Precision Agriculture - Embrapa · EDITORIAL bOARD Chair of the Editorial board Francisco J.B....

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JAN 2013 #2

Precision Agriculture

The wisdom of collecting and analyzing information from land resources and

environment to manage production

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A leTTer To The reAder

PRODUCTION: A REAL NEED

Satellites, gps, sensors, software and other highly sophisticated components are usually related to precision agricul-ture. They are undoubtedly important instruments to ensure a more rational utilization of inputs and the sustainable use of our scarce natural resources. However, precision in agriculture–from the field up to consumers–requires much more than technology and inno-vation. More precision in agriculture is obtained by making joint efforts, including the use of cutting-edge technologies and the concern about wasteful actions in the field, in harves-ting, in transport, in the markets, and, finally, in our homes.

The cover story of this second issue of the – Science for Life maga-zine shows how some experiences are in pursuit of a more rational, efficient output. They are in search of Preci-sion in Agriculture. For such, minor details can make a difference, and the tacit knowledge of field workers is crucial as well.

The research investigates elements to explain, for instance, which are the interactions of the soil with the grapevine of Vinícola Miolo’s Lote 43 that make such place so special to produce high-quality wines. Or, to literally understand the “complaints” and “demands” of a herd. Yes, this is one more finding of the scien-tists, which ends up acknowledging the remarks of producers who used to name their oxen in the past, because they knew each head of cattle had its own “personality”.

The twenty-first century agriculture faces the challenge of producing more, better food, fibers and energy, with less and less impacts on the environment.

So, another subject closely associated with precision, also discussed in this issue, is the establishment of scientific parameters to measure the environ-mental, economic and social sustain-ability of the production.

The issue number two of our maga-zine also discusses some impacts from decisions made at the Rio+20 confer-ence in the scope of the international scientific cooperation, under the stand-point of the ceo of the cgiar Consor-tium, which gathers 15 international centers of agricultural research and in which Brazil takes part, represented by Embrapa. This is a cooperation that took a big step through the signature of an agreement which will insert Brazil in an international network, enabling this country to carry out a never-done-before study, considered as the boldest scientific project in the vegetal field in progress. This is about the genera-tion of a new rice plant, with higher capacity to make photosynthesis, and which can be more productive, more resistant to drought: C4 rice.

And Brazil innovates upon using Nanotechnology to develop new edible films and coatings obtained from the pulp of tropical fruits such as acerola, guava, and mango. Published in an international magazine, this research has been one of the most accessed in the international scientific community.

Have a nice read, please send us your criticisms and suggestions. Dear reader, we count on your participa-tion to keep improving our magazine, Science for Life.

Francisco J. B. Reifschneider

Chair of the Editorial Board

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Farming research and its contribution to the sustainable development.

A new view of precision in Brazilian fields. The world’s innovative scientific project in the vegetal field.

Parque Estação Biológica s/nºEdifício Sede 70.770-900

Brasília-DF, BrazilFone: +55 61 3448 4834

Fax: +55 61 3347 [email protected] | www.embrapa.br

PresidentMaurício Lopes

Executive DirectorsLadislau Martin Neto

Vania Castiglioni Waldyr Stumpf

EDITORIAL bOARD

Chair of the Editorial board

Francisco J.B. Reifschneider

membersAlberto Cavalcanti

Filipe Teixeira Kepler EuclidesRobert Boddey

Robinson CiprianoSilvio CrestanaZander Navarro

Publication produced by the secretariat of

Communication Embrapa

sTAff

EditorsMarcos Esteves

Sandra ZambudioArt Editor

André Scofanographic project

Nayara BritoDesign

Radiola Design & PublicidadeRevision

Marcela Bravo EstevesCover Illustration

Radiola Design & Publicidade

PrintingEmbrapa Informação

TecnológicaCirculation

3.000 copies

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Monitoring the productive systems from the environmental, economic and social points of view.

researchers are developing edible films and coating obtained from the pulp of tropical fruits.

The search for communication mechanisms between plants and their associated microorganisms.

by marcos Esteves

AgRICULTURAL sUsTAINAbILITy Is A wORLD gOAL

The Dutchman Frank Rijsberman is the new ceo of the recently estab-lished cgiar Consortium, a global partnership for farming research involving 15 institutions, generating innovations for poor people in developing countries.

This civil engineer has a PhD in management and planning of water resources and civil engineering from the Colorado State Univer-sity. With 30 years of experience in development and environmental issues, he led the cgiar’s Challenge Program on Water and Food (between 2000 and 2007), and was the head of the International Water Management Institute (2007).

Frank Rijsberman was also programming director of the Google.org philanthropic team and director of the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene strategy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this interview to the - Science for Life magazine, he talks how farming research can contribute to sustainable development.

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| The word agriculture is mentioned a couple of times in the final report of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Deve-lopment, invariably accompanied by the word sustainable. However, the developed countries and the Brics had divergences on the defi-nition of sustainability, notably concerning the social field. In your opinion, how will the topic sustai-nability in agriculture be dealt with by different countries in the world?Frank Rijsberman – One of the most important lessons cgiar has learned in more than forty years of research is that there is not only one single solu-tion when you work toward sustai-nable agriculture. Different nations must adopt an exclusive set of prac-tices and technologies which will improve agriculture, and which are specific for their own physical environ-ment, climate and economic situation.

For example, the highly mecha-nized agriculture systems in Brazil adopted direct planting broadly, as a measure to preserve soil quality. The sustainability challenges of Brazil-ians are quite different from those faced by small farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, who were more successful by handling the fertility of the soil inte-grated in their region. The Interna-tional Food Policy Research Institute–a cgiar Consortium member–is currently performing a research program which evaluates the potential benefits and inconveniences of such different agri-cultural technologies and where in the world they are less successful and more successful, what will this challenge.

However, it is important to remind that, in spite of facing several obsta-cles for sustainable agriculture, we are all working toward a common goal, namely, to find agricultural practices which increase production on a more robust basis, with minimum impacts on the environment. To achieve this, it is imperative both developed and developing countries share knowl-edge and promote synergies whenever possible. The Sustainable Develop-ment Solutions Network, launched by Ban Ki Moon after the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, illustrates the coopera-tion required to solve present environ-mental, social and economic chal-lenges, once they are very complex for each country to solve them alone.

| During the Rio+20, Brazil showed a series of sustainable tech-nologies for agriculture purposes. In our country, the great challenge has been the conveyance of these prac-tices to producers. Is this situation found in other developing countries?Yes, frequently. There is a quite signi-ficant yield gap between the produc-tivity achieved at the research center, or even during field tests, and the average yield in areas of small produ-cers. Many countries are struggling with “broken” extension systems. New approaches to narrow this gap have been tested, based on encom-passing solutions, such as innovation platforms or productive chain appro-aches, which jointly provide different partners with solutions focused on the development of a local seed industry.

| The environmental issue is pivotal today in the develop-ment of research in the agricul-tural segment. What are the most relevant topics in the world?It is true we have been facing an unpre-cedented environmental degradation today, with climate change, scarcity of land and water, loss of agricul-tural biodiversity and of ecosystemic services, as well as a world popula-tion which keeps growing. Agricul-ture is quite involved in each of such issues, since it accounts for 30% of land use and up to 70% of water consumption in the world. Therefore, the cgiar believes it is fundamental we begin to deal with such environ-mental issues under an integrated approach. If the policies and programs related to water, environment, agri-culture, biodiversity, health and climate change work together, instead of operating individually, we will have much better chances to advance toward a future with food security.

