The northeastern semiarid region faces some of the droughts of the last centuries, resulting in serious reductions of agriculture yields. The water scarcity for agricultural requires rational use practices and reuse of water, such as use of domestic effluent sewage. Alternatively, the use of treated domestic sewage effluent utilizing for irrigation of forage species, such as the forage cactus, can be highlighted. In order to evaluate the effects of fertirrigation with treated sewage effluent on mineral nutrient composition of forage cactus (Opuntia Tuna L. Mill, Mexican elephant ear), an experiment was carried out utilizing a split plot 3 x (4 + 1) with a randomized complete block design randomized block and four replications, being three planting density (66,667.00, 52,282.00 and 33,333.00 plants ha-1) and two water sources associated with irrigation frequency of plates fixed on 3.5 mm per irrigation (Frequencies of 2.3 days with water tap and 7, 14 and 21 days with Sewage Effluent) and cactus cultivated in Rainfed agriculturerainfed (control). The analyze of the nutritional contents of cladodes indicated that there was a significant effect of the intervals from irrigation events only for Ca and Mg concentrations. The highest levels of Ca and Mg were found with the irrigation frequency of 2.3 using tap water. The macronutrients concentration in greater quantity by the forage cactus were N e, K followed by, Ca, Mg and P. The nutritional balance indicated excess of K and P and deficiency of N, Ca and Mg, in this order.

The adoption of measures to prevent and control erosive processes requires information about the factors affecting the erosion and the sediment transport conditions. However, the sediment yield of a basin depends on the availability of eroded material and the sediment transport capacity. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the factors that affect the sediment transport capacity at different spatial scales in an area with caatinga vegetation. The study was carried out in the Iguatu Experimental Basin, in the state of Ceará, Brazil, from 2009 to 2014, by monitoring two scale levels: watershed with 2.06 ha, and erosion plot with 20 m². The variables evaluated for the rainfall events were precipitation, intensity of rainfall, antecedent soil moisture, precipitation of the antecedent five days, consecutive dry days, peak flow, runoff depth, and sediment yield. During the study period, 263 rainfall events (>2 mm) and 86 events generating runoff were recorded. Three Principal Components (PC) were developed using the Principal Component Analysis, which explained more than 79% of the total variance. Variables connected to the kinetic energy capacity of the rainfall to disaggregate soil particles, the energy for sediment transport, and the soil water content were framed in the CP1, CP2, and CP3, respectively. In the evaluated scales, the sediment yield presented a high correlation with the runoff depth, which indicates limiting conditions for sediment yield by the mass flow energy.

The most-used preparation process of protein isolates (PI) involves the isoelectric precipitation of the protein. Heating shortens the preparation time but this procedure may affect the purity, yield, molecular profile of the protein, and the activity of the trypsin inhibitor. This study aimed to investigate the effect of heating in the production of cowpea protein isolates. Crude whole beans (WB) were defatted with hexane, and the protein isolates obtained by isoelectric precipitation with (HPI), and without (NHPI) heating. The protein content of the WB and the PI was determined by the micro-Kjeldahl method, and the extraction yield estimated from the protein content at the end of extraction in relation to this content in the raw material. Possible losses of protein fractions were followed by SDS-PAGE, and the trypsin inhibitor activity determined by an enzymatic assay (BAPNA: benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide). Protein content in HPI was 83.3%, less than in the NHPI (92.2%). The HPI yield was lower (40.0%) as compared to the NHPI (42.3%). Electrophoresis indicated bands ranging from 13 to 262 kDa in WB; and the NHPI presented a protein fraction’s profile closer to that of the WB than to the HPI. The WB had the trypsin inhibitor activity, expressed as Trypsin Inhibitory Units (TIU), of 32.5±0.5 TIU /mg-protein; HPI showed 12.7±0.5 TIU /mg-protein (39% of that observed in WB) and the NHPI, 8.3±0.2 TIU /mg-protein (25.5%). Heating reduces the yield and purity of proteins in the isolates. However, the inhibitory activity of trypsin cowpea is most affected by the isolation procedure.

