Sunflower cultivation has great importance in Brazil, mainly for production of oil and animal feed. Studies on sunflower cultivar selection are important for crop expansion, contributing to better cultivar adaptation to different environments. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the linear relations among sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) morphological traits in a subtropical region with lower elevations and to identify traits that may assist in cultivar selection based on agronomic performance and path analysis. The experiment was performed during the 2017/2018 agricultural year in Santa Maria (latitude 29º71′ S, longitude 53º70′ W and 90 m altitude), southern Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replicates and eight cultivars: Syn 045, BRS 323, BRS G58, BRS G59, BRS G60, BRS G61, Multissol 02 and Catissol 03. Assessed traits were plant height, stem diameter, head diameter, thousand achenes weight, yield of achenes per head and number of achenes per head. Hereafter, associations between morphological traits and achene yield were verified by means of linear relations and path analysis. Thousand achenes weight and number of achenes per head exhibited linear relations and direct effects on achene yield in subtropical region at lower elevations. Head diameter does not present direct effect on achenes yield but it has direct effect on the number of achenes per head, indicating cause-effect relation and becoming an important alternative for indirect selection of sunflower cultivars.

O balanço hídrico climatológico (BHC) é uma das formas de monitorar o armazenamento de água no solo, sendo uma ferramenta essencial no planejamento estratégico agrícola. Deste modo, conhecer a época de maior disponibilidade e a de déficit hídrico torna-se importante para auxiliar na tomada de decisão sobre o planejamento agrícola em um determinado local. Contribui para que na fase de planejamento, novas barragens sejam construídas para o armazenamento de água; que os sistemas de irrigação sejam utilizados no momento mais adequado para o atendimento da cultura e permite ainda a preservação de mananciais. Neste contexto foram utilizados dois modelos para a estimativa do balanço hídrico: um proposto por Thornthwaite e Mather e outro por Rosa et al. Dentro do balanço hídrico podem ser realizadas estimativas a nível de bacia hidrográfica e de propriedade rural, controlando-se a disponibilidade de água para as plantas. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi abordar os principais conceitos quanto ao estudo do balanço hídrico em diferentes locais, bacias e regiões fisiográficas.

Gladiolus is one of the most important bulbous flowers produced worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of irrigation and soil mulching on soil water conservation and its effect on gladiolus floral stem quality. Two field experiments were conducted with gladiolus at the Federal University of Santa Maria, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, during 2019 and 2020. The experimental design was a completely randomized three‐factor design, with two cultivars (Red Beauty and T704 in experiment 1 ‐ E1 and Red Beauty and Jester in experiment 2 ‐ E2), two cultivation systems (soil mulched with straw and bare soil) and two water regimes (irrigated and non‐irrigated) as treatments. When gladiolus plants reached the R2 stage (harvest point), total stem length, spike length, stem diameter and final number of florets were evaluated. Variables were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey's test at 5% of error probability. Irrigation improved the quality of floral stems, with greater stem and spike length, greater diameter and number of florets per spike, thus resulting in stems with greater decorative value. The soil covered with straw did not influence the quality parameters of the floral stem of the gladiolus, the only observed difference between cultivars being the variable length of the spike.

The open pollination cultivars (VPA) of maize are an alternative of production for a small property, because it presents a good agronomic performance and low production cost, mainly due to the possibility of seed production with low cost. The objective of this research was to evaluate the agronomic performance and economic viability of open pollination cultivars of maize in a low-altitude site in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The experiment was conducted during the 2018/2019 crop season, in the experimental area of the Federal University of Santa Maria-UFSM, in the municipality of Santa Maria-RS. The open pollination maize cultivars (SCS 154 Fortuna, SCS 155 Catarina, and SCS 156 Colorado) were used. The experiment consisted of three treatments and four replicates and the experimental design used was that of complete blocks at random. The open pollination cultivars presented an adequate agronomic performance in a low-altitude region in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, associated with the economic viability of the crop in the central region of the state.