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Marginal reefs can provide meaningful information about the structure and dynamics of ecosystems under suboptimal environmental conditions. In addition to their different characteristics, these environments can also occur in urbanized areas. In this note, we characterize marine animal forests (MAFs) on turbid-zone reefs on an urban coast in the equatorial southwestern Atlantic. Overall, the sandstone ferruginous reefs (6-10 m depth) exhibited a flat topography and gentle slope (1-2 m above the seabed). Benthic cover is composed mainly of sponge gardens and ascidians. In addition, we found a low-relief coral carpet with only one massive reef-building coral (Siderastrea stellata) and Zoantharia. The ascidians and sponges had a higher diversity (at least 15 species) than the cnidarians (two species) in these forests. The main animals forming this seascape are weedy and stress-tolerant species adapted to challenging environmental conditions, such as swell waves, mesotidal regimes, moderate turbidity waters, and periodic burial. In this regard, these conditions and human impacts have shaped a unique MAF. Remarkably, the studied formations seem similar to high-latitude marginal reefs or low-latitude reefs under the influence of upwelling, which sustains soft corals and non-framework building coral communities along with sponges and ascidians. In particular, the shallow MAFs along the semi-arid coast of Brazil seem to lack some of the characteristics of low-latitude reefs under high sedimentation, whose structure was described as coral rubble within sedimentary matrices. This suggests that factors other than periodic burials and low light availability affected these MAFs. These overlooked forests are widespread in this area and have been neglected in studies, despite their richness (> 31 taxa) and valuable ecosystem goods and services. In the context of urbanized areas subject to climate change and pollution impacts, jetties, and dredging activities, it is necessary to consider these lush forests in impact assessments and conservation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bitcoin, created in 2008, is the first successful cryptocurrency. Bitcoin involves an industry, in which besides users, we have group of developers; miners; wallet providers; mixer providers; stock exchanges; and crypto banks. There are already countries whose tax policies accept bitcoins. It is that last aspect that this article is about. The article will initially seek to define Bitcoin and its industry, which are sources of much controversy. It will then discuss whether it is advantageous for taxpayers to honor their tax commitments with bitcoins, and under what circumstances it would be advantageous for public management to deal with bitcoins in their tax policy. In Brazil, the municipality of Rio de Janeiro plans to accept bitcoins in tax payments in 2023, and Brazil is preparing to improve its institutional framework for dealing with cryptocurrencies through Law 14,478/2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agronomy Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Genotype × environment (GE) interaction can difficult soybean breeding programs to achieve the aim of more productive cultivars. Environment stratification is a way to circumvent this problem. However, multiyear data studies are difficult to work with, because they are, usually, unbalanced. GGE Biplot is an efficient method to find mega-environments, however, it allows for, at most, 30% of the unbalanced data. Thinking about how we could resolve this problem we came up with the idea of test a method that englobes GGE Biplot graphs, environment coincidence matrices and networks of environment. Wherefore, this work aimed to gather GGE Biplot graphs of a network of trials unbalance multiyear soybean via matrices of coincidence and networks of environment to optimize environmental stratification. Data from an experimental network of 43 trials was used, these experiments were implanted in 23 municipalities during the crop seasons of 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2015/2016 in Brazil. The trials were implanted under an experimental block design with randomized treatments and approximately 30 genotypes were evaluated, of which most of these genotypes were not repeated between the trials evaluated. The GE interaction were statistically significant for all 43 trials. The step by step of our analyses was: GGE Biplots graphs were obtained; the environment coincidence matrices were calculated; the values of matrices were used to obtain the networks of environmental similarity. The study demonstrated that by the method was possible to identify, using unbalanced multiyear data, four mega-environments. The region under study can be represented by the municipalities of Palotina, Maracaju, Bela Vista do Paraíso and Rolândia. Therefore, integrating GGE Biplot graphs and networks of environmental similarity is an efficient method to optimize a soybean program by environment stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying agronomic traits correlated to grain yield can be very useful for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] breeding, especially if these traits can be measured through unmanned aerial vehicle high‐throughput phenotyping rather than through manual measurements. The objective of the present study was to assess the association between canopy coverage and soybean grain yield through different statistical methodologies. A panel with 97 soybean genotypes was evaluated in two field experiments conducted in Paraná State, Brazil. Canopy coverage was determined by using an RGB camera coupled to a drone. Images taken during flights at phenological stages V3‐V4, V5‐V6, V7‐V8, and V9‐R1 were used to calculate canopy coverage based on the green pixel ratio in each experimental unit. There were significant genotype × environment interactions