Semi-arid Tropical Conditions Research Articles

In-vitro embryo rescue in table-grape breeding for semiarid tropical regions of Brazil

Seedlessness in commercial table-grape cultivars is caused by stenospermocarpy, which results in abortion of the embryo before complete development. The technique of embryo rescue and culture in vitro, before abortion, allows crosses between seedless cultivars as parents, with the main advantage of increasing the frequency of seedless individuals in the progeny. The present work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of table-grape breeding by controlled hybridizations and embryo rescue in the development of new table-grape cultivars for tropical semiarid conditions in the northeast of Brazil. The crosses were carried out in experimental fields of Embrapa Semiarido in Petrolina, PE, and Juazeiro, BA, in the Sao Francisco River Valley, between 2011 and 2017. During this period, 689 inflorescences were pollinated, resulting in 55.9% fruitfulness, of which 11,685 seed traces were obtained and inoculated in vitro. It was possible to rescue 16.9% of immature embryos, obtaining 56.1% success in seedling germination. The responses observed depended strongly on the genotypes used in the crosses. Genotypes ‘CG 351’ and ‘Marroo Seedless’ used as female parents showed the best results for fruitfulness and the formation and germination of embryos, which means that the number of seedlings obtained by the embryo rescue technique is correlated with the genotype used as parent. Also noteworthy is the progress in results obtained in 2015 and 2016 compared with the period 2011-2014, when ‘Marroo Seedless’ was used as a female parent in crosses using pollen of ‘A1105’, ‘A Dona’, ‘BRS Linda’, ‘BRS Isis’, ‘BRS Clara’, ‘BRS Vitoria’, ‘CG 351’, ‘Feal’ and ‘Jupiter’, obtaining high rates of fruitfulness, embryo rescue and embryo germination in all combinations.

Yield and quality in 'Caipira' melon in fertilization function

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito de diferentes adubações e coberturas do solo na produtividade e qualidade dos frutos de melão ‘Caipira’ (Cucumis melo var. acidulus) irrigado em condições semiáridas tropicais. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso em arranjo fatorial 3x2, com três repetições. Foram comparados três manejos de adubação (F1 - Somente adubação mineral em fundação, F2 - adubação mineral mais orgânica em fundação, F3 - adubação mineral em fundação mais adubação foliar) em condições de solo descoberto e coberto com mulching preto. Avaliaram-se cinco plantas úteis por parcela. Em todas as parcelas foi aplicada em fundação a quantidade da adubação mineral recomendada para a cultura (40 kg ha-1 de Nitrogênio, 120 kg ha-1 de P2O5 e 40 kg ha-1 de K2O). Avaliou-se a massa média de fruto (kg), produtividade (t.ha-1), comprimento e diâmetro dos frutos (cm), espessura da polpa (cm), cavidade interna (cm) e sólidos solúveis totais (°Brix). Realizou-se a comparação das médias entre as adubações e coberturas do solo a partir do teste de Tukey com 5% de probabilidade. O uso de adubação mineral associada à orgânica em fundação proporcionou resultados superiores para as variáveis analisadas, exceto para sólidos solúveis totais e cavidade interna do fruto. O uso de mulching foi responsável por elevar a massa média dos frutos, a produtividade e o teor de sólidos solúveis totais do melão ‘Caipira’.

Training systems and rootstocks on yield and agronomic performance of ‘Syrah’ grapevine in the Brazilian semiarid

