Quality and food safety are of concern in the population, leading to a growing demand for organic food. The study was conducted in Viedma, during the production cycles autumn-winter and spring, between 2007 and 2009. Various organic fertilizers were used with different doses, including composted cow manure, onion-manure compost and a commercial organic fertilizer. Crop yield and the mineral content in edible parts were evaluated in each cycle, and at the time of harvesting, hygienic and sanitary quality of the spinach by microbiological analysis and the content of iron and vitamins A and C were determined. The results indicate in both crop cycles that the organic greenhouse spinach production is feasible in this region, with yields exceeding 5000 g m-2 and suitable for human consumption according to the hygienic quality – healthcare obtained in compliance with current regulations. The obtained values of ascorbic acid and beta carotene were higher compared to the reference values of conventionally produced spinach. In all cases the contents of Ca, K, P, Zn and Fe were optimal for crop development.

Appropriate handling in rocket salad production would allow increasing yield and maintaining quality during postharvest. This work was carried out in the College of Agricultural Sciences, UNR, in three seasons, with the objective of evaluating the effect of production systems on postharvest losses. The factors analyzed were: 1) Production systems: greenhouse, shadecloth, frost protection fleece fabric, and open field; 2) fastening method: without fastening and in bunches; and 3) storage days in a cold room at 3 ºC and 99% RH. The variables measured were: weight loss due to discarding, weight loss by water (%), and color (L*a*b*). The experiment was performed with a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement with 3 replications, adjusting the model of repeated measures over time with the SAS MIXED procedure, including the effects of factors and interactions. For the variables weight loss by water and loss by discarding, there was interaction between production system and storage length in all three seasons, with the lowest values for greenhouse grown plants. In spring and winter, there was interaction between fastening method and days of storage, whereas in the fall there was interaction between production system and fastening method. Fastening in bunches produced lower weight losses by water. For the variable color, the highest L* value was obtained with frost protection fleece fabric in all three seasons. In general, a* presented lower values with frost protection fleece fabric and shadecloth. The values of b* differed among the three growing seasons.

The intercropping of vegetables is quite common practice among farmers. In this work, kale and cariru intercropping, under two fertilization alternatives in side dressing, as an additive to residual soil fertility in protected cultivation was studied . The trial (30/07/2014 to 17/09/2014) had an experimental design in randomized blocks with three repetitions (2.26 m2) and nine treatments (three systems of cultivation: single kale, single cariru and consortium of kale + cariru; and three managements: test – only water; biofertilizer- 15%, in water; and urea - 1 g L-1 of water).Managements were applied weekly (10 L per plot). The agronomic indexes (fresh mass, kale leaf number and cariru branch number) stood out in single systems, with the performance, excepting kale leaf number, standing out with the use of urea. However, the results of Productive Efficiency, the Efficient Use of Land and Gross Income, keeping consistent with each other, attributed to intercropping better overall utilization of the factors, particularly, with the use of urea.

Cercosporiosis is considered the most destructive beet disease in the world. Control is carried out with resistant cultivars and application of fungicides; however, new alternatives are fundamental for sustainability. The objective of this research paper was to verify if potassium phosphite, manganese phosphite and silicon (Si) can induce resistance to cercosporiosis in beets. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of the Southern Frontier, Chapecó campus, Brazil, in a randomized block experimental design, in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme (cultivars x resistance inducers). The cultivars used were: Early Wonder Tall Top and Vermelha Comprida. The resistance inducers were: Silicon monoxide, potassium phosphite, manganese phosphite and water (control). Symptom assessments were performed every seven days, from 30 to 70 days after transplantation (DAT) of seedlings, according to a diagrammatic scale. At 75 DAT the harvest was performed and the productivity determined. The results were submitted to analysis of variance and comparison of means (Scott Knott p <0.05).Under the conditions under which the test was carried out, potassium phosphite may induce resistance of beet plants to cercosporiosis at the initial stage of the crop cycle; manganese phosphite increased productivity, and silicon not only induced resistance at the beginning and end of the cycle but also increased beet productivity. New repetitions of these studies in successive years may allow the confirmation, with greater statistical accuracy, of the observed results.

Hakusai (Brassica rapa L. Grupo Pekinensis) requires well developed seedlings for a proper productive response. This work aims to study the effect of cell size on seedling growth and its influence on the characteristics of plants at harvest. The experiment was carried under greenhouse in Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina (34º36’S, 59º04’W). Hakusai cv. Blues (Takii Seed®) seedlings were grown using planter flats of 21, 11 and 5 cm3cells. When plants showed two and four leaf shoots, roots, plant dry weight and lineal length of root were registered. Root absorption area was determined in plants with four leaves. Relative growth rate, leaf weight ratio and root weight ratio were calculated between two and four leaves. Seedlings with four leaves were transplanted, recording fresh and dry weight and number of leaves. The experiment design was a completely randomized block with four replications. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey`s Test. No differences were observed in dry weight of plants with two leaves, while plants with four leaves grown in 21 cm3 cell significantly increased dry weight of leaves, root and plant. Root absorption area increased with cell volume. Relative growth rate, leaf weight ratio and root weight ratio were not modified by treatments. At harvest no difference was observed among plants from different cell sizes, with heads reaching commercially acceptable weights.

