Agricultural Research Corporation Research Articles

Bioactive compounds and physico-chemical characteristics of guavas bagged with different materials

There are several alternatives to bags used for field fruit bagging but little is known about their management in the orchards and the influence of the materials on the phytochemicals and on the physicochemical properties of the fruits after harvest. This study aimed at evaluating fruit bagging with different materials regarding its management and interference in bioactive compounds and physico-chemical features of guava cultivars ‘Paluma’, ‘Século XXI’ and ‘Pedro Sato’, which were cultivated in an organic farming system. The experiment was carried in Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 harvests. Guavas underwent the following treatments: no bagging (witness); non-woven fabric (TNT); kraft paper; white paper and transparent perforated polyethylene. The following fruit quality variables were analyzed: total phenols; antioxidant activity; carotenoids; peel color; soluble solids; pH; and titratable acidity. This study found that bagging materials interfered both in the phenol content and in the antioxidant activity of the three guava cultivars even though they did not affect pulp carotenoids. Fruit bagging with TNT and transparent perforated polyethylene provided more resistance against weather adversities. Bagging of guava cultivars ‘Paluma’, ‘Século XXI’ and ‘Pedro Sato’ changed the phytochemical and physicochemical features of the fruits.

Genetic diversity and population structure in banana (Musa spp.) breeding germplasm.

Bananas (Musa spp.) are one of the most highly consumed fruits globally, grown in the tropical and sub-tropical regions. We evaluated 856 Musa accessions from the breeding programs of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture of Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda; the National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda; the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa); and the National Research Centre for Banana of India. Accessions from the in vitro gene bank at the International Transit Centre in Belgium were included to provide a baseline of available global diversity. A total of 16,903 informative single nucleotide polymorphism markers were used to estimate and characterize the genetic diversity and population structure and identify overlaps and unique material among the breeding programs. Analysis of molecular variance displayed low genetic variation among accessions and diploids and a higher variation among tetraploids (p<0.001). Structure analysis revealed two major clusters corresponding to genomic composition. The results indicate that there is potential for the banana breeding programs to increase the diversity in their breeding materials and should exploit this potential for parental improvement and to enhance genetic gains in future breeding efforts.

Review of methods for the reuse and recycling of equine bedding waste

The worldwide expansion of the horse industry has changed the role of horses from work animals to competition, companion and recreation animals. Competition and companion horses spend a significant part of their days confined in stalls, on beds made of different materials, such as shavings. Accumulated waste is removed daily or weekly and is often discarded in an uncontrolled manner, becoming a potential pollutant of soil and water. The present work aims to summarize the potential environmental impact of horse litter disposal practices described in the literature in line with the circular economy. The Science Direct database, the website of the United Nations (UN) and the website of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) were used as source material. The results are displayed using the VOSviewer online software. The main horse litter waste disposal practices were burning (to generate heat), pyrolysis (production of biofuels such as bioethanol and biochar) and production of organic fertilizers. The lowest environmental impact was achieved by a combination of these methods.

Umbu physicochemical quality, diversity in the Caatinga biome and promising genotypes for consumption

Umbu (Spondias tuberosa Arruda) is a wild fruit species distributed all over the Caatinga biome in the Northeast of Brazil. The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical quality variability of umbu genotypes in the Caatinga biome, and to identify the most promising ones for fresh fruit consumption, processing industry and breeding programs. The fruit of 69 umbu genotypes were harvested at the maturity stage known as swollen, presenting full size and beginning of softening. The plants were cultivated in the umbu germplasm bank (UGB) at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa, Petrolina, PE, Brazil. Each genotype was characterized by the global position system (GPS) coordinates to understand the distribution of fruit physicochemical quality in different regions in the Caatinga biome. According to the results, fruit physicochemical quality, such as mass, soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), and SS/TA ratio are homogeneously distributed all over the Caatinga biome. However, there were three main genotype groups, one characterized by higher fruit mass (52, 55, 57, 60, 65, and 68), other by higher SS (08, 09, 11, 20, 38, 41, and 62), and another by lower AT (02, 03, 07, 08, 16, 24, 27, and 51). Umbu genotypes with the highest mass and SS content can be used for commercial production in order to obtain fruit with desirable trait for the market. In addition, genotypes from all three groups can be used in breeding programs to obtain new genotypes with all desirable traits for fresh fruit consumption and processing industry.