ABSTRACT The Vale do São Francisco stands out among the main Brazilian wine regions, and ‘Syrah’ is a grape cultivar very important to produce red wines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of training systems and rootstocks on the yield and other agronomic variables of ‘Syrah’ grapevines during eight consecutive harvests in the tropical semiarid environment in the Vale do São Francisco. An experiment was carried out in Petrolina, state of Pernambuco, with ‘Syrah’ trained to lyre and espalier systems and grafted on IAC 572, IAC 766, IAC 313, SO4, 1103 Paulsen and Harmony rootstocks. A randomized block design with four replicates and split plots was used. There was a significant interaction between the training system and rootstock for yield, number of clusters and foliar mass. The lyre system increased yield, cluster number and Ravaz index, favoring the development of more balanced grapevines. The IAC 572 rootstock promoted greater vigor by reducing yield, cluster number, bud fertility and Ravaz index. The other rootstocks were similar to each other in most variables. Net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and instantaneous efficiency of water use were not influenced by the training system and the rootstock. The results obtained evidenced the influence of the training system associated to the rootstock on agronomic variable and yield of ‘Syrah’, recommending lyre training and grafting on 1103 Paulsen or IAC 313 in the semi-arid tropical conditions of the Vale do São Francisco.

Carbon Footprint of Crop Cultivation Process Under Semiarid Conditions

Agriculture is one of the major sectors that get affected as well as cause climate change. Arid and semiarid regions of the world are expected to become more vulnerable to climate change. Thus, in order to develop appropriate mitigation or adaptive strategies, carbon footprint analysis of agriculture sector becomes crucial. Emissions resulting from the cultivation process depend on the inputs used and the environmental conditions. The present study is an effort to analyze the carbon footprint of agriculture crops cultivated in the state of Karnataka with 80% land under rainfed agriculture under semiarid tropical conditions. About 5.37 terra grams of carbon equivalent (TgCE) was found to occur annually. Cereals contributed 5.04 TgCE/year of which 78% comes from rice, as it emits methane in addition to CO2 and NO2. Possible approaches to reduce methane emission are discussed including the possibility of replacing the area under rice with other crops without affecting the dietary as well as peoples preferences. Inorganic nitrogen fertilizer use in the cultivation process accounts for 72% of the total emissions. Combining pulse crops effectively in conventional practices of crop rotation and mixed cropping systems can help in reducing emissions. Manual agriculture followed due to small land holdings facilitates low energy use (8%) under rainfed agriculture, resulting in low carbon input. Irrigated agriculture recorded 4.19 TgCE/year which is almost 3.5 times more than the rainfed agriculture practice. Among the two cropping seasons, Kharif season which is the major cropping season recorded 3.85 TgCE/year against 1.52 TgCE/year during Rabi season. Most tropical regions with fragmented land, low carbon emission as well as with the low productivity need to be treated differently.

Green manure: Alternative to carbon sequestration in a Typic Ustipsamment under semiarid conditions

Vegetative soil cover mitigates climatic variability and enhances the balance between mineralization and humification processes. Under aerobic conditions, most of the carbon that enters the soil is labile, but a small fraction (1%) is humified and stable, contributing to the soil carbon reserve; therefore, it is important to assess the carbon content captured after green manure cultivation and decomposition. During two consecutive semesters, July to December 2016 and January to June 2017, green manure plots (<em>Zea mays </em>L., <em>Andropogon sorghum </em>subsp.<em> sudanensis </em>and <em>Crotalaria longirostrata</em>) were cultivated individually, in a consortium or amended with palm oil agro-industrial biosolids in a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments. Once decomposed, the different carbon fractions (organic, oxidizable, non-oxidizable, removable and total) were determined. The results showed high total and organic carbon contents under the sorghum treatment, at 30 and 28 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively, followed by those under the fallow + biosolid treatment, at 29.8 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup> and 27.5 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. Despite the short experiment duration and the possible contributions of previous management on recalcitrant carbon soil stocks, these findings suggest the importance of maintaining plant cover and utilizing green manure in the Colombian Caribbean region. Long-term experiments may be conducted to confirm the full potential of cover crops on carbon sequestration under tropical semiarid conditions.

