Studies on feeding and nutrition of shrimp are still quite scarce; little is known about the use of agribusiness byproducts in shrimp diets. Therefore, this study aimed to perform nutritional and energy assessments of protein-based ingredients for feed of shrimp of the Litopenaeus vannamei species. The design was completely randomized, with six treatments and four replications: a standard diet and five test diets composed of 70% standard diet and 30% test ingredients (poultry viscera flour - PVF, cassava leaf hay - CLH, shrimp head flour - SHF, sugarcane yeast - SCY and castor bean meal - CBM). We used a total of 720 shrimps with mean weight of 8 g each. The parameters of quality showed no significant change by the Tukey’s test (p > 0.05). The apparent digestibility coefficients of PVF, CLH, SHF, SCY and CBM were respectively 27.44, 76.26, 77.78 and 90.10% for dry matter; 76.61, 70.44, 97.67 and 78.29% for protein; and 33.10, 51.19, 90.70 and 78.05% for gross energy. The digestible energy of the ingredients was 1749, 2457, 3914, 3030 and 2130 kcal/ kg; and digestible protein was 42.4, 16.09, 54.62, 23.71 and 14.31%. The SHF reached the highest coefficients of apparent digestibility, crude protein, gross energy and digestible energy. The SCY had the largest apparent digestibility of dry matter. Both SHF and SCY presented improved availability of nutrients and energy for L. vannamei.

Three experiments were conducted to determine the nutritional composition of tilapia filleting waste meal (TFWM) for pigs in the initial phase. In the first experiment, the chemical composition and the values of digestible and metabolizable energy of TFWM were determined using 10 pigs (15.10 ± 0.74 kg), distributed in cages for metabolic research (2 treatments X 5 replicates). The TFWM replaced 20% of the reference diet based on corn and soybean meal. In the second experiment, the ileal digestibility coefficients of amino acids present in TFWM were determined, using chromic oxide as a marker, through the method of sacrifice, using 10 pigs (15.00 ± 0.27 kg), distributed in cages for metabolic research (2 treatments X 5 replicates). Treatments consisted of a basal diet and one without protein. In the third experiment, the performance of pigs fed diets containing different concentrations of TFWM (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20%) was evaluated. Forty pigs (15.00 ± 0.87 kg), distributed in pairs in nursery pens (5 treatments X 4 replicates) were used. The values of digestible and metabolizable energy corresponded to 3,632 and 3,260 kcal/kg, respectively. Inclusion of up to 10% TFWM in the diet of barrows from 15 to 30 kg did not affect the average daily gain and feed conversion of the animals.

The Rafael Fernandes experimental farm is located in the Alagoinha district, northwest of Mossoró, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, over two pedogenic formations of different edaphic characteristics, thus needing a more detailed description of its soil types, since this area hosts several experimental fields for researches on agriculture. The objective of this work was to characterize the morphological, physical, chemical and mineralogical features of the most representative soils of this farm, in order to understand its pedogenesis and define its classifications. The whole area was surveyed in order to assess its more representative pedogenic formations. Three soil profiles were classified and described, from which samples were collected in all horizons for physical, chemical and mineralogical analysis. The parent materials and the relief were the determining factors for pedogenic processes of desilication, podzolization and laterization, generating the three main soil types of the area, which were classified up to the 4 th categorical level and described as: Typic Rhodustults (P1), Rhodic Haplustox (P2) and Typic Plinthustalfs (P3).

The objective of this work was to evaluate the carrot crop recovery efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from fertilizers. Two experiments were conducted in an experimental area in Rio Paranaiba - MG. The cultivar („Juliana‟) was sown during the summer period and the cultivar „Nayarit‟ during the winter period. In both experiments, the treatments consisted of six fertilization combinations of N, P 2 O, K 2 O (kg ha - 1 ): fertilization without N (0 - 500 - 450), without P (100 - 0 - 450), without K (100 - 500 - 0), standard (100 - 500 - 450), higher than standard (100 - 700 - 600) and lower than standard (100 - 300 - 300). The harvest was carried out when most of the roots presented commercial standard well accepted by the consumers. The fresh and dry matter of roots and leaves were quantified, and the yield was calculated based on the fresh matter. The analysis of N, P and K contents in leaves and roots were carried out by harvest time, and the nutrients absorption and exportation were determined based on these contents and on the dry matter of roots and leaves. N, P and K omissions reduced the yield of the cultivar „Juliana‟. For the cultivar „Nayarit‟, only P omission reduced and P and K fertilizations increased the yield. The cultivar „Nayarity‟, which is more productive than „Juliana”, absorbed more quantities of N, P and K. Carrot recovery efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is low.

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Seven biochemical descriptors were used to estimate the genotypic variability of peanut in response to moderate water stress. Six genotypes, constituted by four lines and two cultivars, were grown in pots, each containing two plants. At 15 days after emergence (DAE), the treatment differentiation was carried out: Control-plants maintained with daily watering, and Stress-plants submitted to water stress by complete suspension of watering for 15 days. The experimental design was completely randomized with factorial scheme 6 x 2 (genotype x water treatments), with five replications. The biochemical variables evaluated were: catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), free proline, total carbohydrates, soluble proteins, and amino acids. Results obtained by biochemical analysis and estimation of genotypic variability indicated that proline is the most appropriate descriptor for selecting genotypes tolerant to water stress, which led to identification of L81V and L108V as promising lines for drought tolerance breeding program.