Effects of Thidiazuron and Pollinator visits on Fruit Set and Quality of 'Maxigala' Apple Trees

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of thidiazuron (TDZ) application and pollinator visits on fruit set and quality in apple trees of the cultivar Maxigala. The experiment was conducted at the Temperate Fruit Farming Experimental Station of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA Grape and Wine), in Vacaria, RS, Brazil. The evaluated treatments were: TDZ application; floral visitors combined with TDZ application; floral visitors; and control (no floral visitors with no TDZ application). The highest mean final fruit set was found for the treatment with only TDZ application, followed by that with floral visitors and TDZ application.

Are Land Use and Cover Changes and Socioeconomic Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Dengue Fever? A Case Study in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Several studies have already demonstrated the relationship between the loss of natural habitats and the incidence of diseases caused by vectors, such as dengue, which is an acute fever disease that is considered a serious public health problem. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the number of dengue cases and land use and cover changes (LUCC) and socioeconomic and climatic factors by municipality, using the state of Minas Gerais as a case study. For this, secondary data obtained from openly available sources were used. Natural vegetation cover data were obtained from the MAPBiomas platform and dengue occurrence data from the Ministry of Health, in addition to eight socioeconomic parameters from the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics and precipitation data from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA, Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais). Between 2015 and 2019, 1,255,731 cases of dengue were recorded throughout the state of Minas Gerais, ranging from 0 to 227 per thousand inhabitants between municipalities. The occurrence of dengue was distributed throughout all regions of Minas Gerais and was associated with LUCC and socioeconomic factors. In general, municipalities with a net loss of natural vegetation, predominantly located in the Cerrado biome, had the highest number of dengue cases in the studied period. Additionally, the occurrence of dengue was associated to three socioeconomic parameters: population density, human development index (both positively), and Gini inequality index (negatively). These results indicate that, contrary to expectations, municipalities with better social conditions had more dengue cases. Our study indicates that natural vegetation is, directly or indirectly, involved in the ecosystem service of dengue control, despite the occurrence of this disease being affected by multiple factors that interact in a complex way. Thus, policies towards reducing deforestation must be complemented by a continuous investment in public health policies and a reduction in social inequalities to efficiently control dengue fever.

GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION OF CULTIVATED CITRUS FRUITS (Citrus spp.) IN COLOMBIA USING SSR MOLECULAR MARKERS

Citrus is the second most important fruit crop in Colombia after bananas, with production taking place in 26 of the country’s 32 departments. Oranges, sour limes, and mandarins are the most economically important crops in terms of area planted and production. Microsatellites were used to assess the genetic differentiation of oranges, mandarins, tangelos, grapefruits, and acid limes from the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation AGROSAVIA germplasm bank and collection of micro-grafted plants at Palmira Research Center in Colombia. A total of 121 samples from eight citrus groups were analyzed with 30 fluoromarked simple sequence repeats (SSR) microsatellites. The mean expected heterozygosity and mean observed heterozygosity were 0.58 and 0.57, respectively, and the coefficient of genetic differentiation was 0.558, confirming very high genetic differentiation among the citrus groups evaluated. Microsatellites mCrCIR01B02, AMB5, Ci01C09, mCrCIR08B08, and Ci01C07 were the most informative, presenting a high number of alleles and polymorphic loci percentages of more than 45 %; in addition, they allowed the identification of unique alleles, which can be used to establish the genetic fingerprint of citrus. Genetic differentiation was achieved for seven out of the eight groups evaluated. The SSRs used failed to differentiate the orange groups, possibly due to genetic origin; for this group, other molecular markers are recommended.

