The current paper was proposed to analyze and determine the behavior and the direct and indirect relation between the sign of live cattle value and the main components of supplementation. The database was obtained by consulting secondary sources, which underwent path analysis to study the unfolding of the correlation coefficient (dependent variable x independent) in direct and indirect effects. The analysis period was from January 1999 to December in 2008. The corn presented a total correlation of 0.5080 indicating a substantial contribution for the increasing of beef value. The value of wheat bag had a direct effect of 0.4897 and an indirect effect through the soybean (0.5601), like this, the main components of concentrate supplementation (soybean, corn and wheat) showed high correlation with the sign of live cattle value in the state of Sao Paulo.

In desalination process, besides the potable water, highly salty and pollutant water (brine) is generated, which can be used for producing crops since it is carefully monitored. In order to test this hypothesis, bell pepper plants, cv. 'Margarita', were grown in coconut fiber substrate under greenhouse and were irrigated with nutrient solutions prepared with tap water, brine from desalination plant, and its dilution with tap water at 75, 50 and 25%, giving a range of electrical conductivities of the nutrient solution (ECs) of 2.6, 3.1, 6.6, 10.0 and 12.2 dS m-1 after the dilutions and fertilizers addition. Completely randomized blocks design was used with 5 treatments (salinity levels of the nutrient solutions) and six replications. Leaf area, number of marketable fruit, total and marketable yield were reduced with ECs increase. The marketable yield of bell pepper 'Margarita' reduced 6.3% for each unitary increase of ECs above 2.6 dS m-1 (threshold salinity) and the results suggest that in hydroponic system, the reduction of marketable yield with increasing ECs is promoted by reduction of the number of fruits per plant instead of a reduction of fruit mean weight.

"Caatinga", dominant vegetation in Brazilian semiarid, has suffered severe degradation process, triggered, among other reasons, by the traditional agricultural and extractive activities. The need to conserve the environment and natural resources in agricultural and forestry activities, led to search for alternatives to conventional production. In this context, agroforestry systems, that integrate trees with crops and livestock, are an alternative operating sustainably. With the aim of studying the potential for preservation tree species of the "Caatinga" in an agrosilvopasture system in semiarid, in Sobral-CE, was evaluated the relatives density, frequency and dominance, the importance value index and the Shannon e Wiener index, of the woody component of this system. It was found that the vegetation management practices of trees and shrubs used in the system decrease density, and interfered in height and diameter distribution of individuals in relation to the original vegetation of the Caatinga. However, these practices were effective in preserving the wealth of flora species of trees and shrubs, similar to the area of native vegetation reserve. Cordia oncocalyx was the species with the highest number of individuals in the system, also showing highest importance value, followed by Mimosa caesalpiniifolia. The family Leguminosae was the most representative. The Shannon index shows that this agrosilvopasture system has the potential to promote an intermediate level of conservation among the "Caatinga" vegetation remnants and disturbed areas in this biome.

At present, the preference of the internal and external markets is for small fruits. Therefore the size, other aspects equally are important and considered to determining harvest point how soluble solids, coloration and format. The objective of the present work was determined the physical-chemical changes during the development of watermelon 'Quetzali' with support for the harvest in the size demanded by the extern market. Six harvests were made, the first occasion of marks made on fruits with fresh weight of 2 g and the other at 10, 15, 20, 15 and 30 days of development. Next, the fruits were transported for the laboratory of Irrigated Agriculture of the UFERSA, in Mossoró-RN-Brazil. The experiment was installed in design entirely at random composed by five treatments (days of development), five replications and a fruit for replication. Fresh mass was analysed (g), growth rate of the fruit (g.day-1), length and diameter of fruit (cm), firmness of the pulp (N), vitamin C (mg.100 mL-1 ascorbic acid), soluble solids (SS, %) and titratable acidity (AT, g.100 mL-1 acid malic). The watermelon variety Quetzali obtained the very growth rate of 178.64 g to 20 days and the very diameter of 19.57 cm to 25 days, when size adapted for harvest. To 25 days of development the fruits had firmness of pulp 15 N, soluble solids 8.9%, titratable acidity 0.1289 mg.100 mL-1 acid malic and vitamin C 7.3 mg.100 mL-1 ascorbic acid.