The semi-arid region accounts for about 70% of the surface area of the Brazilian northeast, and the most important forage resource is the Caatinga, covering approximately 54% of this region. However, about 40% of this vegetation is in secondary succession. The areas in the process of degradation range from low to severe intensity, and total more than 20 million hectares, reflecting the intense use of the land, such as the overgrazing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different doses of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg P2O5 ha-1 year-1) on the dynamics of herbaceous vegetation at different times of the year, in a Caatinga area manipulated without grazing for four years. The experiment was conducted at the Serra Talhada-UFRPE Academic Unit during the years 2015 and 2016. We used a randomised block design with three blocks and four replicates per block. Phosphate fertilisation in grazing exclusion areas promoted an increase in forage mass of the enriched Caatinga herbaceous stratum at all evaluation times, especially in the dry season of 2016, which showed values above the average of 7950 kg DM ha-1. In addition, it promoted an increase in the participation of buffelgrass in the floristic composition, increasing its involvement in the area to around 74% at the maximum dose of phosphorus used. Thus, phosphate fertilisation at up to 100 kg of P2O5 ha-1 year-1, together with grazing exclusion, can help to recover the Caatinga enriched with buffelgrass and optimise its use by reducing the formation of new grazing areas in the Caatinga.

Flour production through milling is an alternative for the cowpea processing, when the aim is to obtain a product with higher added value. The objective of this work was to determine the chemical composition, the granulometry, and evaluate the microbiological characteristics of whole-bean flours from five cowpea cultivars (BRS Cauamé, BRS Guariba, BRS Xiquexique, BRS Novaera and BRS Itaim). Cowpea beans were dried in a oven (Fanem, 320-SE) at 50 °C for 6 hours, milled in a cyclone-type rotor mill (Tecnal, TE-651/2) and, subsequently, in a pulverizer-type semi-industrial mill (Fritsch, Pulverisette 14) to obtain the flour. The flour centesimal composition, total energetic value, mineral content, granulometry, microbiological characteristics, and technological properties-flour water absorption and solubility in water-were analyzed. All analyzes were performed in triplicate and the results expressed in mean ± standard deviation. The means were compared by the Scott-Knott test (p ≤ 0.05). The flour centesimal composition presented (g per 100 g of flour): 7.13 to 10.33 of moisture, 2.06 to 3.65 of ashes, 1.53 g to 2.90 of lipids, 21.73 to 25.77 of proteins, and 58.08 to 64.02 of carbohydrate. The flours had on average 359.04 Kcal (100 g) and presented high iron, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium contents. The whole-bean flours from the cultivars BRS Cauamé and BRS Xiquexique are sources of calcium. Regarding the microbiological characteristics, all flours are innocuous. The water absorption index were within 1.77 and 2.20 g g-1 and the water solubility index within 17 and 23%. All whole-bean flours had good nutritional, technological and microbiological characteristics, and thus potential for use in bakery products.

Cowpea bean is a socioeconomically important legume that contribute to generate employment and income. This species presents great grain variability, and the commercial subclass black eye stands out as a very appreciated grain in Brazil and abroad, thus requiring the development of new cultivars. The objective of this work was to evaluate and select lineages of commercial black eye cowpea, based on simultaneous, and direct selection. First, 105 progenies and four controls were evaluated using the Federer's augmented block design. Seventy-seven progenies, selected from this evaluation-first selection cycle-and four controls were evaluated in three environments, using a simple 9×9 lattice design. Based on this evaluation, the second selection cycle was possible, resulting in 24 progenies. The gain by direct selection was lower than the predicted gain for grain yield in the first cycle, indicating that the selection was not effective. This result was probably due to the reduced genetic variability caused by the selection pressure. In the second cycle, the predicted and observed gains were similar, indicating that much of the expected gain was observed. The predicted and observed gains, with simultaneous selection based on the rank sum selection index, were similar in the first and second cycle. The simultaneous and direct selections resulted in genetic gains for grain yield in the two selection cycles, making it possible the selection of high grain yield lineages.

