Agriculture

PART I. The use of medicinal plants is a common practice around the world since the Ancient Egypt, when they used as food and medicine. Its use is of great importance especially in low-income populations without access to health resources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality medicinal plant species traded in Londrina, Paraná state, Brazil. Medicinal plants were chosen on the basis of secretory structures or storage facilities of the active ingredients such as leaves, bark, flowers and fruits. Plant species chosen to perform the analyzes were phytosanitary quality: chamomile (Chamomilla recutita L. Rauschert), peppermint (Mentha piperita), anise (Pimpinella anisum L), hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.). The plant materials were purchased by five points or shops in city. The species purchased were transported to the laboratory, located at Londrina State University (UEL). Then, they were placed in sterile petri plates with PDA culture medium (potato, dextrose and agar) and 40 g of each plant species divided into four distinct points of the plate, and maintained at a constant temperature of 25°C for seven days. There were two replicates for species and point of sale. Were identified microorganisms harmful to human health as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Fusarium sp, Nigrospora sp, Penicillium sp, and Rhizopus sp. The six medicinal species acquired in trade from Londrina lower microbiological quality of medicinal plant. There is a high incidence of fungi harmful to human health as Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium sp in the six medicinal plants collected within five points of marketing. PART II. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, characterize and conserve the genetic resources of the Active Wheat Germplasm Bank (BAGT) and promote pre-breeding in order to expand the genetic base of the wheat breeding program of the Agronomic Institute of Paraná (IAPAR), Brazil. For the characterization and evaluation of the accessions, in April 2010, 209 accessions of the BAGT-IAPAR and 16 cultivars in a simple lattice design (15x15) were sown in the experimental area of IAPAR in Londrina, and data from 16 morphological and agronomic characteristics were taken. For all characteristics, analysis of variance, grouping of averages, analysis of simple linear correlation and analysis of genetic diversity with subsequent grouping by the UPGMA and Tocher methods were performed. It was found that the average efficiency of the lattice was 1.21 % with IC5 %: [99.31 103.11 %], representing little efficiency in relation to the randomized block design. Fourteen variables showed significance by the F test, indicating that at least one genotype differs from the others for each variable. By the analysis of genetic diversity, 3 groups were obtained in which the genotypes T092125 (Group C) and IA 072118 with T062113 (Group B) were in two isolated groups and the third group gathering the remaining 223 genotypes. This fact does not directly represent a narrow genetic basis for BAGT-IAPAR, since more than 99 % of the variation is actually contained in agronomic variables: days to maturation (MAT) and ear (ESP), plant height (AP ) and ear size (TE). Taking as a basis the grouping of means by Scott-Knott for these variables and grain weight per ear (PG / ESP), the formation of 4 for AP and ESP, 3 TE and PG / ESP groups, 2 for DC and P100G, reflecting wide diversity within each variable and in the set of these variables. The correlation analyzes showed a positive value between TE with PG / ESP and DC and a negative value between ESP and PG / ESP, both significant. Thus, the direction of crossings, to increase productivity, between genotypes of this set, must be in the direction of obtaining plants with earlier earing and with larger ears size. PART III. Agrometeorology and soybean yield.