The objective of this work was to verify the usage level and the occurrence of the papaya (Jacaratia corumbensis O. kuntze) in a caatinga area of 112 ha, located in eight communities of small farmers in the semi-arid region of Bahia State. The work was accomplished with 149 farmers, in the period from August to December 2000. In each community, interviews with the farmers were done in order to verify those that used the papaya (mamãozinho-de-veado) to feed the animals in the dry season, and also to verify a rise in the density of plants per hectare. The data analysis showed that the papaya was used in all the studied communities as an alternative for alimentary supplement for the animals in the dry season. The papaya plant density of natural occurrence in the communities was of 10.38 plants /ha, in average, indicating that this plant is well disseminated in the area, being an alimentary supplement source for the animals in the semi-arid conditions.

This work aimed to evaluate the economic viability of the pineapple production in the Northern region of Rio de Janeiro State. One concludes that the majority of producers in this region presented an internal return average rate of 33.08%, indicating that pineapple production shows satisfactory economic viability. On the other hand, several pineapple producers of this region are deficient in both production management and administration control. In this sense, it was observed low productivity, inefficiency of the production resources and product price instability in the commercialization process, as one among other factors that result directly in the low profitability of this enterprise. It was found out that the main determinant factors of pineapple production competitiveness in the mentioned region are related to unsuitable management of irrigation, diseases and weeds control, defensives usage, costs management and commercialization process.

Eight domestic felines (Felis domestica), males, adults, healthy, without a defined breed, with variable weights and ages, were randomly divided into two groups of four animals and submitted to the enteral feeding techniques: nasoesophageal intubation and esophagostomy, aiming to compare clinically and surgically both techniques. The average time required for the nasoesophageal intubation (1min 15sec) was significantly smaller than for the esophagostomy (5min 25sec) according to Fisher¿s test. In the nasoesophageal intubation technique, an easiness in the positioning of the feeding tube was observed when compared to the esophagostomy technique, being accomplished only with local topical anesthetics. All the animals submitted to the nasoesophageal intubation technique presented sneezes and uneasiness during the feeding supply, compared to those submitted to the esophagostomy technique. Conclusions were that the nasoesophageal intubation technique allows smaller surgical and, consequently, anesthetic time; it is less traumatic; the animals submitted to the esophagostomy technique have accepted the tube better; the techniques are easily accomplished and allow the nutritional maintenance of the animals.

Copaifera langsdorfii is a typical tree species very important for restoration of degraded areas. This study evaluated the effect of different temperatures and light conditions on Copaifera seed germination. The applied treatments were the temperatures of 25ºC, 30ºC and 20-30ºC and three different light expositions (constant dark, 8h of light plus 16h of dark and constant light). The tested variables were percentage, velocity and average time of germination. The treatments consisted of 200 seeds, with four replications of 50 seeds each, sown on a Germitest towel paper and maintained for 28 days on germination chamber. The completely randomized design was used and the averages compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Germination percentage was not influenced by the treatments. The constant temperatures of 25ºC or 30ºC, independently of light regime, promoted a higher rate of germination velocity and caused the reduction of the germination average time.

The predatory mite Euseius alatus DeLeon has been reported in several economic crops in Brazil, with certified importance in fruit trees and coffee. In order to establish an integrated pest management program it is important to determine the efficient pesticides in pests control, but presenting low impact to predators. This work had the objective of evaluating the toxicity of acaricides (abamectin, azocyclotin, diafenthiuron, dicofol, sulphur, fenpropathrin, fenpyroximate, propargite, tetradifon) to eggs and adult females of E. alatus. Leaf discs of "feijão de porco" (Canavalia ensiformes L.) containing 10 eggs of E. alatus were immersed into the acaricides dilutions, during five seconds, and dried for 30 minutes under room temperature. Treated eggs were observed up to 72h to determine egg survival. The residual effect of the same acaricides to adult females of E. alatus was studied using arena constituted by treated leaf disc. Ten adult females were confined per arena, 30 minutes, 24h and 72h after immersing the discs into the acaricides dilutions. Mortality was measured 24, 48 and 72h after confining the females on the treated leaf discs. All tested acaricides showed low impact on egg survival, except for fenpropathrin that caused reduction of egg survival at rate of 66%. The acaricides azocyclotin, diafenthiuron, tetradifon and abamectin caused 100% of mortality to adult females. Otherwise, diafenthiuron (500g de a.i./Kg), fenpyroximate (50g de a.i./L), propargite (720g de a.i./L) and tetradifon (80g de a.i./L) caused lower impact to adult females of E. alatus and, therefore, being of potential recommendation into an integrated pest management.