Archaeobotanical Investigation of Charred and Desiccated Fruit Stones and Seeds from Late Holocene Contexts in Kassala and its Environs: Window to Past Ecology and Subsistence

With the aim of reconstructing the Late Holocene palaeoenvironment and vegetation history of Kassala and its environs, archaeobotanical investigation was conducted on charred and desiccated fruit stones and seeds. These botanical remains were recovered by dry screening from various contexts in three excavation squares. The excavations were conducted by the Italian Archaeological Expedition in East Sudan (IAEES) at the site of Mahal Teglinos, Kassala, northeast Sudan in the years 1991, 2013 and 2014. Identification and comparative study was conducted in the laboratories of Addis Ababa University and the Bio-archaeological Research Center of the National Museum of Oriental Art, Rome. A total of 1771 (n=1771) charred and desiccated fruit stones and seeds are identified belonging mainly to five species: Adansonia digitata, Ziziphus spina-christi, Celtis integrifolia, Vigna unguiculata and Grewia bicolor. The botanical remains are dated to the early second millennium BC when the area was populated by several Gash Groups (along the Mereb river). The identification of the macrobotanical remains indicated that the site of Kassala and the Ethio-Eritrean and Sudanese low-lying border region was characterized by semi-arid and sub-humid tropical environmental conditions by the Late Holocene. Keywords: fruit stones, seeds, semi-arid, Late Holocene, Eritrea-Sudanese border

Nutritional Quality of Soybean and Wheat under Organic, Biodynamic and Conventional Agriculture in Semi-Arid Tropical Conditions of Central India

The field experiment was conducted at the Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal on a clayey soil (Typic Haplusterts) under soybean (Glycine max, cv. JS 335)-wheat (Triticum durum, cv. HI 8498) cropping system in a randomized block design with seven treatments in four replications to study the effect of organic, biodynamic and conventional agriculture practices on nutritional quality of soybean and wheat. The results of present study revealed that, the treatments with different organic combinations increased soybean seed protein, oil and mineral content by 0.2 to 2.1%, 4–4.7% and 2.4–2.7% over RDF. Similarly, the wheat protein and mineral content increased under organic treatments by 2.2–2.5% and 0.4–3.1%, respectively as compared to RDF (T7). The N, P and K content and micronutrients content in soybean seed and wheat grain were also found higher under different organic treatment combinations as compared to the treatments receiving recommended dose of chemical fertilizers, whereas no significant difference in any of the nutritional parameter was recorded in case of biodynamic treatment.

Dissipation and fate of ready mix combination of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl and pretilachlor in rice field

Application of ready-mix herbicides containing two active ingredients in rice to manage broad group of weeds is in practice currently. Among different ready mix formulations, one comprising pyrazosulfuron-ethyl and pretilachlor have been recently registered in India. Though, the persistence of each herbicide in soil under rice as single formulation was reported, the information on persistence of herbicides from ready-mix formulations is not reported under semi-arid tropical conditions of India. Hence, an experiment was conducted to study the dissipation and fate of these ready-mix formulation herbicides in rice soil, water and in rice grain. Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl and pretilachlor residues were determined using high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and gas chromatograph (GC), respectively. The average recoveries of pyrazosulfuron-ethyl and pretilachlor from matrix ranged from 80.3–103.3% with less than 10% standard deviation and sensitivity up to 0.001 μg/g. Both herbicides showed rapid dissipation in rice field water than soil and the degradation followed first order reaction kinetics. While pyrazosulfuron-ethyl dissipated with a half-life of 2.17–5.45 and 0.77–0.79 days respectively in rice field soil and water, pretilachlor dissipated with a half-life of 5.18–6.68 days in soil and 2.59–3.00 days in field water. Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl has shorter half-life than pretilachlor and both the active ingredients dissipated rapidly in rice field soil than water. At harvest, the residues of both the herbicides in rice grain and straw were below the MRLs set by FSSAI.

Canopy management effects on ‘Syrah’ grapevines under tropical semi-arid conditions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of shoot topping and leaf removal practices on vegetative vigor, yield and physicochemical characteristics of the 'Syrah' grape in the semi-arid tropical climate conditions of the Sao Francisco River Valley in the northeast of Brazil. The experiment was conducted over five growing cycles from 2010 to 2012 in a 'Syrah' commercial vineyard in the municipality of Casa Nova, Bahia, Brazil. Treatments consisted of leaf removal once or twice during fruit set or at the beginning of bunch closure, and one or two shoot toppings of the berry when pea-sized or 10 days after berry growth had commenced. Leaf removal and shoot topping did not affect yield, plant vigor components nor the main attributes of fruit quality. In contrast, there was a seasonal effect with higher yield and better balance between production and vigor in grapes produced in the first half of 2012. The Syrah grape quality was favored in cycles in the first half of the year when its ripening phase coincided with the period of mild temperatures.

