Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Biological nematicides have become the predominant treatment of sugarcane fields infested by nematodes, although there are few studies evaluating the effects of these products on this crop. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of Bacillus subtilis + Bacillus licheniformis (®Quartzo) and Pochonia chlamydosporia (®Rizotec) on nematode control and on sugarcane yield, comparing with a chemical nematicide, when applied on furrow. Eight experiments were carried on in São Paulo state, Brazil, infested areas, in which four treatments [no nematicide—control; carbosulfan 700EC 4 L·ha-1—standard treatment; B. subtilis + B. licheniformis (®Quartzo) 0.20 kg·ha-1; and P. chlamydosporia (®Rizotec) 1 kg·ha-1)] were applied on furrow. Carbosulfan was the most efficient treatment in Pratylenchus spp. control, reducing populations at least until four months after planting and contributing to average increases of 11% in yield. P. chlamydosporia reduced populations of Pratylenchus spp. four months after planting and promoted a productivity increase of 6% in relation to the control. The treatment with B. subtilis + B. licheniformis was less effective in nematodes control than the other treatments, and the plots treated with this biological product produced 5% more than check.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Dieback caused by fungi of the genus Lasiodiplodia is a significant disease of acerola in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Information regarding the influence of fungicides on Lasiodiplodia species associated with acerola remains unknown. Therefore, the effective concentration to reduce mycelial growth by 50% (EC50) of seven Lasiodiplodia species was estimated in vitro for the fungicide thiophanate-methyl. The optimal temperature, salinity, and fitness components were also measured for these species. The EC50 for the fungicide ranged from 0.742 to 2.702 µg·mL-1. Among the seven species studied, L. pseudotheobromae and L. iraniensis showed the highest sensitivity to thiophanate-methyl, followed by L. brasiliense, L. gonubiensis, L. euphorbicola, and L. hormozganensis, which are classified as moderately sensitive on a relative sensitivity scale; finally, L. theobromae was the species least sensitive to the fungicide. At extreme temperatures (10 and 40 °C), the Lasiodiplodia species did not develop. The optimal temperature for the mycelial growth of Lasiodiplodia species isolated from acerola was 25.3 °C. The species L. brasiliense, which is moderately sensitive to thiophanate-methyl, exhibited greater adaptability under salt-stress conditions.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Trichoderma sp., Fusarium sp., Beauveria sp., and Cordyceps sp. are among the most frequently reported endophytic fungi in sugarcane, a crop severely affected by the sugarcane weevil, Sphenophorus levis. This study aimed to isolate endophytic fungi from commercial sugarcane fields and evaluate their pathogenicity against S. levis. Two sampling campaigns were conducted in 2022 in three municipalities of São Paulo State, Brazil (Sertãozinho, Araras, and Paraguaçu Paulista). Leaf and root samples were surface-sterilized, disinfected, and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), followed by incubation at 26 ± 1°C for five days. Isolates were initially characterized based on macroscopic traits and subsequently identified using molecular techniques. Pathogenicity bioassays were performed with adult S. levis (10–40 days old) in a completely randomized design consisting of five treatments (four conidial concentrations: 1×106, 1×107, 1×108, and 5×108 conidia/mL, plus a sterile water control), five replicates per treatment, and five insects per replicate. Mortality was recorded daily for seven days and analyzed by analysis of variance followed by Tukey’s test (p 0.05). The identified species included Beauveria bassiana, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Trichosporon asahii, Aspergillus sojae, and Fusarium andiyazi. Among them, F. oxysporum exhibited the highest pathogenicity, causing significantly greater mortality at all tested concentrations. These findings highlight the potential of sugarcane-associated endophytic fungi as promising biological control agents against S. levis.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The study of biodiversity in soils, whether used for agricultural purposes or not, represents a promising area for ecological research. Agroecosystems are typically established as monocultures, and the associated practices lead to modifications in the soil microbiota structure, including nematodes. Nematodes are organisms widely distributed in the soil, exhibiting a great diversity of species and feeding habits. Due to differences in life cycles, reproductive rates, and persistence capabilities among members of these groups, nematode communities have been extensively studied using trophic structure and taxonomy data as biological indicators to measure changes resulting from the adoption of ecosystem-specific management practices, such as organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Agricultural exploitation tends to favor nematodes that can survive and reproduce in environments subjected to frequent disturbances, particularly certain plant-parasitic nematodes. With increasing populations in the soil, these nematodes can lead to phytosanitary issues. Therefore, the objective of this review was to report on studies conducted regarding the use of nematodes as bioindicators of land use worldwide, as well as research carried out in Brazil, which has vast land areas and diverse agroecosystems. Understanding the soil nematofauna, along with its trophic diversity and how it can be utilized as an indicator of healthy soil use, is of great value for the adoption of management practices and the consequent increase in agricultural production.