For climacteric fruits, such as mango, losses have been reported from harvest to fruit consumption. Thus, controlled refrigeration and passive modified atmosphere have been used in combination with edible and biodegradable coatings or plastic packaging to minimise these losses. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of carnauba wax and Xtend plastic packaging film, with and without refrigerated storage, on the post-harvest preservation of 'Tommy Atkins' mangoes. The fruits were coated with carnauba wax and/or wrapped in Xtend bags and then stored at 12 ± 1 and 25 ± 3 °C for 21 days. The weight loss, fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, vitamin C content, and the CO2 concentration inside the package were determined at 7-day intervals. Cold storage was observed to slow down the rate of degradation and to reduce adverse degradation reactions. By coating the fruits with carnauba wax, packaging them with Xtend plastic and keeping them under refrigeration, it was possible to store the mangoes at 12 ± 1 °C for 21 days. In this way, the CO2 concentration was reduced, mass loss and acidity were decreased, and the fruit firmness was preserved.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the relative effects of controlled atmosphere (CA) associated with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP; 1.0 μL L−1), induction of mass loss (IML; 2%), and low ethylene (LE; <0.04 μL L−1 of C2H4) on the quality preservation of ‘Laetitia’ plums. In experiment 1 (2010), the treatments evaluated were cold storage (CS; 21.0 kPa O2 + <0.03 kPa CO2), CA1 (1 kPa O2 + 1 kPa CO2), CA1 + 1-MCP, CA1 + IML, and CA1 + LE. In experiment 2 (2011), the treatments evaluated were CS, CA2 (2 kPa O2 + 2 kPa CO2), CA2 + IML, and CA2 + 1-MCP. In both experiments, the fruit were stored at 0.5 ± 0.1°C and 96 ± 2% RH. CA storage delayed fruit ripening in both atmosphere conditions evaluated and reduced the internal browning of the ‘Laetitia’ plums, particularly in CA2. 1-MCP, LE, and IML had additional effects to CA1 on preserving flesh consistency. 1-MCP, irrespective of the CA condition, and IML, in CA1, reduced internal browning. CA1, regardless of the complementary technologies, reduced the incidence of decay and fruit cracking.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytomorphological parameters of soybean in a crop-livestock system inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense. The experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, Brazil, for two agricultural years (2 Paper extracted from the doctoral thesis of the first author. 012/2013 and 2013/2014) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. In the winter, the black oat and ryegrass pasture was managed with sheep under different grazing systems: (I) - a conventional grazing (CG) system, where the animals remained in the pasture throughout the experimental period without any pasture height control; (II, III, and IV) - systems with post-grazing pasture heights of 10, 20, and 30 cm, respectively; and (NG) - one control without grazing. All treatments received two nitrogen doses (50 and 100 kg ha-1) and inoculation or no inoculation (A. brasilense). The soybean cultivar BMX Potência RR was sown using no-tillage on 16 November 2012 and 1 December 2013. In each plot, seven rows of plants with spacing of 0.45 m were used, and in four rows, the seeds were inoculated with the bacterium A. brasilense. The phytomorphological variables and grain productivity were evaluated. In a croplivestock system, soybean has better productivity when established on black oat and ryegrass pasture managed with post-grazing pasture heights of between 20 and 30 cm. Areas under conventional grazing in the winter led to smaller soybean plants with lower first and last pod heights. Inoculation with A. brasilense should not be used alone in soybean cultivation.

The production of vegetables in communities of family farmers in semiarid regions is limited due to rudimentary cultivation practices and systems, water scarcity, and excess salts in the water and soil. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the production of rocket (Eruca sativa L. cv. Folha Larga) in a low cost hydroponic system, considering strategies for the use of brackish water in the nutrient solution. The experiments were conducted in complete randomized designs, in 6×2 factorial arrangements, with five replications, using rocket plants grown in different nutrient solutions, consisting of six salinity levels (1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 dS m -1) and two circulation frequencies of the nutrient solution (twice a day, at 8:00h, and 16:00h; and three times a day, at 8:00h, 12:00h, and 16:00h). In Experiment I, the nutrient solution lost by evapotranspiration was replenished with the respective brackish water used in its preparation; and in Experiment II it was replenished with public water (0.12 dS m -1). The shoot and root fresh and dry biomass of the plants and their respective dry weight proportions, and biometric variables were evaluated. Replenishing of the nutrient solution with public water resulted in lower losses in biomass and plant growth. The increases in circulation frequency of the nutrient solution did not affect the biometric variables, however, the plants prioritized shoot biomass development to the detriment of the root when using high circulation frequencies.