The aim of this study was to identify the main cat egories of use of native plants in a rural com- munity from Caicó Municipality, Rio Grande do Norte , Northeastern Brazil. From March 2007 to August 20 08 semi-structured and structured interviews were cond ucted with 23 local specialists (woodsmen, witch do ctors, healers, growers and housewives) aged over 35. We d escribe the uses of 69 species grouped in seven cat egories which are: medicinal, food, wood, mystic , fuel, fo dder and household. The families with the largest r epresenta- tion in the interviews were Fabaceae (14 species), Euphorbiaceae (6 species), Cucurbitaceae and Cactac eae (3 species each). By calculating the value in use, it was found that Amburana cearensis (Allemão) A. C. Sm. (cumaru) and Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. (jurema preta) stood out as the spe cies with the highest number of citations and nominated uses. The medicinal use was related to 62 species (89.85 %). Barks and root s were the most consumed parts. The data indicate that the flora of the Potiguar Seridó has a great potential of use and that this community will often use local plant reso urces in their everyday life, for many different pu rposes. Keywords : Caatinga. Ethnobotany. Phytoterapy. Northeastern of Brazil.

Ziziphus joazeiro es un árbol fructífero endémico del bioma Caatinga, situada en la región semi- árida del noreste brasileño. No obstante su amplia importancia económica y ecológica, las informaciones sobre la comunidad de insectos asociados a esa especie vegetal son insuficientes. Así, el objetivo de este trabajo fue realizar un levantamiento de los insectos asociados a las flores de Z. joazeiro y observar el horario donde ocurre el mayor número de visitas. El estudio fue realizado dentro del bosque de Z. joazeiro ubicado en el Campus de la “Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido”, municipio de Mossoró, Estado de Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. El muestreo fue efectuado durante el pico de floración entre los meses de noviembre y diciembre de 2010. Una vez por semana se observaron cuatro árboles de Z. joazeiro, al acaso, desde las 05:00 hasta las 17:00 horas. Cada árbol fue observado durante 15 minutos y los insectos capturados con red entomológica. Los insectos asociados a Z. joazeiro pertenecen al orden Hymenoptera, representados por las familias Apidae, Vespidae, Crabronidae y Leucospidae y, al orden Diptera, con las familias Syrphidae, Muscidae, Calliphoridae, Tabanidae, Dolichopodidae, Stratiomydae, Otitidae y Micropezidae. De todas las familias, Apidae, específicamente, Apis mellifera L., fue la que tuvo mayor frecuencia de visitas, con 48%, seguidas por Vespidae (31.4%) y Syrphidae (9%). En general, los insectos visitaron las flores de Z. joazeiro en mayor frecuencia durante el período matutino, con picos entre las 7:00 y 8:00 horas y entre las 11:00 y las 12:00 horas del día.

In the last years, as interest in recycling and waste use has increased, many researchers have studied a wide range of potential substrates alternatives. Therefore, is possible that pulp mill sludge can be used as a substrate to seedlings production, while reducing costs. The aim was to evaluate the potential of using pulp mill sludge combined or not with cattle manure as an alternative substrate component for production of seedlings of yellow passion fruit. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in factorial 2 x 3 x 5 design, begin two cultivars (Yellow Maguary FB 100 and FB Master ® 200), three doses of N-P-K (0, 21.4 and 42.8 g plant-1) and five combinations of pulp mill sludge (PMS) and cattle manure (CM). Were used the following combinations: CM 100%, 25% PMS + 75% CM, 50% PMS + 50% CM, 75% PMS + 25% CM and PMS 100%, with four replicates. After 48 days were evaluated shoot and root length, number of leaves, stem diameter, shoot fresh and dry weight and root fresh and dry weight. Observed that increasing concentration of waste in the substrate caused significant damage to seedlings in both cultivars, probably due to nutrient imbalances, therefore is detrimental to the development of seedlings; the application of N-P-K, in the tested doses, is not sufficient to avoid adverse effects in the seedlings or to correct the balance nutritional of waste; and the cattle manure is the best option for the production of quality seedlings, in the conditions studied.

