Ethylene (C2H4) is a very simple molecule, a gas, and has numerous effects on the growth, development and storage life of many fruits, vegetables and ornamental crops. In higher plants, ethylene is produced from L-methionine in essentially all tissues and ACC Synthase and ACC Oxidase are the two key enzymes in the biosynthesis of ethylene. The objective of the present study was to transform tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun) plant with partial sequence of torenia acc oxidase gene in antisense and sense orientations via Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer system, and to analyze its effect on ethylene production in transgenic plants. Six antisense and seven sense T0 putative transgenic lines were obtained and were further analyzed with several assays. Leaf disc assay and chlorophenol red assay under selection (75 mg/L kanamycin) revealed positive results compared to the non-transformed plant. T1 generations were obtained from all putative transgenic lines. PCR analysis and Northern Blot Hybridization results confirmed the transgenic nature of T1 progeny. Furthermore, ethylene amount produced by flowers were measured with gas chromatography, which resulted in an average of 77% reduction in S7 line and 72% reduction in A1 line compared with the control flowers. These results indicated that, transgenic tobacco plants carrying torenia acc oxidase transgene both in antisense and sense orientations showed reduced ethylene production thus a possibility of flower life extension.

Rwanda is constrained by an export structure that is heavily dependent on one or a few agricultural export products such as coffee, tea , pyrethrum and cinchona. The country did not manage to industrialize or to diversify its export structure significantly during the post-independence period. The situation was worsened by the civil war of 1994, which almost destroyed all sectors of the economy. Traditional export crops, such as coffee, cotton, tea, cocoa, palm oil, and tobacco are all subject to large price fluctuations and declining world market prices. This paper considered the case for diversification into non-traditional agricultural exports as a strategy for improving a developing country's terms of trade. The study put forward a case of Higland Flowers Project / a flowers project located in rural Kigali about 5 kilometers to the Kigali International airport.

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-160).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-160).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-160).

Orientador: Eliana Mara Braga / Abstract: The World Health Organization acknowledges the importance of integrative and complementary health practices and recommends that studies are carried out to advance them, using, for example, randomized clinical trials, powerful tool to evaluate health interventions. Among these practices, floral therapy emerges in the field of vibrational therapies, with simple and natural non-invasive characteristics that heals and harmonizes without side-effects or incompatibility to other treatments. Thus, the objective of this study was to understand the experience of overweight or obese anxious individuals in participating of a clinical research trial that used floral therapy as health intervention. This is a qualitative study linked to the project entitled "Effectiveness of floral therapy on anxiety of overweight or obese adults". Forty-two overweight and obese individuals of both sexes were enrolled in this study between June and November of 2016 for a semi-structured interview after termination of the primary clinical trial conducted in an institute of public health. Data collected from interviews were qualitatively organized and analyzed according to Content Analysis from Bardin, separated in two categories that emerged from participants' speeches: “Meaning of participating in a clinical research trial” and “Perception of the action of the therapy used”. Publications from Edward Bach were used as theoretical basis for this study. Results showed that overweight or obese anxious individu... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Resumo: A Organização Mundial da Saúde reconhece a importância das práticas integrativas e complementares em saúde e recomenda que estudos sejam realizados para o avanço deste modo de cuidar, como é o caso do ensaio clínico randomizado, uma poderosa ferramenta para avaliação de intervenções na área da saúde. Dentre as práticas, surge a terapia floral como parte de um campo de terapias vibracionais, de características não invasivas, simples e naturais, que atuam curando e harmonizando sem que haja a possibilidade de efeitos colaterais e incompatibilidade com outros tratamentos. Desta forma, o objetivo desse estudo é compreender a experiência do participante de uma pesquisa clínica, que teve como intervenção a terapia floral, para ansiedade de indivíduos com sobrepeso ou obesidade. Trata-se de um estudo de abordagem qualitativa, vinculado ao projeto intitulado “Efetividade da terapia floral na ansiedade de adultos com sobrepeso ou obesidade”. A pesquisa foi realizada em uma Instituição Pública de Saúde com 42 indivíduos de ambos os sexos, no período de junho a novembro de 2016. A coleta de dados foi realizada após o término da participação na pesquisa clínica originária, por meio de uma entrevista semiestruturada. O referencial teórico que alicerça essa pesquisa são as publicações de Edward Bach. Para organização e análise dos dados qualitativos foi adotado como referencial metodológico a Análise de Conteúdo segundo Bardin, resultando em duas categorias que emergiram dos discursos dos ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

