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Brazil is the world’s biggest producer of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids). Pokkah boeng is an important fungal disease in this crop caused by members of the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) and characterized by deformation of the aerial part of the plant and stem rot. While the occurrence of symptoms has been reported in plantations in Brazil, no official reports of the disease exist. In this study, species of the FFSC were identified that are associated with sugarcane plants with symptoms of pokkah boeng in Brazil. This was achieved using two‐loci molecular phylogeny, sexual compatibility and analysis of morphological markers. The ability of strains to cause disease in plants of sugarcane, maize, sorghum and millet was also evaluated. The 39 isolates studied were identified as F. sacchari, F. proliferatum and another, still unknown, phylogenetic lineage that is sister to F. andiyazi. Crossing field isolates of F. sacchari and F. proliferatum with their respective tester strains produced fertile perithecia and viable ascospores. All three species induced symptoms of pokkah boeng on inoculated sugarcane plants and caused stem rot in maize, sorghum and millet. Symptoms on sugarcane are chlorosis and necrosis of leaves, punctured lesions, twisted leaves, reduction of the total leaf area, death of the top of the plant and stalk rot. The findings confirmed the aetiology of the disease in Brazil, generated basic knowledge for the development of strategies for diagnosis and monitoring of the disease and support breeding programmes for selecting resistant germplasm.

The cytotoxic activities of extracts (50 μg/ml) from 48 fungal strains, recovered from sediments of Pecém's offshore port terminal (Northeast coast of Brazil), against HCT-116 colon cancer cell lines were investigated. The most promising extract was obtained from strain BRF082, identified as Dichotomomyces cejpii by phylogenetic analyses of partial RPB2 gene sequence. Thus, it was selected for bioassay-guided isolation of the cytotoxic compounds. Large-scale fermentation of BRF082 in potato dextrose broth, followed by chromatographic purification of the bioactive fractions from the liquid medium, yielded gliotoxin (4) and its derivatives acetylgliotoxin G (3), bis(dethio)bis(methylsulfanyl)gliotoxin (1), acetylgliotoxin (5), 6-acetylbis(dethio)bis(methylsulfanyl)gliotoxin (2), besides the quinazolinone alkaloid fiscalin B. All isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicities against the tumor cell lines HCT-116, revealing 4 and 3 as the most cytotoxic ones (IC50 0.41 and 1.06 μg/ml, resp.).

