início do ciclo e não diferiram próximo da colheita. As demais variáveis analisadas não foram afetadas pela cobertura plástica. A cobertura plástica interferiu no crescimento vegetativo das plantas, mas não afetou a produção. Termos para indexação: Vitis vinifera L., cultivo protegido, fenologia, crescimento, produção de frutos. VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND YIELD OF 'CABERNET SAUVIGNON' GRAPEVINE UNDER OVERHEAD PLASTIC COVERINGABSTRACT -There is an increasing adoption of overhead plastic covering for grapevines in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, to protect the plants from rain and hail storms. This study was carried out to evaluate the impacts of overhead plastic covering with a translucent and water-proof plastic film on phenological, growth (of branch, leaves, clusters, and berries), and yield attributes of five years old 'Cabernet Sauvignon' grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) on Paulsen 1103 rootstock raised as 'Y' management system. The experiment was carried out in Caxias do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, and followed a randomized block design, with two treatments (uncovered and covered plants) and four replicates of 15 plants (experimental unit). The micro-environmental changes imposed by the cover did not affect grapevines phenology. The grapevines under the cover had higher values for branches growth (length and fresh mass), and leaf expansion (area and dry mass) than the uncovered ones. The berries weight and diameter were superior on grapevines under covering plastic only at earlier stages of fruit growth but not at harvest. The other variables assessed were not affected by the cover. The results show that overhead plastic covering can interfere with vegetative growth without affecting yield.