General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Agronomy and Crop Science, Soil Science, Horticulture
7
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Emergence and initial growth of sesame under variations in irrigation water quality and proportion of plant ash Elizeu Matos da Cruz Filho, Otacílio José Passos Rangel, Edimir Xavier Leal Ferraz, Ênio Farias de França e Silva, Raquele Mendes de Lira, et al. Revista Ceres, 2026 Under saline conditions, the seed germination process is often impaired. Thus, the use of organic residues may represent an alternative to mitigate salt stress in plants. This study aimed to investigate sesame seed germination and early growth, considering the influence of irrigation water quality and the proportion of plant ash in the substrate. Conducted at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, the experiment tested different proportions of sugarcane bagasse ash [0%, 13%, 26%, 40%, 54%] and irrigation water qualities (0.3, 1.8, and 4.1 dS m-1). The ashes did not mitigate the effects of irrigation water salinity, and their increase had negative effects on emergence percentage. However, an ash proportion of up to 13.7% increased the emergence speed index when non-saline water (0.3 dS m-1, control) was used, but under saline water conditions, it caused detrimental effects. Average emergence time and average emergence speed showed positive results with ash proportions up to 21% when non-saline water was used. Plant height, stem diameter, and root length were negatively affected by higher ash proportions in the substrate, especially under irrigation with saline water.
Potassium nutrition improves sweet sorghum yield under brackish water use in a semi-arid tropical climate Daniel R. C. Feitosa, Michelle M. Rigo, Breno L. de C. Lima, Edimir X. L. Ferraz, Matheus H. de S. Leal, Ronaldo A. de Oliveira Filho, José N. Tabosa, Miguel Ferreira Neto, Alexsandro O. da Silva, Ênio F. de F. e Silva Revista Brasileira De Engenharia Agricola E Ambiental, 2026 The adequate management of irrigation with brackish water associated with balanced nutrition with potassium (K) should be investigated to reduce the deleterious effects of salt stress and increase the yield of sweet sorghum, which is suitable for forage exploration and in the biofuel industry. This investigation evaluated the effects of irrigation depth of brackish water and different doses of potassium on the growth and production of sweet sorghum, with the aim of obtaining better performance of this crop under different management of these inputs in the semi-arid region of Pernambuco, Brazil. Thus, the growth and yield of sweet sorghum were investigated under five irrigation depths (IDand 40 kg ha-1) in a randomized complete block design. Plant height, stem diameter, fresh mass of the stem, leaves, panicle, and total 1 = 222, ID2 = 388, ID3 = 554, ID4 = 720, and ID5 = 886 mm) with brackish water and five K2O doses (0, 10, 20, 30, fresh mass were evaluated in this investigation. Total fresh mass exhibited a surface response, with the highest estimated value (39.10 Mg ha⁻1) observed under an irrigation depth of 760 mm combined with a K₂O application rate of 40 kg ha⁻1. The study of different irrigation depths and their interaction with doses of Kin the semi-arid region, enabling a more appropriate irrigation and nutrition regime for the crop in the region.2O indicates the requirements for a greater supply of nutrients and water to sweet sorghum
DataMetProcess: An open-source package and Shiny application for the acquisition and processing of meteorological data from INMET Wagner Martins dos Santos, Hoi Leong Lee, Edimir Xavier Leal Ferraz, Abelardo Antônio de Assunção Montenegro, Lady Daiane Costa de Sousa Martins, Alan Cézar Bezerra, Ênio Farias de França e Silva, Thieres George Freire da Silva, João L.M.P. de Lima, Xuguang Tang, Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim Softwarex, 2025 The acquisition and understanding of meteorological data are crucial for management in various sectors of society. Thus, the objective was to develop a package in the R programming environment to download and process data provided by Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET) and to create a free web-based tool using Shiny (interactive web apps) to simplify the use of the functions provided in the package. The DataMetProcess package was developed, offering four essential functions to extract information from the database, correct time zones, change the time scale, and calculate reference evapotranspiration according to the Penman-Monteith model. The Shiny web application developed is available in three versions: (1) the code; (2) portable; and (3) a web version. The DataMetProcess package and the developed web application are effective in processing the data provided by INMET, democratizing access to information and facilitating analysis through the interactive web application. Finally, being open-source, it can be easily adapted and used worldwide. We encourage the research community to adopt this tool and provide feedback to further refine its usability and efficiency.
What Is the Predictive Capacity of Sesamum indicum L. Bioparameters Using Machine Learning with Red–Green–Blue (RGB) Images? Edimir Xavier Leal Ferraz, Alan Cezar Bezerra, Raquele Mendes de Lira, Elizeu Matos da Cruz Filho, Wagner Martins dos Santos, Henrique Fonseca Elias de Oliveira, Josef Augusto Oberdan Souza Silva, Marcos Vinícius da Silva, José Raliuson Inácio da Silva, Jhon Lennon Bezerra da Silva, Antônio Henrique Cardoso do Nascimento, Thieres George Freire da Silva, Ênio Farias de França e Silva Agriengineering, 2025 The application of machine learning techniques to determine bioparameters, such as the leaf area index (LAI) and chlorophyll content, has shown significant potential, particularly with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This study evaluated the use of RGB images obtained from UAVs to estimate bioparameters in sesame crops, utilizing machine learning techniques and data selection methods. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco and involved using a portable AccuPAR ceptometer to measure the LAI and spectrophotometry to determine photosynthetic pigments. Field images were captured using a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual remotely piloted aircraft equipped with RGB and thermal cameras. To manage the high dimensionality of the data, CRITIC and Pearson correlation methods were applied to select the most relevant indices for the XGBoost model. The data were divided into training, testing, and validation sets to ensure model generalization, with performance assessed using the R2, MAE, and RMSE metrics. XGBoost effectively estimated the LAI, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids (R2 > 0.7) but had limited performance for chlorophyll b. Pearson correlation was found to be the most effective data selection method for the algorithm.
