Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:36:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 713258 bytes, checksum: b7a090ef3db4288fb06186d288d9d7e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-10 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The aim of this study was to evaluate: i) the effects of growth regulators and potassium nitrate (KNO3), 2-cloroetilfosfônico acid (CEPA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) on seed germination of papaya groups of "Formosa" and "Solo" ii) the effects of these growth regulators in the composition of starch, soluble sugars, lipids, soluble proteins and total protein in seeds of the "Formosa" extracted from fruits at maturation stages 3 and 5, corresponding to 50% and 75% of the outer surface yellow, respectively. The seed-control group "Formosa" in stage 5 had higher germination at 30 days after sowing. CEPA promoted reduction in the germination of papaya seeds. The effects of CEPA were reversed by potassium nitrate. In general, all growth regulators tested were effective in overcoming dormancy, with the exception of CEPA isolated. Potassium nitrate was the compound more efficient in overcoming dormancy of seeds of papaya. CEPA caused a reduction in the mobilization of starch. The GA3, alone and in combination with potassium nitrate, stimulated the mobilization of lipids, while the seeds of the third stage of maturity had higher germination when treated with all growth regulators tested. Potassium nitrate promoted a negative effect on germination and germination speed index, especially in seeds at stage 5. The growth regulators did not increase the percentage of normal seedlings of papaya seeds in the group "Solo". CEPA and 5x10-4M GA3 alone were responsible for the increase in the number of normal seedlings at 14 days after sowing of seeds in stage 3. / Os objetivos do trabalho foram: i) avaliar os efeitos dos reguladores de crescimento nitrato de potássio (KNO3), ácido 2-cloroetilfosfônico (CEPA) e ácido giberélico (GA3) na germinação das sementes de mamão dos grupos Formosa e Solo ; ii) avaliar os efeitos daqueles reguladores de crescimento na composição de amido, açúcares solúveis, lipídios, proteínas solúveis e proteínas totais em sementes do grupo Formosa , em sementes extraídas de frutos nos estádios de maturação 3 e 5, correspondendo a 50% e 75% da superfície exterior amarela, respectivamente. As sementes-controle do grupo Formosa obtidas no estádio 5 apresentaram maior germinação aos 30 dias após a semeadura. O CEPA promoveu redução na germinação de sementes de mamão. Os efeitos do CEPA foram revertidos pelo nitrato de potássio. Em geral, todos os reguladores de crescimento testados foram eficientes na superação da dormência, com exceção do CEPA quando isolado. O nitrato de potássio mostrou-se o composto mais eficiente na superação da dormência das sementes de mamão. O CEPA provocou redução na mobilização do amido. O GA3, isoladamente, e em associação com o nitrato de potássio, estimulou uma maior mobilização de lipídios, enquanto as sementes do estádio 3 de maturação apresentaram aumento da germinação, quando tratadas com todos os reguladores de crescimento testados. O nitrato de potássio promoveu em efeito negativo sobre a germinação e no índice de velocidade de germinação, principalmente nas sementes no estádio 5. Os reguladores de crescimento não aumentaram a porcentagem de plântulas normais das sementes de mamão do grupo Solo . O CEPA 5x10-4M e o GA3 isolados foram responsáveis pelo aumento do número de plântulas normais, aos 14 dias após a semeadura de sementes no estádio 3.