in all evaluated traits. Selective accuracy values (0.73–0.96) revealed indirect yield selection efficiency based on canopy coverage. High genetic correlation estimates (0.76) were observed between grain yield and canopy coverage at flowering in one of the assessed environments. These results were confirmed through genetic correlation coefficient decomposition in direct and indirect effects and of gain estimates presenting indirect selection. Thus, canopy coverage data remotely collected using drones to soybean indirect selection for grain yield can be a promising strategy to accelerate genetic gains in soybean breeding programs. Core Ideas: Use of high‐throughput phenotyping in soybean breeding programs for yield prediction.High efficiency in the response correlated by indirect selection for grain yield using drones.High estimate of genotypic correlation is observed between canopy coverage and grain yield in soybean breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A multiparental random mating population used in sorghum breeding is amenable for the detection of QTLs related to tropical soil adaptation, fine mapping of underlying genes and genomic selection approaches. Tropical soils where low phosphorus (P) and aluminum (Al) toxicity limit sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production are widespread in the developing world. We report on BRP13R, a multiparental random mating population (MP-RMP), which is commonly used in sorghum recurrent selection targeting tropical soil adaptation. Recombination dissipated much of BRP13R's likely original population structure and average linkage disequilibrium (LD) persisted up to 2.5 Mb, establishing BRP13R as a middle ground between biparental populations and sorghum association panels. Genome-wide association mapping (GWAS) identified conserved QTL from previous studies, such as for root morphology and grain yield under low-P, and indicated the importance of dominance in the genetic architecture of grain yield. By overlapping consensus QTL regions, we mapped two candidate P efficiency genes to a ~ 5 Mb region on chromosomes 6 (ALMT) and 9 (PHO2). Remarkably, we find that only 200 progeny genotyped with ~ 45,000 markers in BRP13R can lead to GWAS-based positional cloning of naturally rare, subpopulation-specific alleles, such as for SbMATE-conditioned Al tolerance. Genomic selection was found to be useful in such MP-RMP, particularly if markers in LD with major genes are fitted as fixed effects into GBLUP models accommodating dominance. Shifts in allele frequencies in progeny contrasting for grain yield indicated that intermediate to minor-effect genes on P efficiency, such as SbPSTOL1 genes, can be employed in pre-breeding via allele mining in the base population. Therefore, MP-RMPs such as BRP13R emerge as multipurpose resources for efficient gene discovery and deployment for breeding sorghum cultivars adapted to tropical soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ceres is the property of Revista Ceres and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Marine carbonate sediments have economic value because of their high concentration of calcium minerals and important trace elements. However, increasing mining interest in these stocks is threatening unique ecosystems, such as rhodolith beds, which provide many ecosystem goods and services. We review the potential of the unexplored Brazilian deposits and the rising conflicts with other blue economic sectors and biodiversity hotspots. The tropical Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, particularly the Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone, has the largest deposit of marine limestone worldwide, which is very attractive to the global industry, with reserves measured at more than 1355,157,240 tons of CaCO 3 and it is especially useful as a supply for agriculture and animal nutrition. This large mining potential raises concerns regarding licenses and potential impacts, especially considering the biological and socio-economic importance of extensive rhodolith beds, which may conflict with mining. Additionally, future dredging activities will take place in vulnerable ecosystems without adequate marine spatial planning (MSP). Currently, there is no long-term scientific information on the available carbonate stocks, stock recoverability, risks to connectivity with other ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs), and the reduced provision of ecosystem services which may affect activities such as artisanal fisheries. In this context, encouraging carbonate mining without science-based information and MSP accelerates the unsustainable exploitation of this important ecosystem. This activity will contribute to the degradation of tropical marine biodiversity and threaten the food security of traditional and vulnerable human communities, which is in opposition to the Sustainable Development Goals and reaching the 2030 United Nations Agenda. [Display omitted] • Brazil has great mining potential due to non-explored carbonates. • Carbonate mining was overexploited by Europe and is now prohibited. • Rhodoliths are non-renewable resources and recovery is slower than the extraction rate. • Rhodolith beds offer ecosystem services and could be more economically valuable when conserved rather than exploited. • Policy actions and baseline research is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Oceanography is the property of Instituto Oceanografico da Universidade de Sao Paulo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the informative power of rating agencies in the process of establishing sovereign risk, over a ten-year period (1997-2006). Design/methodology/approach - First, following an earlier model, the concept of noise-rater risk is introduced. Second, four panels were carried out to identify the most significant macro factors in determination of sovereign ratings, taking into account contemporaneous