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The objective of this article is to present the challenges of family farmers today especially in regions dominated by sugar cane agribusiness. The aim of this paper is to present the environmental consequences of sugarcane cultivation in Pontal do Paranapanema, discussing the practice of aerial spraying on the cane fields by agribusinesses. It was conducted field work with rural resettlers of "São Bento III" in Mirante do Paranapanema, on May/June 2014, the data collection was carried out through questionnaires and interviews (oral reports). The field research has enabled to note that the arrival of sugarcane units in Pontal do Paranapanema has also brought a number of problems for close cities/municipalities and population. Among these issues can be mentioned the impacts on public health in municipalities, effects on the environment emphasizing the death of mulberry trees on surrounding sugarcane cultivation and, consequently, of silkworm cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite all the benefits that an artificial diet can make to the Bombyx mori rearing, as labor savings, greater production efficiency, raising during creating unfavorable conditions, and rearing virtually free of diseases, was not yet developed an adequate artificial diet for all larval stages. However , in Japan the use of artificial diets is highly diffused to rearing first and second instars silkworm larvae, covering about 50 % of the productions. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of offering artificial diets in the early instars on the consumption of natural diet and metabolism in late instar larvae of B. mori. Three types of treat systems were tested: (i) artificial diet adapted from Miao & Jiang for the first larvae instar and natural diet for others instars; (ii) similar to the previous system, differing from it by the adapted Miao & Jiang diet have been offered to larvae of first and second instars; (iii) artificial diet adapted from Sadiq for the first larvae instar and natural diet for others instars; and (iv) natural diet for all larval instars (check). As natural diet it was used fresh mulberry leaves of the hybrid 'Shima-Miura", that was offered five times a day. Consumption and metabolism of fifth instar larvae (late larval stage) were studied by assessing: relative consumption rate, the relative metabolic rate, relative growth rate, efficiency of conversion of ingested food into biomass; conversion efficiency the food digest into biomass; and approximate digestibility. No significant effect of feeding treatment systems was observed in any biological parameter studied, indicating that the supply of artificial diets Sadiq for the first instar larvae, or Jiang & Miao diet for the first and second instars larvae, were not affecting the consumption of natural diet and metabolism of fifth larvae of B. mori, showing that they can be incorporated into a silkworm food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite all the benefits that an artificial diet can make to the Bombyx mori rearing, as labor savings, greater production efficiency, raising during creating unfavorable conditions, and rearing virtually free of diseases, was not yet developed an adequate artificial diet for all larval stages. However , in Japan the use of artificial diets is highly diffused to rearing first and second instars silkworm larvae, covering about 50 % of the productions. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of offering artificial diets in the early instars on the consumption of natural diet and metabolism in late instar larvae of B. mori. Three types of treat systems were tested: (i) artificial diet adapted from Miao & Jiang for the first larvae instar and natural diet for others instars; (ii) similar to the previous system, differing from it by the adapted Miao & Jiang diet have been offered to larvae of first and second instars; (iii) artificial diet adapted from Sadiq for the first larvae instar and natural diet for others instars; and (iv) natural diet for all larval instars (check). As natural diet it was used fresh mulberry leaves of the hybrid 'Shima-Miura", that was offered five times a day. Consumption and metabolism of fifth instar larvae (late larval stage) were studied by assessing: relative consumption rate, the relative metabolic rate, relative growth rate, efficiency of conversion of ingested food into biomass; conversion efficiency the food digest into biomass; and approximate digestibility. No significant effect of feeding treatment systems was observed in any biological parameter studied, indicating that the supply of artificial diets Sadiq for the first instar larvae, or Jiang & Miao diet for the first and second instars larvae, were not affecting the consumption of natural diet and metabolism of fifth larvae of B. mori, showing that they can be incorporated into a silkworm food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to assess if the supplementation of the silkworm diet with soybean water soluble extract (WSE) interferes on the consumption of mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) by the caterpillars and on cocoon production. The experimental design was completely randomized in factorial arrangement 4x5, with four mulberry varieties ('IZ64', 'IZ56/4', and 'FMSM' 'FM86') and five diets (untreated control leaves, leaves moistened with water and leaves enriched with WSE, in three levels). The WSE was sprayed on the leaves with water as dispersing agent. The consumption was measured by the difference between the quantity of food provided and the amount that was not consumed by the larvae. The consumption was presented quadratic form, which decreased as the WSE was added on diet. There was interaction between cultivar and diets. Silkworm fed diets containing leaves of mulberry with addition of 10% of crude protein through WSE improved the quality of cocoons with utilization of 'IZ56/4' and 'FMSM' cultivars. The sprayed of WSE on leaves of 'IZ64' cultivar decreased production of cocoons. Silkworm fed with leaves without supplementation produced heavier cocoons shells of the 'IZ64' and 'FMSM' cultivars. Water sprayed on leaves provided higher weight of cocoons shells from 'FM86' cultivar. The WSE supplementation in diets decreases consumption of silkworm. The WSE sprayed influences cocoon production depending on the cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]