ADOPTION OF SORGHUM NATIONAL INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS TECHNICAL PACKAGE BY RAINFED FARMERS, GEZIRA, SUDAN

The effect of climate change on African agriculture represents a major challenge to continental agricultural development including food security, nutrition and management. In Sudan, the yield of rainfed crops is characterized by high variability in the yield due to the high variability in seasonal rainfall and does not exceed two sacs/feddan because the rainfed farmers were adopted low input rainfed agriculture as a risk management option which led to reduce in the yield per unit of land and water. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has designed and financed a special programme for the traditional the rainfed sector of the country called Integrated Solutions Programme as the main adaptation strategy for the 2014/ 2020 growing seasons to diversify and increase production and productivity of crops cultivated in traditional rainfed areas in each State of the country such as sorghum, sesame, millet and sunflower. This programme was implemented by the Administration of Agricultural Extension and Technology Transfer in each State in collaboration with Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC) and the Agricultural Bank of Sudan. Field survey was used to collect data from 50 rainfed farmers participated in the programme and an equal number from non- participant farmers from the study area were selected (for comparison) using the simple random sampling technique. A close ended questionnaire was constructed and the personal interview technique was used to administer the questionnaire. The collected data were coded, fed to computer and statistically analyzed using (SPSS), discussed interpreted using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. The results showed that the participant farmers adopted the programme components. The majority of chi-square test results revealed no significant association between farmer`s adoption of the programme components and participation in the programme and also no significant association between farmer`s adoption of the programme components and the selected socio-economic characteristics of the respondent farmers. From this study, it can be concluded that the NISP are very effective agricultural extension policy that can be applied in the rainfed sector of the country, which will help rainfed farmers to increase their income through their participation in various activities of the programme. The study recommends that NISP should become the main national policy specially designed for the agricultural rainfed sector of the country, the needed agricultural inputs should be available at a reasonable price, the curriculum of NISP should be updated and developed regularly to solve the constraints that might face the programme, in-service training should be organized for agricultural extension officers on various aspects related to the rainfed sector, various means for conduction the programme should be available, Further agricultural extension research should be conducted

Evapotranspiration from Irrigated Mungo Bean Cropping in The Cerrado Region of Mato Grosso

Objective: The objective of this study was to calculate the evapotranspiration of irrigated mung bean crops in the Cerrado region of Mato Grosso. Theoretical Frame: This research used the following main citations as a theoretical basis: Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) for the methodology for classifying soil characteristics; and Guan et al. (2015) using the water use efficiency methodology. Method: The study was carried out from April to June 2023 at the State University of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), in Nova Mutum – MT. Each experimental unit consisted of a lysimeter with 18 L of volume, spaced 0.40 m between rows and 0.05 m between plants, with a total of 12 experimental plots. Irrigation management was carried out daily considering irrigation volume, precipitation and drainage. Variables analyzed: crop evapotranspiration, water use efficiency and grain productivity. Scatterplots and Boxplot (descriptive statistics) were created for a better analysis of the results obtained. Results and Conclusions: The total evapotranspiration of the mung bean crop was 521.10 mm during 50 days of cultivation and the daily average was 10.63 mm. Grain productivity for mung bean cultivation in the soil and climate conditions of Mato Grosso was 5,325 kg per hectare. The water use efficiency of mung beans in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso was 1.66 kg of grains per m3 of water. The results of this study provide knowledge about the water consumption of mung beans and serve as a basis for irrigation management by bean producers in the Cerrado region of Mato Grosso. Implications of the research: The results achieved with this study are of great relevance for the purposes of the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the State University of Mato Grosso, Nova Mutum Campus, as well as for the academic and scientific community and producers in the Cerrado region of Mato Grosso who aim to cultivate irrigated mung beans. Originality and value: This research aimed to disseminate to the academic and scientific community and producers of Cerrado Mato-Grossense the need for water required by the Mungo bean crop throughout the cultivation cycle, in which this information will serve as a basis for agricultural planning in the region, such as: volume of water needed to cultivate mung beans aiming for maximum productivity, savings on water, electricity and labor.

Porta-enxertos de videira sob déficit hídrico: respostas em biomassa, variáveis bioquímicas e trocas gasosas

ABSTRACT Water resources used for irrigation should be managed using technologies that improve water use efficiency, mainly in semiarid regions. Using drought-tolerant rootstocks is a strategy to handle this challenge. The objective of this study was to select suitable grapevine rootstocks for cultivation in semiarid regions based on their biomass, biochemical, and gas exchange attributes. The experiment was conducted at the Bebedouro Experimental Field of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA Semiarid), in Petrolina, PE, Brazil. Rootstocks from grapevine plants of the cultivars Paulsen 1103, SO4, IAC 313, IAC 572, IAC 766, Ramsey, and 101-14 MgT were subjected to three irrigation water depths (100%, 50%, and 20% ET0). A randomized block experimental design with four replications was used, in a split-plot arrangement consisting of irrigation water depths in the plots and rootstocks in the subplots. Biochemical, biomass, and gas exchange attributes were assessed for selecting the best rootstocks regarding tolerance to drought using multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance. The rootstocks IAC 313 and IAC 766 presented the highest root proline synthesis; IAC 766 presented better result for leaf sucrose synthesis; and Paulsen 1103 presented the highest leaf proline synthesis and carotenoid contents, as well as total chlorophyll-to-carotenoid ratio. IAC 313, IAC 766, and Paulsen 1103 presented better performance regarding the studied characteristics and, therefore, are suitable for growing grapevine crops in the Lower Middle São Francisco Valley, mainly under water deficit conditions.

