The use of pesticides poses a serious threat to the limited water resources of South Africa. The amounts which are not taken up by crop plants, are often washed away by runoff into surface waters, or leached through the soil, causing groundwater pollution. The problem of pesticide pollution is often intensified by inappropriate usage, disposal and monitoring in agriculture and predictive models have proven to be an effective tool for improving management practices. Research, however, has focused mainly on surface water contamination and groundwater impacts are largely unknown. Furthermore, pesticide registration in South Africa is largely determined by international standards and there is a need for impact assessments to be carried out under local conditions. The aims of this study included the determination of priority pesticides in South Africa based on usage and properties, the determination of pesticide sorption in two selected South African soils, and an assessment of pesticide fate by modelling.

Os defensivos constituem grande parte do custo total dos insumos utilizados na produção agrícola. O alto consumo de defensivos reduz a lucratividade e aumenta os riscos de contaminação ao ambiente. Uma das alternativas que vêm sendo propostas para a redução da quantidade de defensivos utilizada na produção agrícola é o chamado "gerenciamento localizado das culturas", através do uso dos conceitos da Agricultura de Precisão. Máquinas destinadas à aplicação localizada de defensivos líquidos em doses e produtos variáveis já estão presentes no mercado; entretanto, seu alto custo inicial e alta capacidade operacional inviabilizam sua aquisição em propriedades de menor porte. No presente trabalho, um pulverizador convencional foi adaptado com válvulas solenóides para promover a aplicação do defensivo na estratégia "liga-desliga", utilizando uma dose fixa. Um programa computacional foi desenvolvido para executar o controle independente sobre cada uma das válvulas solenóides presentes nas duas seções de barra do pulverizador, em função das informações de um mapa de prescrição, contendo as coordenadas dos locais onde a aplicação deveria ocorrer. Um DGPS foi conectado ao sistema para informar a localização do trator no campo. O sistema foi submetido a um teste em condições reais de controle de plantas daninhas, as quais foram previamente georreferenciadas através do caminhamento do contorno das infestações. Os resultados mostraram que a adaptação realizada, assim como o sistema de controle desenvolvido, permitiram o controle localizado das infestações, resultando na redução da quantidade de herbicida aplicada, em comparação ao tratamento convencional. / Agrochemicals constitute a great part of the total cost of inputs used in the crops production. The high consumption of agrochemicals reduces the profitability and increases the risks of environmental contaminations. One of the alternatives that have been proposed to reduce the amount of chemicals used in the crop production is the site-specific management, using the Precision Agriculture’s concepts. Machines used for site-specific application of liquid agrochemicals using variable rates and products are already in the market; however, its high initial cost and operational capacity make its acquisition unfeasible for small farms. In this work, a conventional sprayer was adapted with solenoid valves to allow the site-specific application using the "on/off" strategy, and a fixed rate. A computer program was developed to control each solenoid valve installed at the two sections of the boom, according to the information of a prescription map, containing the position of the points where the application should be done. A DGPS was connected to the system to inform the tractor’s position in the field. The system was tested in a real condition of weed control. The perimeter of the weed patches was previously georeferenced. The results showed that the developed system was able to achieve the patch application using fixed rates, resulting in a significant economy of herbicides, when compared with the conventional treatment, over the total area.

