The aim of this paper was to evaluate the persistence of herbicides in weed management in pre and post emergence soybean and evaluate its effects on corn grown in succession. In field experiments we adopted the randomized block design with four replications, being appointed nine treatments (doses in kg ha-1): imazaquin (0.161 kg ha-1), diclosulam (0.035 kg ha-1), sulfentrazone (0.600 kg ha-1) and flumioxazin (0.050 kg ha-1) in pre emergence applications, and chlorimuron-ethyl (0.015 kg ha-1), imazethapyr (0.060 kg ha-1), imazethapyr (0.100 kg ha-1) and fomesafen (0.250 kg ha-1) applied post emergence soybean and a control without herbicide. Variables of phytotoxicity, plant height, dry matter accumulation of shoot and grain yield were evaluated. The results showed that imazethapyr (0.1 kg ha-1) and diclosulam (0.035 kg ha-1) caused a reduction in corn yield of 15.02% and 70.65% respectively. The residual activity was not sufficient to cause negative effect on grain yield for corn cultivar 30K75Y in the Cerrado region.

The aerial application of pesticides is a valuable tool in agriculture, when based on well-defined technical criterion. This paper aimed to evaluate the spatial dependence of the drops spectrum and its deposition by an aerial application over the soybean crop (Glycine max). An experimental agricultural aircraft was used, model Acrobat, from England Company, equipped with eight rotary atomizers, model Micronair AU 5000, applying a spray volume of 20 L ha-1. To obtain the droplet spectrum were used hidro sensitive targets consisting of paper, distributed in the middle third and higher plants. Spectrum analysis of the drops was made using the computer program "CIR" version 1.5 in 2002. To determine the amount deposited on the leaves of the upper, middle, and bottom of the soybean plants, we used the bright blue food coloring added to the spray solution. These leaves were washed and the amount determined by spectrophotometry. The analysis of spatial dependence was evaluated using the GS + version 7 program. The results show no spatial dependence for the attributes. There was a low percentage of coverage in the upper and middle third of the plants. The geostatistical analysis can be used to characterize the spatial attributes of application coverage, but should be used a sampling grid of smaller size.

With the purpose to minimize the incidence of stem-end rot, mango, caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Fusicoccum aesculi, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, five resistance inductors were tested under field conditions: (T1) absolute control (no treatment); (T2) Fosetyl-AL; (T3) Agromós; (T4) Calcium Phosphite; (T5) Potassium Phosphite: (K30) and (T6) Acibenzolar-S-methyl; which were compared to the control treatment, to the conventional treatment on the farm (T7) compound: Pyraclostrobin; Thiophanate methyl; Azoxystrobin; Difeconazole; Tebuconazole; Thiabendazol; Tetraconazole. The sprayings were performed using a knapsack sprayer in a total of seven applications with 15-day intervals. The statistical design was a randomized block design with seven treatments and four replications, with each plant being considered a repetition, totaling 28 plants. Incidence of post-harvest rot was obtained for 77.9% of the treated fruit. No significant difference between the tested resistance inducers was observed, not even regarding the control. However, the conventional treatment (T7), adopted by the farm, showed a 25% disease incidence only and diverged statistically from the others. Studying the etiology of the rot, high indices of C. gloeosporioides, with 75% incidence, were verified, followed by L. theobromae, F. aesculi, A. niger and Alternaria sp, with incidence of 11%, 5.5%, 2.7% and 1.3%, respectively. Moreover, 4.3% of non-identified micro-organisms were detected.

The aim of this paper was to: a) verify if digital radiographic image measurements of G. biloba seeds could replace those obtained with a manual caliper; b) determine the degree of seed development through digitally measuring the air chamber of the seed and, c) make a radiographic pattern to characterize the seed species according to its anatomical and morphological structure, identify physical damage and characterize the species according to physical variables. In order to draw the radiographic patter, the seeds were submitted to different treatments: seed imbibition in rolled paper at 20 ºC for 48 hours; artificial damage by puncturing dry and imbibed seeds; artificial damage by fracturing dry and imbibed seeds. Seed anatomy structures were measured with a digital caliper and a manual caliper. The digital radiographic measurements could: a) replace the measurements taken with a manual caliper; b) obtain measurements that a manual caliper cannot supply; c) measure the air chamber in order to determine the level of seed filling; d) characterize the species by its anatomical and morphological structures, detect insect damage or fracture and make a radiographic pattern of G. biloba seeds.

In order to determine the effect of organic fertilizer on growth of seedlings of melon inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), an experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions. The experimental design adopted was a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replications. Treatments consisted of melon plants cultivated on sterile and non sterile soil in the presence or absence of organic compost. The melon seeds were germinated in trays containing substrate formed by 70% of Soil + 30% of green coconut powder, and the mycorrhizal inoculation used a mixture of the species Glomus clarum and Glomus intraradices, applied at the time of sowing. The seedlings with the first definitive sheet were transplanted into pots with sterile or non sterile soil, fertilized or not with organic compost. After 30 days from transplanting plants were harvested for determining the weight of fresh and dry shoot, stem diameter, arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and content of macro and micronutrients. Organic compost addition did not influence arbuscular mycorrhizal activity and also increased shoot dry weight. AMF colonization of roots showed influence on macro (N, P and Ca) and micronutrients (Fe and Mn) shoot content on soil sterile with organic compost.