Agronomic and physiological assessment of nitrogen use, uptake and acquisition in sunflower

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of N fertilization on uptake,accumulation/remobilization, use efficiency and yield of sunflower grown in alluvial plains ofnorthwestern India comprising four hybrids (PSH 996, PAC 3789, PSH 569 and SH 3322)and five N levels (Control, 40, 80, 100 and 120 kg N ha-1) in split-plot design with threereplications. Increased N fertilizer rates significantly prompted sunflower yield only up to 100kg N ha-1. Every additional kilogram of N taken up increased sunflower yield by 26 kg ha-1.Significant genetic variation for seed yield and NUE traits explicated PSH 569 as the efficientone at sub-optimal N application while PSH 996 outperformed others at N80, N100 and N120. Drymatter accumulation pattern revealed average harvest index of 30% with 29% of the biomass asstalk, 19% as leaf and 22% as thalamus. Temporal changes in N acquisition indicated most ofthe total N uptake upto 50% flowering while maximum remobilization takes place duringreproductive phase. Significant correlation between N uptake and N use efficiency parameterswith yield indicate the importance of N nutrition in sunflower; LAI (r=0.841 **), N uptake(r=0.956**), NUpE (r= -0.814**), NUtE (r= -0.787**), NUE (r=-0.802**). Variation in NUE wasmore closely associated with NUpE (r=0.996**) than NUtE (r=0.812**) and linearly decreasedwith increasing leaf greenness (R2=0.70) and total leaf area (R2=0.81). This work willcomplement other studies to establish a baseline for breeding N efficient sunflower genotypesbe grown under semi-arid tropical conditions in India and similar environments.

Resilience of Malpura ewes on water restriction and rehydration during summer under semi-arid tropical climatic conditions

Fourteen adult Malpura ewes of 2–4 years of age were randomly and equally divided into two groups, including G1 and G2 in order to determine the resilience of Malpura ewes on water restriction and rehydration during summer under semi-arid tropical climatic conditions. The experimental period was divided into three parts, i.e., ad libitum water intake period for one week (first week) then a four week water restricted period and last week rehydration period. During the water restricted period animals in G1 were restricted to 20% and in G2 to 40% of their water requirement. Feed intake increased significantly (P<0.05) in both groups during the rehydration period as compared to restricted periods. Rectal temperature at morning decreased significantly (P<0.05) during the rehydration period in both groups. Hemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) were higher in G2 during the water restricted period. Cortisol level was significantly (P<0.05) higher during the restricted period as compared to the rehydration period. The results reveal that restriction of water consumption up to 40% during summer leads to physiological and plasma biochemical changes in Malpura ewes. But they can overcome these stressful conditions and recoup their normal physiological conditions by the ad libitum supply of water.

Sustainable long-term intensive application of manure to sandy soils without phosphorus leaching: a case study from Ghana

Long-term application of manure to sandy soils to ensure high crop productivity may lead to phosphorus (P) leaching, which, in turn, may deteriorate the quality of recipient waters because of eutrophication. The risk of P leaching depends on contents of aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) oxides that are strong P sorbents and of calcium (Ca) that can form sparingly soluble Ca–P compounds. While P sorption by Al and Fe oxides is limited, the formation of sparingly soluble Ca–P may theoretically continue as long as enough Ca is available, i.e. under such conditions long-term application of manure may be environmentally sustainable. This hypothesis has been tested on soils formed on beach sand at Keta, Ghana, which have been used since the 1930s for intensive cultivation based on manure application. Soil samples were collected from different depths down to 80 cm in profile pits on cultivated soils that received manure over 70 years and on uncultivated plots (controls). The samples were analyzed for texture, pH, total C and P and poorly ordered Al and Fe oxides as well as different P forms as assessed by the Hedley fractionation method. The results showed a fourfold P increase in the top 40 cm of the cultivated soils, whereas in the deepest soil layers the P contents in the cultivated and uncultivated soils were almost the same indicating very limited downward P transport despite long-term manure application. This was supported by comparable P concentrations in groundwater taken under cultivated and uncultivated sites. P fractionation showed that the cultivated top soils were dominated by sparingly soluble Ca–P compounds that accounted for about 70% of the P gain. Thus, the results suggest that intensive crop production under tropical semi-arid conditions may be environmentally sustainable when based on manure fertilization ensuring enough Ca supply and neutral to alkaline pH.