Orientador: João Domingos Rodrigues / Resumo: O presente trabalho foi conduzido na área experimental do Departamento de Engenharia Rural da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - FCA, UNESP, campus de Botucatu/SP, com o objetivo de estudar a indução floral de Zantedeschia sp, com a aplicação de ácido giberélico (GA3), fornecido via água de irrigação, aplicação foliar e tratamento por imersão, nas condições de Botucatu/SP, a fim de se determinar a dosagem, a época e o modo de aplicação, visando-se otimizar o sistema instalado, facilitando o manejo da cultura. Não foi possível avaliar estatisticamente os dados referentes à produtividade de flores, pois estes não apresentaram distribuição normal de probabilidade, alguns tratamentos não emitiram flores. Considerando o número total de flores produzidas ao longo de 86 dias, o tratamento convencional por imersão pré-plantio (100 mg.L-1) emitiu 4 flores, num total de 10 vasos; enquanto que os tratamentos T12 (15 dias pós plantio-200 mg.L-1 de GA3) e T35 (15+30 dias pós plantio-500 mg.L-1 de GA3) produziram 7 e 6 flores, respectivamente, por 10 vasos. Os demais tratamentos produziram quantidades inferiores em relação à testemunha. A ausência de produção para alguns tratamentos e a baixa produtividade dos tratamentos em geral, pode ter ocorrido devido ao longo período de armazenamento dos bulbos, acima de oito meses, compromentendo a integridade física do material botânico, pelo ressecamento ou suberização dos tecidos externos do bulbo dificultando a penetração da solução do regulador vegetal. / Abstract: This study was conducted in the experimental site of the Rural Engineering Departament of the Agronomical Sciencies College - FCA, UNESP, campus of Botucatu, with the objective of study the Zantedeschia sp flower induction by gibberellic acid (GA3) application, supplied by irrigation system, foliar application and preplant immersion, in the Botucatu/SP conditions, to determined the application concentration, epoch and mode. With the purpose of optimize the system installed, faciliting the culture management. It not possible evaluation statisticment datas of flowers production, because datas no presented normal probability distribution. Some treatments did not producted flowers. Considering the total flowers production during 86 days, results were: the mean production of standard treatment, preplant immersion (100 mg.L-1), was compatible with de São Paulo state farmers (4 flowers/10 pots); while treatments T12 (15 days after plant -200 mg.L-1 of GA3) e T35 (15+30 days after plant - 500 mg.L-1 of GA3) producted 7 and 6 flowers, respectivement, in 10 pots. Others treatments producted fewer when compared with standard treatment. No production and the fewer productived of some treatments can occurred owing storage duration. Increasing duration of tuber storage reduce flowering, because reduces the plants sensitivity and ability to absorb the gibberellins. / Doutor

La formation des fleurs comprend trois étapes successives. Tout d'abord, un méristème, contenant les cellules souches, se forme sur les flancs du méristème d'inflorescence. Puis, le méristème adopte une identité florale. Enfin, la morphogenèse florale permet le développement des différents organes floraux répartis en quatre verticilles. Ces étapes font intervenir des réseaux génétiques distincts. Le facteur de transcription LEAFY (LFY) est un régulateur majeur du développement floral chez les plantes à fleurs. Le but de ma thèse était de comprendre les fonctions précises de LFY au cours du développement floral, en particulier dans les étapes précoces du développement. Les études moléculaires de LFY chez la plante modèle A. thaliana ont permis de montrer que cette protéine a la capacité de se multimériser lors de sa liaison à l'ADN. En étudiant l'importance fonctionnelle de la dimérisation de LFY, j'ai pu mettre en évidence l'importante de cette propriété pour la régulation de ses gènes cibles, responsables de l'identité florale. De plus, en couplant des études génétiques, les études transcriptomiques et les données de liaisons à l'ADN à l'échelle génomique, j'ai mis en évidence un nouveau réseau de gènes régulé par LFY et impliqué dans le développement du méristème, avant sa détermination en fleur. Ces données ouvrent la perspective que cette nouvelle fonction de LFY est une fonction indépendante de sa fonction florale et déjà présente chez la plupart des plantes terrestres.LFY est hautement conservé chez toutes les plantes terrestres, mais ne fait pas partie d'une famille multigénique contrairement à la plupart des facteurs de transcription qui ont formé des familles multigéniques par duplication au cours de l'évolution. J'ai étudié l'évolution des propriétés de LFY, notamment sa capacité de se dimériser. Pour cela, nous nous sommes intéressés aux homologues de LFY et nous avons découvert que LFY était déjà présent chez les algues vertes multicellulaires. En étudiant l'interface de dimérisation chez les différents homologues de