ABSTRACT Considering the importance of silicon (Si) to increase rice resistance to blast, this study investigated the nutritional status of rice plants supplied with this element in response to Pyricularia oryzae infection. Plants were grown in nutrient solutions containing 0 and 2 mmol·L-1 of Si (referred to -Si and +Si plants, respectively). The area under blast progress curve decreased for +Si plants due to a significant increase of 714% on the foliar Si concentration in contrast to -Si plants. For +Si plants, the foliar N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, and B concentrations were significantly lower in comparison to -Si plants. On infected plants, the foliar N, K, and Cu concentrations were significantly lower in comparison to noninfected ones. The foliar Zn, Fe, and Mn concentrations were significantly lower for -Si inoculated plants in comparison to -Si noninoculated ones. The foliar Mn and S concentrations were significantly lower for +Si inoculated plants in comparison to +Si noninoculated ones. The foliar Fe concentration was significantly lower for +Si inoculated plants in comparison to +Si noninoculated ones. Foliar Zn and Mn concentrations were significantly lower for +Si plants in comparison to -Si plants regardless of their inoculation with P. oryzae. Foliar Fe and S concentrations were significantly lower for +Si plants in comparison to -Si plants, respectively, for noninoculated and inoculated plants. Taken together, Si stood for itself in reducing blast symptoms without the need of high foliar concentrations of either macro or micronutrients that could affect plantgrowth.

Estudos fenológicos podem fornecer informações que possibilitam compreender a dinâmica das plantas e sua relação com os fatores bióticos e abióticos do ambiente. Assim, buscando estudar as fases fenológicas do pinhão-manso, durante dois anos agrícolas foram avaliadas as seguintes cinco características agronômicas e variáveis climáticas como temperatura e precipitação. Os dados de cada variável, em cada ano e cada genótipo, foram submetidos a análise de variância (ANOVA) e as diferenças testadas a 5% de probabilidade pelo teste F. Além disso, analisou-se a correlação do comportamento vegetativo e reprodutivo de dois acessos de Jatropha (CNPAE-102 e CNPAE-169) em função do tempo decorrido após o início do ciclo fenológico com as variáveis climáticas por meio de correlação de Pearson. Verificou-se que: (i) a retomada do crescimento das plantas com a produção de novas ramificações e inflorescências de ambos os genótipos coincide com o início do período chuvoso; (ii) o florescimento pode estar relacionado a aumento da temperatura e da precipitação; (iii) número de inflorescências por plantas e número de flores femininas determinam o número de frutos verdes; (iv) variações ambientais são responsáveis pela delimitação das fenofases e (v) as respostas às mudanças fenológicas são genótipo dependentes.

Phenological studies can provide information that enables the understanding of the dynamics of plants and how these dynamics are related to the biotic and abiotic environment. In order to study the phenological phases of Jatropha during two agricultural years, agronomic and climatic variables, such as temperature and rainfall, were evaluated. Data for each variable in each year and each genotype were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the differences were tested at 5% probability by F test. In addition, the correlation of growth behavior and reproductive development of two Jatropha accessions (CNPAE-102 and CNPAE-169) as a function of time elapsed after the start of the phenological cycle with climatic variables were analyzed through Pearson's correlation. It was found that: (i) the resuming of plant growth by producing new branches and flowers of both genotypes coincides with the start of the rainy season, (ii) the flowering may be related to the increase in temperature and rainfall; (iii) the number of inflorescences per plant and number of female flowers determine the number of green fruits, (iv) the environmental changes are responsible for the delimitation of phenophases; and finally that (v) the responses to phenological changes are genotype-dependent.