The raise in population of other Brazilian states in the Amazonas increased the demand for zucchini, making it an option for producers. The objective of this paper was to study zucchini crop (Cucurbita pepo L.), cv. Caserta, in family farming with the utilization of mulch, with and without mineral N, associated with the strip-tillage system in clayey Oxisol in the short season with low rain in Manaus-AM (07/2011 to 09/2011). The experimental design was a randomized block with six treatments and four replications [TEST–Without Flemingia coverage or dry grass, without urea; CS – With dry grass; F200 – with Flemingia coverage(200 L plot-1); F200/U10 – with Flemingia coverage (200 Lplot-1)+ urea (10 g hole-1); F200/U20– with Flemingia coverage (200 Lplot-1)+ urea (20 g hole-1); –F400 – with Flemingia coverage (400 Lplot-1)]. All treatments received a prior dose of P and K. The treatment F200/U20 exceeded the others in the number of fruits and had excellent fruit mass, with a production nearly three times as much as the average of the State of São Paulo. In general, the plants did not show nutritional problems. The CF increased the biomass and microbial activity of soil. Therefore, it is possible to add basis for a conservative land cultivation of zucchini without yield loss.

The asparagus agrifood chain has expanded worldwide, generating the need to evaluate parameters of vigour, productivity and post-harvest behaviour in different genotypes in order to determine those giving the highest production and quality and showing the best post-harvest behaviour, since asparagus is a perennial vegetable subject to genotype-environment interaction. With the aim of evaluating the productivity of asparagus hybrids and their response to post-harvest treatments, a trial was planted in year 2011 within the Global Asparagus Testing Network (Fourth International Asparagus Cultivar Trial) in which the hybrids were evaluated in their second year of production. The trial took place in Azul (36°48'lat.S-59°51', long.W) and consisted of the following thirteen genotypes grown in a randomised complete block design with four replicates: Italo, Vittorio, Eros, Ercole, Chinese, Early-California, UC-157, Giove, Patrón, NJ -1189, NJ-1123, NJ-1192 and Franco. Twenty-four harvests were carried out between 11/09/2013 and 16/10/2013. Total fresh and commercial productivity (TFP-TFCP), total turion number (TTN) and total commercial turion number (TCTN) were scored. Data analysis was by ANOVA with LSD (P≥0.05). Mean TFP was 3664 kg.ha-1, while mean TFCP was 1386 kg.ha-1; mean TTN was 122748 and TCTN 74060. The hybrid Patrón gave the highest performance, with TFP of 8540, PFC of 3080, TTN of 222740 and TCTN of 137760 turiones.ha-1, followed by Early-California UC-157 and NJ-1123. This hybrid also stood out for vigour parameters (stem number and height) the previous autumn. The superior performance of Patrón and the good performance of other genotypes in the year of study are encouraging.

The trial was carried out in the district of MingaGuazú- Paraguay, parallels 25º29'04 ''S and meridians 54º45'52''O. The work consisted in the sowing of carrot (Daucuscarota L.) with application of two types of organic fertilizer (cow manure and chicken manure) in different doses. The general objective was to determine the yield in root weight and diameter. The design used was completely randomized blocks with 5 treatments; T1: Control (without any fertilization), T2: 3 kg.m-2chicken manure, T3: 5 kg.m-2 Hen manure, T4: 3 kg.m-2 Cow manure, T5: 5 kg.m-2 Cow manure and 4 replicates totalling 20 experimental units. The statistical analysis method used was ANOVA and the Tukey test (P ≤ 5%) for comparison of means. The results of the study allowed us to conclude that there was an effect of the treatments on the variables studied, the treatment T3 (5 kg.m-2hen manure) was the one that presented the highest root weight (191 gr/plant), and T3 and T2 treatments presented the highest values in diameter of the root, and in yield.

Plastic mulch is often used in melon crops to reduce water loss, control weeds and minimize  occurrence of pests. However, its use promotes the elevation of the temperature near the soil. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of  plastic mulch on the frequency of the floral melon visitors. The study was conducted in Juazeiro, Bahia state (I) and Pacajús, Ceará state (II), northeast of Brazil, in areas that had the same cultural tract, differing only in the presence or absence of the plastic mulch. In both sites, the analysis of variance showed a significant difference of the areas with and without plastic mulch (FI= 6.24; p= 0.0126; FII= 6.49; p= 0.0110), and this difference was more pronounced in the period from 12 h to 14 h. Analyzing the visits of A. mellifera by floral type (male and hermaphrodite) and foraged resource (nectar and pollen) there was a higher frequency of these bees in areas without coverage. The use of black plastic cover in melon cultivation caused the reduction of pollinator visits, indicating that the production of these areas could be affected, not expressing the real productivity potential.

Jerusalem artichoke tuber is considered as a functional food due to its inulin content, and as it does not contain starch, it can be included in the diet for diabetics and its flour can be used in the manufacture of products for coeliac. The crop adapts to soil and water restrictions, which is promising for semiarid conditions. This study was conducted at INTA San Luis to evaluate the effects of planting density and response to nitrogen fertilization on yield in marginal conditions of the central semiarid Pampean region. A factorial design was carried out in blocks with two factors: density: low (20,408 plants*ha-1), medium (28,571 plants*ha-1), high (40,816 plants*ha-1); and nitrogen: unfertilized (N0) and fertilized (N75). Analysis was performed using ANOVA, LSD, and Pearson´s correlation for yield and its components. Crop emergence was approximately 100%. The highest yields (p<0.05) were for the medium (fertilized) and low density (fertilized). There was no correlation between weight and number of tubers, but there was a correlation between the yield and the number of tubers. The medium density and the fertilization produced a high number of tubers (p<0.05). A good establishment of the crop with a high production of tubers was achieved. Densities between 20,000 to 30,000 plants*ha-1 were appropriate for the conditions of the study. Fertilization and density management allow increasing the number of tubers, and therefore the yield.