and lagged variables. The dependent variable is sovereign rating issued at the end of each year. Third, three kinds of errors committed by rating agencies when altering the sovereign ratings of emerging countries are defined. Findings - Noise-rater risk amplifies the chances of noise traders obtaining higher returns than arbitrators. The panels show that, with the exception of debt, all other factors are sample dependant, and that variables and samples leave ample space for subjective factors. Analysis of errors demonstrates that rating agencies appear to lose their focus/modus operandi/principles in times of crisis, and that they commit more errors immediately prior and after the onset of a financial crisis. Practical implications - The paper argues for a cautious analysis of rating agency's informative power. Like any other stakeholder, rating agencies are influenced by cognitive limitations, erroneous beliefs, and the cost of acquiring and using information. Originality/value - The paper uses behavioral finance methodologies to observe rating agencies and demonstrates, from its observations of sovereign ratings, that agencies tend to fail at times of financial turmoil, i.e. when they are most needed, by abandoning their "look at the future" principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I mainly analyzed the inclusion of environmental budget in climate change models. Considering Kemfert, Lise and Tol (2004)'s approach to show a formal model that puts together economic and climate issues, I analyzed the inclusion of environmental public spending and energy. I tried to show that countries' economic and physical structures establish different public spending, with different environmental impacts and consequences to another nations and that has strong influence on economic models. In relation to public spending, I considered, specifically, the Brazilian federal budget to Environmental Management from 2000 to 2006. In this article, I argue in defense of considering budget for environmental management in the discussion on climate change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In early September 2019, dense crude oil began to wash the beaches of Brazil's tropical coast. Four months after the first report, the oil has already been found along >3000 km of the Brazilian coastline on >980 beaches and was recently observed along the Amazon coast, making this oil spill the most extensive and severe environmental disaster ever recorded in Brazilian history, in the South Atlantic basin, and in tropical coastal regions worldwide. Four features of this oil-spill disaster make it unique: 1) the characteristics of the oil spill; 2) the characteristics of the affected region in tropical Brazil; 3) the significant number of protected areas (>55) and tropical ecosystems affected by the oil; and 4) the absence of measures and/or flaws in the measures taken by the federal government to address this environmental and social emergency. The affected species and poor human communities in Brazil should receive focused attention in the coming decades owing to the long-term impacts of the oil contamination. Environmental monitoring and response measures must be implemented to minimize the ecological, economic, and social effects of the spill. Biodiversity and climate regulation losses considering blue carbon environments should drive discussions regarding mining accidents and global consequences related to pre-salt oil exploitation, new spill events, and their global impacts. These measures are particularly relevant in areas with high tropical biodiversity and high social inequality, as in the present case, which represents one of the worst-case scenarios of an environmental and governmental disaster. Image 1 • This oil spill disaster is unique owing to four main features. • The affected Brazilian tropical region is unique considering coral endemism. • The significant number of protected areas and tropical ecosystems affected by the oil. • The characteristics of the oil spill itself. • The absence of and/or flaws in the measures taken by the federal governmental to address this emergency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of labor inspections in Brazil increased in the late 1990s. In the years that followed, between 2003 and 2007, formal employment expanded significantly in the country. This paper examines whether these city-level changes in labor inspections could be a significant factor contributing to the increase in the number of formal labor contracts at the city level. We exploit unique administrative data on formal employment on different indicators for job and worker flows—including job creation, destruction, reallocation, accessions, and separations—between 1996 and 2006, and on the intensity of labor inspections, both at the city level. The results show that increases in the enforcement of labor market regulations at the subnational level led to an increase in gross and net formal job creation rates and accession rates in a period when the Brazilian GDP and formal employment were growing and informality rates were declining. In contrast, increases in enforcement of regulations are not significantly correlated with changes in the rate of job destruction. This finding is robust to different specifications and is consistent with a model where formal jobs become more attractive to workers when enforcement of different types of labor regulations increases. JEL ClassificationJ21, J63, E24, H80, C23 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Migration is a natural phenomenon that includes annual movements of many bird species in response to seasonal cycles. With approximately one third of all living bird species, South America has an important avifauna, and many migrants land in Brazil at stopping points and wintering sites. Objective: To identify associations between migrant birds and coastal vegetation, and environmental influence of on