This thinking is reflected on how the cgiar was reorganized. Our 15 research centers are now arranged in programs which approach these transversal issues. Our program of research on Climate Change, Agri-culture and Food Security is a good example, since it considers these three sectors holistically.

| Water is one of the most sensi-tive topics when it comes to agricul-ture. How does the research work considering the prospects of growth in world population, with the conse-quent increase in demand through

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Agriculture is quite involved in each of such issues, since it accounts for 30% of use of lands and up to 70% of water consumption in the world.

human consumption, and the reduc-tion of such asset because of climate factors, as shown by some forecasts?We have just celebrated the World Water Week, in which we explored the unbreakable bond between water and food security. Both the excess and the lack of water to produce the crops which shall ultimately feed the popu-lation is a constant problem, illustrated by the monsoon season in Asia and the current "super-drought" in the USA, leading to a new food price crisis.

The International Water Manage-ment Institute–a cgiar Consortium member–published a study during the World Water Week, which highlighted the significant impact the general-

ized adoption of well-known irriga-tion technologies at a small scale may have on rural communities. The use of small engine-run pumps or the collec-tion of rainwater–to mention just some techniques–can increase the produc-tion by up to 300% and add one billion dollars to home revenues all over Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, protecting farmers from climate risks and enhancing food security.

Investigations on crops with good output levels in harsh climates will be a key factor to feed a growing population with difficulties of access to water. Our Research Program on Dryland Systems has been working to develop drought-tolerant cultures, with good output levels under water scarcity condi-tions, helping feed such 2.5 billion persons who live in dry areas today.

| Issues such as the diversity of production systems, products, cultures and market relations are other factors with effects on the growth of agriculture with sustainable basis. How can rese-arch work on such differences?It is essential that our programs do not work on such differences only, but rather, they must foster them. The particulars of a certain area or local traditions will sometimes define the sustainable agriculture practices which will feed the populace and protect the environment. For illustration purposes, Bioversity International has been working with rural communities in East Africa with the aim of educating them on the benefits from the culti-vation of traditional leafy vegetables, such as solanaceae and amaranth. Since they are natives of these sites,

they are adapted to the climate condi-tions and have a good yield. Further, they are rich in micronutrients, what means they are going to enhance the nutritional levels of the families. The Bioversity International project has operated in Kenya for eight years and led to a significant growth in output and increase in farmers’ income.

| How is the international scien-tific cooperation being built in the agricultural industry? Are there new models? Which are the main players: governments or the private sector?The challenge we face is too complex to say that there is a main player. We need governments, the private sector and other parties in order to find the best scientific solutions for our planet. Cooperation is crucial to meet the needs of a changing world and take advantage of new opportunities. The private sector plays an important role as for scientific innovation, since it has the means at a scale sufficient to promote development efficiently. On its turn, the research at the public sector must focus on the needs of its populace and be driven by a development agenda.

At the cgiar, we are about to reach the completion of a two-year reorga-nization process which transformed the style of international cooperation with our partners. In the present-day economic situation, private donors and public institutions are in search of an actual return to investments in research. Our new model will focus on results and in the financial return of the investment our programs generate. This model is aligned with the private sector approach, of performing the work effectively and efficiently, as

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well as it is aligned with the public sector approach, i.e., improving the life of the weakest. Our research centers will operate with more autonomy, but they will also have to make reports about the goals to the audiences inter-ested. We believe this is the formula for successful international scien-tific cooperation from now on.

| Brazil receives today frequent cooperation requests from Africa and Latin America. This is something relatively new for this country, which used to receive foreign assistance by means of technical cooperation not a long time ago. Do you think the model adopted here can be repro-duced in other developing countries?The agriculture industry of Brazil is expanding strongly. It is not a surprise that its transformation in the last 40 years–from an importer to one of the main exporters of agricultural commo-dities–has made other developing countries regard you as an example and source of knowledge for advance-ments in their own agriculture industry.

Brazil had made significant produc-tivity breakthroughs in humid tropical regions, as well as in the cerrados–systems which also suffer due to the low agricultural productivity in other developing countries both in Latin America and in Sub-Saharan Africa. Just to give an example, Brazil’s Cerrado–once believed to be a dry, useless land–produces now 45% of grains in Brazil. Although the success model of Brazil cannot be fully used in the agricultural systems of other countries, certain lessons could be certainly shared and applied by means of proper strategic partnerships.

| Brazil established a new flow of excellence in research. Whereas in the 1970s and in the 1980s Brazi-lians researchers used to go to deve-loped centers to be in touch with cutting-edge science, the Country now receives scientists from all over the world to carry out joint projects. What are these researchers looking for in Brazil? In your opinion, what are the excellence areas in Brazi-lian farming research nowadays?Thanks to the commitments taken by Brazilian researchers since the 1960s, the agricultural productivity incre-ased by 820% for grains alone, and the productivity per hectare of land grew by 290%. Brazil increased its meat exports tenfold in one decade, and has become the world’s largest sugar exporter. These are pheno-menal achievements per se, and are only some examples. Therefore, no wonder scientists from all over the

world are now in contact with Brazi-lian researchers in order to learn from them and reproduce their success.

As regards the current agriculture research in Brazil, the Low Carbon Agriculture Program is a symbol for the responsibility the countries with a high agricultural output must take, once agriculture accounts for up to 30% of the emissions of greenhouse effect gases. In spite of being in its infancy, this program has been imple-menting carbon-reducing strategies by means of agroforestry systems, improving soil uptake of nitrogen and recovering degraded pastureland. If the goals are reached, carbon emis-sions could be reduced by 170 million tons, what would be a fantastic legacy for such agricultural power. •

Examples of Brazilian agriculture can be applied in other countries

- Science for life10

COmmITmENT AND REsPECT TOwARDs ThE UsE Of LAND

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by sandra Zambudio | collaboration by viviane

Zanella and Joana Silva

The Brazilian farming industry is beginning to discover a set of technologies fully capable of fostering significant breakthroughs in food production, with more quality and without harming the environment. These are prac-tices, machines and inputs which, provided they are properly managed, can reduce the risks of losses in resources applied to the attainment of large crops. This is Preci-sion Agriculture (pa), which is no more than knowing how to use all the instruments avail-able to produce large crops wisely. In other words, it is precision applied to agriculture.

Pa was once, a long time ago, associated only with satellites, sophisticated computer software or smart machines. Today, it is related to the management skills of producers and who know how to use the tools required for production of their fields and animals (machines, implements and other inputs commercially available) with precision.

The philosophy of precision agricul-ture is defined perfectly by Ricardo Inamasu, a researcher at Embrapa Instrumentação (São Carlos, SP) and coordinator of the world’s largest research network in this field. According to him, pa is a form of planta-tion management which takes spatial vari-ability into account. Namely, the differences found in the soil of each stand in the property.

Ricardo Inamasu

research

ricardo inamasu is a researcher graduated at engineering Mechanics by the School of engineering São Carlos / USP. he holds a Masters degree on engineering Mechanics by School of engineering São Carlos / USP and a Ph.d. on Mechanical engineering also by School of engineering San Carlos / USP. Postdoctoral in University nebraska, United States, in precision agriculture.

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“We have to know how to respect field differences and aptitudes”, reflects the researcher, by reminding that the soils of a certain property can have variations. In other words: areas with higher outputs, others which are wetter, and others more fertile or more susceptible to diseases and so forth.

Despite such differences, it is not unusual that producers who perform conventional agriculture deal with the soil under one single form, what certainly leads to the waste of the resources invested and envi-ronmental losses. It is exactly to correct this flaw that pa research at Embrapa is devoted to. “It is necessary to retrieve the tacit knowledge rural producers have lost with time due to the conventional use of equipment, without respecting field differences”, emphasizes Inamasu.

