With the aim of determining the concentration of potassium (K+) and electrical conductivity (EC) in water drainage in the cultivation of sweet pepper (Maximos F1), and to evaluate the possible risk of contamination of groundwater was conducted a experiment on a battery of 40 drainage lysimeters, whose experimental plot consisted of three plants in each lysimeter, located at campus of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, PE, in a completely randomized factorial scheme 5 x 2, with four replications, being five irrigation depth (80, 90, 100, 110 and 120% of ETc) and two levels of potassium (80 and 120 kg ha-1 of K2O), applied parceled according to phenological phase, through a drip irrigation system, with selfcompensable emitters. Throughout the cycle proceeded to the measurement of volumes generated from natural drainage and the fortnightly water balances in the lysimeters, and collection of samples for tests to determine the K+ and EC. The K+ content and the EC showed significant linear adjustments in all phases of the cycle, whose mean values were 9.79 mg L-1 and 0.35 dS m-1, respectively. The drained volume showed increases in certain events of water balance due to the high rainfall during the period, leaching more potassium ions. It was observed that with the application of higher blade and the higher dose losses were higher K2O, an average 60.10 kg ha-1.

This paper aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of herbicides [MSMA+diuron], [paraquat+diuron], metsulfuron-methyl and 2,4-D in control of volunteer plants of Roundup Ready® soybean, cultivar BRS Valiosa RR® when applied at various stages of development. The experiment was set up in Rio Verde city, in agricultural year 2007/08, using the randomized complete block experimental design in factorial scheme 5 x 3 (herbicide x application times) with four replications. The herbicide treatments were: metsulfuron- methyl (3,0 g ha-1), 2,4-D (1340 g ha-1), [MSMA+diuron] (1.800+700 g ha-1, respectively), [paraquat+diuron] (600+300 g ha-1, respectively) and control without spraying of herbicide; the second factor was the spraying of herbicides on phenological stages (V2, V6 and R2) of soybean plants. It was evaluated the percentage of controlling of volunteer soybean at 7, 14, 28 and 42 days after application (DAA) of herbicides, beyond the plant height and dry matter accumulation in shoots at 42 DAA. It was found that the herbicide treatments [MSMA+diuron] and 2,4-D provided greater control of volunteer plants of RR® soybean at stage V2 and the 2,4-D with spraying at V6. The treatment [paraquat+diuron] was more efficient in controlling at all phenologic stages. The metsufuron-methyl showed greater effectiveness of controlling when the spraying was done at stage R2.

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of the fertilization with silica and its effect compared with limestone and interaction with the phosphorus in an Oxissol in tomato. A 5 x 2 factorial randomized block experimental design was adopted with four replication being five levels of metasilicate, five levels of limestone and two of phosphorus. In absence of phosphorus and in the presence limestone negative correlation was observed between stem diameter and content of Al in the soil and positive among stem diameter, root growth and content of P in the plant with the pH soil and the content of Ca in the soil. In the presence of phosphorus, positive correlation was verified among content of P in the plant and fresh matter of root with electrical conductivity of soil and root growth and content of Al in the soil. Using metasilicate of calcium in the absence of phosphorus, significant and positive correlation was observed for root growth with pH soil, Ca and sum of bases sum and content of P in the root with electrical conductivity of soil; in the presence of phosphorus, negative correlation was observed among Na and Al in soil. In the presence of phosphorus, was observed negative correlation among the stem diameter with pH, Ca, sum of bases and electrical conductivity of soil. For the leaf area, plant height, fresh matter in shoot and content of phosphorus in the root was verified significant and positive correlation with Na and the K in soil.

Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit.) (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant widely used in folk medicine in Northeast Brazil as a treatment for respiratory diseases, antispasmodic, sweat and useful in the treatment of gout. The aim of this study was to evaluate hereto the influence of different lengths of cuttings in rooting ofbamburral. The test was conducted for 30 days in the greenhouse of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Semi-Arid (UFERSA). The experimental design was randomized blocks with four cutting lengths (5; 10; 15 and 20 cm) and four replications and 10 cuttings per plot. After 30 days of planting, characteristics were evaluated: percentage of survival, rooting percentage, longest root length, diameter and initial end of cutting, the dry mass of shoot and root. Conclude that the length of piles does not affect the rooting of bamburral.

Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) (jurema preta) is a xerophytic species of the shrub-arboreal habit, indicative of secondary succession stage of recovery or progressive, widely disseminated by different caatinga physiognomies of northeastern Brazil, bringing great potential. For the few studies that address their environmental performance, this study aimed to investigate structural and ecological aspects of its population, based data in diameter and height, and characterize the spatial distribution pattern of this species in the study areas. The phytosociological survey was conducted in two areas with 2 and 80 hectares of caatinga at the Experimental Station of Embrapa Semiarid, Petrolina - PE. 10 units were plotted on a random sample measuring 8.0 x 40m, and included all individuals living in diameter at soil level K 3 cm, and measured the total height of the same. Were sampled 283 and 61 individuals in 100 and 80% of plots in areas I and II respectively, inserted mostly in the first diameter classes (3.0 - 6.0 cm and 6.1 - 9.0 cm) and height (2.0 - 3.0 m and 3.1 - 4 m), without trend to standard reverse-J-shape in areas. The spatial distribution, measured by the Payandeh index, reached a value of 2.4 in area I and 7.8 in area II, indicating that the species has a aggregated distribution in both areas. The calculated values for the of Liocourt quotient in areas I and II respectively, got an average of 0.67 and 1.12 with great variation, showing unbalance, despite being in progressive process of natural regeneration.

Sewage sludge, waste from the stations of wastewater treatment, has high contents of organic matter and nutrients and, when stabilized, it presents enormous potential for agricultural use. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of doses of sewage sludge on growth and yield of castor bean. The experiment was conducted in Cambisol, using the cultivar Guarany AL 2002. The treatments in a randomized block design with four replicates, corresponding to a treatment with chemical fertilizer (90 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and 30 kg ha-1 K2O at planting and 40 kg.ha-1 N, 40 days after planting), and five doses of dry sewage sludge (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 t ha-1). At the end of the cycle, the assessments were made of stem diameter, plant height and productivity. The productivity of seeds and the biometric characteristics of castor bean increased with increasing doses of sewage sludge applied to soil, and the dose from 15 t ha-1 is sufficient for replacement of mineral fertilization of culture without the risk of soil contamination with heavy metals.

The work was carried in a fragment of two hectares of hiperxerofila caatinga that it suffered clearcutting has 30 years and since then recovers without anthropic intervention at the Experimental Station of Embrapa Semiarido, Petrolina, PE. The objective was to evaluate the floristic composition and phytosociological structure, obtaining data to compare with other areas of caatinga (in different stages of succession) and then get subsidies to better understand the characterization of the successional environments of caatinga. The vegetation survey was carried out by the method of the plots, where 10 sample units of 8.0 x 40 m were plotted at random in the area. All individuals with DBH G 3 cm were inventoried, and the BHD are measured and total height of them. We recorded 16 species belonging to 13 genera and 8 families, a total of 436 individuals with AB = 7.28 m²/ha-1, and DA = 1350 ind/ha. The Shannon index of diversity (H') was 1.39 nat.ind.-1 and equability of Pielou (J '), equal to 0.50, both are considered low. The species with highest importance value (VI) and more prominent with respect to all parameters analyzed was Mimosa tenuiflora with 284 individuals distributed in all plots, DR = 65.5%, DoR = 69.6%, VC = 67.5% and VI = 49.8%. Thus, any attempt to characterize the structure of this community, have strong influence of the presence of indicator species of vegetation that is disturbed and the early stage of ecological succession.

The objective of this research was to characterize the nutritional limitations of Jatropha curcas, in addition the effect of the absence of certain nutrients in the growth of the plant. The research was carried in the greenhouse conditions at Agriculture Science Institute of Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The soil was used dystrophic Yellow Oxisol, colleted in the superficial layer (0-20cm), under cerrado vegetation. The experimental design was totally randomized with 13 treatments and three replications. The treatments were based on the missing element technique (with omission of liming and each one of the macro and micronutrients). The plants without the nutrients P, K and liming showed less growth. The nutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg e liming affected the shoot of plants. The roots were more affected by absence N, P, Mg and Ca. The results allowed concluding that the macronutrients were more limiting to growth of plant.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the behavior of thermal conductivity in the apparent surface in caatinga predominantly cactus, especially eunapolis [Pilosocereus gounellei (A. Weber ex K. Schum.)]. The study area was the river basin Taperoá, located in the region of Cariris Velhos in the State of Paraíba. Data were used for temperature and heat flux on the surface of vegetated soil. It used the law of heat conduction, who modeling time series of apparent thermal conductivity of the vegetation was made by Fourier methods, linear regression and polynomial. The results are partial, but antagonistic to literature, and they point out that the heat transfer by conduction in the caatinga has significance and should provide support for parameterization and incorporation of vegetation dynamics in the models are, hydrological, environmental or atmospheric circulation.

Mastitis is responsible for expressive losses in the breeding systems of ovine due to the low development of lambs or death because of starvation, beyond precocious discarding and occasionally the death of sheep. Studies had been carried through to determine the occurrence of mastitis in the north of Minas Gerais, to characterize the main etiological agents involved and identify the predispose factors of handling to the disease. The occurrence of mastitis under the clinical form was 11.19% and under the sub clinical form 54.54% of the analyzed cases, predominating as etiological agent the coagulase-negative staphylococci. The epidemiologist characterization of the frequency of the installations cleanness (P<0.05) and the practical of depletes of females (P<0.01) presented relation of dependence with the occurrence of illness, having been this work a contribution for the elaboration of prophylactic rules of mastitis in ovine breeding in the north of Minas Gerais.