The aim of this work was to examine the effect of different temperatures on germination of the seeds in O. canum. The seeds had been washed in under water and after immersed for 30s in water with environmenttemperature, 25, 30 (control), 50, 75 and 100ºC. After that it was immersed per 5 minutes in fungicidal solution and later washed by 10s with water and placed to germinate in plates of Petri conditioned in germination chamber regulated to provide temperature of 25 ± 1,0ºC and photoperiod of 12 hours. The completely randon design was used in experiment, with 5 treatments and 10 repetitions, resulting in 50 parcels. Each experimental unit wasconstituted of a plate of Petri contends 10 seeds. The averages had been compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5% level of probability. The germination rate was statistically equal in the control and the temperatures of 25, 50 and 75ºC, being superior to that one gotten to 100ºC. The temperature of 30ºC was the one that provided the biggest rate of germination, while that of 100ºC is not indicated for the breaking in dormancy of thisspecies, since it promoted the death of the embryo.

Aiming to evaluate seedling emergence of black sapote (Diospyros ebenaster Retz.) it was developed an experiment with seeds, collected on mature fruits, proceeding from Germoplasm Bank of Horticulture Department, University of São Paulo State, Jaboticabal, Brazil. Immediately after extracted, the seeds were washed, dried in paper and put in plastic box filled with the substrate studied, thus characterizing four treatments, as follows: Plantmaxâ; Coconut fiberâ; Sand; Soil mix [soil + sand + bovine manure (3:3:1)]. It was observed emergence percentage (E%) and rate of emergence speed (RES). The different substrates had statisticalinfluence on variable studied. The highest E% was obtained on soil mix, Plantmaxâ and Coconut fiberâ substrates and the best RES was observed on soil mix and Plantmax? substrates.

This experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Departament of Animal Production/ UFRPE, from november of 2002 to may of 2003. The work objective was to evaluate the chemical composition of different Panicum maximum Jacq. cultivars submitted to different levels of nitrogen fertilization. It was used a complete randomized experimental design and the treatments were represented by the factorial arragement of the cultivars Massai, Atlas and Tobiatã and the nitrogen fertilization (0, 80, 160 and 320 kg of N.ha-1.year-1), with four replications. The plants were cut 60 days after-seeding for uniformization and three cuts were carried out with intervals of 35 days and intensity of 10 cm. It was determined concentration of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Massai presented lesser crude CP (12,7%) and greater NDF concentration (60,8%) than the other cultivars. There was significant effect of the nitrogen fertilization for the CP and NDF. The increase in the nitrogen level raised the CP concentration and reduced the FDN concentration of the studied plants. The Atlas may be considered the cultivar that presented the best chemical composition because its satisfactory CP concentration (15,3%) associate to the lesser NDF concentration (58,8%).

In agriculture practiced in Brazil, the branch of the horticulture is one of the prominences, in production and in exportation, being melon one of the more produced fruits, especially in Brazil¿s northeast. In this context, the use of a good quality substrate is essential for the development of the plants. In this study it was evaluated the growth of melon seedlings and the role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF),Glomus clarum, associated to the use of coconut dust, as an alternative substrate, at 100, 80, 60, 40, 20, 10 and 0% concentrations, as a soil mixture (grayish Argissol). The plants were cultivated under greenhouse conditions and, at the end of a 35 days period, were analyzed the diameter of the stem, number of leaves, height of plants, shoot dry weight, microbial biomass carbon content, basal soil respiration, metabolic quotient, colonization with AMF and shoot nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca and Mg). It was observed that 100% and 80% concentration of coconut dust were the more restrictive treatments for plant development. Microbial carbon and mycorrhizal colonization were higher when the substrate was composed by 10 and 20% of coconut dust. The basal soil respiration and the metabolic quotient (2,07) were higher when 100% coconut dust was used, while the smallest value (0, 96) was found in treatment without coconut dust. The use of concentrations higher than 40% of coconut dust decreased AMF activity and growth of the melon plants.

This work had as objective to evaluate spatial variability of physical characteristics of a Typical Haplocambids (CX), under papaya culture, by means of the geostatistic. The analyzed area presented 43 sampling points , where soil samples were collected, in the layer of 0 ¿ 0.2 m. In the soil samples granulometry, soil bulk density, particles density, water content at tension of 0.03 and 1.5 MPa were measured. From these analyses the total porosity and water availability were calculated. Data were evaluated by descriptive statistics and by analysis of the spatial dependence based in semivariograms adjustment. The variation coefficient indicated low variability for total and coarse sand contents, water content at tension of 0.03 and 1.5 MPa, soil bulk and particles density and total porosity; and medium for clay, silt e available water contents. Except for water content at tension of 0.03 and 1.5 MPa and particles density, the other variables presented space dependence, being the spherical and exponential models adjusted to all the semivariograms. The nugget effect had small contribution in the data total variance, indicating strong spatial dependence for fine sand and clay contents, total porosity and available water. The other variables showed moderate dependence. There was a great variation in the distance until where the physical characteristics of the ground present spatial dependence (reach).