AT EvERybODy’s REACh

“All a producer must have to adopt pa in his property is some bread paper and a piece of charcoal,” jests Luciano Gebler, a researcher at Embrapa Uva e Vinho (Bento Gonçalves, RS). He was in charge of conducting experiments to apply precision agriculture in small apple-producing proper-ties, and agrees with Inamasu by stating: “pa secret lies in the collection, storage and evaluation of the property data, whether it is large or small”. According to Gebler, regard-less of using a notebook or a computer, the important is that the producer knows his property. He must have a map of the area, to which he can consistently add informa-tion such as the productivity of each section, results of soil analysis, occurrence of diseases, among others. He will be able to make changes based on the information evaluation.

That was what happened to the apple producer Flávio Schrammell. His 5-hectare orchard, a small prop-erty in Vacaria (RS), was utilized to apply pa concepts, in a work carried out by his daughter Bruna–majoring in agronomy–under the guidance of the researcher Gebler.

“We have evaluated the data and realized the output was very low in a certain area, causing losses. Then, we decided to eradicate it”, remembers the producer. Schrammel says he felt very secure to make this decision with the use of the Geographic Information System–gis.

The system organizes the data and enables comparisons, so that you can, based on history information, increase profitability and support the decision-making process.

The use of the precision agriculture has been an excellent strategy to enhance productivity in the field without the direct requirement of expanding planted areas, what also leads to reduction in costs and diminishment of environmental impacts. The chal-lenge now is to use it to improve fruit quality.

NATIONAL REfERENCE LAbORATORy

The National Reference Laboratory for Precision Agricul-ture, in São Carlos (SP), is already at its implementation stage. It will have infrastructure to research and develop machines and equipment, carry out connection tests among different manufacturers, both in laboratory and in field, promote events to make connections compatible and inte-grate different systems, install computer and geoinformatic support systems for developers, perform field performance tests with integrated system, have plantations–in experi-mental fields–of cultures more important to the country, such as soybean, maize, cassava, pastureland (Agriculture-Live-stock-Forest Integration), coffee, sugarcane, among others.

The funds to implement the National Reference Labo-ratory for Precision Agriculture–R$ 7,144,081.00–have

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Soil analysis for finding the causes of variation1

Spreaders and the corrective variable rates2

Planting at variable rates, according to the productive potential of each area3 Monitoring for mapping crop

pests and diseases4

Localized application of pesticides5

Harvesting machines with sensors productivity6

Generation of yield maps7

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been obtained with the support of the National Congress by means of parliamentary amendments passed in 2010.

“This new space is to boost an area of the knowl-edge boundaries, extremely relevant to the future of the Brazilian agriculture, helping it be more competi-tive in a period in which globalization is leading to a fierce fight for markets, celebrated Embrapa CEO Pedro Arraes. For him, the new laboratory will create a point of connection among research, development and inno-vation activities in the precision agriculture, with infra-structure to support transdisciplinary activities.

The Laboratory is to serve the entire network in this segment, and it also presents a management part-nership model involving two research centers, namely Embrapa Instrumentação, which has been dedicated to this topic for more than two decades, and Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, which is to have an important contri-bution to the field of Precision Animal Production and supplied the physical space to implement the labora-tory, which must be completed at the end of this year. •

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Georeferencing | Georeferencing consists in ascertaining the geographical coordinates of points, soil sections and plants, among others, by means of receivers positioned via satellite. In the case of the pu (Pilot Unit) of Grapes for Wine, the latitude, longitude and altitude of each grapevine was ascertained, as well as the vineyard contour.

Soil electrical conductivity | The soil electrical conductivity (ec), obtained by means of contact, has been used as a variable which corre-lates to soil features. The relations between the ec measured and the granulometry, humidity and fertility factors, plot topography and grapevine productivity are investigated.

Spatial variability | It is the vari-ability found in the space, i.e., among the soil sections. It can be ascertained pursuant to electrical conductivity or other factors, such as structure, texture and physical-chemical composition of the soil.

Temporal variability | It is the variability occurred with time, i.e., throughout the years. Due to different handling methods applied to soils with spatial variability, there is the possi-bility of the additional existence of variability of different variables related to the plant, such as strength, productivity, and composition of the agricultural product.

Geostatistics | A branch of Statistics which analyzes the variability of soil and plant features always associated with the physical space. Thus, the similarity between specimens (objects or indi-viduals) is controlled by proximity.

ThE PRECIsION AgRICULTURE NETwORk

Embrapa has been developing pa research since the eighties. It began a project quoted at nearly R$ 7 million in 2009–out of which it invested R$ 2.5 million directly, to create the Precision Agriculture Network II. Such network involves 19 Company units, in addition to partnerships with universities, research insti-tutes and companies, totaling 214 researchers and including 15 experimental units established in Northeastern, Midwestern, Southeastern and Southern Brazil, with research conducted in 11 perennial and annual cultures and about 100 Research, Development & Innovation activities.

The Network proposes to work in order to define the proper handling of spatial and temporal variability in the production of several cultures; to make the use of sensors feasible for intervention in the production system throughout the culture cycle; establish an economic and environmental management system towards the specific handling of the knowledge in precision agriculture, and increase the transfer of precision agriculture technologies.

According to the project leader, present-day agriculture must face the chal-lenge of increasing the output as a response to the demands of a growing popu-lation. “For such, technologies related to remote sensing, geographic informa-tion systems (gis) and global positioning system (gps) have been allowing for pa development, what enables the specific handling of agricultural practices, in addition to more efficiency in the use of inputs, decrease in production costs and reduction of environmental impacts”.

In accordance with him, pa has several approaches, but the aim is always one: to use strategies to solve unevenness problems in plantations, and if possible, to take some advantage of such unevenness. •

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gAINs IN COTTON PLANTATIONs

A partnership entered between Embrapa Algodão (Campina Grande, PB) and the Rio Grande do Sul-based SLC Agrícola, as well as nine farms in several regions of Brazil, showed the initial outcomes from employing pa techniques in cotton plantations.

Several parameters have been examined, according to the researcher Ziany Neiva, from that research center, such as plant height, leaf area index, degree of strength and culture productivity estimate, through the use of innovating tech-niques which examine plants by means of nondestructive methods, such as satellite images, air pictures, and evaluation of how the leaves reflect sunlight, called spectroradiometry.

With the results obtained, explains the researcher, it is

already possible to recommend fertilization in different areas of the plantation, with the purpose of increasing the culture yield. “The partnership with the private company was pivotal to have promising outcomes as for the aspect of the rational use of fertilization and productivity gains”, emphasizes Ziany.

Based on data of Companhia Nacional de Abastec-imento (National Supply Company) (conab), she found out that in the last 30 years–from 1981 to 2011, whereas the area planted with cotton in Brazil was reduced from 4.10 to 1.38 million hectares, the output grew at similar proportions, from 1.40 to 5.18 million tons, thanks to the use of new technologies, such as pa. •

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fARmERs AND REsEARChERs LEARN TOgEThER

by viviane Zanella

makes over 80 labels today, producing 12 million liters of fine wines in six winemaking projects in different regions of Brazil, as well as in associa-tion with international partnerships.

The area selected to implement the works was in a noble region, not only because it is opposite the head-quarters of Vinícola Miolo, at the heart of the Vale dos Vinhedos (Vineyard Valley), in Bento Gonçalves (RS), but because it is the original site of part of Merlot grapes, of which Lote 43– the company’s iconic wine–is made,

This is how wines are made in Serra Gaúcha, a traditional, pioneering winemaking Brazilian region, which, even considering the whole domestic growth, still holds the title of the main producing region in Brazil.

