A citricultura brasileira apresenta números bastante significativos e expressivos, refletindo a grande importância social e econômica que essa atividade agrícola e industrial tem para a economia do país. O Brasil se destaca como o maior produtor de laranja do mundo. As plantas cítricas podem ser produzidas e multiplicadas de várias formas e a enxertia é a forma de propagação vegetativa mais utilizada comercialmente no Brasil. Dentre os porta-enxertos mais empregados, sobressaem-se o citrumeleiro Swingle e a tangerineira Sunki. Apesar das vantagens presentes nesses dois genótipos, a produção deles está sendo limitada por doenças causadas por fungos e estraminipilas. Em citros, as diversas espécies de Phytophthora são responsáveis pelas doenças gomose e podridões, principalmente de radicelas. P. nicotianae é a espécie que mais afeta as plantas cítricas no Brasil. Não obstante a grande importância de P. nicotianae para os porta-enxertos, alguns mecanismos de resistência ou susceptibilidade ainda requerem mais investigações cientificas. O presente trabalho visa a elucidação de alguns mecanismos de resistência dos citros a P. nicotianae, por meio de estudos fisiológicos e bioquímicos dos porta-enxertos, além da ação de meios de cultura e da qualidade da luz no estudo da fisiologia desse estraminipila. Para isso realizou-se a detecção de alguns equivalentes de compostos fenólicos através da técnica HPLC e o comportamento do genótipo resistente frente à possível inibição da síntese de compostos fenólicos através do tratamento das raízes do porta-enxerto Swingle com Pro-Ca; avaliou-se a atração de zoósporos de P. nicotianae por exsudatos radiculares provenientes dos dois porta-enxertos com o uso de uma armadilha adaptada; verificou-se o comportamento do zoósporo, a motilidade e a zoosporogênese frente à ação de vários compostos fenólicos e testou-se a ação de diferentes meios de culturas e da qualidade da luz no crescimento micelial e na esporulação de P. nicotianae. Os resultados revelaram que a tangerineira Sunki possui maiores quantidades de equivalentes em apigenina que o citrumeleiro Swingle nos dois períodos de avaliação, para o HPLC. O porta-enxerto resistente apresentou mais equivalentes de ácido clorogênico que o genótipo susceptível. Quanto ao Pro-Ca, os equivalentes de compostos fenólicos em raízes de plântulas do citrumeleiro Swingle não diferiram daquelas plantas tratadas com água. O Pro-Ca não inibiu e não desativou a síntese de compostos fenólicos. O uso do anticorpo contra a elicitina \"α-plurivorina\" teve resultados intermediários no consumo de água por plântulas de tangerineira Sunki e a atividade zoosporicida dos compostos fenólicos apresentou resultados variáveis no comportamento da motilidade de zoósporos. Os compostos fenólicos escopoletina e tricetinpentametoxi conseguiram paralisar a motilidade e proporcionaram as menores porcentagens de zoosporogênese. O meio de cultura AA permitiu a maior TCMD, seguido de CA e V8-CaCO3-Ágar. Os maiores valores de esporulação foram encontrados nesses dois últimos meios, respectivamente. Todas as faixas de luzes (e a ausência de luz) estudadas no presente trabalho podem ser avaliadas para o crescimento micelial, porém o tratamento claro foi aquele que mais induziu a esporulação de zoósporos de P. nicotianae. / The Brazilian citrus industry has very significant and expressive numbers, reflecting the great social and economic importance of this industrial and agricultural activity has for the economy. Brazil stands out as the world\'s largest orange producer. Citrus plants can be produced and multiplied in various ways and the bud is the form of vegetative propagation more commercially used in Brazil. Among the most commonly used rootstocks, stand up the Swingle citrumelo and Sunki mandarin. Despite the advantages these two genotypes present, their production is being limited by diseases caused by fungi and estraminipilas. In citrus, all species of Phytophthora are responsible for diseases gummosis and fibrous root rot, especially. P. nicotianae is the kind that affects citrus plants in Brazil. Regardless of the great importance of P. nicotianae for rootstocks, some mechanisms of resistance or susceptibility still require further scientific investigation. This study aims to elucidate some mechanisms of resistance of citrus to P. nicotianae, through physiological and biochemical studies of rootstocks, beyond of action culture media and quality of light in the physiological study of this estraminipila. To this was carried out to detect certain equivalent of phenolic compounds by HPLC and genotype resistant behavior against the possible inhibition of the synthesis of phenolic compounds by treatment of the roots of Swingle rootstock with Pro-Ca; evaluated the zoospores attraction P. nicotianae by exudates from the two rootstocks using an adapted trap; it was the zoospore behavior, motility and zoosporogenesis to the action of various phenolic compounds and tested the action of different culture media and quality of light on mycelial growth and sporulation of P. nicotianae. The results for HPLC revealed that Sunki mandarin has larger amounts of apigenin equivalents Swingle citrumelo in that the two periods. The sturdy rootstock had more chlorogenic acid equivalents of the susceptible genotype. As for the Pro-Ca equivalent of phenolic compounds in Swingle seedling roots not differ from those plants treated with water. The Pro-Ca not inhibited and not disabled the synthesis of phenolic compounds. The use of the antibody against elicitin \"α-plurivorin\" had intermediate results in water consumption by Sunki mandarin seedlings and zoosporicide activity of phenolic compounds showed variable results in the behavior of zoospore motility. The scopoletin and tricetinpentametoxi phenolic compounds managed to paralyze the motility and provided the smallest percentages of zoosporogenesis. The culture medium AA allowed greater DMGR, followed by CA and V8-CaCO3-Agar. The highest sporulation values were found in the last two media, respectively. All lights tracks (and the absence of light) studied in this work can be evaluated for mycelial growth, but the treatment light was that more induced sporulation of zoospores of P. nicotianae.