Orientador: Marcelo da Costa Ferreira / Banca: Ana Lúcia Paschoa B. Barbosa / Banca: Otávio Jorge Grigoli Abi-Saab / Banca: Rita de Cássia Panizzi / Banca: Raphael de Campos Castilho / Resumo: O setor produtivo da citricultura brasileira, maior do mundo em laranjas e em suco de laranja concentrado, enfrenta intensa ocorrência de pragas e doenças. Visando manter a sua produtividade os produtores recorrem à utilização intensa de agrotóxicos nas áreas de produção. O local de ocorrência, os graus de infestação e de movimentação das pragas têm grande interferência no tratamento fitossanitário, cuja eficácia depende da distribuição do produto pela copa das plantas. São várias as causas que levam ao insucesso do tratamento fitossanitário na cultura de citros. Entre as principais, os equipamentos mal calibrados e mal dimensionados em relação ao porte das plantas de citros, associados ao projeto dos pulverizadores que proporcionam dificuldades para direcionar melhor o jato de calda às plantas. Além destes, há também consequências econômicas e ambientais relacionadas às perdas por escorrimento e por deriva da calda aplicada, verificadas até maiores do que 50% do volume aplicado. Desta forma, elaborou-se o presente projeto com o objetivo de avaliar um pulverizador envolvente, desenvolvido com base na taxa de aplicação, distribuição da calda para avaliar a deposição de calda em diferentes posições das plantas de laranja, a mortalidade do ácaro-da-leprose dos citros Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) e o controle do fungo causador da mancha preta dos citros Guignardia citricarpa Kiely [Phyllosticta citricarpa (McAlp.) van der Aa.]), definidos em função de se constituírem nos principais componentes individuais dos atuais custos de produção da citricultura paulista e por serem considerados entre os principais problemas fitossanitários da cultura na atualidade. Para as avaliações serão utilizados dois modelos de pulverizadores de arrasto tratorizados, sendo um o modelo Arbus 2000® fabricado por Máquinas Agrícolas Jacto S.A., de uso corrente na citricultura nacional, considerado ... / Abstract: The productive sector of the Brazilian citrus industry, the largest at the world in oranges and concentrated citrus juice, faces intense occurrence of pests and diseases. In an attempt to maintain its productivity it makes intense use of pesticides on orchards areas. Place to occurrence, degree of infestation and pest movement have a great influence to crop protection, which the efficiency depends on of distribution of pesticides around canopy. There are many causes that lead to failure of the treatment plant in citrus. Among the main of that the equipment poorly calibrated and rated in terms of size of citrus trees, associated with the project from the sprayers that provide difficulties to better direct sprays to plants. In addition, there are also economic and environmental consequences related to losses by runoff and drift of spraying applied, and sometimes we lose more than 50% of the volume applied. Due that, we elaborate this study to evaluate a surrounding sprayer developed in bases of application rate, spraying distribution and control of Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) and fungus Guignardia citricarpa Kiely [Phyllosticta citricarpa (McAlp.) van der Aa .]) at different positions of citrus trees, chosen to constituted greater crop protection problems and to be among the main components in current production costs of citrus in São Paulo. To evaluations will be used two models of tractor-sprayer, a model Arbus 2000® manufactured by Máquinas Agrícolas Jacto S.A., commonly used in citrus in Brazil, considered in this project as the default system (control applied), and another of model Topspray®, manufactured by Herbicat Ltda. equipment, recently launched and developed in a joint with the company and researchers including the authors of this project. The surrounding sprayer brought with it enough characteristics to be considered a viable alternative to use / Doutor

Os defensivos constituem grande parte do custo total dos insumos utilizados na produção agrícola. O alto consumo de defensivos reduz a lucratividade e aumenta os riscos de contaminação ao ambiente. Uma das alternativas que vêm sendo propostas para a redução da quantidade de defensivos utilizada na produção agrícola é o chamado "gerenciamento localizado das culturas", através do uso dos conceitos da Agricultura de Precisão. Máquinas destinadas à aplicação localizada de defensivos líquidos em doses e produtos variáveis já estão presentes no mercado; entretanto, seu alto custo inicial e alta capacidade operacional inviabilizam sua aquisição em propriedades de menor porte. No presente trabalho, um pulverizador convencional foi adaptado com válvulas solenóides para promover a aplicação do defensivo na estratégia "liga-desliga", utilizando uma dose