Shallow fixes and deep reasonings: framing sustainability at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa)

The need for urgent, structural transformations to dominant food systems is increasingly recognized in research and policy. The direction these transformations take is in great part influenced by how the problem is framed and what future pathways become seen as plausible and desirable. Scientific knowledge and the organizations producing it hold considerable authority in suggesting what alternatives are or are not worth pursuing, ultimately shaping frames and in turn being shaped by them. This paper examines Brazil’s federal Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), a major contributor to technological advances that made Brazil into an agricultural powerhouse. We examine the ways in which Embrapa’s leadership has framed sustainable agriculture in its public communication and the wider implications for food systems transformation. Drawing from Embrapa news articles in the period 2015–2020, we identify four interrelated frames forming Embrapa’s prevalent position on sustainability. Our results show that while Embrapa promotes practices based on alternative approaches such as agroecology, its deeper framing often reflects the core assumptions driving dominant industrial food systems. This framing reinforces underlying logics of control, efficiency, and competition aligned with the productivist paradigm and excludes divergent perspectives that exist within the organization.

Condition of the soil resource and provision of ecosystem services from a Brazilian Oxidic soil under conventional and integrated livestock-based systems

Integrated crop-livestock-forest systems promote soil health and deliver more ecosystem services (ES) compared to conventional livestock systems, although most studies on the subject poorly describe the soil component of these systems. This preliminary studyassessed the condition of the soil resource and its role in the provision of ecosystem services from a Brazilian Oxidic soil under conventional and integrated livestock-based systems. Five systems were studied from pasture only to partial and fully integrated croplivestock-forest systems. All are located on one of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) Research Farms. Data for the quantification of the soil resource and ES for each of these livestockbased systems were retrieved from previous studiesand used to quantify soil health, the provision of food and fibre and climate regulation, as well as report their impacts on receiving environment. Soil organic carbon content, a key component of soil health, was higher in the most integrated system. Soil-based grass yields were lower in integrated systems due to competition for resources from the trees or space taken by crops but had the highest overall provision of food and fibre. Carbon sequestration by trees in the integrated systems offsets enteric methane emissions from beef production, and this ES contributes to mitigating climate change. Future studies should include analysis of all the naturalresources and a wider range of soil-based ecosystem services, along with impacts on receiving environmentsto provide a more complete picture of the performance of integrated livestock-based systems.

Alliance Portfolio, Internal Resources, and Innovation Performance of an Agribusiness Public Research Institute: The Embrapa Case

This paper analyzes the phenomenon of open innovation in three Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) units through the interaction of their alliance networks, internal resources, and capabilities through a multiple case study analysis. The results show the importance of open innovation for an agribusiness public research institute because balancing internal and external resources and capabilities improves innovation. A well-structured alliance portfolio helps to mitigate the most relevant internal weaknesses related to the innovation processes, leading to a better innovative capacity. This work finds evidence for the existence of complementarity between internal and external resources and capabilities. However, the organization must present some level of internal capabilities, especially related to innovative culture, if they wish to take full advantage of this complementarity.