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) is one of the main Brassicaceae crops cultivated in Brazil. Among the major pests of this crop in the country, there are the aphids Brevicoryne brassicae, Myzus persicae, and Lipaphis erysimi. Although Lipaphis pseudobrassicae has been reported on kale, no studies have investigated its bioecology on this host yet. Successful pest management requires knowledge of the biological and population parameters of the species in the environment where it occurs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the biological and population parameters of the aphid that infests kale. Aphids were collected, screened, and mounted on permanent slides for taxonomic identification. Subsequently, a laboratory colony was established for biological studies and for the construction of the life table. For the life table, kale leaf discs were infested with two nymphs (0–24 h old) and monitored throughout the biological cycle. The parameters evaluated were the net reproductive rate (Ro), mean generation time (T), intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ), and doubling time (DT). L. pseudobrassicae was the only species collected, showing a high biotic potential and population growth rate on B.oleracea under the studied conditions, with Ro = 92.61, T = 11.32, rm = 0.39, and λ = 1.49.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Fungi of the genus Trichoderma play a key role in plant health management due to the wide range of mechanisms they employ in the biological control of plant diseases. Ensuring the success of biocontrol strategies requires application conditions that support the development and competitive ability of antagonists. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of pH on the germination of Trichoderma harzianum conidia. Conidial germination was assessed at various pH conditions using citric acid–sodium phosphate buffer solutions ranging from pH 2.6 to 8.6, with a Tricoderma-based commercial product diluted to 105 conidia·mL-1. A suspension of conidia was then prepared in buffered medium (buffer solution + 0.01% Tween) at the desired pH and maintained for 4 hours. A second experiment assessed the impact of conidial germination on the pH of a non-buffered medium. Data were subjected to Shapiro–Wilk’s normality testing, Tukey’s test at 5%, and linear regression modelling for pH variation over time. Germination was the highest at pH 4.6, whereas alkaline conditions resulted in markedly reduced germination. The medium became acidified in the presence of conidia. Overall, pH is a critical factor for maintaining the biological activity of Trichoderma, particularly in the spray application mixture.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT The World Association for Buiatrics (WAB), founded in 1962, is a global scientific network connecting approximately 70 affiliated countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. This essay marks the beginning of a new WAB leadership – the first presidency exercised by a Brazilian and the first outside the traditional North America – Europe axis – and proposes a practical agenda for international technical integration. Buiatrics, conceived as the health and production management of production ruminants, is a structural component of food security: it supports herd health, sanitary credibility, and the safety of products reaching consumers. In a multipolar production landscape shaped by environmental pressures and intensified trade, the essay argues for scientific neutrality, ethical integration across the value chain, and operational mechanisms that convert expertise into measurable sanitary impact. Brazil’s experience with structured brucellosis and tuberculosis control is presented as a replicable model for other contexts. A global talent network is proposed as an instrument for knowledge transfer, capacity building, and sustained cooperation under a modern One Health framework.

Resumo em Inglês:

ABSTRACT Plant diseases severely constrain agricultural productivity, exacerbating food insecurity, economic instability, and environmental degradation. Global trade and climate change further intensify pathogen spread, emergence, and host shifts. While traditional diagnostics and targeted assays, such as polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, improve specificity, they depend on prior knowledge and are limited in detecting novel or mixed infections. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) has emerged as a transformative, unbiased platform that allows comprehensive detection of known and unknown pathogens through metagenomics and transcriptomics. By generating large-scale genomic data, HTS supports pathogen discovery, epidemiological surveillance, quarantine systems, and genome-informed disease management. It underpins advanced strategies, including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins editing and RNA interference, and accelerates the breeding of resistance. Despite challenges – such as bioinformatics standardization, cost, and data interpretation – HTS, when integrated with classical diagnostics and biological validation, represents a foundational technology for sustainable, proactive plant health management and global phytosanitary resilience.