LFY, nous avons mis en évidence que l'acquisition de cette propriété a joué un rôle crucial dans l'évolution de la protéine.Enfin, je me suis intéressé au contrôle post-traductionnel de l'activité de la protéine LFY. Les résultats préliminaires sont présentés et permettent de penser que ce mode de régulation est important pour les fonctions de ce facteur de transcription unique. / Flower formation comprises three successive steps. First, a new meristem, containing stem cells, is formed on the flanc of the inflorescence meristem. Then, this meristem adopts a floral identity. Finally, floral morphogenesis occurs that allow the development of floral organs arranged into four distinct whorls. The LEAFY (LFY) transcription factor is a major regulator of floral development in flowering plants. The aim of my thesis was to precisely understand the roles of LFY during floral development, especially during early stages. Previous studies in the model plant A. thaliana demonstrate that LFY can multimerize upon binding to DNA. By studying the functional importance of the dimerization property of LFY, we were able to show that this property is important for the regulation of its target genes, including those responsible for floral identity. In addition, by combining genetic studies, transcriptomic datas as well as whole-genome LFY binding sites, we have shown that LFY controls a new network of genes which are directly involved in meristem formation, before its determination into flower. These data raise the prospect that this new function of LFY is in fact a non-floral function already present in most land plants.LFY is highly conserved in all land plants, but is not part of a multigene family in contrast to most transcription factors. I studied the evolution of LFY properties, including its ability to dimerize on specific DNA sequences. For this purpose, we looked for the ancestor form of LFY and found out that LFY was already present in multicellular green algae. By studying the dimerization interface in different counterparts of LFY, we demonstrate that the acquisition of this dimerization property has played a crucial role during the evolution of the protein.Finally, I studied the post-translational control of LFY activity which remains largely unknown. Preliminary results are presented and suggest that this mode of regulation is important for many functions of this orphan transcription factor.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Entomology / Raymond A. Cloyd / Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is one of the most destructive insect pests in greenhouse production systems due to direct and indirect plant damage resulting in substantial economic losses. In addition, western flower thrips has developed resistance to many insecticides. Therefore, alternative plant protection strategies are warranted, such as augmentative biological control. This research was designed to evaluate 1) the effect of different absolute numbers of predator (rove beetle, Dalotia coriaria) and prey (western flower thrips) on predation efficacy of rove beetle under laboratory conditions; 2) the effect of western flower thrips pupal stage, predator-prey ratio, predator-prey number, and searchable area on predation efficacy of rove beetle in the laboratory; and 3) the effectiveness and cost of integrating the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, and the rove beetle, D. coriaria, in suppressing western flower thrips populations under greenhouse conditions. Three laboratory experiments were conducted to assess predation efficacy of rove beetle adults on three western flower thrips pupal stages [prepupa, pupa, and prepupa-pupa combination (50%:50%)]. In each experiment, there were six numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) of rove beetle adults and four initial numbers (15, 20, 25, and 30) of one western flower thrips pupal stage. This treatment configuration allowed for assessing the effect of predator-prey ratios (1:5, 1:10, and 1:15), accounting for different initial prey numbers, on predation efficacy of the rove beetle. Overall, for each pupal stage, the estimated mean probability of western flower thrips adults captured on yellow sticky cards decreased as the number of rove beetle adults released increased from 1 to 3, although the effect of additional rove beetle adult releases was not apparent. Furthermore, across the pupal stages considered in this study, in general, there was no evidence of any differences due to predator-prey ratios or initial prey numbers within each predator-prey ratio. Two laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the effects of western flower thrips pupal stage, predator-prey ratio, predator-prey number, and searchable area on predation efficacy of rove beetle adults. In experiment 1, there were two western flower thrips pupal stages (prepupa and pupa), three predator-prey ratios (rove beetle:western flower thrips—1:5, 1:10, and 1:15), and three predator-prey numbers (2, 3, and 4 times). Experiment 2 evaluated the latter two factors in combination with searchable area defined by container sizes [15.2 cm (1,834.82 cm3) and 11.5 cm (701.79 cm3)]. The estimated mean probability of western flower thrips adults captured on yellow sticky cards was significantly higher for the 1:5 predator-prey ratio [61.1% (48.5-72.4%)] than 1:10 [39% (28.1-51.2%)] and 1:15 predator-prey ratio [34.7% (24.7-46.3%)]. The estimated mean probability of western flower thrips adults captured on yellow sticky cards for 2 times the predator-prey number [57% (44.3-68.8%)] was significantly higher than 3 [37.2% (26.6-49.3%)] and 4 [40.6% (30-52.3%)] times the predator-prey number. In addition, a significantly higher estimated mean probability of western flower thrips adults was captured on the yellow sticky cards in the 15.2 cm than 11.5 cm containers. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted that evaluated five treatments: combination of insecticides (spinosad, pyridalyl, chlorfenapyr, and abamectin), B. bassiana, D. coriaria, B. bassiana and D. coriaria combination, and a water control. Overall, the estimated mean number of western flower thrips adults captured on yellow sticky cards was significantly lower for the insecticide treatment (mean range: 0, 46) than for the B. bassiana and D. coriaria combination (mean range: 0.3, 105.1) over eight weeks. There were no significant differences in final foliage quality of chrysanthemum, Dendranthema x grandiflorum, plants among the five treatments in experiment 1, but there were significant differences in experiment 2. However, in experiment 2, the chrysanthemum plants across all treatments were not marketable due to substantial feeding damage by western flower thrips. The cost of the insecticide treatment was nearly twice that of the B. bassiana and D. coriaria combination ($963.50 vs. $495.67) and was over twice that of the B. bassiana only treatment ($963.50 vs. $417.04). The D. coriaria only treatment was the least expensive at $78.63. The results of the research provide insight into the predatory behavior of D. coriaria on western flower thrips pupal stages, which may have practical implications for greenhouse production systems. However, predation efficacy of rove beetle adults on western flower thrips is influenced by predator-prey ratio, predator-prey number, and searchable area. Finally, greenhouse producers must initiate insecticide applications or release rove beetle adults early in the production cycle when western flower thrips populations are low to minimize plant damage.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2002-12Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:43:49Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 mucoucah_fj_dr_botfca.pdf: 642144 bytes, checksum: 6f887b11b2bb55259a83ec18f6ee2714 (MD5) / O presente trabalho foi conduzido na área experimental do Departamento de Engenharia Rural da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas - FCA, UNESP, campus de Botucatu/SP, com o objetivo de estudar a indução floral de Zantedeschia sp, com a aplicação de ácido giberélico (GA3), fornecido via água de irrigação, aplicação foliar e tratamento por imersão, nas condições de Botucatu/SP, a fim de se determinar a dosagem, a época e o modo de aplicação, visando-se otimizar o sistema instalado, facilitando o manejo da cultura. Não foi possível avaliar estatisticamente os dados referentes à produtividade de flores, pois estes não apresentaram distribuição normal de probabilidade, alguns tratamentos não emitiram flores. Considerando o número total de flores produzidas ao longo de 86 dias, o tratamento convencional por imersão pré-plantio (100 mg.L-1) emitiu 4 flores, num total de 10 vasos; enquanto que os tratamentos T12 (15 dias pós plantio-200 mg.L-1 de GA3) e T35 (15+30 dias pós plantio-500 mg.L-1 de GA3) produziram 7 e 6 flores, respectivamente, por 10 vasos. Os demais tratamentos produziram quantidades inferiores em relação à testemunha. A ausência de produção para alguns tratamentos e a baixa produtividade dos tratamentos em geral, pode ter ocorrido devido ao longo período de armazenamento dos bulbos, acima de oito meses, compromentendo a integridade física do material botânico, pelo ressecamento ou suberização dos tecidos externos do bulbo dificultando a penetração da solução do regulador vegetal. / This study was conducted in the experimental site of the Rural Engineering Departament of the Agronomical Sciencies College - FCA, UNESP, campus of Botucatu, with the objective of study the Zantedeschia sp flower induction by gibberellic acid (GA3) application, supplied by irrigation system, foliar application and preplant immersion, in the Botucatu/SP conditions, to determined the application concentration, epoch and mode. With the purpose of optimize the system installed, faciliting the culture management. It not possible evaluation statisticment datas of flowers production, because datas no presented normal probability distribution. Some treatments did not producted flowers. Considering the total flowers production during 86 days, results were: the mean production of standard treatment, preplant immersion (100 mg.L-1), was compatible with de São Paulo state farmers (4 flowers/10 pots); while treatments T12 (15 days after plant -200 mg.L-1 of GA3) e T35 (15+30 days after plant - 500 mg.L-1 of GA3) producted 7 and 6 flowers, respectivement, in 10 pots. Others treatments producted fewer when compared with standard treatment. No production and the fewer productived of some treatments can occurred owing storage duration. Increasing duration of tuber storage reduce flowering, because reduces the plants sensitivity and ability to absorb the gibberellins.