Via la photosynthèse et la photomorphogenèse, la lumière contrôle fortement la ramification. Le rosier (Rosa hybrida L.) présente par exemple une inhibition complète du débourrement à l’obscurité. Mieux comprendre le mode d’action de la lumière offrira des possibilités nouvelles à l’horticulture. Peu de choses sont connues sur la signalisation de la lumière au cours du débourrement. Notamment, les rôles de chacun des photorécepteurs et des cytokinines (CK), hormones promotrices du débourrement, dans la transduction du signal lumineux n’ont pas été examinés. Dans ce travail, des apports exogènes et des dosages de CK à l’obscurité montrent que le photocontrôle du débourrement passe par la photorégulation des CK. La lumière contrôle la néosynthèse et le transport des CK depuis l’entre-nœud vers le bourgeon, et inhibe leur dégradation. Les CK néoformées initient le débourrement car elles régulent un ensemble de gènes majeurs du débourrement (signalisation des strigolactones, métabolisme et transport de l’auxine et des sucres, division et expansion cellulaires). Afin d’identifier les photorécepteurs impliqués dans ce processus, des études ont été menées chez le pois (Pisum sativum L.). Il en ressort que le profil de débourrement chez le pois est sous photocontrôle : basitone à la lumière, ce profil devient acrotone à l’obscurité ou suite aux simples et doubles mutations de phyA, phyB et cry1. Ces trois photorécepteurs jouent donc un rôle primordial sur les corrélations inhibitrices entre bourgeons. Des apports de CK permettent de restaurer le profil basitone du sauvage chez le mutant phyB, ce qui suggère que la signalisation de la lumière vers les CK passe par phyB. / Through photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis, light highly controls plant branching. Roses (Rosa hybrida L.) exhibit for example a strong inhibition of bud outgrowth under darkness. Better understanding the action of light in branching will give new opportunities to horticulturists. Yet, little is known about the light signalling pathway during bud outgrowth. In particular, the involvements of each photoreceptor and of cytokinins (CK), plant hormones acting as promoters of bud outgrowth, in the transduction of the light signal during bud outgrowth have not been assessed. In this work, exogenous applications and quantification of CK under darkness show that the photocontrol of bud outgrowth goes through the photo-regulation of CK. Light controls CK neo-synthesis and transport from the internode toward the bud, and inhibits their degradation. The neo-synthesised CK initiate bud outgrowth by regulating a set of major genes involved in bud outgrowth (strigolactones signalling, metabolisms and transports of auxin and of sugar, cell division and expansion). In order to identify the photoreceptors that are involved in this process, we studied pea (Pisum sativum L.) mutants. Our research indicate that the bud outgrowth profile along the stem is under photocontrol: being basitonic under white light, this profile becomes acrotonic under darkness or after mutations of phyA, phyB and cry1. These three photoreceptors thus play a major role in the control of the correlative inhibitions between buds. Since applications of CK allowed to restore the wild-type basitonic profile in the phyB mutant, this suggests that the light signalling pathway towards CK involves phyB.