Echium plantagineum is considered an annual invasive ruderal plant, possibly biennial, originating in the Mediterranean region and Western Europe, of easy adaptation, with up to 1,5 m of height, reproduced by seeds, and with potential to become weed. Besides being easy to adapt to different environmental conditions. Besides being easy to adapt to different environmental conditions. In view of the above, the objective of the work is to evaluate methods of overcoming dormancy, light regimes, temperature variations and seeding depths in the physiological quality of E. plantagineum seeds. Three experiments were conducted, two in the laboratory, in which Experiment I evaluated seed dormancy overcoming treatments with high temperature exposure times (42 °C) and humidity [TU] (100%) (24, 48, 72 and 96 h), immersion times in potassium nitrate (PN) (0,2%) (6, 12, 18 and 24 h), immersion in concentrations of gibberellic acid [GA] (250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 mg L-1), and PN + GA (12 h) + (125, 250, 375, 500 and 625 mg L-1). In Experiment II the seeds were submitted to different constant temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C) in the presence or absence of light. Experiment III was conducted in a greenhouse, in which the seeds were allocated to different soil depths (0,0, 1,0, 2,0, 3,0, 4,0, and 5,0 cm) in the presence or absence of plant cover with ryegrass straw (Lolium multiforum L.). In general, the pre-germination treatments using PN and GA applied sequentially are favorable for overcoming dormancy, allowing maximum expression of vigor and germination of the seeds, making it possible to generate seedlings with normal primary structures. Seeds of E. plantagineum can be classified as neutral photoblasts, having a temperature of 20 °C as optimum for germination, variable from 10 to 30 °C. When the seeds were submitted to depths in the soil, there was a significant decrease of the emergence with the increase of the depth, being the seeds located at the surface showed greater emergence, occurring positive influence of the soil cover with straw. / Echium plantagineum é considerada uma planta ruderal invasiva anual, eventualmente bienal, originária da região do Mediterrâneo e Europa Ocidental, de fácil adaptação, com até 1,5 m de estatura, reproduzida por sementes, e com potencial para se converter em planta daninha. Além de possuir fácil capacidade de adaptação a diferentes condições ambientais. Diante do exposto, o trabalho tem como objetivos avaliar métodos de superação da dormência, regimes de luz, variações de temperaturas e profundidades de semeadura na qualidade fisiológica de sementes de E. plantagineum. Foram conduzidos três experimentos, sendo dois em laboratório, em que no Experimento I avaliou-se tratamentos de superação de dormência de sementes com tempos de exposição a alta temperatura (42 °C) e umidade [TU] (100%) (24, 48, 72 e 96 h), tempos de imersão em nitrato de potássio [NP] (0,2%) (6, 12, 18 e 24 h), imersão em concentrações de ácido giberélico [AG] (250, 500, 750, 1000 e 1500 mg L-1), e NP+AG (12 h) + (125, 250, 375, 500 e 625 mg L-1). No Experimento II as sementes foram submetidas a diferentes temperaturas constantes (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 e 35 °C) em presença ou ausência de luz. O Experimento III foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, no qual as sementes foram alocadas a diferentes profundidades no solo (0,0, 1,0, 2,0, 3,0, 4,0, e 5,0 cm) sob presença ou ausência de cobertura vegetal com palha de azevém (Lolium multiforum L.). Em geral, os tratamentos pré-germinativos utilizando NP e AG aplicados de forma sequencial são favoráveis para a superação da dormência, permitindo máxima expressão do vigor e germinação das sementes, possibilitando gerar plântulas com estruturas primárias normais. As sementes de E. plantagineum podem ser classificadas como fotoblásticas neutras, possuindo a temperatura de 20 °C como ótima para germinação, variável de 10 a 30 °C. Quando as sementes foram submetidas a profundidades no solo, ocorreu diminuição acentuada da emergência com o aumento da profundidade, sendo que as sementes localizadas na superfície apresentaram maior emergência, ocorrendo influência positiva da cobertura do solo com palha.

