This study aimed at evaluating the effect of replacing corn by palm in the supplements for dairy females in grazing at levels of 0, 33, 66 and 100%. Intake of pasture and apparent nutrient digestibility, animal performance, intake of nitrogenous compounds, nitrogen balance, synthesis and microbial efficiency and bioe-conomy system were evaluated. The study was conducted at Farm Roçadinho, municipality of Capoeiras Wasteland region of the State of Pernambuco in the period from 30/09/2012 to 19/01/2013, in a completely randomized design with four treatments and six replications, using 24 dairy females growing initial weight of 180 pounds. Consisted of 112 days, and 28 for adaptation. The intake of DM, DM/pasture, OM, CP, NDFap. NDFi intake and increased ADF because of the NFC, EE, and TDN decreased (P <0.05). PUN levels in plasma did not change. The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF, NFC, EE and TDN decreased linearly, and CP increased (P <0.05). Weight gains decreased since the FC increased (P <0.05). No effect was observed in nitrogen intake and nitrogen excreted in the urine. A reduction in nitrogen excreted in the faeces nitrogen bal-ance and percentage of ingested nitrogen, urea-N excreted in the urine increased (P <0.05). The replacement of corn by palm reduces the performance of dairy females in pasture growth. Thus the total or partial replacement is conditioned to the projection of age at first calving on the production system and economy of use.

The present work was accomplished with the objective of evaluating the drying effect on the peanut fruits physical properties. Peanut fruits with an initial moisture content of 0.63 decimal db were dried with a temperature of 40 ºC. Bulk density, true density, porosity, thousand - grain weight, sphericity, circularity, projected area, surface area and surface/volume ratio physical properties were determined. Based on these re- sults, it is concluded that reducing the moisture content promotes reduction in all the physical properties of pea- nut fruits, except the surface/volume ratio that have their values increased with the moisture content reduction. The circularity as sphericity of the peanut fruit values was reduced during the drying process.

This study aimed at evaluating the performance of Nelore cattle during growth classified for different classes of frame size regarding body weights and morphometric measures at different ages. Weights and morphometric measures Nelore bulls up to 1 year of age were monthly recorded. The characteristics evalu-ated were birth weight, 120, 205, 240 and 365 days of age, withers height and rump height, thoracic perimeter, distance between pin bones, distance between hip bones and chest width, depth of chest, space under sternal and hip length. Frame size scores classified as medium, large and extreme, were estimated using equations and tables according to Beef Improvement Federation (BIF). Data were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey-Kramer test at 5% probability and analyses were performed by canonical variables and the grouping analyses of genotype by method of Tocher. The animals with larger class of frame size were heavier and morphometric measurements as well, when compared with animals classified for smaller class. The correlation between weight at different ages were higher. The weight correlates with body features positively, indicating that the weight gain of the animals increased their influence on the frame size. Cluster analysis resulted in three distinct genetic groups that have similar within the group and genetic divergence between them.

The umbu is an important fruit for the northeast of Brazil because it is being used in reforestation areas and has great economic potential. However, there is a gap on propagation techniques of this culture that is a crucial step for the successful of plant development. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of alternative substrate on the growth of umbu rootstock, fertility attributes, and microbial populations of these mixtures.The experimental design was completely randomized with 10 treatments: TA = soil + sand (1:1); A = sand; ECSC = goat manure + Plantmax® (1:3); EBSC = manure + Plantmax® (1:3); ECA = goat manure + sand (1:3); EBA = manure + sand (1:3); ECBSC = manure + goat manure + Plantmax® (1:1:3); ECBA = manure + goat manure + sand (1:1:3); HSC = humus + Plantmax® (1:3) and HA = humus + sand (1:3),with four replications. The addition of residues promoted the quality of the umbu rootstock, especially when mixed with a commercial substrate composed of vegetable organic matter and expanded vermiculite. With multivariate clustering, three groups acknowledged a similarity between the substrate mixtures. The use of humus or goat manure mixed with the commercial substrate is recommended for the production of umbu rootstock.

Native seeds should be studied and appreciated as they can contribute to the improvement of production, trade and supply aspects of family farmers, and breeding programs. The aim of the current study was to compare the physical characteristics (color and size) and the chemical composition of the grain in natura five genotypes creole red beans, grown in organic system, on the Nossa Senhora Aparecida farm, in Hi-drolândia-GO, Brazil. Completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications was employed. Caliper was used to determine the dimensions (length, height and width), Sphere II colorimeter ColorQuest to the instrumental color parameters (L*, a* e b*), and methods recommended by Association of Official Analyti-cal Chemists to the chemical composition. The Safira beans showed the greatest length and width (13.89 and 7.59 mm, respectively), in addition to greater luminosity (42.38), less reddish (3.53) and lower levels of ash and crude fiber (3.59 and 12.05 g 100 g-1, respectively). The beans Bolinha Vermelha showed the lowest di-mensions (9.1 x 4.3 x 5.7 mm), while the Vermelho Rajado beans showed lower protein (16.61 g 100 g-1) and higher ash (3.91 g 100 g-1). The bean Vermelho Rajado received the greatest levels of protein and crude fiber (18.83 and 16.45 g 100 g-1, respectively). All creole beans adapted to organic production system. Among the genotypes, beans Safira stood out for having larger and lighter in color, the beans Vermelho Rajado and Bolin-ha Vermelha dot by higher protein, beans Bolinha Vermelha by higher contents of ash and ether extract, and Vermelho Rajado the higher fiber content.