I Sverige arbetar i dagsläget ca 930 000 personer inom industrin. Inom industribranschen är det ofta fokus på direkta energiekonomiska vinster och inte på de vinster som görs indirekt. Detta gör att komfortaspekter som bra ventilation, ergonomiskt ljus och estetiskt tilltalande miljöutformningar inte prioriteras. Dagens industrier har ofta varierande flexibla layouter för att optimera sina processer. Det vill säga att arbetsstationer, maskiner och lagerhyllor flyttas för att gynna flödet för specifika produkter. Vid variation i layouten kan belysningen påverkas negativt om den om fast monterad. Genom en benchmarkingstudie samt ljusberäkningar undersöktes det i vilken utsträckning en fast belysningsinstallation kan vara lämplig för en industriverksamhet med varierande flöde. Resultatet av en del i studien visar att en fast belysningsinstallation, där armaturerna har bred spridningsvinkel, fungerar bra i industriverksamheter med varierande flöde. En experimentell studie med 17 deltagare genomfördes i en industrilokal för att undersöka i vilken utsträckning trivsel påverkas i en industri med god ljuskvalité, jämfört med en anläggning med sämre ljuskvalité. Undersökningen pågick under fyra veckor genom att två belysningsinstallationer utvärderades med hjälp av en enkät. Anläggningens befintliga belysningsinstallation jämfördes med en belysningsinstallation av bättre teknik och ljuskvalité. I den här delen av undersökningen framkom det att i ljuset med högre kvalité upplevdes naturligare, mer fokuserat, varmare och behagligare än i ljuset med lägre kvalité. Andra aspekter, såsom skuggbildning och reflektion, upplevdes relativt lika under alla undersökningsveckorna. Genom att upprätta LCC-kalkyler samt beräkna LENI-tal kunde det fastslås hur anläggningens energikostnad påverkas med en ny belysningsanläggning bestyckad med LED. En ljusanläggning med den nya tekniken har en lägre energianvändning än den äldre installationen. Detta bidrar till en mer ekonomisk och miljömässig hållbarhet. / Today, Sweden employs about 930,000 people in industry. In the industrial sector, there is often a focus on direct energy-economic gains and not on the indirect gains. This means that comfort aspects such as good ventilation, ergonomic light and aesthetically pleasing environmental design are not prioritized. Today's industries often have varied flexible layouts to optimize their processes. That is, workstations, machines and storage shelves are moved to favor the flow of specific products. If the layout is varied, the lighting can be adversely affected if it is permanently mounted. Through a benchmarking study and light calculations, it was investigated to what extent a fixed lighting installation might be suitable for an industry with varying flow. The result of a part of the study shows that a fixed lighting installation, where the luminaires have wide diffusion angle, work well in industrial operations with varying flow rates. A quantitative study of 17 participants was conducted in an industrial room to investigate the extent to which well-being is affected in an industry of good light quality, compared with a poorer light quality facility. The study was conducted for four weeks by evaluating two lighting installations. The system's existing lighting installation was compared with a lighting installation of better technology and light quality. In this part of the survey it was found that the light of the higher light quality perceived more natural, more focused, warmer and more comfortable than in the light with lower light quality. Other aspects, such as shadowing and reflection, were experienced relatively similar throughout the extent of the research. By establishing LCC calculations and calculating LENI numbers, it could be determined how the energy cost of the plant is affected by a new lighting system with LED. A light facility with the new technology has a lower energy consumption than the older installation. This contributes to a more economic and environmental sustainability.

A citricultura brasileira apresenta números bastante significativos e expressivos, refletindo a grande importância social e econômica que essa atividade agrícola e industrial tem para a economia do país. O Brasil se destaca como o maior produtor de laranja do mundo. As plantas cítricas podem ser produzidas e multiplicadas de várias formas e a enxertia é a forma de propagação vegetativa mais utilizada comercialmente no Brasil. Dentre os porta-enxertos mais empregados, sobressaem-se o citrumeleiro Swingle e a tangerineira Sunki. Apesar das vantagens presentes nesses dois genótipos, a produção deles está sendo limitada por doenças causadas por fungos e estraminipilas. Em citros, as diversas espécies de Phytophthora são responsáveis pelas doenças gomose e podridões, principalmente de radicelas. P. nicotianae é a espécie que mais afeta as plantas cítricas no Brasil. Não obstante a grande importância de P. nicotianae para os porta-enxertos, alguns mecanismos de resistência ou susceptibilidade ainda requerem mais investigações cientificas. O presente trabalho visa a elucidação de alguns mecanismos de resistência dos citros a P. nicotianae, por meio de estudos fisiológicos e bioquímicos dos porta-enxertos, além da ação de meios de cultura e da qualidade da luz no estudo da fisiologia desse estraminipila. Para isso realizou-se a detecção de alguns equivalentes de compostos fenólicos através da técnica HPLC e o comportamento