The possibility of applying the concepts of precision agriculture to viniculture was achieved when Embra-pa’s Precision Agriculture Network Project began. Alberto Miele, a researcher at Embrapa Uva e Vinho, invited the Miolo Wine Group to be a partner at this project. The company

The wine-making process is entirely art-oriented, which requires two artists working as partners: the agrono-mist and the enologist. The former is responsible for the quality of the raw material, i.e., the grapes. The latter–the enologist–is in charge of turning such fruit into the beverage of the gods. The tools used by those skillful professionals require thorough knowl-edge on the soil, climate, terrain, vineyards, together with the “know-how”. It is a mixture of empirical and technical knowledge.

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The researcher Alberto Miele and the agronomist Mário Luís Fochesato

produced only in exceptional crops. In other crops, the grapes are utilized to make another top-quality wine, the Merlot Terroir, or other products, depending on the grape quality.

Lote 43 is a section of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the use of the best production tech-nologies. Its production adapts the concept of "raw", which refers to the special piece of land cultivated with a vineyard inside an area which is soon to be recognized as having an appellation of controlled origin.

“We selected a 2.4-hectare area, made the georeference of 247 grape-vines, and performed a thorough study of the soil (structure, texture, and physical-chemical composition). We have also resorted to several tools related to precision agriculture, such as soil electrical conductivity, chlo-rophyll and mineral composition of leaves, plant strength, output per plant and grapevine strength”, explains the researcher Miele. Afterwards, the vineyards were selected based on the different types of soil. A sample of grapes was harvested in each area to make experimental wines.

“The main target of the studies is to evaluate which aspects are essen-tial to ascertain the wine quality, by considering space and time vari-ables”, emphasizes Miele. The data will be stored to allow for a diversified, conclusive analysis, by using geostatis-tics for such task.

“There are no miracles. Every-thing depends on the raw material quality”, remarks Mário Luís Foche-sato, the agronomic engineer in charge of Vinícola Miolo Ltda.’s grapevines in Vale dos Vinhedos, who has been monitoring the production in such

area for five years. In addition to the care dedicated to the grapevines, the agronomist starts evaluating the quali-tative potential together with the enolo-gists when the grapes begin to ripen. “Depending on the grape quality, they are selected for the different product lines in the vineyard”, he comments.

Fochesato’s experience throughout the years enables him to foresee how the plants are to behave, in case a certain year has been very rainy, for instance. “The work we have been carrying out in partnership with Embrapa is helping us explain scien-tifically what we learned in our daily

field operations”, he considers.The great expectation is that,

through the survey, evaluation and discussion on the studies, the group involved reaches a consensus about which practices can be adopted in each class of soil to enhance the output quality. “We dream of making all the vineyards produce wines as good as Lote 43, or even being able of producing it every year”, comments Miele. This is an outcome which will be possible only through the use of precision agriculture and the joint learning between research and the producing segment. •

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vOCALIZATION gUIDEs PRODUCTION

by sandra Zambudio e graziella galinari

The breakthroughs in precision technology may also benefit breeders of cattle, swine, poultry, and other animals. This is Precision Animal Production, the object of the scientific work of two professors from the School of Agricultural Engineering, Campinas State University (Feagri/Unicamp): Daniella Jorge de Moura (photo) and Irenilza de Alencar Naas. They lead the research group on Animal Ambiance and Precision Animal Protection.

Daniella talks about their work. She says the precision philosophy applied to the animal production is not different from what we understand when we deal with agriculture from the standpoint of plantation production. All starts with the management of the breeding stock, by considering each animal as a single individual, with its own characteristics and needs. “In the case of smaller animals such as chickens, for instance, the ideal thing to do is to divide the birds into batches, and so the analysis also has to be differentiated for each group formed”, she explains.

With the individualization of the animals, it is possible not only to detect their needs, but also take actions concerning them rationally and with the utmost efficiency. For such, it is necessary to work on a real-time basis. Hence, the impor-tance of sensors, which, together with data sheets of each animal (in the case of the cattle and the swine) and the batches (for the poultry), which show information on the environment (temperature, humidity, gases), plus the data on feeding, water consumption and other handling items, enable an actual in-depth view of the activity.

Precision Animal Production is not conceived today without sensors. To give an idea of how important these pieces of equipment are, it is sufficient to say that swine diseases can be identified through the analysis of animal vocalization (sounds). By knowing each individual or groups of them, the producer can have daily inspections on sensors installed in the field, what enables him thus to identify what is happening in the productive system and take actions in the breeding environment (ambiance), in the environmental comfort, and in the well-being of the breeding stock as a whole.

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Daniella emphasizes this is a simple monitoring, although able to promote the well-being of the breeding stock, with positive reflexes on the productivity and health of animals. The professor, who is also the chair-woman of the Brazilian Associa-tion of Agricultural Engineering, is excited with she talks about her work, developed together with

Irenilza. She tells the research group on Animal Ambiance and Preci-sion Animal Production develops software which interprets the data collected and helps make decisions.

The group developed a software (under patenting process) capable of interpreting the vocalization of poultry, swine and cattle, what enables us to evaluate whether they are cold, hungry

or afraid. The purpose is to ensure the meat quality, what is influenced by the well-being of animals, by the animal comfort. This software has been used to breed swine, which have a more varied sound repertoire.

“Another tool we utilize both in beef cattle raising and dairy cattle raising is satellite data, very usual in precision agriculture”, she points out.


PreCiSion AniMAl ProdUCTion

The idea is to track the oxen and optimize the use of pasture-lands. An immediate association with the issue of trace-ability, electronic identification of the animals, etc. was common when the researchers began to talk about Precision Animal Production. According to Daniella, the precision in this field has a clear focus today: the increase in productivity.

gROwTh INCENTIvEs

Daniella has no doubts about the advantages and benefits of the Animal Ambiance and of the Precision Animal Produc-

tion for the field. She is not short of reasons to think like this. Brazil is a major producer of animal-origin protein. Both the consumption and the demand are growing, like the demand for food, for grains. Grains are the basic food for the produc-tion of animal protein too.

Brazil is the largest beef producer, and competes against the USA for the position of the largest producer and exporter of chicken meat. In accordance with the Brazilian Union of Aviculture (uba), the domestic aviculture produced 13 million tons in 2011.

The Brazilian output grew by 38% between 2006 and 2011, as a response to the strong demand. The consumption of chicken meat by Brazilians is increasing because the prices are affordable for low-income fami-lies. The consumption per capita of this meat surpassed beef in 2008. For this year, it is estimated at 47.1 kilos per inhabitant/year. The domestic consumption accounts for 70% of the national output.

According to Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (National Supply Company) (conab), the consump-tion of chicken meat is expected to grow by 3.37% (301.8 thousand more tons) and reach 9.264 million tons in 2012. On the other hand, the need to devise more tech-niques which make the production of meat, eggs and milk more reasonable is considerable.

ThE DIffERENCE IN ThE DETAILs

Daniella believes gains are in the small details, and then precision plays an important role. “That difference will make the whole difference later”, she says. There is no lack of examples of techniques that can be employed. The professor, who has been carrying out investigations in this area, mentions some of them:

The image analysis is quite utilized, and is made by means of a video monitoring system, which can show feeding behavior, for instance. When examining the images, the producer can observe behavior patterns in accordance with different environments, with different food troughs. The behavior analysis enables to understand the animal better and then make more appropriate decisions.Z

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The examination of the vocalization of these animals, by means of specific software which interpret these signals, can be associated with environment and handling conditions. In order to detect the sounds emitted, it is suffi-cient to have a microphone connected to a computer with a sound card and the software to examine the data.