Effect of organic farming practices on soil and performance of soybean (Glycine max) under semi-arid tropical conditions in Central India

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of organic farming practices on soil health and crop performance of Soybean (Glycine max).The crop cultivar JS-335 of soybean was grown with 30:26.2:16.6 kg ha-1 (NPK) recommended dose of fertilizers under three management practices viz., organic, chemical and integrated (50:50) in randomized block design, replicated three times. Soil organic carbon, available N, P and K, microbial enzymatic activities, total biomass, seed yield and harvest index (HI) were analysed during the study. It was observed that soil organic carbon (11.3 g kg-1), available N (125 mg kg-1), P (49.7 mg kg-1) and soil enzyme activities viz., dehydrogenase (DHA) (98.20 µ grams TPF/g soil/24 h) and alkaline phosphatase (178.2 µ grams p-nitro phenol/g soil/h) were found significantly higher in the plot managed organically while available K (320.1 mg kg-1) was not significant with respect to chemical and integrated practices. The total biomass (1927 kg ha-1) and seed yield (601 kg ha-1) of soybean was found highest in organic farming practices followed by integrated and chemical practices. Very poor microbial activities were observed in chemically managed plots. Thus, the study demonstrated that the organic farming practice improved soil health and performance of soybean crop.

Adapting and evaluating the CROPGRO-peanut model for response to phosphorus on a sandy-loam soil under semi-arid tropical conditions

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major constraint to crop production in many agricultural systems globally. Application of phosphorus fertilizer is essential for optimal crop yields when soils are P limiting. Crop simulation models can provide an alternative, less time consuming and inexpensive means of determining the optimum crop P requirements under varied soil and climatic conditions. The CROPGRO-peanut model is capable of simulating the growth and yield of peanut in response to weather, soil, water, nitrogen and management practices but its capability in predicting crop responses to soil and fertilizer P needs to be established. Our objective was to adapt and evaluate the CROPGRO-peanut model within the DSSAT system to simulate the growth and yield of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in response to soil and fertilizer P. Data from four P fertilizer treatments (0, 13, 26 and 39kgPha−1) and two cropping seasons (2002 and 2003) experiments on an Alfisol were used to calibrate the model. The model was tested using two data sets from a P fertilizer×cultivar trial conducted on-station in 1997 and 1998 and P fertilizer×fungicide trials on-farm in 2002. The limited testing showed that the P module accurately simulated the seasonal patterns of aboveground biomass and pod yield in the on-farm trials. Averaged across sampling dates RMSEs in the on-farm trials ranged from 100 to 398kgha−1 (d≥0.99) for total biomass and from 97 to 263kgha−1 (d values≥0.98) for pod yield. At final harvest, the variability of simulated biomass and pod yield was about 5.4 and 10.0% of the observed biomass and pod yield respectively. In the P fertilizer×cultivar trial, the variability of simulated biomass and pod yield were 22 and 13% for cv. F-Mix and 19 and 5% for cv. Chinese respectively. The model simulated the seasonal patterns of vegetative P content in the four farmers’ fields fairly well with RMSEs ranging from 0.28 to 1.29kgha−1 when averaged across measurements dates. The model outputs were sensitive to soil P test values, the method of P fertilizer application and to plant P uptake factors, such as root P extraction radius and root length density. There were differences in the sensitivity of the simulations to changes in target tissue P concentrations. Increasing or decreasing the optimum P concentration of seed and minimum P concentrations of leaf and stem had the greatest effects on pod yield compared to other plant parts. We conclude that the generic soil and plant P model in DSSAT 4.5 is capable of simulating peanut growth and yield in response to soil P levels or fertilizer application on an Alfisol.