Although mango (Mangifera indica L.) has been studied for many years, numerous problems still elude researchers. The objectives of the current trials were to study the effects of some cultural practices (fruit thinning, panicle/ bud/ renewal/ post-harvest pruning) and chemicals (Corasil.E, potassium nitrate/urea, paclobutrazol) on various vegetative, floral, yield and quality parameters. The study meant to address problems of both South African and Ethiopian mango growers. The thinning (on ‘Sensation’) and pruning (on ‘Tommy Atkins’ and ‘Keitt’) experiments were conducted for two seasons (2001-2003) at Bavaria Fruit Estate in South Africa. Effects of Paclobutrazol and Potassium nitrate were studied on ‘Tommy Atkins’ during 2002-2003 season at Upper Awash Agro-industry Enterprise in Ethiopia. Complementary effects of paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate on floral induction were studied in growth chamber experiments at the experimental farm of University of Pretoria on ‘Tommy Atkins’ and ‘Keitt’ mango. Where fruit on ‘Sensation’ were thinned to one and two fruit per panicle, a significant increase was obtained for most of the fruit quantitative parameters. The treatments where one fruit and two fruit per panicle were retained and 50% panicles removed, produced a significant increase in size of the fruit, fruit qualitative parameters and fruit retention percentage. Corasil.E produced very small sized fruit with a considerable percentage of “mules” (fruit without seed). Trees subjected to severe thinning intensities showed earlier revival of starch reserves and better vegetative growth. Applications of paclobutrazol (1- (4-chlorophenyl) –4,4-dimethyl-2- (1,2,4- triazol-1-yl) pentan-3-ol) at rates of 5.50 and 8.25 g a.i. per tree, both as a soil drench and spray applications, on ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango were effective in suppressing vegetative growth as compared to the control. Consequently, the trees from these treatments had higher total non-structural carbohydrate in their shoots before flowering which led to higher results of percentages of shoots flowering, number of panicles produced, percentages of hermaphrodite flowers, yield and quality of the fruit. Trees that received panicle pruning (during full bloom) treatment at the point of apical bud attachment, were observed to be induced for synchronized re-flowering and also attained more fruit per panicle. On the other hand, trees on which renewal pruning (early in the season) and post-harvest pruning (especially for early cultivars) treatments were applied, have been observed for the development of an adequate number of productive inflorescences. Post-harvest pruning treatments also resulted in greater vegetative growth on both cultivars. The responses to pruning treatments were greater especially in ‘Tommy Atkins’ than ‘Keitt’. The trend for the interaction of duration and chemicals in Tommy Atkins and Keitt mango cultivars revealed the possible floral induction complementary effect of PBZ after the trees were induced only for 15 days at 10/15 oC temperature. Higher potassium nitrate concentrations especially in combination with urea (5 litre solution of 4% KNO3+0.5 g urea tree-1 and 5 litres of 4% KNO3+1 g urea tree-1 ) produced higher results for most of the flowering and yield parameters in ‘Tommy Atkins’. / Thesis (DPhil (Horticulture))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

The temperature and/or entropy of electrically polarisable materials can be altered by changing electric field E. Research into this electrocaloric (EC) effect has focussed on increasing the size of the EC effects, with the long-term aim of building a cooler with an EC material at its heart. Materials and experimental methods are briefly reviewed. A ‘resetting’ indirect route to isothermal entropy change ∆S for hysteretic first-order transitions is described. An indirect route to adiabatic temperature change ∆T, without the need for field-resolved heat capacity data, is also described. Three temperature controllers were built: a cryogenic probe for 77-420 K with ∼5 mK resolution, a high-temperature stage with vacuum enclosure for 295-700 K with ∼15 mK resolution, and a low-temperature stage for 120-400 K with electrical access via micropositioners. Automation enables dense datasets to be compiled. Single crystals of inorganic salts (NH4)2SO4 , KNO3 and NaNO2 were obtained. Applying 380 kV cm−1 across (NH4)2SO4 , it was found that |∆S| ∼ 20 J K−1 kg−1 and |∆T | ∼ 4 K, using the indirect method near the Curie temperature TC = 223 K. Without the ‘resetting’ indirect method, |∆S| ∼ 45 J K−1 kg−1 would have been spuriously found. Preliminary indirect measurements on KNO3 and NaNO2 give |∆S| ∼ 75 J K−1 kg−1 for ∆E ∼ 31 kV cm−1 near TC = 400 K and |∆S| ∼ 14 J K−1 kg−1 for ∆E ∼ 15 kV cm−1 near TC = 435 K, respectively. A cation-ordered PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 ceramic showing a nominally first-order transition at 295 K was obtained. The Clausius-Clapeyron phase diagram is revealed via indirect measurements where |∆S| ∼ 3.25 J K−1 kg−1 and |∆T | ∼ 2 K, and direct measurements where |∆T | ∼ 2 K. Clamped samples show broadening of the field-induced transition. Epitaxial, ∼64 nm-thick SrTiO3 films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO3 (001) substrates with a La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 bottom electrode. The indirect method gives |∆S| ∼ 8 J K−1 kg−1 and |∆T | ∼ 3.5 K near 180 K with |∆E| = 780 kV cm−1. Finite element modelling (FEM) was used to optimise the geometry of multilayered capacitors (MLCs) for EC cooling. Intrinsic cooling powers of 25.9 kW kg−1 are predicted for an optimised MLC based on PVDF-TrFE with Ag electrodes.