In the case of swine, poultry and dairy cattle, the data obtained may help find out whether the animals are stressed or not. For example, many producers know that chicks vocalize differently when they are cold. The secret for the success of such activity is the analysis and interpreta-tion of the data collected.

Other techniques can be added in order to obtain more precise analyses of the animal behavior. Video and pref-erence cameras are currently object of research of the group headed by Dani-ella and Irenilza. In different sections and with variable factors (tempera-ture, levels of ammonia), it is possible to examine the choices made by the birds, as for instance in which of the places they stay longer. This is impor-tant to identify places with ideal condi-tions for animals, i.e., the places where they can have better productivity.

Another evaluation studied by them is related to chicken paws. These animals have been raised as meat-producing machines, but their legs did not evolve to bear the weight they reach. How can you solve this problem at the chicken farm? This is what the investigations have been attempting

to know by means of special mats intended to ascertain both the strength and the balance in the steps given by the animals. This is an efficient tech-nique to evaluate the well-being of the animals.

Examination of the ventilation systems with increasingly precise methodologies, such as geostatistics in the sheds and the use of cfd (compu-tational fluid dynamics) to make a more accurate evaluation of the site have been also studied by Danielle and Irenilza, who are in search of the best choice for the well-being of the animals when they are transported.

Other techniques they have been studying are: the development of systems to detect cows in the heat and the improvement in the performance of breeding stocks of endurance horses.

ThE ChALLENgEs

In Daniella’s opinion, there are many challenges to be overcome in the animal production. Both aviculture and pig farming are quite intensive already. They are at their limits in terms of intensifica-tion and increase in the animal density, especially in the aviculture industry.

The huge bottleneck in animal production is related to ambiance, espe-cially in aviculture and in pig farming, and without considering market issues such as price highs and lows. Many technicians and producers refer to ambi-ance in terms of site air-conditioning, what is something sensitive in produc-tion. However, for Daniella, the correct ambiance makes animals experience

well-being and express their full poten-tial. The ambiance has reflections on both well-being and productivity.

As for ambiance in Brazil, she explains producers have a lot to advance. In the case of aviculture, for instance, birds arrive at one day old to the aviary, and producers not always have the whole knowledge on how the site must be in order to foster a good initial growth. They are usually worried about good feeding. However, the quantity supplied is not always ideal, or it ends up being a source of excess of energy to supply the lack of heat on the site.

In Daniella’s opinion, these are the moments where producers have to be more precise, by observing details and correcting failures. “The ambi-ance issue has to evolve more in Brazil, not only as for aviculture, but also for pig farming and dairy cattle”. Another bottleneck mentioned by the professor when raising swine and poultry in the intensive system is the insulation matter. “Our aviaries still use the same building material of 30 years ago. It is time for this industry to use materials which enable a more proper insulation for the animals, especially concerning temperature conditions in the sheds, resulting in more energy control and efficiency”.

The issue of animal well-being is a requirement of the foreign market, especially the European and the Japa-nese market. The domestic demand for such condition is still small, but it exists, and this is the reason why we have to evolve under this aspect. •

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RICE: AmbITIOUs REsEARCh AND gREAT ChALLENgEs

One of the few countries capable of producing significant surpluses of rice for the world market, Brazil is provided with an interesting oppor-tunity to search new knowledge and scientific approaches about this topic, with Embrapa as the main player in

Latin America. The company is initi-ating a never-done-before work with the irri (International Rice Research Institute) which, among other benefits, gives the institute scientists the possi-bility of taking part in projects in which there had not been participation of

Latin American institutions so far.This partnership takes place in

the scope of the Embrapa - cgiar Xchange Program (read the box). The irri coordinates a large multidisci-plinary network to develop research on C4 Rice, which is considered as the

by Deva Rodrigues


boldest scientific project in the vegetal segment. Challenging, the focus of this work is the search of rice plants with C4 photosynthesis. “Rice is a plant with C3 photosynthesis. The transfor-mation we are searching would be a dramatic innovation and, therefore, it would be a long-term project”, remarks the R&D head at Embrapa Arroz e Feijão (Santo Antônio de Goiás, GO), Flávio Breseghello.

According to him, the benefits from rice plants with C4 photosynthesis are numerous. For instance, farmers would have higher output and productivity, because plants with C4 photosynthesis produce more biomass (or leaves), and are more resistant to drought. Corn, sorghum and sugarcane are examples of plants which undergo the C4 photo-synthesis process. Scientists from Australia, Europe, United States and Canada have been taking part in such research network so far. However, the agreement entered with the irri allows for Embrapa to be close to such select group part of the consortium which is initiating its search for C4 Rice.

There are also other projects in which Embrapa is expected to get involved from such cooperation with the irri, among them a world strategic plan for rice research named grisp (Global Rice Science Partnership).

With funds of approximately USD 100 million per year to invest in research, GRiSP intends to boost the allocation of more funds for such purpose worldwide, through the collab-oration of several players, showing donors that such funds are to be used

efficiently and with the greatest impact on low-income populations.

The presence of Embrapa in this group is significant, because it is the only Latin American institution to take part in it. Another piece of information scientists have been taking into account is the forecast that not less than 771 million tons of cereal will be necessary to feed an 8.3 billion-people popula-tion in 2030. Investing in research and establishing priorities are required to reach such volume. At the agree-ment with the irri, the highlighted fields are: genetic resources, biotech-nology, genetic enhancement, biosyste-matics, and genetic diversity.

“The allocation of a researcher for the irri is a manner to enhance the relations with that center”, says the knowledge exchange coordinator of Embrapa’s Secretariat for Interna-tional Affairs, Luciano Nass, when ascertaining the benefits this coopera-tion agreement with the irri brings both to Embrapa and Brazil, where rice

research is predominantly carried out by the public sector.

A NEw PERfORmANCE mODEL

The Embrapa-cgiar Xchange program is a new project performance model, with the prospect of Brazilian scientists working in groundbreaking lines of research, representing great benefits to cultures of global importance.

Besides the project to develop C4 rice with the irri, the program is also to enable research in cooperation with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (ciat), in Colombia. This agreement means the possibility of solving problems of Latin America, the region where both of them operate.

The Xchange program sets forth the appointment of two Embrapa researchers acting together with irri and ciat teams, one in the Philippines and the other one in Colombia. Each researcher can stay for up to two years, with the possibility of renewing his stay for additional 12 months. •

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by graziella galinari

ThE mEAsURE Of sUsTAINAbILITy IN AgRICULTUREEvery good farmer, with the minimum of information and sharp instinct, knows how to evaluate the conditions of the resources available for his activities, such as soil quality, water availability, the behavior expected from the climate. He knows how to estimate how much he must invest in inputs, his expenses on labor, adop-tion of technologies, machinery and implements, and how all of this is to influence on the price of his product. This set of ingredients follows a recipe aiming at the generation of wealth and which, like every human action, entails impacts too.


No wonder that, after a history dating back millennia, the twenty-first century agriculture is in charge of both the challenge and the responsi-bility to make such recipe even more rational, in order to keep producing food, fibers and energy more and more, with increasingly lower impacts. The output and productivity figures in agri-culture are known already. The diffuse measure of sustainability, considering its main dimensions, namely, economic, environmental and social ones, is yet to be calculated.