migration. Methods: At 10 points along the coast of Piauí State, Brazil, we made visual censuses and mist net captures, between April 2009 and February 2016. Results: We identified 82 migrant bird species (13 orders; 28 families) that represented 41 intracontinental migrating species, 26 northern visiting species, 14 nomad species and one vagrant species. The richness peaks were at the beginning and end of both dry and rainy seasons, matching insolation and atmospheric pressure. There were spatial pattern differences among vegetation complexes. Chrysolampis mosquitus is an indicator of caatinga vegetation, Numenius phaeopus of wetland, Charadrius collaris of non-flooding fields, Rostrhamus sociabilis of forest-grassland transition, and Columbina picui of orchards. Despite differences in number and species composition within vegetation types, the temporal pattern in species richness was similar among flooded fields, non-flooded fields, and transition grassland categories. Conclusions: Migrant birds occupy specific environments during their permanence along the coast of Piauí State, with richness matching insolation and atmospheric pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late blight caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is a destructive tomato disease in Brazil and in other tropical and subtropical regions. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the inheritance of resistance to late blight and determine the genetic factors that contribute to the resistance in the inbred line "163A". The Line "163A" resulted from an interspecific cross between Solanum lycopersicum and S. habrochaites f. glabratum, achieved by researchers at Universidade Federal de Viçosa. Inoculated field with mixture isolates of pathogen with 1000 spores mL-1 and naturally infested field trials showed that the expression of "163A" against multiple isolates of the pathogen was stable. The genetic analysis supported the hypothesis of two recessive genes that controlls the resistance. The scaling test of additive-dominance model showed that it is a good fit for the data, which confirms the absence or neglect of epistasis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance potential of red bean lines, derived from populations of the first cycle of recurrent selection in the common bean breeding program of the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais. In the F3:5, F3:6 and F3:7 generations, 243 families from 18 segregating populations were evaluated. These families were conducted by the bulk-within-families method and from the best, 154 lines were obtained and evaluated in the dry season of 2006 (F7: 9) and of 2007 (F7: 10), Coimbra - MG. The estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters revealed variability among families. The method bulk within F3-derived families proved useful for bean breeding. The most promising lines that may be included in future tests of value for cultivation and use (VCU), and will possibly be recommended for planting in the state of Minas Gerais, were derived from the populations Vermelhinho/AN9022180//Vermelhinho/Vermelho2157, Vermelhinho//Vermelhinho/ IAPAR81,Vermelhinho/LR720982// Vermelhinho/AB136 and Vermelhinho/AB136//Vermelhinho/ Vermelho2157. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The casqued-headed tree frog Trachycephalus atlas Bokermann, 1966 is recorded for the first time in the municipality of Jati, southern region of Ceará state, northeastern Brazil, extending in 72 km east the previous known geographic distribution of this species. An updated geographic distribution map of T. atlas is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea turtle mortality is often related to materials that reach the coast from different anthropic activities worldwide. This study aimed to investigate whether sea turtle mortality was related to older marine problems, such as solid waste, or one of the largest oil spill accidents on the Brazilian coast, that occurred in 2019. We posed three questions: 1) Are there solid residues in the digestive tract samples, and which typology is the most abundant? 2) Can meso‑ and macro-waste marine pollutants cause mortality? 3) Is the dark material found really oil? A total of 25 gastrointestinal content (GC) samples were obtained, of which 22 ingested waste of anthropogenic origin and 18 were necropsied. These 22 samples were obtained during or after the 2019 oil spill, of which 17 specimens were affected, making it possible to suggest oil ingestion with the cause of death in the animals that could be necropsied. Macroscopic data showed that the most abundant solid waste was plastic (76.05 %), followed by fabrics (12.18 %) and oil-like materials. However, chemical data confirmed only three specimens with oil levels ranging from remnants to high. It was possible to infer possible causes of death in 16 of the total 18 necropsied cases: Most deaths were due to respiratory arrest (62.5 %), followed by pulmonary edema (12.5 %), cachexia syndrome (12.5 %), circulatory shock (6.25 %), and head trauma (6.25 %), which may have been caused by contact with solid waste, oil, or both. The study showed that not all dark material found in the GCs of turtles killed in oiled areas is truly oil, and in this sense, a chemical analysis step to prove the evidence of oil must be added to international protocols., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