Identificación molecular y prevalencia de contaminantes fúngicos en semillas de cultivos semestrales

Seed quality is affected by fungal contamination. These cause abortion, rot, or necrosis of the seed, as well as seedling damage that results in the development of diseases in later stages of growth. Their identification and characterization are essential to establish appropriate management. The objective of this work was to identify and determine the prevalence of fungal contaminants present in the seed of thirteen plant varieties of rice, soybean, corn, and forage sweet sorghum produced in the municipality of El Espinal, Tolima, Colombia. This research was carried out at the Tibaitatá Research Center of the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation AGROSAVIA (Cundinamarca, Colombia) during the second semester of 2021. By means of a blotter test, fungal contaminants and their prevalence in germinated and non-germinated seeds were identified. A total of 65 fungal isolates were obtained, which were grouped into twenty-eight molecularly identified morphotypes (44 soybean, 5 rice, 7 sorghum and 9 corn). The genera Diaporthe and Fusarium were the ones with the highest total prevalence and in ungerminated seeds. The fungi found include possible pathogens such as Fusarium spp, Curvularia spp and Diaporthe spp. and saprophytic fungi such as Penicillium spp and Aspergillus spp. The isolates of Fusarium equiseti and Diaporthe sp. in soybean seed, Curvularia penniseti in rice seed, Diaporthe melonis in sorghum seed and Fusarium verticillioides in corn seed can be considered as potential seed-borne pathogens that caused a negative effect on germination capacity.

Detection and evaluation of volatile and non-volatile antifungal compounds produced by Bacillus spp. strains

The identification of antifungal compounds produced by microorganisms is crucial in the context of sustainable agriculture. Bacteria of the genus Bacillus have a broad spectrum of action that can influence plant growth and control pests, vectors of public health relevance and phytopathogens. Lipopeptides are the main compounds related to the biological control of several pathogen species. Strains with biotechnological potential are identified by means of in vitro bioassays and molecular tests. In this study, strains from the Bacillus Bank of Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA/DF/Brazil) were selected to control the fungal pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Fusarium oxysporum by pairing assays. The detection of genes for biosynthesis of antifungal compounds from strains with high pathogen-inhibition capacity was correlated with peptide synthesis, such as bacillomycin D, fengycin d, bacilysin and surfactin. Their gene expression in contact with the pathogen was analyzed by Real-Time PCR. The volatile organic compounds produced by selected Bacillus strains were identified and quantified. In co-culture assays, the inhibition zone between Bacillus strains and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. Thirteen potentially anti-pathogenic strains were selected. Genes related to the synthesis of antifungal peptides were detected in 11 of them. In five strains, all tested genes were detected. Bacillomycin was the most frequently found lipopeptide gene. The fungus-bacteria interaction potentiated the production of volatiles. Several ketones and other volatile compounds with antifungal activity were identified. Relevant morphological changes in the fungus were observed when paired with bacteria. The study demonstrated the efficacy of the selected strains with regard to the biological control of phytopathogens and their biotechnological potential.

Population improvement via recurrent selection drives genetic gain in upland rice breeding.

One of the main challenges of breeding programs is to identify superior genotypes from a large number of candidates. By gradually increasing the frequency of favorable alleles in the breeding population, recurrent selection improves the population mean for target traits, increasing the chance to identify promising genotypes. In rice, population improvement through recurrent selection has been used very little to date, except in Latin America. At Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), the upland rice breeding program is conducted in two phases: population improvement followed by product development. In this study, the CNA6 population, evaluated over five cycles (3 to 7) of selection, including 20 field trials, was used to assess the realized genetic gain. A high rate of genetic gain was observed for grain yield, at 215 kg.ha-1 per cycle or 67.8 kg.ha-1 per year (3.08%). The CNA6 population outperformed the controls only for the last cycle, with a yield difference of 1128 kg.ha-1. An analysis of the product development pipeline, based on 29 advanced yield trials with lines derived from cycles 3 to 6, showed that lines derived from the CNA6 population had high grain yield, but did not outperform the controls. These results demonstrate that the application of recurrent selection to a breeding population with sufficient genetic variability can result in significant genetic gains for quantitative traits, such as grain yield. The integration of this strategy into a two-phase breeding program also makes it possible to increase quantitative traits while selecting for other traits of interest.