“We all want to be sustainable, but we need to show this in numbers, by monitoring and evaluating whether the Brazilian agriculture is reaching new levels and making new sustainability breakthroughs”, says Embrapa execu-tive director Maurício Lopes. A chal-lenge for the present-day science is to define suitable criteria, parameters and metrics, with applicability in different productive scales and contexts, which reveal if a certain activity in the field is evolving toward sustainability. Under the principle of “everything that can be measured has a tendency to improve”, sustainability indexes can represent objective, useful measures for further-ance actions, differentiation of products, certificates, development of public poli-cies, in addition to offering the founda-tions for a more responsible, smarter management of natural resources avail-able, without compromising the future.

According to the researcher and head of Embrapa Meio Ambiente (Jaguariúna, SP) Celso Manzatto, only by developing proper method-ologies for the qualitative and quan-titative analysis of sustainability in its three dimensions, we will be able to guide the improvement of produc-tive systems, as well as agribusi-ness processes and products. “The Brazilian farming industry has won an outstanding position in the world agri-cultural scene, and the driving force of such revolution was the adoption of »

modern, bold technologies, developed by farming researchers”, he says.

“If we repeat such achievement concerning sustainability challenges by means of a positive agenda, farmers will be the main beneficiaries, with a series of new technologies, prod-ucts and processes at their disposal, which ensure the preservation of their business in the future on an envi-ronmentally clean, economically feasible and socially fair basis”.

The enhancement in the efficiency of conventional practices, the inte-

Celso Manzatto: methodologies can guide the improvement of production systems

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gration or the replacement with more sustainable alternatives and the promo-tion of a new agroecosystem design, based on a new series of ecological processes are some of the challenges highlighted. The implementation of quality management systems in the field, good agricultural practices, the development of biological inputs and new fertilizers, the Agriculture-Live-stock-Forest integration, the terri-tory organization, the assessment and payment of ecosystemic services, the knowledge and use of biodiversity, the search for certification and trace-ability are examples of answers the farming research and Brazilian farmers can give the world in the quest for a more sustainable production. “The use of tools and evaluations of the sustain-ability of the different agribusiness productive chains is the path to show these breakthroughs in Tropical Agri-culture”, emphasizes Manzatto.

ThE TOOLs

In the opinion of the researcher and head of Embrapa Monitoramento por Satélite Mateus Batistella, geotech-nologies such as remote sensoring, traceability and modeling techniques are indispensable resources when examining the radiography of Brazilian agriculture in all of its complexity. The geospatial dimension of sustain-ability is an innovative component. “In addition to measuring sustainability in numbers, you can map and monitor agriculture and the conditions under which it has been developed, showing

where the activities take place and their interaction with an entire environ-mental and social context”.

Geospatial sustainability indica-tors have the potential to be applied, for instance, to examine advancements or recessions in agriculture, environ-mental laws, output enhancement, mapping and monitoring of production and handling systems, such as Agri-culture-Livestock-Forest Integration and direct planting, and the dynamics of land use and coverage. Indica-tors for output conditions, defined by information and knowledge networks, integrated with the mapping of the planted area, for instance, could result in a sustainability map for agricul-ture. “Processing and crossing geospa-tial data with multisource indicators could give rise to a diagnosis system, for instance, through the monitoring of sustainability throughout the years”.

According to Batistella, some important outcomes are close to be reached, such as the monitoring of the area planted with grains, from the beginning until the end of the crop–approximately 80% of the soybean cultivated in Brazil–, with the use of high temporal resolution orbital data, with over 90% success rate. The challenge to generate estimates of carbon stocks in both natural and planted forests, mapping of soil prop-erties and identification of types of cultures, plagues and diseases, and the monitoring of pastureland degra-dation processes, by using geotech-nologies to extrapolate local measures, are examples of contributions prom-ised for a near future.

APOIA-NOvORURAL

In spite of many attempts to measure the impacts of agricultural activities

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Mateus Batistella: Metrics can monitor conditions in which agriculture is carried out

SUSTAinABiliTy


still lacking scientific consistency, for the researcher of Embrapa Meio Ambiente (Jaguariuna, SP), Geraldo Stachetti Rodrigues, it is important that producers are able to analyze their own performance and give their contribution to the sustainable development. He is one of the persons in charge of devel-oping the apoia-NovoRural method-ology, with a direct approach on the rural establishment. “We follow the principle that this is where the deci-sions on processes concerning environ-mental management are made”.

The Weighted Evaluation System for the Environmental Impact of Rural Activities began to be built more than ten years ago, and has today over 200 players in Brazil and in other coun-tries. The methodology employs a multi attribute type metrics, with performance indexes of the indicators expressed in utility values, standard-ized between 0 and 1.

There are 62 indicators for the envi-ronmental performance of the rural activity, organized into five dimen-sions: Landscaping Ecology, Quality of Environmental Matters (Atmo-sphere, Water and Soil), Sociocultural Values, Economic Values and Manage-ment & Administration. Indicators such as preservation of habitats and fire hazards; emission of pollutant gases, water quality and soil fertility; access to education and other basic services; income and property value; treatment of waste and institutional organization of the establishment are evaluated, for instance.

The systemic approach of the envi-ronmental impacts occurs via weight matrices built for each indicator. The data are handled automatically, and the impact indexes are expressed in charts, correlated to the environmental performance of the activity at the five dimensions. After reviewing the field and laboratory data, as the final result, a report is generated for the producer to make decisions on the steps to enhance the establishment performance, as a guide for environmental management of the rural activity, by adopting good practices with productivity and mini-mizing the negative impacts.

The system has already been applied to several case studies, encom-passing different activities and produc-tive segments, social arrangements, including traditional communities and several environmental situations. There are studies carried out in small, low-tech establishments, as well as other experiences in larger establish-ments, from 3.5 thousand up to more than 100 thousand hectares, including production integration and agro-indus-tries. “The outcomes gathered from different sustainability dimensions provide the decision makers with an integrated view of the positive or nega-tive contributions of rural activities towards the sustainable local develop-ment”, explains the researcher.

The methodology is available to be used by those interested in making R&D partnerships. “Our goal is the ongoing search for the learning on how to analyze sustainability and envi-

ronmental management objectively, grounded on scientific bases and mathe-matic consistency”. For those requiring certifications, the method supplies analytical and documental bases for audits by different certification systems. As for public policies, the indicator data presents objective measures for control-ling and fostering purposes when the studies are carried out with groups of producers or productive segments.

In Uruguay, the System was adapted for the Responsible Produc-tion Project, performed with the Coop-erative Program for the Agri-Food and Agroindustrial Technological Development in the Southern Cone (procisur) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agri-culture (iica). The system has been currently applied by the Ministry of Cattle, Agriculture and Fishing as an instrument to diagnose, monitor and evaluate sustainability in medium and small rural establishments of different lines of business nationwide, funded by the World Bank and by the Global Environmental Facility (gef).

For the researcher, methods which allows for evaluating, recording and managing properly these differenti-ated, sustainable production models, are important tools in the evolu-tion process for the formation of an ethical, responsible market. “Now we have to foster initiatives intended to generate and consolidate such figures and measures in the entire farming productive industry, what requires efforts that are not trivial at all”. •

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nAnoTeChnoloGy

COmINg vERy sOON NEAR yOU: EDIbLE PACkAgEs

reduce economic losses and favoring the whole productive chain.

However, the benefits from the use of biopolymers–as the plastics obtained from natural products are called–have been limited, because they usually have fragile mechanical and barrier proper-ties. In other words, when compared to the traditional plastics used by the people every day, the biodegrad-able films may be little resistant and not protect food so properly.

Nanotechnology tools may be a good choice to solve these problems, considers the researcher Henriette Azeredo, from Embrapa Agroindústria

Tropical. According to her, the chal-lenge to enhance the performance of biomaterials for use in food packages may be solved through the addition of very small reinforcement structures, such as nanocellulose or nanoclays. Another manner is the combination of compounds with complementary properties, such as starch and carnauba wax, since the former has a good barrier to oxygen, and the latter has a good barrier to water steam.

