Entomology Infrastructure
The concentration area in entomology has the following laboratories:
1 – Integrated Pest Management Laboratory (LabMIP)
The 750 square meters laboratory, which opened in 2010, reflects the approval of the FINEP Project: PUBLIC CALL MCT / FINEP / CT-INFRA – PROINFRA – 01/2006, 01/2007 and 01/2008, which included the construction of the Laboratory of the College of Agronomy of UFPel (LabAgro) with 1,450 square meters of built area housing on its second floor the LabMIP, which has the following structure: room for undergraduate students and room for graduate students, both equipped with new computers and internet high-speed, four rooms for parasitoid selectivity testing and two rooms with predators, plus several pest insects, parasitoids and predators breeding rooms; a phytotron, which is critical for pesticide persistence testing and also for the development of further research on PPGFs. In addition, the Phytosanitary Clinic is now operating, now in large space, with the purpose of continuing to provide services to the general community in the three areas of the Program, namely entomology / acarology, phytopathology and herbology. Since last year the Phytosanitary Clinic has a career laboratory worker, agronomist and postgraduate engineer, who is in charge of controlling all activities, so that it is possible to give greater agility and better serve all stakeholders, whether they are people. physical or legal
It is important to highlight that the great advance that occurred with LabAgro / LabMIP, especially in the area of entomology, was also positively reflected in the other areas, since spaces previously occupied for entomological studies are or have already been made available for expansion of activities in phytopathological areas. , highlighting the creation of a plant virology and mycology laboratory, as well as in the area of herbology, with the availability of a 50m2 area where a laboratory for research involving herbicide dynamics in the environment was installed.
In 2012 LabMIP received new equipment through projects approved by FAPERGS (Pesquisador Gaúcho Edital 04/2012) and CNPq (Universal, Range B, Announcement 14/2012), in the amount of R $ 104,207.75, of which R $ 69,942 , 00 and R $ 34,265.75 from each funding agency respectively.
The equipment purchased is being very important in the development of research and training of human resources, undergraduate and postgraduate, linked especially to the area of toxicity assessment of pesticides to natural enemies in integrated production systems of climate fruit, temperate and annual crops, although they are also useful in other related activities developed in the PPGFs. The new equipment is as follows: 1 Potter Tower, 1 Manual Microapplicator Set, 2 Binocular Stereo Microscopes (90x), 1 Humidified, Temperature-Sensing BOD Chamber (370 L), 2 Climatized Chambers ( BOD), with humidification, with photoperiod and temperature switching (370 L), 2 automatic humidifiers, 1 Analytical balance (220 g), with chapel (div. 0.0001g), 1 Electronic balance (500g), without chapel (div (0.001g), 1 Precision balance (5kg, div. 0.1g) and 1 Exhaust hood, chap. 372 m³/ hour. In 2012, 2 BODs and 2 stereoscopic microscopes were acquired.
2 – Agricultural Acarology Laboratory
Inaugurated in 2010, the laboratory, with a floor area of 40 square meters, is currently being expanded and structured and represents an important landmark in terms of research and teaching at UFPel since the research line with agricultural acarology is recent in PPGFs, being a long-term demand considering that there are few researchers who work with mites of agricultural importance in Brazil and especially in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. However, through partnerships in projects with institutions such as USP / Esalq, Embrapa and by Through notices such as the National Biodiversity Research System (SISBIOTA), the Institutional Pro-equipment, important equipment was obtained for teaching and research activities involving mites. It is worth mentioning the participation in a project approved in the SISBIOTA Public Notice 47/2010, which has been running since 2011 and is scheduled for completion in 2014, in partnership with USP / Esalq and with the participation of numerous national and foreign institutions, entitled Dimensioning and exploration of the diversity of biological pest control agents: Entomopathogens and edaphic predatory mites. This project was fully approved in the amount of R $ 804,412.78 and will significantly contribute to the consolidation of the area of acarology with the PPGFs, as it includes research grants and equipment, as well as providing interaction with various researchers from Brazil and abroad. . In 2013 the following equipment was purchased: Binocular stereoscope microscope mod. Nikon SZ-SMZ745, Fork light cabinet, and Olympus phase contrast microscope.