AVALIAÇÃO FENOLÓGICA DA PEREIRA ‘TRIUNFO’ CULTIVADA EM CLIMA SEMIÁRIDO NO NORDESTE DO BRASIL NA SAFRA DE 2012

A fenologia representa uma ferramenta primordial para a inserção de culturas em áreas que apresentam condições diferentes daquelas nas quais estão adaptadas. Opresente trabalho objetivou caracterizar fenológica e produtivamente pereira ‘Triunfo’, sob condiçãosemiárida tropical, no Vale do São Francisco, Nordeste brasileiro. O experimento foi conduzido de 10 de fevereiro a 2 julho de 2012, em pomar experimental, na Estação Experimental de Bebedouro da Embrapa Semiárido,em Petrolina-PE, Brasil. Foram realizadas observações diárias, do estádio de gema dormente até o amadurecimento dos frutos, e foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros de produção: i) vingamento: a relação entrenúmero de flores e de frutos (%); ii) o número de frutos por planta; iii) produção de frutos por planta (kg); e iv) produtividade (t/ha). O ciclo fenológico da pereira ‘Triunfo’ durou 144 dias, o vingamento obtido foide 11,43%, o número de frutos por planta de 162, produção por planta de 26,34 kg e produtividade de 26,33 t ha-1. Baseado nos resultados obtidos, foi constatada a possibilidade de produção de frutos de pereira emcondição semiárida tropical.

THE INFLUENCE OF NON-GENETIC FACTORS ON EARLY GROWTH OF HALABA KIDS UNDER SMALLHOLDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

SUMMARYStagnant early growth and mortality are the major constraints for goat production in Ethiopia. We evaluated the effects of non-genetic factors on early growth performance of kids in Halaba district of southern Ethiopia, on-farm monitoring with 587 kids owned by 60 households from 2008 to 2009. Body weight (kilograms) of kids at birth, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days were 2.34, 4.39, 6.61, 9.85, 11.8 and 13.7, respectively, while the average daily gain (ADG; gram) from birth to 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days were 68.3, 70.4, 82.3, 78.3 and 75.0, respectively. Season had profound effect on body weights of kids at all ages (except at 120 days) and ADG. There was significant sex effect on body weights from 30 to 120 days (P &lt; 0.05). Parity influenced body weights of kids at birth (P &lt; 0.01) and 30, 60, 120 and 150 days (P &lt; 0.05). Type of birth affected pre-weaning body weights (P &lt; 0.05) and ADG from birth to 30, 60 days (P &lt; 0.01) and birth to 90 days (P &lt; 0.05). There were significant (P &lt; 0.05) effects of parity by sex and parity by type of birth on body weights and ADG at weaning. The non-genetic factors evaluated in this study are important sources of variation and need to be taken into account in the improvement plan of Halaba goats under semi-arid tropical conditions.

Effect of Micronutrient-Based Integrated Use of Nutrients on Crop Productivity, Nutrient Uptake, and Soil Fertility in Greengram and Fingermillet Sequence Under Semi-arid Tropical Conditions