The researchers Henriete Azeredo and Morsyleide de Freitas Rosa tested alginate films (a polysaccharide) and acerola pulp, reinforced with cellu-

Henriette Azeredo and CNPq scholarship student Hálisson Lucas Ribeiro

by verônica freire

Two hundred and ten tons of plastic packages are produced every year in Brazil. This already accounts for 9.7% of all the garbage of this country. Plastic prevents water flow, delays the decomposition of biodegradable mate-rials, and makes waste compacting difficult in landfills and dumpsites found in virtually all Brazilian cities. With the intention of offering alter-natives to reduce such kind of envi-ronmental impact, Embrapa has been carrying out research with biodegrad-able packages in its Food Package Laboratory at Embrapa Agroindús-tria Tropical (Fortaleza, CE). Unlike conventional plastics, the natural degradation of which may take more than one century, biodegradable packages can be decomposed within months or even weeks when they are in contact with the soil.

The researchers have been working on the development of edible films and coatings obtained from the pulp of tropical fruits such as acerola, guava, and mango. When applied to the food surface, these materials delay the loss of water and the gas exchanges with the environment, what extends the product lifetime. Another advan-tage is that this kind of film may become a promising manner to use the surplus of fruit output, contributing to

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The Food Package labora-tory of embrapa Agroindús-tria Tropical also operates to develop products which include bioac-tive substances to promote food safety. one of the studies–conducted by the resear-cher Socorro Bastos–aims at developing packages with antimicrobial action by adding essential oils of plants such as oregano, pepper--rosmarin, and basil. “These compounds already have antimicrobial action proven in laboratory, and may reduce the addition of synthetic chemical compounds”, she states.Another laboratory activity line aims at obtaining smart packages. Studies with biosensors have been carried out for such purpose. They are elec-tronic devices which use biological molecules to detect substances of inte-rest. According to the researcher roselayne Ferro Furtado, the challenge is to associate the biosensors with the packages in order to make them smart. “Such packages may inform consumers whether the product is proper to be consumed, for instance.”

lose nanocrystals. These nanocrystals enhanced the mechanical properties and the film barrier properties.

Henriette Azeredo’s observa-tions report that alginate films added with cashew nut tree gum make the material more extend-able (stretchable). The properties of the chitosan matrix improved when chitosan films added with cellulose nanofibers were evaluated.

For the time being, the use of nanofibers to produce edible films is restricted to the laboratory environ-ment, because the impacts they may cause to health are not known yet. However, Henriette Azeredo believes the safety of such materials can be proven very soon and, afterwards, their commercialization can be authorized.

A hIghER NUmbER Of DOwNLOADs

Investigations on nanotechnology applied to food packages have obtained good repercussion in scientific publi-cations. The article “Nanocompos-ites for food packaging applications”, published in the Food Research Inter-national magazine, written by Henri-ette Azeredo, ranked as the tenth most downloaded article in 2011, according to the online publisher Elsevier.

In 2009, the article on mango pulp films reinforced with cellu-lose nanofibers–also written by this researcher–was the most mentioned in the “Nanoscale Food Science” section of the Journal of Food Science. The study was developed during her post-graduate studies, carried out at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2008. She has studied mango pulp-based edible films added with different

concentrations of cellulose nanofibers. The research showed the films became stronger when added with cellulose nanofibers, with a better humidity barrier and more heat stability.

The Journal of Food Science is a scientific publication associated with the Institute of Food Technolo-gists (ift), headquartered in Chicago (USA), which comprises several fields of Food Science and Technology. Such

Socorro Bastos studies the development of packages based on the addition of plant essential oils

‹ Link ›———————————

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096399690900091X nanocomposites for food packaging applications

publication is one of the most impor-tant in its field, in accordance with the Institute for Scientific Information (isi) ranking, which has one of the most comprehensive scientific informa-tion database in the world. •

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reSeArCh newS

QUALITy IN ThE bRAZIL NUT TEN yEARs Of PREsENCE IN EUROPE

Research activities conducted by several institutions are attempting to ensure the quality of Brazil nuts produced in the Country. The Brazilian product have been facing market restrictions, especially in Europe, due to the contamination levels caused by mycotoxins, a potentially carcinogenic toxin produced by fungi of the genus Aspergilus spp.

Such restrictive measures caused a 90% reduction in exports. The vacuum left by Brazil has been filled by Bolivia, which has been investing in processing technologies. The contamination is related to the conditions of storage, drying and exposure of the nuts to the relative humidity of that region.

Several actions are in progress to face the problem. The studies include the characterization of the productive chain in order to identify the stages which are the most affected by contamination and by the development of more efficient drying technologies. Researchers have been also using molec-ular biology techniques to identify the fungi which occur the most and those which produce toxins the most. •

Some of the main research institutions in Europe began to receive Embrapa researchers to perform projects of common interest ten years ago. This is Embrapa’s Virtual Laboratory Abroad (Labex), an initiative which aims at generating know-ledge in order to speed up the development of new technolo-gies for the benefit of Brazilian agriculture.

This partnership in the Old World involves French farming research institutes such as cirad (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développe-ment), inra (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique), and several universities in the United Kingdom, the Rotham-sted Research, associated with the Biological and Biotech-nology Scientific Research Council (bbsrc), the Universi-ties of Wageningen (Netherlands) and Belgium (leuven), and the Julich Institute, Aahrens, in Germany.

The research topics of Labex-Europe in progress since its establishment are management of natural resources and sustainability, agro-food technologies, vegetal biotechnology, and plant-microorganism molecular interaction. Labex-Europa is to work on the development of advanced pheno-typing methods in Germany in 2012. •

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REsEARCh LOsEs AN ExEmPLARy PROfEssIONAL IN bIOLOgICAL CONTROL

REsEARCh IN CERRADO AND IN AmAZONIA

The Brazilian agriculture lost on 2012 one of its greatest scientists, the agronomic engineer Flávio Moscardi. This researcher was one of the main responsible for the development of a biological control for the velvetbean caterpillar, which was used in 2 million hectares in Brazil. The adoption of such technology allowed for saving 25 million liters of chemical insecticides, and became one of the major world experiences on biological control.

He graduated in agronomic engineering from the “Luiz de Queiroz” Higher School of Agriculture (esalq) and obtained a PhD from the University of Florida. He worked as a researcher at Embrapa between 1976 and 2009. After retiring, Moscardi worked as a professor at the Postgraduate courses of the Londrina State University (uel) and of the Western São Paulo University (Presi-dente Prudente, SP).

Flávio Moscardi was recognized by both the academic institu-tions and the farming industry throughout his career. He won the awards: Jovem Cientista (Young Scientist) (1983), Frederico de Menezes Veiga (1991), Award of Distinction, granted during the XIII International Plant Protection Congress (1995), Award in Agri-culture (1996), The Third World Network of Scientific Organiza-tions, The Third World Academy of Sciences (1997), Scientific Merit Honor Degree (2001), São Paulo Medal for Scientific Merit (2001), and the Scientific Order Decoration (2002).• — collaboration

by: Carina Gomes

Sustainability. This is the main focus of Embrapa Agrossilvi-pastoril, a research center the headquarters of which, in Sinop (MT), was opened in July. This Unit is established in the State holding the highest grain output and the largest beef cattle herd in Brazil, in a transition area between Amazonia and Cerrado biomes.