summary Sustainable Value Analysis: Sustainability in a New Light Results of the EU SVAPPAS Project Most sustainability measurement instruments apply a burden-based perspective, with a focus on reducing negative environmental impacts. The Sustainable Value method offers two interesting new viewpoints. First, a value-oriented approach to impact assessment is applied. Second, Sustainable Value assesses resource use from the perspective of the resource provider (the investor), rather than from the perspective of the resource user (the farm manager), or from the perspective of the casualty of resource use (the natural environment). The method compares the value created by a firm with a set of resources with the opportunity cost of the resources used, this being the value created by an appropriately chosen benchmark. The FP6 STREP EU-project SVAPPAS (Sustainable Value Analysis of Policy and Performance in the Agricultural Sector) tested, elaborated and applied this new method in the agricultural sector. The project also checked the suitability of the EU FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) data for Sustainable Value analysis. Various modifications to the original method were suggested, such as the incorporation of production functions to calculate the benchmark opportunity costs. Further, extensions of the method for policy assessment and policy design were investigated. By doing so the project provided another lens to sustainability that may complement existing paradigms. La plupart des instruments de mesure de la durabilite s’interessent aux couts et se concentrent sur la reduction des incidences environnementales negatives. La methode de la Valeur Durable offre deux nouveaux points de vue interessants. Premierement, elle adopte une approche orientee sur la valeur pour evaluer les incidences. Deuxiemement, la Valeur Durable evalue l’utilisation des ressources du point de vue du fournisseur des ressources (l’investisseur), plutot que de celui de l’utilisateur des ressources (l’exploitant agricole), ou de celui des pertes en ressources (l’environnement naturel). La methode consiste a comparer la valeur creee par une entreprise disposant d’un ensemble de ressources au cout d’opportunite de la ressource utilisee, qui est estime par la valeur creee par une activite de reference appropriee. Le projet SVAPPAS (analyse de la valeur durable des politiques et des performances du secteur agricole) du 6eme programme cadre de l’Union europeenne a teste, elabore et applique cette nouvelle methode au secteur agricole. Le projet a egalement verifie si les donnees du RICA (Reseau d’Information Comptable Agricole) europeen convenaient a l’analyse de la Valeur Durable. Diverses modifications de la methode d’origine ont ete suggerees comme l’ajout de fonctions de production pour calculer les couts d’opportunite de reference. En outre, l’extension de la methode a l’evaluation et la conception des politiques a ete exploree. Ce faisant, le projet a donnea la durabilite une nouvelle perspective qui pourrait complementer les paradigmes existants. Die meisten Instrumente zur Messung von Nachhaltigkeit wahlen eine kostenorientierte Perspektive und konzentrieren sich auf die Verringerung von negativen Umweltauswirkungen. Der nachhaltige Mehrwert, oder die Sustainable-Value-Methode, eroffnet zwei interessante neue Aspekte. Erstens: Es wird ein wertorientierter Ansatz zur Bewertung der Auswirkungen angewendet. Zweitens: Der Sustainable-Value-Ansatz bewertet den Ressourcenverbrauch aus der Sicht des Ressourcenlieferanten (Investor) und nicht aus der Sicht des Ressourcenverbrauchers (Landwirt) oder aus der Sicht dessen, was dem Ressourcenverbrauch zum Opfer fallt (naturbelassene Umwelt). Die Methode stellt den Mehrwert, den eine Firma mit einer gewissen Menge an Ressourcen schafft, in Bezug zu den Opportunitatskosten der verbrauchten Ressourcen; bei dieser Angabe handelt es sich um eine angemessene Vergleichsgrose. Innerhalb des EU-geforderten Forschungsprojekts SVAPPAS (Sustainable Value Analysis of Policy and Performance in the Agricultural Sector) des 6. Rahmenprogramms wurde diese neue Methode auf dem Agrarsektor erprobt, verfeinert und angewandt. Das Projekt hat ebenfalls die Eignung des Informationsnetzes landwirtschaftlicher Buchfuhrungen (INLB) der EU fur die Sustainable-Value-Analyse uberpruft. Zahlreiche Vorschlage zur Anderung der ursprunglichen Methode gingen ein, z.B. die Implementierung von Produktionsfunktionen zur Berechnung der Vergleichszahlen fur Opportunitatskosten. Zudem wurden Erweiterungen der Methode zur Bewertung von Politikmasnahmen und politischen Konzepten untersucht. Auf diese Weise hat das Projekt eine andere Sichtweise auf Nachhaltigkeit eroffnet, die bereits existierende Modelle bereichern konnte.

Mango malformation is a serious disease in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and has been attributed to various Fusarium spp., including F. mangiferae, F. proliferatum, F. sacchari, F. sterilihyphosum and F. subglutinans. Isolates of Fusarium associated with mango malformation from Brazil, Egypt, India, South Africa and the United States were evaluated through amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and partial DNA sequences of the genes encoding β-tubulin (tub2) and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1). These techniques were used to delimit species and to estimate the genetic and phylogenetic relatedness of the isolates. In the AFLP analysis, most of the Brazilian isolates formed a unique cluster. Additionally, one small cluster was formed by isolates of F. sterilihyphosum from Brazil and South Africa, and another by isolates of F. mangiferae from Egypt, India, South Africa and the United States. In the phylogenetic analysis, most of the Brazilian isolates represented a new phylogenetic lineage in the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex, where they formed a sister clade to F. sterilihyphosum. Representatives of both clades were pathogenic to mango (cv. Tommy Atkins) and Koch's postulates were completed for isolates belonging to the new lineage and to F. sterilihyphosum. Thus, most of the mango malformation disease in Brazil is due to a distinct phylogenetic lineage of Fusarium, and to a lesser extent by F. sterilihyphosum. The new phylogenetic lineage identified in this study, together with F. mangiferae and F. sterilihyphosum, are the only known taxa of Fusarium proven to be capable of causing mango malformation.

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