do genótipo resistente frente à possível inibição da síntese de compostos fenólicos através do tratamento das raízes do porta-enxerto Swingle com Pro-Ca; avaliou-se a atração de zoósporos de P. nicotianae por exsudatos radiculares provenientes dos dois porta-enxertos com o uso de uma armadilha adaptada; verificou-se o comportamento do zoósporo, a motilidade e a zoosporogênese frente à ação de vários compostos fenólicos e testou-se a ação de diferentes meios de culturas e da qualidade da luz no crescimento micelial e na esporulação de P. nicotianae. Os resultados revelaram que a tangerineira Sunki possui maiores quantidades de equivalentes em apigenina que o citrumeleiro Swingle nos dois períodos de avaliação, para o HPLC. O porta-enxerto resistente apresentou mais equivalentes de ácido clorogênico que o genótipo susceptível. Quanto ao Pro-Ca, os equivalentes de compostos fenólicos em raízes de plântulas do citrumeleiro Swingle não diferiram daquelas plantas tratadas com água. O Pro-Ca não inibiu e não desativou a síntese de compostos fenólicos. O uso do anticorpo contra a elicitina \"α-plurivorina\" teve resultados intermediários no consumo de água por plântulas de tangerineira Sunki e a atividade zoosporicida dos compostos fenólicos apresentou resultados variáveis no comportamento da motilidade de zoósporos. Os compostos fenólicos escopoletina e tricetinpentametoxi conseguiram paralisar a motilidade e proporcionaram as menores porcentagens de zoosporogênese. O meio de cultura AA permitiu a maior TCMD, seguido de CA e V8-CaCO3-Ágar. Os maiores valores de esporulação foram encontrados nesses dois últimos meios, respectivamente. Todas as faixas de luzes (e a ausência de luz) estudadas no presente trabalho podem ser avaliadas para o crescimento micelial, porém o tratamento claro foi aquele que mais induziu a esporulação de zoósporos de P. nicotianae. / The Brazilian citrus industry has very significant and expressive numbers, reflecting the great social and economic importance of this industrial and agricultural activity has for the economy. Brazil stands out as the world\'s largest orange producer. Citrus plants can be produced and multiplied in various ways and the bud is the form of vegetative propagation more commercially used in Brazil. Among the most commonly used rootstocks, stand up the Swingle citrumelo and Sunki mandarin. Despite the advantages these two genotypes present, their production is being limited by diseases caused by fungi and estraminipilas. In citrus, all species of Phytophthora are responsible for diseases gummosis and fibrous root rot, especially. P. nicotianae is the kind that affects citrus plants in Brazil. Regardless of the great importance of P. nicotianae for rootstocks, some mechanisms of resistance or susceptibility still require further scientific investigation. This study aims to elucidate some mechanisms of resistance of citrus to P. nicotianae, through physiological and biochemical studies of rootstocks, beyond of action culture media and quality of light in the physiological study of this estraminipila. To this was carried out to detect certain equivalent of phenolic compounds by HPLC and genotype resistant behavior against the possible inhibition of the synthesis of phenolic compounds by treatment of the roots of Swingle rootstock with Pro-Ca; evaluated the zoospores attraction P. nicotianae by exudates from the two rootstocks using an adapted trap; it was the zoospore behavior, motility and zoosporogenesis to the action of various phenolic compounds and tested the action of different culture media and quality of light on mycelial growth and sporulation of P. nicotianae. The results for HPLC revealed that Sunki mandarin has larger amounts of apigenin equivalents Swingle citrumelo in that the two periods. The sturdy rootstock had more chlorogenic acid equivalents of the susceptible genotype. As for the Pro-Ca equivalent of phenolic compounds in Swingle seedling roots not differ from those plants treated with water. The Pro-Ca not inhibited and not disabled the synthesis of phenolic compounds. The use of the antibody against elicitin \"α-plurivorin\" had intermediate results in water consumption by Sunki mandarin seedlings and zoosporicide activity of phenolic compounds showed variable results in the behavior of zoospore motility. The scopoletin and tricetinpentametoxi phenolic compounds managed to paralyze the motility and provided the smallest percentages of zoosporogenesis. The culture medium AA allowed greater DMGR, followed by CA and V8-CaCO3-Agar. The highest sporulation values were found in the last two media, respectively. All lights tracks (and the absence of light) studied in this work can be evaluated for mycelial growth, but the treatment light was that more induced sporulation of zoospores of P. nicotianae.