After successful invasions in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, lionfish (Pterois spp.) have recently invaded another important biogeographical region -the Brazilian Province. In this article, we discuss this new invasion, focusing on a roadmap for urgent mitigation of the problem, as well as focused research and management strategies. The invasion in Brazil is already in the consolidation stage, with 352 individuals recorded so far (2020-2023) along 2766 km of coastline. This includes both juveniles and adults, including egg-bearing females, ranging in length from 9.1 to 38.5 cm. Until now, most of the records in the Brazilian coast occurred in the equatorial southwestern Atlantic (99%), mainly on the Amazon mesophotic reefs (15% of the records), northeastern coast of Brazil (45%), and the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (41%; an UNESCO World Heritage Site with high endemism rate). These records cover a broad depth range (1-110 m depth), twelve protected areas, eight Brazilian states (Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, and Pernambuco) and multiple habitats (i.e., mangrove estuaries, shallow-water and mesophotic reefs, seagrass beds, artificial reefs, and sandbanks), indicating a rapid and successful invasion process in Brazilian waters. In addition, the lack of local knowledge of rare and/or cryptic native species that are potentially vulnerable to lionfish predation raises concerns regarding the potential overlooked ecological impacts. Thus, we call for an urgent integrated approach with multiple stakeholders and solution-based ecological research, real-time inventories, update of environmental and fishery legislation, participatory monitoring supported by citizen science, and a national and unified plan aimed at decreasing the impact of lionfish invasion. The experience acquired by understanding the invasion process in the Caribbean and Mediterranean will help to establish and prioritize goals for Brazil., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Soft corals (Anthozoa: Octocorallia) are discreet components in the Southwestern Atlantic reef communities. In Brazil, the native octocoral shallow-reef fauna is mostly represented by gorgonians. Consequently, except for the nephtheid Neospongodes atlantica , most of the known soft corals from this region are considered non-indigenous. Hitherto, the monotypic genus Neospongodes , which was proposed in the early 1900s, has been considered to be endemic to the Northeastern Brazilian coast. Herein, based on in situ records, we show that N. atlantica is a substrate generalist that has been probably expanding its distribution by dominating extensive shallow and mesophotic sandy and reef bottoms, generally outcompeting other reef benthic organisms, including Brazilian endemic species. Based on previously unidentified museum specimens, new records, and a broad literature review, we provide the most comprehensive modelling of the potential distribution of this species in the Southwestern Atlantic. Based on molecular inference supported by in-depth morphological analysis, the probable non-indigenous and, therefore, ancient introduction of N. atlantica in Brazilian waters is discussed. Finally, these results support that Neospongodes and the Indo-Pacific Stereonephthya are synonyms, which led us to propose the latter as taxonomically invalid., Competing Interests: Leonardo HU Monteiro is employed by Grupo Sandmine & Inframar. The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Cordeiro et al.)

Large gaps in reef distribution may hinder the dispersal of marine organisms, interrupting processes vital to the maintenance of biodiversity. Here we show the presence and location of extensive reef habitats on the continental shelf between the Amazon Reef System (ARS) and the Eastern Brazilian Reef System (ERS), two reef complexes off eastern South America. Formations located 20-50 m deep include both biogenic and geogenic structures. The presence of diverse reef assemblages suggests the widespread occurrence of rocky substrates below 50 m. These habitats represent an expansion of both the ARS and ERS and the closure of the only remaining large-scale gap (~ 1000 km) among West Atlantic reef environments. This indicates that the SW Atlantic harbors a single, yet heterogeneous, reef system that stretches for about 4000 km, and thus, represents one of the largest semi-continuous tropical marine ecosystems in the world., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Key Message: A multiparental random mating population used in sorghum breeding is amenable for the detection of QTLs related to tropical soil adaptation, fine mapping of underlying genes and genomic selection approaches. Tropical soils where low phosphorus (P) and aluminum (Al) toxicity limit sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production are widespread in the developing world. We report on BRP13R, a multiparental random mating population (MP-RMP), which is commonly used in sorghum recurrent selection targeting tropical soil adaptation. Recombination dissipated much of BRP13R's likely original population structure and average linkage disequilibrium (LD) persisted up to 2.5 Mb, establishing BRP13R as a middle ground between biparental populations and sorghum association panels. Genome-wide association mapping (GWAS) identified conserved QTL from previous studies, such as for root morphology and grain yield under low-P, and indicated the importance of dominance in the genetic architecture of grain yield. By overlapping consensus QTL regions, we mapped two candidate P efficiency genes to a ~ 5 Mb region on chromosomes 6 (ALMT) and 9 (PHO2). Remarkably, we find that only 200 progeny genotyped with ~ 45,000 markers in BRP13R can lead to GWAS-based positional cloning of naturally rare, subpopulation-specific alleles, such as for SbMATE-conditioned Al tolerance. Genomic selection was found to be useful in such MP-RMP, particularly if markers in LD with major genes are fitted as fixed effects into GBLUP models accommodating dominance. Shifts in allele frequencies in progeny contrasting for grain yield indicated that intermediate to minor-effect genes on P efficiency, such as SbPSTOL1 genes, can be employed in pre-breeding via allele mining in the base population. Therefore, MP-RMPs such as BRP13R emerge as multipurpose resources for efficient gene discovery and deployment for breeding sorghum cultivars adapted to tropical soils.