This research aimed to evaluate the tannins extracted content of Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan var. cebil (Gris..) Alts. bark in aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfite and hydroxide + sulfite having as comparison the amount extracted in distilled. A total of 25 g of dry sawdust and 3% of chemicals were used with relationship to dry weight of sawdust. To compare the effect of water with one of the other used solutions it was found that the addition of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfite or hydroxide + sulfite caused an increase in solid total contents (TST) of 60,17%, 28,45% and 60,17%, in condensed tannin contents (TTC) of 34,5%, 20,02% and 18,02% and of no-tannins of 117,34%, 47,3% and 146,6% and a reduction in the Stiasny’s index of 15,62%, 5,53% and 24,51%, respectively. Statistical analyzes showed that the sodium hydroxide solution extracted a larger amount from tannic substances when compared with the water, having the sodium sulfite and the hydroxide + sodium sulfite solutions presented middlemen results. The distilled water extracted a lower solid total content than other solutions, but the extract contained a greater Stiasny’s index than those obtained by other solutions.

Diazotrophic bacteria play important role on economy nitrogen fertilizer in forage glasses and environmental sustainability. With the objective of evaluate the occurrence of diazotrophic bacteria associated associated with native forage at two different times and identify isolates with potential for fixing N2 in the semiarid region. Was conducted in the Soil Laboratory of the Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural in Federal University of Campina Grande, Campus de Patos, Paraíba. A study was carried out at the Soil Laboratory of the Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural of the Federal University of Campina Grande, in Patos, Paraíba. The objective this study was to verify in the native diazotrophic endophytic bacteria associated with forage glasses and to identify isolates in NBF hability, during the rainy and dry seasons in semiarid region. Root samples of three forage grasses [Andropogon gayanus Kunth (Andropogon), Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania (Tanzânia) and Cenchrus ciliaris L. (Buffel)] cultivated in the field experiment was utilized. The bacteria were isolated in NFb culture media free-N specific for Azospirillum spp., the isolates was quantified, phenotypically characterized, purified. From caracterized after, was evaluated for their nitrogenase activity in vitro. The resultas show diazotrophics bacteria growth in the three forage grasses tested. The ocorrency diazotrophics bacteria be influencied by genotipic plant and seasonal variation. A more density of NSDB of the genus Azospirillum associated in the root grasses were obtained in dry season. The NSDB isolates, show a high potencial for new studies on the genetic caracteristcs and avaliation the inoculo potential to (BNF) associated on grasses in semiarid region.

Elevated productivity of castor and common bean in intercropping is obtained with the use of quality seeds, where boron plays an important role in plant nutrition. The objective of the this study was to evaluate the physiological quality of seeds of the common bean and castor grown in intercropping syste ms, subject to different sources and levels of boron. A completely randomized design was used in a 2 x 5 + 2 facto- rial scheme with four replications. Treatments cons isted of two sources of boron (borax = 11% B and bo ric acid = 17% B), combined with five boron doses (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kg ha -1 of B in the soil) in intercropping of the common bean with castor, plus additional treatm ents of common bean and castor in monoculture. It w as concluded that boric acid permitted for acquisition of common bean seeds with the highest germination per- centage when intercropped with castor. Use of the d ose of 1.5 kg ha -1 of boron in the soil resulted in acquisition of seeds of the common bean with vigor of 79% when intercropped with castor, regardless of the boron s ource. Employing 2.3 kg ha -1 of boron, with the source being either boric acid or borax, influenced the vigor of castor seeds produced when intercropped with the common be an. The addition of boron by soil fertilization, in de- pendent of the source used, did not affect the phys iological quality of common bean seeds or castor se eds pro- duced in monoculture.