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:59:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_milene_conceicao_lima.pdf: 1117046 bytes, checksum: 61412e1bba4614df5d623d5245902770 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-04-05 / Several abiotic factors can coordinate or alter metabolic processes of growth and development plants such light, temperature, water availability, climate, soil nutrition and inorganic compounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate performance of A. millefolium L. (yarrow) against abiotic factors. To achieve this objective were have conducted two experiments in which the first was observed antimicrobial activity in vitro and essential oil yield of yarrow grown with nitrogen levels (0, 75 and 150 kg urea ha-1) and subjected different levels of shading 0% (full light) and 70% (70% shading). The second experiment were observed growth characteristics, production photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzymes activity, concentrations hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, ascorbate and deidroascorbato, antioxidant activity by method DPPH and secondary metabolites synthesis in yarrow cultivated under light conditions (full light and blue, red and black shade net) and subjected different collection periods (eight weeks shading, two and four weeks after shading). The results show that oil yield extracted from flowers was stimulated by medium nitrogen level and full light increased the oil yield extracted from leaves. The highest essential oil yield was observed in reproductive structures. Antimicrobial activity of oil was confirmed against microorganisms species. Yeast strains were inhibited by the lowest concentration. The dry mass of leaves and flowers was favored in plants grown under full light. The content of chlorophyll a and b were higher in plants cultivated under blue net, total chlorophyll content was lower in plants under full light and plants two weeks after shading was increase of chlorophyll a, b and total, equivalent did not shaded plants. Catalase activity increased plants acclimated to high light intensity and low light did not stimulate ascorbate peroxidase, but increased superoxide dismutase and content of hydrogen peroxide. Lipid peroxidation was reduced presence of the spectrum blue and red light and low light intensity generated by nets black and blue, reduced accumulation of ascorbate. Content of deidroascorbato increased acclimation process to sunlight and antioxidant activity was more pronounced extracts of flowers. Levels total phenols and flavonoids were stimulated by full light. Oil yield extracted from flowers was higher than leaves. Major metabolite oil extracted from leaves was farnesol and flowers were farnesol and chamazulene. Results for medicinal species A. millefolium L. indicated that light intensity, light quality, collection periods and nitrogen fertilization influence growth, photosynthetic pigments production, secondary metabolites and antioxidant response. / Diversos fatores abióticos podem coordenar ou alterar os processos metabólicos de crescimento e desenvolvimento em plantas como a luz, temperatura, disponibilidade hídrica, clima, nutrição do solo e compostos inorgânicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o comportamento de A. millefolium L. (mil-folhas) frente aos fatores abióticos. Para atingir este objetivo foram realizados dois experimentos, na qual no primeiro foi verificada a atividade antimicrobiana in vitro e rendimento do óleo essencial de mil-folhas cultivada com concentrações de nitrogênio (0, 75 e 150 Kg ureia ha-1) e submetida a diferentes níveis de sombreamento 0% (luz plena) e 70% (sombreamento 70%). No segundo experimento foram avaliadas características de crescimento, produção de pigmentos fotossintéticos, atividade de enzimas antioxidantes, teores de peróxido de hidrogênio, malondialdeído, ascorbato e deidroascorbato, atividade antioxidante pelo método DPPH e síntese de metabólitos secundários em mil-folhas cultivada sob condições de luminosidade (luz plena e sombreamento com malha azul, vermelha e preta) e submetida a diferentes períodos de coleta (oito semanas de sombreamento, duas e quatro semanas após o sombreamento). Os principais resultados mostram que o rendimento do óleo extraído de flores foi estimulado pela concentração nitrogenada intermediária e o extraído de folhas foi favorecido pela luz plena, sendo maior nas estruturas reprodutivas. A atividade antimicrobiana do óleo foi confirmada frente aos microrganismos, sendo as cepas fúngicas inibidas pela menor concentração. A massa seca das folhas e flores foi favorecida nas plantas cultivadas com luz plena. Os teores de clorofila a e b foram maiores nas plantas cultivadas com a malha azul, o conteúdo de clorofila total foi menor nas plantas sob luz plena e em plantas com duas semanas após o sombreamento ocorreu um incremento de clorofila a, b e total, equivalendo-se às plantas não sombreadas. A atividade da catalase aumentou em plantas aclimatadas em alta intensidade de luz e a baixa luminosidade não estimulou a ascorbato peroxidase, mas incrementou a superóxido dismutase e o teor de peróxido de hidrogênio. A peroxidação lipídica foi reduzida na presença dos espectros de luz azul e vermelha e a baixa intensidade de luz, gerada pelas malhas preta e azul, reduziu o acúmulo de ascorbato. O conteúdo de deidroascorbato aumentou em processo de aclimatação à luz solar e a atividade antioxidante foi mais acentuada em extratos de flores. Os teores de fenois e flavonoides totais foram estimulados pela luz plena. O rendimento do óleo extraído de flores foi maior em relação ao de folhas. O metabólito majoritário do óleo extraído de folhas foi o farnesol e os extraídos de flores foram o farnesol e camazuleno. Os resultados encontrados para a espécie medicinal A. millefolium L. indicaram que a intensidade luminosa, qualidade de luz, períodos de coleta e fertilização nitrogenada influenciam no crescimento, produção de pigmentos fotossintéticos, de metabólitos secundários e resposta antioxidante.