fixa. Um programa computacional foi desenvolvido para executar o controle independente sobre cada uma das válvulas solenóides presentes nas duas seções de barra do pulverizador, em função das informações de um mapa de prescrição, contendo as coordenadas dos locais onde a aplicação deveria ocorrer. Um DGPS foi conectado ao sistema para informar a localização do trator no campo. O sistema foi submetido a um teste em condições reais de controle de plantas daninhas, as quais foram previamente georreferenciadas através do caminhamento do contorno das infestações. Os resultados mostraram que a adaptação realizada, assim como o sistema de controle desenvolvido, permitiram o controle localizado das infestações, resultando na redução da quantidade de herbicida aplicada, em comparação ao tratamento convencional. / Agrochemicals constitute a great part of the total cost of inputs used in the crops production. The high consumption of agrochemicals reduces the profitability and increases the risks of environmental contaminations. One of the alternatives that have been proposed to reduce the amount of chemicals used in the crop production is the site-specific management, using the Precision Agriculture’s concepts. Machines used for site-specific application of liquid agrochemicals using variable rates and products are already in the market; however, its high initial cost and operational capacity make its acquisition unfeasible for small farms. In this work, a conventional sprayer was adapted with solenoid valves to allow the site-specific application using the "on/off" strategy, and a fixed rate. A computer program was developed to control each solenoid valve installed at the two sections of the boom, according to the information of a prescription map, containing the position of the points where the application should be done. A DGPS was connected to the system to inform the tractor’s position in the field. The system was tested in a real condition of weed control. The perimeter of the weed patches was previously georeferenced. The results showed that the developed system was able to achieve the patch application using fixed rates, resulting in a significant economy of herbicides, when compared with the conventional treatment, over the total area.

Orientador: Sérgio Hugo Benez / Coorientador: Paulo Roberto Arbex Silva / Banca: Silvio José Bicudo / Banca: Antonio Renan Berchol da Silva / Resumo: Nos sistemas conservacionistas de preparo do solo é fundamental a manutenção de resíduos vegetais das culturas anteriores na superfície do solo. Em certas regiões de clima quente com alta umidade no ar, a ação dos microorganismos é mais rápida, favorecendo a decomposição acelerada. Além do fator climático, também a relação Carbono/Nitrogênio (relação C/N), influi na velocidade de decomposição, pois quanto mais baixa essa relação mais rápida é a decomposição. A técnica denominada Hormesis é baseada na aplicação de subdosagem de herbicida e visa aumentar a quantidade de palha e também provocar um atraso na decomposição da palha. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os efeitos da técnica Hormesis na cultura do milho em sistema de plantio direto, considerando em particular alterações na quantidade de matéria seca e velocidade de decomposição da cobertura vegetal do solo. O experimento foi conduzido no ano agrícola de 2011/2012, na Fazenda Lageado pertencentes à Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - UNESP, localizada no município de Botucatu, SP, em uma área cultivada no sistema de plantio direto há 13 anos. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos inteiramente casualizados. Os tratamentos utilizados foram formados pela aplicação de subdoses de herbicidas na cultura do milho, sendo: Testemunha (sem aplicação de herbicidas), Gliphosate sub dosagem baixa (12,5 g.ia.ha-1), Gliphosate sub dosagem média (25 g.ia.ha-1), Gliphosate sub dosagem alta (50 g.ia.ha-1), 2,4-D sub dosagem baixa (100 g.ia.ha-1), 2,4-D sub dosagem média (200 g.ia.ha-1), 2,4-D sub dosagem alta (300 g.ia.ha-1), Verdict sub dosagem baixa (0,625 g.ia.ha-1), Verdict sub dosagem média (1,25 g.ia.ha-1), Verdict sub dosagem alta... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In systems of conservation tillage is critical to maintain previous crop residues on the soil surface. In certain regions with unfavorable weather, ie with high humidity hot air, which makes the action of microorganisms is very fast, favoring accelerated decomposition. Besides climatic factors also the relationship Carbon / Nitrogen (C / N), influences the rate of decomposition, because the lower the ratio the faster the decomposition. A technique called Hormesis that aims to increase the amount of straw and also cause a delay in straw decomposition. