The present study was carried out aiming to evaluate the effects of potassium, copper and zinc on the growth and seed yield of castor (Ricinus communis L.), cultivar BRS Nordestina and BRS Paraguaçu. Two experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, in Campina Grande, Paraiba State, Brazil. The experimental was conducted 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design completely randomized amounting in each experiment, a total of 24 experimental units, subjected to the following levels of fertilization: potassium (150 and 250 kg ha-1), copper (16 and 32 mg dm-3) and zinc (32 and 64 mg dm-3). Plant height, stem diameter, number and length of leaves were measured at 21, 42, 62, 82, 102 e 123 days after planting (DAP). Number and weight of seeds were measured. Potassium, copper and zinc did influence BRS Paraguaçu and BRS Nordestina growth and BRS Paraguaçu production. The highest yield of seed weight of BRS Paraguaçu corresponded to 250 kg ha-1 K2O, 16 and 32 mg dm-3 Cu and Zn, respectively.

The objective of that work was to evaluate the influence of different soil mulching and doses of organic compost in the culture of the rocket. The experimental design was used in randomized blocks, in splitplot arrangement with four replications. The plot corresponded to the soil mulching (no-tillage with living mulch of Arachis pintoi, living mulch of native weed, straw mulch of native weed and conventional tillage without mulching). The plots represent the doses of organic compost (10, 20 and 30 t ha-1 in the dry compost). The variables analyzed were yield, commercial fresh matter, and dry matter of the aerial part. The dose of 30 t ha-1 provided the largest yield values and commercial fresh mass for the conventional system and straw mulch. The dose 20.49 t ha-1 increased yield and commercial fresh mass for A. pintoi mulch. The dose 20.85 t ha-1 showed greater increase in yield and commercial fresh mass for the live native weed. The tillage and straw mulch presented higher yield values for all the studied doses. The dose of 23.1 t ha-1 it promoted the largest dry mass of the aerial part. The tillage and no-tillage with straw mulch it contributed with the largest dry matter of the aerial part.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. is an exotic species of Leguminoseae commonly known as flamboyant-mirim, and largely used for unban arborization. The objective of this study was to evaluate methods for overcome dormancy of seeds of flamboyant mirim. The work was developed at the Laboratory of Seed Analysis and green house of Centro de Ciências Agrárias at Universidade Federal da Paraíba, campus II, Areia, PB. The experimental procedure used was completely randomized with 14 treatments (control (intact seeds) (T1); scarification with sandpaper opposite number 80 in the region to hilum soaking in water for 0; 12; 24; 36 and 48 h (T2, T3, T4, T5 e T6) at 30 ºC; immersion in hot water at temperatures 70 and 80 °C (T7 and T8); sulfuric acid scarification by immersion 5; 10; 15; 20; 25 and 30 minutes(T9, T10, T11, T12, T13 e T14) and four repetitions. The variable obtained were percentage emergency, first count emergency and emergency speed index (IVE). Daily count of the seedlings was carried out during 25 days. The seeds immerged in sulfuric acid for 30 minutes presented smaller of seedlings emergency. The mechanical scarification of the seed tegument followed by immersion in water for 12 and 24 h are the most effective method for to overcome dormancy of seeds of flamboyant.

Studies have shown that the Caatinga has two vegetation types related to different soils originated from crystalline and sedimentary. However, it is unclear whether the flora as a whole varies in relation to this difference or if it only varies for certain plant habits. This article provides a comparative analysis of the different habits of flowering plant species that occur on different soil types in a semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Sixty plots (10 x 10m) were established to collect woody species and 300 plots (1 x 1m) were established to collect herbaceous species. The plots were in soils of crystalline and sedimentary origin, and drainage and relief were taken into consideration. One hundred and fifty species distributed in 40 families were recorded. Species richness was greatest in Leguminosae (37 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (16 spp.) and Convolvulaceae (13 spp.). There were 101 woody species and 49 herbaceous species, suggesting that the woody habit responds better to local morpho-pedological differences.

The caatinga biome covers around 70% of the North-Eastern territory and nevertheless the studies carried out about its natural riches are still insufficient especially tackling the floristics diversity of the biome as a whole, particularly in the state of Paraiba. For this reason the current study aimed to carry out the floristics survey of an area of caatinga in the municipality of Boqueirão, Paraiba State. In the area of study, it was registered 47 species distributed in 39 genera and 20 families of flowering plants. The families that stood out in number of species were: Fabaceae, with 12 species; Cactaceae, with five; Euphorbiaceae and Malvaceae, with four species each one and Convolvulaceae with three species, while the other families (15) showed one to two species each one. The woody component dominated over the shrubby, herbaceous, subshrubby and the woody vines components of the area studied. Based on the data obtained in this study, it was possible to correlate the taxa shown with the flora of different areas of caatinga, especially in the Northeast region, showing up the priority of carrying out floristics studies including other areas of the caatinga of Paraiba as well as of different states of the Brazilian Northeastern.