Abstract Vaccinium berries contain high yields of antioxidant compounds, such as flavonoids and carotenoids, which are recognized to benefit human health. Therefore, commercial interest in cultivated and wild Vaccinium berries is increasing globally. Flavonoids and carotenoids are important secondary metabolites, the biosynthesis of which is regulated by interaction of the genetic background of the plant and the surrounding environment. In fruits the production of secondary metabolites has also a tight linkage with developmental processes. The present thesis is focused on developmental and environmental factors affecting the biosynthesis of carotenoids and flavonoids in berries of the genus Vaccinium. In bilberry altogether eight carotenoids were detected, with lutein and β-carotene being the most abundant compounds, accompanied by minor amounts of xanthophylls, such as antheraxanthin, neoxanthin, violaxanthin and zeaxanthin. During ripening the accumulation of carotenoids decreased. Simultaneously the expression of a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (VmCCD1) gene increased, indicating degradation of carotenoids during the fruit development. Simultaneously, flavonols and anthocyanins accumulated during the last stages of berry ripening. Environmental factors had a marked effect on the anthocyanin profile of ripe bilberries. Especially lower temperatures affected more on the accumulation of the delphinidin-based anthocyanidins than on the cyanidin-based ones. However, the spectral light composition also played a role, as an increased proportion in blue wavelengths increased the delphinidin-based anthocyanins at ripe stage. The effect of light quality on other phenolic compounds and carotenoid accumulation was less pronounced. The present results can be applied to cultivation of Vaccinium species in order to produce berries with high nutritional value. / Tiivistelmä Vaccinium-suvun marjat sisältävät runsaasti antioksidatiivisiä yhdisteitä, kuten flavonoideja ja karotenoideja, joilla on viimeaikaisissa tutkimuksissa havaittu lukuisia terveysvaikutuksia. Tämän johdosta kiinnostus sekä viljeltyjä mustikoita että metsämustikoita kohtaan on kasvanut maailmanlaajuisesti. Flavonoidit ja karotenoidit ovat kasvien tuottamia sekundäärimetabolian yhdisteitä, joiden biosynteesin säätelyyn vaikuttavat sekä kasvin geneettinen tausta että ympäristötekijät. Hedelmissä ja marjoissa sekundääriyhdisteiden tuoton säätelyyn vaikuttaa huomattavasti myös kehityksellisten vaiheiden eteneminen. Tässä väitöskirjatyössä selvitettiin marjan kehitykseen liittyvien tekijöiden sekä ympäristötekijöiden vaikutusta flavonoidien ja karotenoidien biosynteesiin sekä viljelyillä mustikoilla että metsämustikoilla. Metsämustikoista tunnistettiin kahdeksan erilaista karotenoidi-yhdistettä, joista luteiini ja β-karoteeni esiintyivät yleisimpinä ksantofyllin, antheraksantiinin, neoksantiinin, violaksantiinin ja zeaksantiinin ohella. Karotenoidien pitoisuudet olivat suurimmillaan marjankehityksen alkuvaiheessa ja laskivat kypsyvissä marjoissa. Vastaavasti karotenoideja pilkkovan VmCCD1 entsyymigeenin ilmeneminen lisääntyi kohosi marjan kypysymisen loppuvaiheessa. Antosyaanien ja myrisetiini-pohjaisten flavonolien pitoisuudet sen sijaan kohosivat kypsymisen aikana. Tässä tutkimuksessa ympäristötekijöillä osoitettiin olevan suuri vaikutus antosyaanien laadulliseen kertymiseen, sillä delfinidiini-tyypin antosyaanien pitoisuudet muuttuivat enemmän ympäristötekijöiden vaikutuksesta verrattuna syanidiini-tyypin antosyaaneihin. Alhaisempi lämpötila yhdessä spesifisten valo-olosuhteiden kanssa lisäsi eniten delfinidiini-tyypin antosyaanien tuottoa. Myös valon laadulla voitiin osoittaa olevan vaikutusta antosyaanien biosynteesiin. Sininen valo lisäsi erityisesti delfinidiini-tyypin antosyaanien tuottoa kypsissä marjoissa. Flavonolien ja karotenoidien tuottoon valon laadun vaikutus oli sen sijaan vähäisempää. Väitöskirjatyön tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää marjojen viljelyssä haluttaessa vaikuttaa marjojen ravitsemukselliseen koostumukseen.