In addition to equipment that is used in a shared way, located in other UFPel laboratories or even in other institutions, such as BOD’s, refrigerators, freezers, optical microscopes and stereoscopes, the acarology laboratory is equipped with the following equipment: 1 trinocular optical microscope equipped with phase contrast system, co-observer and image capture system, 4 trinocular stereoscopic microscopes, 1 drying oven (85L), 1 precision balance, 3 internet-enabled microcomputers and 1 multifunction laser printer.
3 – Insect Ecology Laboratory
Inaugurated in 2008, the laboratory with a floor area of 40 square meters, equipped with 1 binocular microscope, 4 binocular stereoscopic microscopes, a stereoscopic microscope with attached digital camera, 1 computer, 1 greenhouse, 1 muffle, 1 microwave, 1 dehumidifier, 3 benches, 2 sinks, 50 McPhail traps, 3 camera traps, 1 GPS, 1 digital caliper, 1 digital thermohygrometer, rain gauges, 1 binoculars, sweepers, ground traps, entomological umbrellas and miscellaneous glassware.
4) Insect Biology Laboratory
The Insect Biology Laboratory has great facilities in an area of 84 square meters. The facilities include a kitchen for the preparation of artificial diets; a preparation room, where other activities involving diets and insects are developed; a larval development room (caterpillar breeding); an adult rearing room; a room where the BODs are located; an aseptic inoculation room; an anteroom to store students’ belongings (with built-in closet) and a boardroom and meeting room with a microcomputer. In terms of equipment, the laboratory has 2 binocular stereoscopic microscopes, one equipped with digital camera and software, for various measurements, room temperature control, 2 refrigerators, 1 cooker, 1 freezer, 2 scales, 1 precision, bench, 2 greenhouses, 10 BOD’s, 4 air conditioners (2 split), 4 desiccators, 3 dehumidifiers, 1 water distiller, 1 aseptic chamber, 1 Dataloger Percept DHT 2220 for 8000 data, 1 microwave oven, 1 thermohygrograph, 8 digital thermohigros, 1 vaporide, glassware etc.
5) Didactic Laboratory of Entomology
The entomology didactic laboratory has an area of 108 m2, 30 binocular microscopes, 40 stereoscopic microscopes, computer, datashow, desks and chairs for 45 students and split air conditioner. In 2016 were acquired 20 new binocular microscopes more modern than the previous ones that are being used in the practical classes of graduate students.
6) Microscopy Image Scanning Lab
The Microscopy Imaging Scanning Laboratory is equipped with a Leitz research microscope with 10, 20, 40, 60 and 100X lenses, with color and curvature correction, Zeiss zoom stereoscopic microscope, dual fiber optic lighting, both with photomicrography and computer-attached video camera connected to the server via fiber optics, equipped with software and hardware specialized in scanning, analysis, manipulation and automatic images and measurements, scanner, compact disk drive and high definition printer.
7) Molecular Entomology Laboratory
The Laboratory of Molecular Entomology (Lab Ento Mol), opened in 2015, has an area of 40 square meters, conducts research with insects and focuses on molecular biology and bioinformatics. It is equipped with two thermal cyclers, two freezers, a refrigerator, electrophoresis vats, dry block, pipettes, glassware, cell culture incubator, laminar flow, inverted microscope, luminometer, centrifuge and mini-centrifuge and all the basic peripherals for working with molecular biology of insects. In 2016 Lab Ento Mol received funding and capital resources from the Universal Announcement 01/2016 (Range A up to R $ 30,000.00) from CNPq. In 2016, the laboratory received a donation from LNCC two IBM X-series 3659 7979 servers. Also in 2018, a computer / workstation for bioinformatics and virtual molecule screening was acquired, resources coming from the same project.