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of technical Hormesis in corn in no-till system, particularly considering changes in the amount of dry matter and decomposition rate of soil cover. The experiment was conducted in the agricultural year 2011/2012, the Treasury Lageado belonging to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences - UNESP, located in Botucatu, SP, in a cultivated area in no-tillage for 13 years, this area commonly known as plate area. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design. The treatments were formed by applying doses of herbicides in corn, as follows: Control (without application of herbicides), sub Gliphosate low dose (12.5 g.ia.ha-1), sub Gliphosate average dosage (25 g . ia.ha-1), Gliphosate under high dosage (50 g.ia.ha-1), 2,4-D under low dosage (100 g.ia.ha-1), 2,4-D sub average dosage (200 g.ia.ha-1), 2,4-D under high dosage (300 g.ia.ha-1) sub Verdict low dose (0.625 g.ia.ha-1), Verdict sub average dosage ( 1.25 g.ia.ha-1), Verdict under high dosage (2.5 g.ia.ha-1). Were evaluated in corn the following agronomic traits: plant height and first ear, stem diameter, ear length, number of kernel rows in the head and shank diameter, test weight, percentage of grain in the ear, dry weight of the plant, speed straw decomposition and productivity... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Graduation date: 1997

The archaeological and technical questions about ancient stone tools lead to various research activities such as chemical and petrographical analysis. Considering research areas and publications it can be suggested that mineralogical studies of stone samples of ancient stone tools have disclosed useful information concerning identification of the stone. Within this context, aim of this study is to determine the chemical, mineralogical and petrographical identities of the stone samples of Karain Cave (Antalya). Most paleolithic caves show one specific time interval layer but Karain Cave shows lower-upper and middle layers which give information about the migration ways between Near East and Europe. Stone tools excavated from Karain Cave are not only first human remainings in Anatolia but also first artworks of Anatolian people.Most of the stone tools excavated from Karain Cave are cherts. These cherts were analysed for archeological aspects but mineralogical, petrographical, and chemical contents have not been analysed yet. During the excavations at the Karain Cave in Antalya many stone pieces in different sizes and colors had been found. In this study ten samples were examined. The methods used consists of thin section, X- ray powder diffraction , scanning - electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis , differential thermal analyses and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine material characteristics of the samples. Petrographically the nine of the samples are chert with some including radiolarian fossils. Microcrystalline &aacute / - quartz is the major mineral in the chert. Only one sample is composed calcite and is identified as micritic limestone. Chemical analysis reflect the typical composition of chert with the average values of / 40.9% Si and 1 sample is limestone, which is composed of 35.7% Ca . Minor elements are Fe, Al, K, and Ti in the samples. Thermal analysis is also supported the thin section studies.Further research is suggested for provenance analysis of stone tools from the Karain Cave.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The use of pesticides poses a serious threat to the limited water resources of South Africa. The amounts which are not taken up by crop plants, are often washed away by runoff into surface waters, or leached through the soil, causing groundwater pollution. The problem of pesticide pollution is often intensified by inappropriate usage, disposal and monitoring in agriculture and predictive models have proven to be an effective tool for improving management practices. Research, however, has focused mainly on surface water contamination and groundwater impacts are largely unknown. Furthermore, pesticide registration in South Africa is largely determined by international standards and there is a need for impact assessments to be carried out under local conditions. The aims of this study included the determination of priority pesticides in South Africa based on usage and properties, the determination of pesticide sorption in two selected South African soils, and an assessment of pesticide fate by modelling.

Thesis (M.S.)--California Polytechnic State University, 2009. / Title from PDF title page; viewed on June 11, 2009. "May 2009." "In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree [of] Master of Science in Agriculture with specialization in Plant Protection Science." "Presented to the faculty of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo." Major professor: Terry L. Vassey, Ph.D. Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-61). Also available on microfiche.