<p>As the world population continues to grow, it will be challenging to manage resources, reduce environmental pollution and maintain growing demand for food production. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a novel solution to reduce freshwater use in agriculture, minimize environmental pollution from agriculture sector, and meet the growing food demand. CEA allows for the year-round cultivation in inhospitable climatic conditions. Hydroponics is a common method of growing crops in CEA, where plants grow in a solution enriched with nutrients and oxygen. The technique significantly reduces water use and fertilizer run-off during production. In the United States, lettuce is one of the most important crops grown using hydroponics.</p> <p> Hydroponic production uses several methods to grow lettuce including nutrient film technique (NFT) and constant flood table (CFT). Moreover, several cultivars of lettuce are grown in the Midwest. There is a lack of knowledge on whether optimal fertilizer concentrations change depending on the cultivar or hydroponic production system. Little information is known about the suitability of a cultivar to a specific method of hydroponic production. For year-round lettuce production in hydroponics, supplemental lighting (SL) and heating are required in the Midwestern regions of the U.S. The energy requirements for SL and heating can be too costly in winter for some growers to produce crop year-round. In addition to light quantity, spectral composition of light can impact growth. Heating the root zone to produce a micro-climate may be more efficient than heating the entire greenhouse and possibly reduce overall heating costs. However, information on spectral composition of light and the efficacy of root zone heating is unclear, at best. Certain cultivars that can tolerate cold stress can be more suitable in the U.S. Midwest during winter. Lettuce cultivar screening for yield under cooler environments is limited. </p> <p> A completely customizable hydroponic production system that can aid in conducting research related to above-mentioned issues was built as a part of my Master of Science program. Using this system, 24 popular cultivars from four lettuce groups were evaluated for productivity during summer/fall under different concentrations of fertilizer solution, and in two production methods including NFT and CFT during spring. In addition, yield of all 24 cultivars were evaluated under 10, 15.5 and 21.1 °C in a growth chamber. The eight best performing cultivars from the summer/fall trial were evaluated during the winter in a greenhouse with the addition of SL and root zone heating with minimal ambient air heating. </p> <p> Results indicated that the lowest level of electrical conductivity (EC) of the fertilizer solution used (1.3 dS·m^-1) resulted in highest yield, regardless of cultivar or method of production. Among the 24 cultivars; Red Sails (Leaf), Salvius (Romaine), Cedar (Oakleaf), and Adriana (Butterhead) had the highest yields among each group during summer. Growth chamber study indicated that Dragoon, Adriana, New Fire Red and Red Sails cultivars had higher yields than other cultivars under cooler (10 and 15.5 °C) air temperature conditions. In the winter study, lettuce cultivars did not reach harvestable size even after 40 days of growth without SL and root zone heating. Supplemental light composition significantly affected lettuce growth with higher yield under Purple (with higher proportion of red) than White LED lighting. Commercially acceptable lettuce could be produced using root zone heating. In general, plants grown under CFT yielded higher than those grown under NFT in the winter trial. Among the cultivars, Salvius, Black Seeded Simpson, Cedar, and Red Sails performed better under SL and root zone heating during winter.</p>

Thesis (MScAgric (Viticulture and Oenology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Soil is a component of the environment and sustains growth of several plants and animals. It forms part of the biosphere and can be described as the interface between the atmosphere and the lithosphere. The interaction between soil, climate and topography and the resulting agricultural aptitude forms the concept of terroir. This relationship is complex and it is difficult to quantify the contribution of each. Grapevines are exposed to an array of soil types. Soils have varying colours, which can be ascribed to their origin from different parent materials and pedogenetic factors. Historical and experimental evidence points to the key role that soil physical conditions play in determining grape berry composition, but other soil related factors may also play a role. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of soil surface colour on the vegetative and reproductive growth characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon. The aim was to determine whether a relationship exists between soil colour, reflective light quality below and inside the grapevine canopy, vegetative growth of the grapevine and the berry and wine composition. The reflected light from soils was measured in three positions of the canopy and across the light spectrum (300–2500 nm) for three different soil surface treatments (black, red and grey). The effect of soil colour on vegetative parameters, yield and berry composition and wine quality was investigated. Soil surface colour resulted in differences in the reflected light quality below and in the canopy. The differences in the light quality were associated with differences in vegetative parameters such as mean main leaf, with grey soils inducing higher values. Potassium levels of the grapes and berry number per bunch appeared to be influenced by soil surface colour throughout berry development with red and black soils having higher levels of potassium and berry number per bunch than grey soils. Grape ripening parameters were not influenced by soil surface colour, but the grey treatment had a significantly more intense grape colour measured at 520 nm (red pigments). It is assumed that the importance of soil colour is its association with the physical and the pedogenetic properties that contribute to the grapevine water balance. From these results it can be concluded that soil surface colour appeared to have a direct effect on some aspects of vegetative and reproductive growth, and berry composition, but the contribution of different wavebands and mechanism of their effect deserves further study.