Thus, the operations will focus on the generation of sustainable technologies for integrated farming produc-tion systems. Agriculture-livestock-forest integration (iLPF), pastureland recovery, biological nitrogen fixation on grass and sustainability indexes are some of the investigations proposed for this line of operation.

The maintenance of genetic resources of native plants and the feasibility of options to use forest species with busi-ness potential will be other activities performed by the Unit, which is also to conduct research on agroforestry systems (safs), recovery of legal reserve, use of animal and vegetal waste in agriculture.

Concerning the bioenergy segment, studies will be conducted on the production of biochar, in addition to the cultivation of palm oil to produce biofuels, and elephant grass for energy purposes. Other lines of research will be water resources, physics, chemistry and soil microbiology, emissions of greenhouse effect gases from both the soil and livestock. •

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CURRALEIRO AND Pé-DURO OxEN ARE ThE sAmE RACE

RUssIANs kNOw COOPERATION PLATfORm

Pé-Duro and Curraleiro are the same race of bovine cattle. The doubt of Brazilian cattle raisers was solved through a geno-typing study carried out in the United States by Embrapa’s researcher Geraldo Magela Carvalho, and Harvey D. Black-burn, from the American Research Service, a body of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With the result of the analyses in hands, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply–Mapa–is now homologating the genealogic records of the Curraleiro Pé-Duro race.

The project was carried out in the scope of Embrapa’s Virtual Laboratory Abroad (Labex) in the United States. The study examined the genetic material of 142 bovines of Curra-leiro, Pé-Duro, Caracu, Nelore and Gyr races.

The research shows that the Pé-Duro and Curraleiro are part of an old herd which used to spread nearly all over the Brazilian territory. Today, the Curraleiro Pé-Duro herd in Brazil–an endangered race–is estimated at about 3 thousand head of cattle distributed over the States of Piauí, Maranhão, Ceará, Paraíba, Goiás, Federal District, Minas Gerais, and Bahia. • — collaboration by: Fernando Sinimbu

The experience of the platforms for Africa-Brazil (Africa Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace) and Latin America and Caribbean-Brazil (Lac-Brazil Agricultural Inno-vation Marketplace) farming innovation can be used as a model for technical cooperation of Russia in Asia.

The initiative was presented to the Russian government by the World Bank, one of the financing parties of this new opera-tion model, which promotes the performance of collaborative projects and encourages the exchange of experiences among Brazilian, African, Latin American and Caribbean researchers.

The other sources of funding for the platforms are England’s Department for International Development (dfid), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the Brazilian Agency for Cooperation (ABC), the U.N.’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (ifad), the Inter-American Devel-opment Bank (idb), and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (ciat).

The research projects are selected by means of calls for tender, and aim at providing small African and Latin Amer-ican producers with innovation and development. The opera-tions are managed by Embrapa, by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (fara), and by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (iica). •

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EmbRAPA sEEDs ARE TO gO TO A vAULT IN NORwAy

REsEARCh IDENTIfIEs POLyPhENOLs IN UmbU jUICE

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, in Norway, has received the initial delivery of genetic material from the Brazilian Government. Embrapa sent 264 sets of maize and 541 sets of rice in the first week of September. The samples are part of the core collection of both species, defined as a limited group of sets originated from a vegetal collection, selected to represent the genetic variability of the entire collection.

This initiative results from an agreement entered between Embrapa and the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food in 2008, and sets forth a continuous cooperation between both institutions. The next agricultural culture to be forwarded to this Norwegian vault is bean.

The choice of the seeds took into account their relevance for food security and sustainable agriculture, as well as traits of rusticity and adaptability to national conditions.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault has capacity for four million and five hundred thousand seed samples. The site can resist to climate catastrophes (floods, earthquakes, gradual warming, etc.), and even to a nuclear explosion. • — collabora-

tion by: Fernanda Diniz

The exotic taste and smell of the umbu juice have won a new ally to win consumers. A research conducted by Embrapa Semiárido (Petrolina-PE) and by the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of the Sertão of Pernam-buco (IF-Sertão) identified the presence of polyphenols in the product. According to medicine and nutrition studies, this antioxidizing substance helps fight radicals and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to preventing the formation of tumors and delaying aging.

The data were obtained with a spectrophotometer and through a method which is more utilized to ascertain the Total Polyphenol Index (tpi) in wines. In some of the samples examined, the quantities found (tpi 36) were close to those found in grape juices processed from the Early Isabella (tpi 40) type.

The next step of the research will be the measurement of the quantity of phenolic compounds with technical procedures used more frequently for its identification. •

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mOLECULAR INTERACTION bETwEEN PLANTs AND mICROORgANIsms

Finding out what kinds of strategy a microor-ganism employs to recognize a plant as a host, to get established in it, and then cause a disease (in the case that it is a pathogen) or benefit such plant (in case it is a beneficial organism, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria), is the challenge of the studies which are the cornerstone for the field of molecular interaction between plants and microorganisms.

The studies to understand the relationship between plants and their associated micro-organisms have been undergoing impressive breakthroughs with molecular biology tech-niques, which include especially the study of the complete genomes of the living beings which are part of such association. Bioinfor-matics is another extremely valuable instru-ment in this kind of approach which allows, with the aid of computers, to organize and analyze on a prior basis fantastic quanti-ties of data generated from the set of genes (genomes), speeding up the identification of the proteins employed in the recognition and colonization process of plant tissue.

The molecular interaction between plants and microorganisms is an object of several investigations at Embrapa. One of them is the “Study of the molecular interac-tion between plants and microorganisms”, a priority of the Labex program in Europe, fully active concerning its extension in the United Kingdom. The program research activities began in 2010, and its starting point is the Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, where research has been carried out in order to iden-tify, by means of applied genomic techniques, what kind of biological tools fungi such as Mycosphaerella graminicola use during the

colonization and formation of lesions in a given plant–wheat in this case.

The work aims to identify and study the fungal secretome, i.e., the overall set of proteins the microorganism “releases” (secretes) out of its cells. The main reason for such approach is the natural perspective that the proteins utilized by the pathogen to infect the plant have to be produced and then find the plant tissue in the external milieu. Testing which of these proteins are essen-tial for the fungus to colonize the plant success-fully is the focus of the study, and the strategy uses advanced biological and bioinformatics tech-niques. The investigation describes a select group of proteins which are particularly and intensively active in the initial stages of the infection, and which account for the formation of lesions and the resulting damages to the plant output.

The fungus in question causes wheat septo-riosis. Curiously, this microorganism does not cause damages to any other plant organ, only to the leaves, and it is specific to this host plant, i.e., it does not infect any other crop species. On the other hand, Mycosphaerella spp. is known as being the major genus of fungi responsible for diseases in plants, including those of economic interest, such as wheat. There are other species which cause diseases in banana, citrus, pines, passion fruit, among others. In sum, informa-tion generated from this study can help a lot of on-going research in other pathosystems of interest for the Brazilian productive chain.

From the information generated and the observations performed, the ultimate purpose of the research is to develop techniques to block this interaction between the pathogen and the plant under attack, whether through the obtain-ment of plants. •

Alexandre Amaral

researcher do labex-europa

Project: Molecular interaction between plants and microorganisms

Biography: embrapa researcher since 2002, he has a Post-doctorate degree in Molecular Biology of Plants from the University of illi-nois (USA) and in Genomic Analysis of Pathogens of Bacterial Plants from the insti-tuto Agronômico de Campinas (Agronomical institute of Campinas) (iac). he currently works for labex-europe, as a visitor at the rotham-sted research, in harpenden, england, developing projects with plant-microor-ganism molecular inter-actions and carrying out joint studies between embrapa and other British and european research institutions.

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