The goals of this work consisted of identifying the prevalence of helminth eggs in household organic wastes generated in the urban zone of cities of the semiarid of the Paraíba. The work was accomplished from June to December of 2006 in 30 homes in the urban center of Cabaceiras, 30 in Caraúbas and 50 in Queimadas. Organic solid residues were collected during in three consecutive weeks and alternate days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) in the generating source. For quantification of the helminth eggs three composed samples were picked up by city, resultants of ten fractions of organic solid residues collected in the homes. The amount of helminth eggs varied from 12.82 to 14.39 eggs/gST, with viability of 95.42%. In prevalence order, they enrolled Ancylostoma sp., Enterobius vermiculares, Fasciola hepatica and Ascaris lumbricoides. The eggs of Ancylostoma sp. were identified in 100% of the examined samples. The terrible sanitary quality verified for the household organic waste solid in three cities, located geographically in the area of the paraiban semiarid they suggest that these residues constitute important source of contamination to the environment and the human being, requesting the appropriate management.

This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of weeds and the performance of common bean grown on different types of plant residues managed with herbicides, in a no-till system. The treatments were arranged in split plots in a randomized block design with three replications. Prior to sowing common bean in the no-till system, plant residues of sorghum, maize, jack bean, sunflower, stylosanthes, rice, soybean and weeds were spread on the plots. Common bean was sown after chemical drying of the cover species. The two secondary treatments in split plots after bean sowing consisted of herbicide absence and the use of a mixture of the herbicides fomesafen (applied at a rate of 100 g ha-1 , 20 days after bean emergence-DAE) and quizalofop-p-ethyl (applied at a rate of 70 g ha-1, 25 DAE). Sorghum produced highest amounts of straw as well as the best soil cover. The plant residues did not influence the establishment of common bean. Herbicide application controlled weeds efficiently. However, the effects of mulch on weed control did not influence bean yield. The treatments influenced the number of pods per plant and grain yield of the bean yield components, with higher values in herbicide-treated plots.

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.

The Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is one of the main plague-insect specie of Brassicaceae plants in Brazil and all over the world. The resistant genotypes use to its control is a promising alternative. This work aimed evaluates the eggs distribution along the plant, the adults' density per plant, and determine the cauliflower genotypes effect in the P. xylostella oviposition. The experiment was carried out at FCAV/UNESP - Jaboticabal Campus Phytossanity Department (Departamento de Fitossanidade). It was evaluated the eggs distribution, the P. xylostella adults density effect using Sharon hybrid, and tests with or without choose choice to determine the P. xylostella nonpreference in the Teresópolis Gigante, Verona, Barcelona, Sharon, Silver Streak, and Piracicaba Precoce genotypes. It is possible conclude that P. xylostella has higher willingness to oviposits in the stem than in the basal leaves. The three couple density of P. xylostella per plant is the best to discriminate cauliflower genotypes regarding the resistance grade to nonpreference choose choice to oviposition. During the P. xylostella oviposition preference tests with choose choice, the genotypes Sharon, Piracicaba Precoce, Barcelona, Verona e Teresópolis Gigante are less desirable to oviposition; while during the no choose choice tests the genotypes did not differ among them.

The objective of this study was to compare the weather data obtained from both conventional (CWS) and automatic (AWS) weather stations, in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil (latitude: 21º14'05" S, longitude: 48º17'09" W and altitude: 613,68m), from July 1997 to June 2002. Daily data were collected and analyzed statistically by regression analysis. The results showed a good relationship between CWS and AWS, specially for air mean temperature, minimum temperature, maximum temperature and rainfall. Air humidity and atmospheric pressure showed the highest errors, respectively equal to 5,69% and 3,64 hPa. Wind velocity at 2m did not show good precision and accuracy because its estimation for CWS.

Beginning with the observed rainfall data and the potential evapotranspiration for normal, dry and rainy years, the best period for the vegetable cultivation was evaluated for Ipojuca, Pernambuco, Brazil. The potential monthly evapotranspiration (ETP) data was computed using Hargreaves' method and transformed into ten-day averages. The sum total of rainfall over a ten day period, full evapotranspiration and half of the potential evapotranspiration data are used to characterize of the growth phase, along with the determination of the pre-humid, humid and post-humid periods. The results show that the best period for the initial growth phase in Ipojuca for dry years is from the 01st of March to the 06th of October spaning 223 days and with a total rainfall of 1414 mm. Results demonstrated that the best initial growth phase for sugar cane during normal years is from the 20th of February to the 06th of October, spaning 236 days and with a total rainfall of 1864 mm. And for the rainy years, the best period for the initial growth phase of sugar cane is from the 23th of January to the 20th of October, spanning a period of 267 days and with a total rainfall of 2578 mm.