To identify the best combinations of micronutrient-based fertilization treatments in terms of crop yield and nutrient uptake, three field experiments with greengram−fingermillet as the test sequence with 12 treatments on micronutrient-based fertilization [with recommended nitrogen (N)−phosphorus (P)−potassium (K) fertilizer] were conducted during 2005 to 2007 in a semi-arid Alfisol at Bangalore. The effects of treatments on available soil and plant uptake of nutrients [N, P, K, sulfur (S), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), and molybdenum (Mo)] and yield of crops were assessed based on standard analysis of variance procedure. Using the relationships of yield with soil and plant nutrient variables, regression models of yield through soil and plant variables were calibrated and effects of variables on crop yields were assessed. The models gave high and significant yield predictability in the range of 0.87 to 0.98 through different variables. The model of plant uptake through soil nutrients indicated that soil S, Fe, and Zn had significant positive effects, whereas soil N, K, B, and Mo had negative effects on plant nutrient status in greengram. Similarly, soil P, Mn, and Zn had significant positive effects, whereas soil N, K, and Fe had negative effects on plant uptake of nutrients in fingermillet. Based on a relative efficiency index (REI) criteria, T2 for plant uptake and T12 for maintaining soil nutrients were found to be superior in greengram, whereas T2 for plant uptake and T8 for maintaining soil nutrients were found to be superior in fingermillet over years based on REI. The combined REI over soil and plant nutrients for both crops indicated that application of T8 for greengram and T2 for fingermillet could be prescribed for attaining maximum plant uptake of nutrients and productivity of crops in sequence, apart from maintaining maximum soil fertility of nutrients under semi-arid Alfisols.

English

Effect of canopy management practices on berry composition of red and white grape cultivars grown in Pune region of India was examined. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc vines were selected for the study. Both the cultivars exhibited significant variation in fruit composition parameters in response to various canopy management practices. Combination treatment of leaf removal (LR) either with shoot thinning (ST) or cluster thinning (CT) exhibited high total soluble solids (TSS), lowest acidity (malic acid), lower potassium content and higher anthocyanin content. The vines which received ST+CT+LR treatment and control vines recorded least anthocyanin concentration and phenolic compounds indicating excess light exposure or excess shade to clusters is not congenial for producing better quality fruits. Leaf removal treatment in combination with either shoot thinning or cluster thinning was found to be superior under semi-arid tropical conditions to obtain good quality fruits. Reasons for such variations in fruit composition parameters under different management practices are discussed. &nbsp; Key words:&nbsp;Anthocyanins, canopy management, organic acids, phenolic compounds, wine grapes.

Fenologia da macieira, cv. 'Condessa' no vale de São Francisco

This study aimed to characterize phenological and productive apple trees cv. ‘Countess’, provided semiarid tropical Sao Francisco Valley, Northeast Brazil. The experiment was conducted from August 2008 to December 2009 in the experimental orchard at the Experimental Station of Embrapa Semiarid Trough, in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. Observations were made daily, the dormant bud stage until fruit ripening and evaluated the following production parameters: I) fruit set: the relationship between number of flowers and fruits (%), II) the number of fruits per plant; III) production of fruits per plant(kg) and iv) productivity (t / ha). The phenological cycle of apple tree cv. ‘Countess’ lasted 132 and 130 days, the fruit set obtained was 4.0 and 5.0%, number of fruits per plant by 22.1 and 27.6, yield per plant of 2.5 and 3.9 kg and productivity of 3.2 and 4.9 t/ha, respectively for 2008 and 2009. Based on the results we found the possibility of apple fruit production in tropical semiarid conditions.

Caracterização fenológica, frutificação efetiva e produção de maçãs 'Eva' em clima semiárido no nordeste brasileiro

O presente experimento foi conduzido de agosto de 2008 a dezembro de 2009,com o objetivo de caracterizar os estádios fenológicos, frutificação e produção de frutos de macieiras 'Eva', cultivadas em clima semiárido no Nordeste do Brasil. Dados fenológicos foram determinados em observações diárias, do estádio de gema dormente ao amadurecimento de frutas. Foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis: i) a frutificação efetiva; ii) o número de frutos por planta; iii) a produção de frutos por planta (kg); e iv) o rendimento de frutos (t/ha). Sob condições de trópico semiárido, o ciclo vegetativo da maciera cv. 'Eva' foi concluído em 136 (2008) e 128 dias (2009). É possível obter produção de maçãs sob condições tropicais semiáridas. Estudos e mais alguns anos de avaliação são necessários para gerar um sistema de produção de maçã sob condições semiáridas.