Closed-Vessel Conductively Heated Digestion of Dry Dog Food for Spectrometric Determination of Essential Nutrients

The closed-vessel conductively heated digestion system (CHDS) was evaluated to digest dry dog foods for further determination of K, Na, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS). The CHDS method was optimized using a fractional factorial design with five variables (HNO3 concentration, H2O2 volume, temperature, holding time, and pre-digestion time) at two levels. The accuracy of the CHDS procedure was checked by the analysis of reference materials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SRM 1577b Bovine Liver and 2976 Mussel Tissue) and Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa MR-E1002A Fish Food). Also, the digestion efficiencies were calculated from residual carbon contents (RCCs). The RCC and blank values in the CHDS digested samples were consistently low, which is suitable for determinations using ICP OES and ICP-MS techniques. For comparison, all samples were also digested by microwave-assisted digestion in closed vessels (MW-AD). Results for Na, K, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn determined in sample digests obtained by CHDS were not statistically different at a 95% confidence level from those observed for MW-AD. Limits of quantification (LOQ) calculated from digests in CHDS and MW-AD were comparable, and the values provided adequate limits for elemental determinations in dog foods. Data from mineral composition and moisture were employed in a clustering analysis (HCA) and the discrimination of the samples among different manufacturers and food for dogs at different life stages was possible.

Atributos físicos do solo submetido a ensilagem com diferentes conjuntos mecanizados

ABSTRACT The evaluation of the physical attributes of the soil in cultivated areas is essential for understanding the impacts of agricultural operations, especially those with intense machine traffic. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the physical attributes of the soil submitted to silage with different mechanized sets. A randomized block design was adopted with three treatments: forage harvester with a one-row cutting platform (T1), forage harvester with a three-row cutting platform (T2), and T2 with a forage harvester with a conveyor wagon. Before ensiling and 24 hours after the operation, intact samples of soil classified as Latossolo Vermelhoamarelo álico, intact, were collected to determine the micro, macro, and total porosity, soil density, and volumetric soil water content according to the methodology proposed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). After ensiling, the resistance to soil penetration was measured with an electronic manual penetrometer, before and after ensiling, at the A horizon of the soil in the layers of 0.0-0.2 m and 0.2-0.4 m. We analyzed the data by establishing the confidence interval using the t-test at 10% probability. The sets reduce the macroporosity and total porosity of the soil in the 0.0-0.2 m and 0.2-0.4 m soil layers. T2 promoted greater total density in the 0.0–0.2 m layer. The silage increased the resistance to soil penetration to a depth of 0.15 m.

Diversidade morfoagronômica e identificação botânica de acessos de melão do nordeste brasileiro

ABSTRACT Melon (Cucumis melo L.) crops are grown in the Semiarid region of Brazil by small, medium, and large farmers, focused on domestic and international markets. However, melon is also grown by family farmers using their own seeds, which are important germplasm for melon breeding programs. Samples of these seeds were collected and stored in the Active Germplasm Bank of Cucurbitaceae from the Northeast Region at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa Semiarid), and require more thorough studies for a better understanding of the existing variability. Thus, the objective of this work was to characterize sub-accessions and their respective endogamic progenies to assess the genetic variability between and among these accessions. Two experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design, with three replications, using 11 quantitative and 8 qualitative descriptors: the first using seeds from 17 accessions from natural pollination, and the second using seeds from S1 progenies. Morphological data were used for comparisons between generations. The 17 accessions evaluated originated 24 sub-accessions, denoting variability between and among accessions and sub-accessions. A dendrogram developed based on the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) showed the existing variability and, according to the newest melon classification, the groups identified were: makuwa, subgroup nashi-uri; and momordica and cantalupensis, subgroup prescott. The results showed a probable existence of introgression of alleles between different botanical groups, and some sub-accessions were not identified regarding their group by presenting variations in morphological characteristics, indicating the presence of new botanical groups.

AgroAPI platform: An initiative to support digital solutions for agribusiness ecosystems

Agriculture is directly related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations. Digital transformation in agriculture is an important trend for sustainable practices and governance. In recent years, various sensors have been used in agriculture to collect large volumes of data that allows faster and more complex analysis. This paradigm shift has led to data-driven agricultural management, which aids farmers in the decision-making process. Digital platforms for data storage, organization, and management are important tools used by companies to generate better solutions for end users. However, there are challenges related to the acquisition time and retrieval of scalable and accurate data. To address these challenges, this paper presents the AgroAPI platform that provides access to data and models for the agricultural sector through Application Programming Interface (API). This is an initiative from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and its partners. The AgroAPI's APIs focus on agricultural productivity, indication of planting dates, soil classification, weather, bio-input catalog, and vegetation indices obtained from satellite images. This study showed that the AgroAPI platform, its available APIs and the applications developed with them contribute to reaching SDGs, particularly those related to agriculture.