Two experiments were conducted with the aim of determining the nutritional composition of babassu cake, metabolizable energy and true amino acid digestibility of babassu cake for slow growth broilers. In the first experiment, 352 broilers were used at different ages, distributed randomly in three treatments, with six replications compounds by reference diets (RDs) formulated for three different ages, and test diets (80% of RRs over 20% of babassu cake). The method used was the total collection. In the second experiment, 168 slow growth broilers were used, from 20 to 25 days of age, distributed randomly in two treatments which consisted of a diet free of protein (DIP) starch-based and the DIP plus 35% inclusion of babassu cake. The chemical composition of babassu cake exhibit elevated levels of crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent, which can interfere with the metabolizable energy values of this food. In the formulations diets for slow growth broilers using babassu cake in its composition should take into consideration the age of the animal, and with advancing age of the chickens improves utilization of metabolizable energy for broilers. Amino acids have lower digestibility coefficients to those found in the literature for fast growth broilers, and histidine is the ami-no acid that has the lowest coefficient of digestibility and arginine, the highest.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the optimum plot size to three sunflower hybrids in three spatial arrangements of plants. The uniformity test was installed in the experimental field of the Federal University of Recôncavo of Bahia, in Cruz das Almas, Brazil, in 2012. The plots were composed of six lines of 36 m, which were willing three spatial arrangements of plants: A1 (0,45 m x 0,49 m); A2 (0,70 m x 0,32 m) and A3 (0,90 m x 0,25 m), and each arrangement were distributed three sunflower hybrids: Hélio 250, Hélio 253 e Aguara 3. For the evaluation of the optimal plot size, at 110 days after sowing was harvested a sample of 180 basic units (plants) per plot, in which were evaluated the final plant height, the final diameter of the rod and the diameter of the chapter. Thirty - one plots sizes of three hybrids were simulated and for each variable assessed, wherein each plant was considered as a basic unit. The estimation of optimum plot size to the sun- flower crop was calculated by the method of modified curvature maximum. The combined use of hybrid H253, installed in the arrangement 0.45 m x 0.49 m, promotes obtainment the greatest value of curvature maximum it was estimated the optimum plot size of six plants.

This work aimed to study the agronomic feasibility of the arugula (A) and lettuce (L) bicropping intercropped with carrot (C) under different amounts of roostertree incorporated into the soil and proportions of population densities among component crops in semiarid conditions of the Rio Grande do Norte state. The experimental design was randomized complete block with four replications, with the treatments arranged in a factorial 4 x 4. The first factor was constituted by the amounts of roostertree incorporated into the soil (10, 25, 40 and 55 t ha - 1 on a dry basis) and the second factor by the proportions of population densities of the component crops in polyculture [(50A - 50C - 50L (%); 40A - 50C - 40L (%); 30A - 50C - 30L (%) and 20A - 50C - 20L (%) of the recommended populations in sole crops - RPSC)]. The leafy vegetable crops were planted in two cultivations during the carrot cycle, and a joint analysis was carried out involving the two cultivations in the 4 x 4 factorial scheme. The characteristics evaluated were green mass yield (arugula), dry mass of shoots and productivity (lettuce), total, commercial and classified productivity of carrot roots. The modified monetary advantage was used to evaluate the agronomic feasibility of intercropping systems. The use of roostertree as green manure proved viable in the polyculture of arugula, carrot, and lettuce. The major agronomic perfor- mance of the arugula, carrot and lettuce in the polyculture was registered in the amount of 55 t ha - 1 of rooster- tree incorporated into the soil. The population density proportions of arugula, carrot and lettuce of 50A - 50C - 50L (%) of the RPSC were those that provided the greatest agronomic feasibility of the polycultures.

This work aimed to determine instead at determining chemical composition, nutritional aspects and morphological characteristic of tubers from sweet potato roots (Ipomoea batatas L.) of cultivars Rosinha de Verdan, Capivara and orange-fleshed produced under the organic system. The chemical composition of flours from sweet potato (SP) roots was different among cultivars. The starch content for SP cultivar ranged from 26-33 % (d. b.), and the orange-fleshed roots presented 3182 μg of β-carotene/100 g. The flour yield ob-tained for SPF processing was higher in Rosinha de Verdan (25.40%), and the starch content of roots ranged from 12.48-27.63 % (d.b.). The processing condition modified the starch granular characteristics of the flours and reduced 31% the carotene content and vitamin A value of the orange-fleshed flour. The orange-fleshed flour presented higher levels of carbohydrate, starch and total energy value (TEV) than others white fleshed flour. The consumption of serving size of orange-fleshed roots and flour provided higher provitamin A require-ments for children.

The piçarra (subsoil material mainly formed by silt, sand and gravel) is commonly used in the civil construction and activities related to the onshore oil production in the Caatinga biome. The revegetation of the piçarra mines at the end of exploration cycle is mandatory and generally demands the planting of native tree species. However, there is scarce information about tree species able to grow in these degraded environments. This study aimed to evaluate the development and survival of 20 tree species, including native and exotic spe-cies, and nodulating and non nodulating species, planted in five piçarra mines located in three cities in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The experiment was a split-split block design, where 10 nodulating tree species were compared with ten other non nodulating species in areas with and without addition of a 20 cm topsoil layer and/or 2 L cattle manure in the planting hole. Biometric measurements were made at the end of the dry and rainy seasons (February 2008 to February 2010) up to 660 days after planting. The addition of topsoil re-duced the survival of trees, especially of non nodulating species, likely due to the vigorous herbaceous regener-ation in this treatment. Conversely, the addition of manure favored the tree growth. The nodulating species outperformed the non nodulating in respect to survival rate, total height, trunk diameter, and growth rate. The native species with the best survival and development rates were Mimosa tenuiflora, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, Caesalpinia ferrea and Tabebuia caraiba, and among the exotics were Azadirachta indica and Pseudosamanea guachapele.