The knowledge about the magnitude of the genetic variability of collection is great importance to the success and longevity of plant breeding programs. Same authors affirm to exist genetic variability in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), being expanded with the use of millet (P. glaucum) in the hybridization. This work presents considerations on genetic variability in elephant grass germplasm and the main methodologies used to assess this variability. Based on the works studied, the methodologies (principal component, canonical variables and agglomerative methods, based in the euclidian and Mahalanobis distances; Jaccard' index and cluster' methods, based in the Ney & Li distances) were efficient in to determine the genetic variability in most genotypes studies in Brazil and other countries, both biometric and molecular level, way be exploited by breeding programs through methods of selection intra and interspecific hybridizations.

Excessive salt can to promote water soil retention, reducing your availability to plants. Besides, they can interfere in protoplasm metabolism. The plants ability to survive in salinity conditions is an important factor to geographic distribution and agriculture in salinized regions. The objective of this work was to verify the effects of the NaCl in the growth, dry matter distribution and N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and Cl content in young plants. The experiment was conducted in 'Leonard' pots, with nutrient solutions, with NaCl (0, 25, 50 and 100 mmol L-1). Increasing of NaCl concentration reduces growth and total dry matter. There was an increase of N and K content, in shoots, and N and Mg content in roots. There was an reduction in Mg content in shoots, and reduction of Ca content in roots with increasing of NaCl. Leucaena plants were inefficient to exclude Na and Cl, in shoots principally.

In order to evaluate the effects of chemicals amendments sulphuric acid and gypsum to decrease sodicity in a saline-sodic soil of Irrigated Perimeter of Condado, Paraiba State, Brazil, an experiment was carried out in a green house of the Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Rural, Centro de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Areia, Paraiba State, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in 2x5 factorial design referring to chemical amendments sulphuric acid and gypsum at levels equivalent to 0; 1.8; 3.6; 5.4 and 7.2 g kg-1 of sulphate (SO4 -2). The chemical amendments exercised positive effects on reduction of exchangeable sodium percentage and pH in saturation extract evidencing improvement in relation to sodicit and alkalinity of the soil. The gypsum was superior to sulphuric acid in reduction of exchangeable sodium percentage and soluble sodium content in the soil solution.

This work evaluated the effect of two methods of determination of soil water (laboratory method and field method) and four levels of soil water availability (20; 40; 60 and 80%) on biomass of the aerial part, crop evapotranspiration, leaf area, plant height and yield in pit of herbaceous cotton plant, cultivar CNPA-7H. The randomized blocks experimental design was used in factorial scheme 2 x 4, with three replications. The determination of available soil water by the field method overcame the results of the studied variables in relation to the laboratory method and it represents more real conditions of the readiness of water for the cotton plant. The leaf area and the evapotranspiration, determined by field method, increased significantly with the levels of available soil water. The management with the available water of 61.61% by laboratory method promoted the maximum leaf area of 1755.4 cm2 and, with 74.4% of levels of available water, the maximum evapotranspiration was of 238 mm. There were earnings of 0.2 g of biomass per unit of levels of available soil water by field method; already by laboratory method the maximum biomass of 17.6 g was reached with the management of levels of available water of 62.9%. The best response for the cotton incomes in pit was given by field method with earnings in the income of 0.26 g for the field method and of 0.11 g for the laboratory method per unit of available soil water.

Many arthropods are mentioned with whitefly natural enemies, including the green lacewings. The aim of this study is to analyses the development and the capacity of predation of Chrysoperla externa (Hagen, 1861) fed with Bemisia tabaci B biotype nymphs, rearing different vegetables (kale, broccoli, eggplant end tomato). The duration, viability end weight in each stage end phase of development of the insectpredator had been evaluated, as well as the predatory capacity of the larvae in the third instar. The larval phase of the predator presented minor duration when these had been fed with nymphs developed the broccoli (12.36 days) and minor duration of the tomato (14.36 days) phase when fed with nymphs developed in kale, broccoli, and eggplant (6.50, 7.20, 7.33 days, respectively). The lower indices of viability been found for the larvae fed with nymphs developed in the tomato (30%), and average weights have. The predatory capacity of the larvae during the third instar was not affected, independently on the plant host where the whitefly nymph fed itself.