The evaluation of cultivars using multi-environment trials (MET) is an important step in plant breeding programs. One of the objectives of these evaluations is to understand the genotype by environment interaction (GEI). A method of determining the effect of GEI on the performance of cultivars is based on studies of adaptability and stability. Initial studies were based on linear regression; however, these methodologies have limitations, mainly in trials with genetic or statistical unbalanced, heterogeneity of residual variances, and genetic covariance. An alternative would be the use of random regression models (RRM), in which the behavior of the genotypes is characterized as a reaction norm using longitudinal data or repeated measurements and information regarding a covariance function. The objective of this work was the application of RRM in the study of the behavior of common bean cultivars using a MET, based on Legendre polynomials and genotype-ideotype distances. We used a set of 13 trials, which were classified as unfavorable or favorable environments. The results revealed that RRM enables the prediction of the genotypic values of cultivars in environments where they were not evaluated with high accuracy values, thereby circumventing the unbalanced of the experiments. From these values, it was possible to measure the genotypic adaptability according to ideotypes, according to their reaction norms. In addition, the stability of the cultivars can be interpreted as variation in the behavior of the ideotype. The use of ideotypes based on real data allowed a better comparison of the performance of cultivars across environments. The use of RRM in plant breeding is a good alternative to understand the behavior of cultivars in a MET, especially when we want to quantify the adaptability and stability of genotypes., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests.

Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) is one of the most consumed agricultural products in the world. Its production is affected by common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. fuscans and X. phaseoli pv. phaseoli . In this work, we investigated the spectrum, genetics, and inheritance of common bean resistance to X. citri pv. fuscans . Inoculation of nine selected cultivars with an X. citri pv. fuscans strain showed that BRS Radiante and IAPAR 16 were resistant. These two cultivars were also resistant to six X. phaseoli pv. phaseoli strains of different geographic origins, demonstrating their broad-spectrum resistances. BRS Radiante sustained smaller X. citri pv. fuscans populations than two susceptible cultivars. Stomatal densities of IAPAR 16 and BRS Radiante were significantly higher than or not different from susceptible cultivars. BRS Radiante showed the lowest general combining ability values and the combination BRS Radiante × Carioca MG the lowest specific combining ability (SCA) values, revealing the capacity of BRS Radiante to increase resistance to X. citri pv. fuscans . Positive and negative parental SCA values indicated dominant and recessive genes involved in X. citri pv. fuscans resistance. Resistance of the BRS Radiante × Carioca MG cross segregated in a 9:7 ratio in the F 2 population, indicating that it is governed by two complementary dominant genes. Maximum likelihood analysis showed that the resistance of BRS Radiante to X. citri pv. fuscans is conferred by a gene of major effect with contribution of additional polygenes. This study contributes with important knowledge on the resistance against CBB in Brazilian common bean cultivars as well as with molecular tools for confirmation of common bean hybrids.

Persistence may be defined as high sustained yield over multi-harvest. Genetic insights about persistence are essential to ensure the success of breeding programs and any biomass-based project. This paper focuses on assessing the biomass yield persistence for bioenergy purpose of 100 elephantgrass clones measured in six growth seasons in Brazil. To assess the clones' persistence, an index based on random regression models and genotype-ideotype distance was proposed. Results suggested the existence of wide genetic variability between elephantgrass clones, and that the yield trajectories along the harvests generate genetic insights into elephantgrass clones' persistence and G x E interaction. A gene pool that acts over the biomass yield (regardless of the harvest) was detected, as well as other gene pools, which show differences on genes expression (these genes are the major responsible for clones' persistence). The lower and higher clones' persistence was discussed based on genome dosage effect and natural biological nitrogen fixation ability applied to bioenergy industry. The huge potential of energy crops necessarily is associated with genetic insights into persistence, so just this way, breeding programs could breed a new cultivar that fulfills the bioenergy industries., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.