The supply of silicon (Si) to wheat plants may potentiate their resistance against infection by Bipolaris sorokiniana. Considering that there is no information regarding how Si affects the infectious process of this fungus on wheat leaves, this study intended to investigate, using light and scanning electron microscopy, the effects of Si supply on the infection process of B. sorokiniana on wheat leaves at tissue level. For that, leaf segments of -Si and +Si plants were prepared. The number of necrotic brown cells and the degree of browning of necrotic cells were determined for each infection site. As results, it was found that the number of brown epidermal cells and the frequency of infection sites showing browning were significantly lower on leaves of +Si plants. On the leaves of -Si plants, an intense dissolution of the wax layer also occurred and hyphae were found inside the disorganized epidermal cells. On leaves of +Si plants, degradation of the wax layer was observed only in areas close to conidia. Within 96 hours after inoculation, a dense network of hyphae had colonized the leaf surface of -Si plants, in striking contrast to +Si plants, for which only sparse hyphae were found.

A brusone, causada pelo fungo Pyricularia oryzae, é a doença fúngica mais importante do arroz. O efeito do silício (Si), do manganês (Mn) e da interação deles na resistência do arroz à brusone foi investigado. Plantas de arroz da cultivar Metica 1 foram cultivadas em solução nutritiva contendo 0 ou 2 mmol L-1 de Si e 0,5, 2,5 e 10 mmol L-1 de Mn. Aos 60 dias, as plantas foram submetidas à inoculação com uma suspensão de conídios de P. oryzae e foram avaliados o período de incubação (PI), o número de lesões (NL) por cm² de área foliar, o tamanho de lesão (TL) e a severidade da brusone. A severidade da brusone foi avaliada às 48, 72, 96 e 144 horas após a inoculação e os dados foram usados para calcular a área abaixo da curva do progresso da brusone (AACPB). A concentração foliar de Si foi maior nas plantas supridas com Si. A concentração de Mn na solução nutritiva não interferiu na concentração de Si nas folhas das plantas de arroz. Houve aumento na concentração foliar de Mn à medida que a concentração desse micronutriente na solução nutritiva aumentou, independentemente da presença do Si. A presença de Si na solução nutritiva reduziu a concentração de Mn nas plantas cultivadas na dose de 10 mmol L-1 de Mn. O fornecimento de Si aumentou PI e reduziu o NL, o Tl e a AACPB. As doses de Mn não tiveram efeito no PI e no NL, independentemente da presença ou não do Si. Na ausência de Si, os valores do TL e da AACPB foram significativamente menores para a dose de 10 µmol L-1 de Mn em comparação com a dose de 0,5 µmol L-1 de Mn. Os resultados deste estudo reforçam o potencial do Si em reduzir o progresso da brusone em arroz independentemente da concentração foliar de Mn.

Blast, caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae, is the most important fungal disease of rice. The effect of silicon (Si) and manganese (Mn), and their interaction, on rice resistance to blast was investigated. Rice plants (cultivar "Metica 1") were grown in hydroponic solution with 0 or 2 mmol L-1 of Si and with 0.5, 2.5, and 10 mmol L-1 of Mn. Sixty-day-old plants were inoculated with a conidial suspension of P. oryzae and the incubation period (IP), the number of lesions (NL) per cm² of leaf area, the lesion size (LS), and blast severity were evaluated. Blast severity was scored at 48, 72, 96, and 144 hours after inoculation and data were used to obtain the area under blast progress curve (AUBPC). Silicon concentration was significantly higher in leaf tissues of plants supplied with this element than on its absence, regardless of Mn rates. There was no significant difference in Si concentration among the Mn rates for both - Si and +Si treatments. The Mn concentration was significantly higher in the tissues of plants from the - Si treatment as compared to plants of the +Si treatment, but only at the rate of 10 mmol L-1 of Mn. There was a significant increase in Mn concentration as the rates of this micronutrient increased from 0.5 to 10 mmol L-1 regardless of the Si treatments. The IP significantly increased in the +Si treatment. The Mn rates had no effect on the IP regardless of the Si treatments. The NL was significantly lower in the presence of Si regardless of the Mn rates. The Mn rates had no effect on NL regardless of the Si treatments. The addition of Si to the nutrient solution significantly reduced both LS and AUBPC regardless of Mn rates. However, in the absence of Si, the values for LS and AUBPC were significantly lower at the Mn rate of 10 µmol L-1 as compared to the rate of 0.5 µmol L-1. Overall, the results from this study showed the potential of Si to decrease blast development on rice regardless of the foliar concentration of Mn.