Water availability in the Brazilian semiarid is restricted and often the only water source available has high salt concentrations. Hydroponics allows using these waters for production of various crops, including vegetables, however, the water salinity can cause nutritional disorders. Thus, two experiments were conducted in a greenhouse at the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, to evaluate the effects of salinity on the mineral nutrition of crisphead lettuce, cultivar Taina, in a hydroponic system (Nutrient Film Technique), using brackish water in the nutrient solution, which was prepared by adding NaCl to the local water (0.2 dS m-1). A randomized blocks experimental design was used in both experiments. The treatments consisted of water of different salinity levels (0.2, 1.2, 2.2, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.2 dS m-1) with four replications, totaling 24 plots for each experiment. The water added to compensate for the water-depth loss due to evapotranspiration (WCET) was the brackish water of each treatment in Experiment I and the local water without modifications in Experiment II. The increase in the salinity of the water used for the nutrient solution preparation reduced the foliar phosphorus and potassium contents and increased the chloride and sodium contents, regardless of the WCET. Foliar nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and sulfur contents were not affected by increasing the water salinity used for the nutrient solution preparation.

Cucurbits have great economic, nutritional and social importance in the Brazilian semiarid region. In this region, many factors can result in reduced productivity of these crops, especially fungal and viral diseases. Therefore, knowledge of cucurbits is crucial for proper disease management. The objective of this work was to identify the major diseases of cucurbits grown in some municipalities in the Hinterland of the state of Pernambuco. Thus, plant samples were collected with symptoms in crops in the municipalities of Salgueiro, Serra Talhada, Floresta, Petrolândia, Ibimirim, Custódia and Inajá. A questionnaire was also applied to gather information about the production profile of producers. Seven fungal pathogens infecting cucurbits were identified: Pseudoperonospora cubensis, Colletotrichum sp., Podosphaera xanthii, Rhizoctonia solani, Didymella bryoniae, Fusarium sp. e Alternaria sp., and three viruses as well: Papaya ringspot virus - watermelon strain (PRSV-W), Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). It was found that in small crops, there is limited search for technical information om cropping, and these crops originate mostly from native seeds, in contrast to medium and large producers, who use improved cultivars. The melon and watermelon crops are the most commercially exploited, while pumpkins are used in subsistence agriculture. As for plant health problems, most respondents reported knowing the main diseases that occur in crops and perform disease control based on personal experience and / or through the help of the technical assistance provided by agricultural stores. In a few cases, in large farms, there was an agronomist to assist in this type of control.

Two experiments were conducted in Petrolina, State of Pernambuco (PE), Brazil, in order to evaluate the performance of mini tomato cultivars under the conditions of the Sub - Mid São Francisco Valley. One on crops of the second half of the year (SH) from August to December 2012, and other on crops of the first half of the year (FH) from March to July 2013. Six mini tomato cultivars were evaluated in both seasons: E5663 , Kada , F1170 , Tanzimech , E1275 and Abirú . A randomized block experimental design was used, with four replications, arranged in split plot, with the growing seasons in the plots and cultivars in the subplots. The total and commercial fruit yield, soluble solid contents, fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per plant, and fruit fresh weight were evaluated. The total yield was higher in the FH, regardless of the cultivar used. The cultivar E5663 presented yield of 40.3 Mg ha - 1 in the SH and 104.0 Mg ha - 1 in the FH. Commercial yield, soluble solid content and yield per plant followed the same trend. The number of fruits per plant ranged from 390.8 to 941.4 (FH) and from 80.5 to 315.4 (SH). The cultivar E5663 presented the best yield and soluble solid content responses, thus, it may be recommended for the conditions of Petrolina PE, and can be adopted for planting in both seasons evaluated.

Percolation columns constructed in the Laboratory can predict the degree of contamination in soil due to reject brine disposal and can be a tool for reducing environmental impacts. This study aim to evaluate the mobilization of ions in reject brine from desalination process by reverse osmosis. The mobilization of the contaminant ions in the saline waste was studied in glass percolation columns, which were filled with soil of contrasting textures (eutrophic CAMBISOL, typic dystrophic Red OXISOL, ENTISOL Quartzipsamment). Experiments ware repeated three times each, and the initial and final concentrations of the ion contaminants were analyzed. The pollution potential of this wastewater was determined by the retardation factor and dispersion-diffusion coefficient of K+, Cl- and Na+ for each studied soil. The differences in the displacement curves of the ions present in the saline waste among various soil types were analyzed. The Entisol Quartzipsamment showed a higher forward speed of the ions K+ and Cl- (greater retardation factor, i.e., greater power of the subsurface contamination for these ions). In typic dystrophic Red OXISOL, the ions move with greater ease and therefore produced greater groundwater contamination. In eutrophic CAMBISOL, the low coefficient of diffusion-dispersion in all ions was evaluated (i.e., reduced ion mobility is directly influenced by their exchangeable levels).