In the reclamation of a degraded area, it is important the use of nitrogen fixing legumes, associated with climax species, to make possible a faster recovery of the environment. In urban centers various wastes are produced, among them the marble rock waste, which, despite having agricultural value, ends up being thrown in the environment.. The objective of this work was to evaluate the Cedrela fissilis growth and of pioneering legume in quincunx system, in degraded area, fertilized with doses of marble rock waste. The treatments, distributed in factorial scheme 2 x 4, in the randomized block design, with three replicates, were: two species of pioneering legume (Acacia mangium and Acacia auriculiformis in quincunx system with the Cedrela fissilis) and four doses of marble rock waste (0; 300; 600 and 900 g.cova-1). Were determined annually, along three years, the height of the plants, the stem diameter, the cup diameter and, in the end, the mortality percentage. The Acacia auriculiformis presented characteristic of better growth than the Acacia mangium and greater resistance to adverse conditions of degraded soil. There was tendency of reduction of the characteristics of growth of the Cedrela fissilis and of the Acacias with the increment of the doses of rock powder applied to the soil. The Cedrela fissilis presented, in general, larger growth, when combined with Acacia mangium than with Acacia auriculiformis, however, showed a high mortality after two years of planting.

To study plant growth and yield of cauliflower, two field trials were carried out: the first springsummer (Oct. 07, 2006 to Jan. 28, 2007) and the second autumn-winter (Apr. 04, 2007 to Jul. 09, 2007). The experimental design was randomized complete blocks in 4 x 4 factorial design with three replications. The following factors: line spacing (0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2 m) and plant spacing (0.4, 0.5, 0.6 and 0.7 m). The used cultivar was cv. Verona 284. The characteristics, number of leaves by plant, diameter of stem, diameter of inflorescence, inflorescence mass and yield were evaluated. With the reduction in spacing, were observed lower numbers of leaves, stem diameter, diameter and mass of the inflorescence, but there was an increase in yield. The maximum yield (23 t ha-1) was obtained with 0.6 x 0.4 m, ie, in higher plant population (41,667, plants ha-1).

High yields in intercropped only be attained with the adequate selection of an adequate plants arrangement system; therefore the aim of this project was to investigate which plat arrangement would better perform in a common beans/castor bean intercropping system. The experimental design was a completely randomized bloc with five replicates and four simultaneous sowings: beans sown on the castor beans row; beans sown between castor beans rows; beans sown on the row and between castor beans rows, and common beans and castor beans in monocrop. Results obtained from castor beans crop yields were not affected when intercropped with common beans. This intercropping system with castor showed that common beans cv. Pérola on the row and between rows provided higher yield of the legume. In general, the intercropping of common beans+castor beans is more efficient than the single crop system.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the contribution of different strains of rhizobia in the distribution of dry material and grain yield in cowpea plants, grown in cerrado in the state of Tocantins. The experiment was conducted in 2007/2008 season in cerrado in Gurupi, TO. Five treatments were studied with strains BR3301, BR3302, BR3267, BR3299 and BR3262 and treatment as a control (no inoculation and fertilizer). Plants were collected at 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 days after emergence (DAE) to determine the distribution of dry mass of leaves, stems, flowers and pods and the weight ratio of plant parts. Grain yield was determined at harvest as grain moisture reached 13%. We established the Pearson correlation coefficient of variables. The witness and BR3299 treatments promoted greater dry mass of plants at 65 DAE. The highest yield was obtained by the witness and BR3267. Further study is needed on the selection of strains of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in cowpea under various soil and climate in the state of Tocantins.

This paper aimed to investigate the dynamic of energy balance components over Orós reservoir and neighboring areas using Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) and TM-Landsat 5 images. Also, the relation among albedo, NDVI, net radiation, sensible and latent heats and soil heat flux were analysed. The studied land uses were: Dense vegetation, irrigation fields and degraded areas (human activities). Eight images of 217/64, orbital/point, for the following data: 08/24/1992, 08/14/1994, 07/02/1996, 07/11/1999, 08/17/2001, 07/06/2003, 07/14/2006 e 08/20/2008 were used. The images were processed using the software Erdas IMAGINE using 9.0IMAGE. The SEBAL algorithm was applied to quantify the latent heat flux from the surface energy balance, which is composed of net radiation (Rn), soil heat flux (G) and sensible heat flux (H). The energy in form of sensible and latent heat showed similar tendencies for irrigated fields and dense native vegetation. The highest increase of sensible heat was registered on the degraded areas (human activities) in the last three years. All of the components of the energy balance presented distinct tendencies over the studied land use, expressing that the energy balance can be used to identify the changes on the land use pattern.