<p>  </p> <p>Environmental conditions, like light quality and herbivory, can induce changes in plant physiology. Light quality can be manipulated using LEDs (light emitting diodes) to improve crop quality and yield in horticultural production. The manipulation of light quality has also been utilized in the management of agricultural insect pests. Previous research has provided evidence that changes in light quality can have effects on the growth and chemistry of cannabis crops (<em>Cannabis spp.</em>). Varieties of cannabis are grown for the production of the valued cannabinoids CBD and THC. Pest of cannabis include herbivorous arthropods that reduce hemp yield and quality. Arthropod herbivory can induce chemical and physical changes in plants. This thesis further investigates the role of light quality on both cannabis biology and the crop-pest interaction between cannabis and the cannabis aphid (<em>Phorodon cannabis</em>). In the experiments described herein, the effects of light quality and <em>P. cannabis </em>herbivory on cannabis were assessed by measuring impact on biomass accumulation, yield, and the production of CBD and THC. The effects of light quality on the life history traits of <em>P. cannabis </em>were also measured. Cannabis grown under red-blue light quality saw a reduction in vegetative growth but no reduction in yield. Light treatments had no measured effect on the concentrations of CBD and THC in the cannabis buds. Aphid herbivory decreased bud yield but increased vegetative growth. Aphid herbivory reduced the concentration of both CBD and THC in cannabis bud tissue. Under blue-rich light quality, <em>P. cannabis </em>experienced higher reproductive rates when compared to red-blue and full-spectrum lighting. </p>

The general goal of this research was to understand the agronomic and physiological changes of a lucerne crop in distinct physical radiation environments and to verify the potential of lucerne to grow under shaded conditions. To achieve this, the research was conducted in four main steps: (i) firstly, experimental data collection in the field using two artificial shade materials (shade cloth and wooden slats) under inigated and non-irrigated conditions; (ii) a second experiment with data collection in a typical temperate dryland agroforestry area under non-irrigated conditions; (iii) generation of a light interception sub-model suitable for shaded crops and (iv) a linkage between the light interception sub-model and a canopy photosynthesis model for agroforestry use. In experiments 1 and 2, lucerne crop was exposed to 6 different light regimes: full sunlight (FS), shade cloth (FS+CL), wooden slats (FS+SL), trees (T), trees+cloth (T +CL) and trees+slats (T+SL). The FS+SL structure produced a physical radiation environment (radiation transmission, radiation periodicity and spectral composition) that was similar to that observed in the agroforestry site (f). The mean annual photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was 41 % under the FS+CL, 44% under FS+SL and 48% under T compared with FS in clear sky conditions. Plants were exposed to an intermittent (sun/shade) regime under both FS+SL and T, whereas under FS+CL the shaded light regime was continuous. The red to far-red (RIFR) ratio measured during the shade period under the slats was 0.74 and under the trees was 0.64. However, R/FR ratio increased to 1.26 and 1.23 during the illuminated period under FS+SL and T, respectively, and these were equivalent to the ratio of 1.28 observed under the FS+CL and 1.31 in FS. The radiation use efficiency (RUE) of shoots increased under the 5 shaded treatments compared with full sunlight. The pattern of radiation interception was unchanged by radiation flux, periodicity and spectral composition and all treatments had a mean extinction coefficient of 0.82. However, the magnitude of the decrease in canopy growth was less than those in PPFD transmissivity. The mean lucerne annual dry matter (DM) yield was 17.5 t ha⁻¹ in FS and 10 t ha⁻¹ under the FS+CL, FS+SL and T regimes. This declined to 3.4 t DM ha⁻¹ under T+CL (22% PPFD transmissvity) and 4.1 t DM ha⁻¹ under T+SL (23% transmissivity). A similar pattern of response was observed for leaf net photosynthesis (Pn) rates under the shade treatments compared with full sun. In addition, spectral changes observed under the trees and slats affected plant motphology by increasing the number of long stems, stem height and internode length compared with full sunlight. Thus, there were two main explanations for the increase in RUE under shade compared with full sun: (i) preferential partition of assimilates to shoot rather than root growth and/or (ii) leaves under shade were still operating at an efficient part of the photosynthetic light curve. The changes proposed for the canopy Pn model were appropriate to simulate the radiation environment of an agroforestry system. However, the model underestimated DM yields under the continuous and intermittent shade regimes. These were considered to be mainly associated with plant factors, such as overestimation in maintenance respiration and partitioning between shoots and roots in shade and the intermittency light effect on leaf Pn rates. Further investigation in these topics must be addressed to accurately predict crop yield in agroforestry areas. Overall, the lucerne crop responded typically as a sun-adapted plant under shade. It was concluded that lucerne yield potential to grow under intermediate shade was superior to most of C3 pastures previously promoted in the literature.