The Caatinga is a vegetation that occurs exclusively in Brazil, typically in the Northeastern region and studies on the floristic composition and phytosociological are prerequisites for understanding the behavior, distribution and structure of the vegetation. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a phytosociological survey of an area approximately 191 hectares of Caatinga, located within of the Unity Conservation area Grota do Angico Natural Monument, Sergipe state, Brazil. To conduct this study, we used the method of fixed area and the process of systematic sampling, where all individuals included in the 30 plots that showed CAP (circumference at breast height) greater than 6 cm were measured. In total of the survey, we identified 24 species in 20 genres and 12 families. The families with the higher number of species were Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae e Anacardicaceae. Poincianella pyramidalis (Tul.) L. P. Queiroz, Jatropha mollissima (Pohl.) Baill., Bauhinia cheilantha, Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan. and Mimosa tenuiflora were the most representative species for the phytosociological indices (density, cover, frequency and important value index). The basal area at the study site was 6,95 m2 ha-1 and the volume 28,42 m3 ha-1.

The cowpea is a plant of great importance for small producers of the Brazilian Northeast, in particular the region of the Vale of Pajeú. The destination of this plant for the production of green beans constitutes an important source of income for family farmers and presents itself as a good alternative for industrial processing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of cultivars of the cowpea for production of green beans in the conditions of Serra Talhada - PE. The experiment was conducted on the campus of Uni- versity Federal Rural of Pernambuco (UFRPE) / Academic Unit of Serra Talhada (UAST) in the period from August to November 2011. We used five developed improved cultivars: BRS-Tucumaque, BRS-Caumé, BRS- Itaim, BRS-Guariba and BRS-Potengi, and three local cultivars: Corujinha, Paulistinha and Sempre-verde. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replications, where each cultivar was considered a treatment. The characteristics evaluated were: number of days to beginning of flowering (NDIF), plant size (PP), days to maturity of green pods (DMVV), period of production of green pods (PPVV), length of green pods (CVV) number of grains of green pods (NGVV), grain weight of green pods (PGVV), yield of green pods (PRO.VV), productivity of green grains (PRO.GV), index of green grains (IGV). Cultivars BRS-Potengi, BRS- Tucumaque, BRS-Guariba, BRS-Itaim, BRS-Caumé and Paulistinha and showed potential for the production of green beans in Serra Talhada-PE, under irrigated condition.

The work aimed to evaluate the influence of potassium rates on the yield of yam (Dioscorea cayennensis) and determine your rate for the productivity of commercial tubers. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Paraíba, in Areia-PB, in the period from February to December 2010. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with six treatments comprise the doses of 0; 50; 100; 150; 200 and 250 kg ha-1 of potassium, in four repetitions. Were evaluated the average mass of commercial tubers, productivity of commercial tubers, percentage of tubers classified as first, the leaf content of potassium in the leaves and the maximum rate of economic efficiency. The maximum average mass of commercial tubers was 2.60 kg, obtained at rate of 126 kg ha-1 of potassium. The rate of 189 kg ha-1 of potassium was responsible for maximum productivity commercial of 17.7 ha-1 t of tubers. The maximum percentage of tubers classified as first was 88%, achieved at a rate of 171 kg ha-1 of potassium. The maximum content of potassium in the leaves of yam was 22.3 g kg-1 obtained at a rate of 155 kg ha-1 of potassium. The maximum rate of economic efficiency of potassium for commercial productivity of tubers was de184 kg ha-1.

The soil management system can modify the natural d istribution of the soil attributes and, con- sequently, the variability of the soil aggregation and organic matter content. Thus, the aim of this w ork was to evaluate the aggregate stability and organic matter content spatial distribution on a Haplic Cambisol under sugar cane cultivation in the Southern Amazonas Sta te, Brazil. A 70 x 70 m square mesh, with regular 1 0 me- ters intervals, was designed over the cultivation a rea, resulting in 64 sample points. Soil blocks wit h preserved structure were collected at 0.0-0.2 m depth in orde r to analyze the aggregate stability and organic ma tter con- tent. The data were submitted to the descriptive an d geostatistical analysis. The soil attributes pres ented a spa- tial dependence structure and the greater range was observed for the mean weighted diameter and aggreg ate class <1.00 mm. Also, there is a spatial relation a mong the mean geometric diameter, mean weighted dia meter and aggregate classes (> 2.00 and 2.00-1.00 mm).