Production of irrigated cherry tomatoes in economical planting beds with mulching Roberto E. dos Santos, Edimir X. L. Ferraz, Antônio H. C. do Nascimento, Raquele M. de Lira, Isaac L. S. de Vasconcelos, Irlândio de S. Santana, Carlos A. de S. Sá Revista Caatinga, 2023 Technologies that improve water use efficiency (WUE) and increase crop yields are essential for the development of a responsible and productive agriculture. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate economical planting beds with the use of mulching and application of different irrigation water depths as a water-saving technology, and determine the irrigation water depth that promote the optimal plant development and fruit yield and quality of two cherry tomato cultivars. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, PE, Brazil. A randomized block experimental design with split-plots (5×2) was used, with plots consisting of five irrigation water depths (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% of the crop evapotranspiration - ETc) and subplots consisting of two cherry tomato cultivars (Carolina and Yubi), with four replications, totaling 40 experimental units. The development of tomato plants was evaluated through biometric measurements of stem diameter, plant height, and canopy area. Additionally, the following variables were evaluated during fruit harvest: number of fruits, mean fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit yield, WUE, titratable acidity, pH, and soluble solids content. The economical planting beds promoted increases in WUE. Irrigation water depths lower than 100% of ETc resulted in better plant development and higher fruit yield, number of fruits, and WUE for the evaluated cherry tomato plants. The cultivar Carolina exhibited higher production performance compared to Yubi.
YAM PRODUCTION AND DRY MATTER FERTILIZED WITH BIOFERTILIZER Edimir Xavier Leal Ferraz, Raquele Mendes de Lira, Antônio Henrique Cardoso do Nascimento, Isaac Lima Simões De Vasconcelos, Roberto Elias Dos Santos, Irlândio De Sá Santana Irriga, 2021 PRODUÇÃO E MATÉRIA SECA DO INHAME FERTIRRIGADO COM BIOFERTILIZANTE EDIMIR XAVIER LEAL FERRAZ1; RAQUELE MENDES DE LIRA1; ANTONIO HENRIQUE CARDOSO DO NASCIMENTO2; ISAAC LIMA SIMÕES DE VASCONCELOS1; ROBERTO ELIAS DOS SANTOS1 E IRLÂNDIO DE SÁ SANTANA1 1 Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE-UAST), Av. Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, s/n, CEP 56909-535, Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brasil. 2 Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE-UAST), Av. Gregório Ferraz Nogueira, s/n, CEP 56909-535, Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brasil. 1 RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar a influência da aplicação de diferentes doses de biofertilizante via fertirrigação, sobre a produção e acúmulo de matéria seca de rizomas de inhame. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram compostos por cinco doses de biofertilizante (D1 = 0 ml planta-1; D2 = 30 ml planta-1; D3 = 60 ml planta-1; D4 = 90 ml planta-1; D5 = 120 ml planta-1). Aos 210 dias após o plantio realizou-se a colheita e através de pesagem com balança de precisão avaliou-se a produção e a matéria seca dos rizomas de inhame. Esses dados foram submetidos a análise de variância pelo teste F a 1 e 5%, e regressão polinomial. Constatou-se que o aumento das doses de biofertilizantes aplicado via fertirrigação possibilitou incremento na produção e matéria seca, mas com valores inferiores à média produtiva. Palavras chaves: Dioscorea cayennensis Lam., Fertilidade, Irrigação. FERRAZ, E.X.L.; LIRA, R.M.; NASCIMENTO, A.H.C; VASCONCELOS, I.L.S.; SANTOS, R. E.; SANTANA, I.S. YAM PRODUCTION AND DRY MATTER FERTILIZED WITH BIOFERTILIZER 2 ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the application of different doses of biofertilizer via fertigation on the production and accumulation of dry matter of yam rhizomes. The experimental design used was in a randomized block, with five treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of five doses of biofertilizer (D1 = 0 ml. plant-1; D2 = 30 ml plant-1; D3 = 60 ml plant-1; D4 = 90 ml plant-1; D5 = 120 ml plant-1). At 210 days after planting, the harvest was carried out and, by weighing with a precision scale, the production and dry matter of the rhizomes of yam were evaluated. These data were submitted to analysis of variance by the F test at 1 and 5%, and polynomial regression. It was found that the increase in the doses of biofertilizers applied via fertigation allowed an increase in production and dry matter, but with values below the average production. Keywords: Dioscorea cayennensis Lam., Fertility, Irrigation.
