Deficiency of micronutrients is increasing in the recent years in cropping systems in many parts of the world and cover crops are important components of cropping systems. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) use efficiency in 14 tropical leg-ume cover crops grown on an Oxisol. The P levels used were low (0 mg kg-1), medium (100 mg kg-1) and high (200 mg kg-1). The P X cover crops interactions were significant for Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn use efficiency (tops dry weight/unit nutrient uptake). Hence, cover crop species varied in nutrient use efficiency with change in P levels. The micronutrient use efficiency was in the order of Cu > Zn > Mn > Fe. Higher Cu use efficiency was associated with lower uptake of this element, in the cover crop tops compared to other micronutrients. Similar-ly, lower efficiency of Fe and Mn was associated with their higher uptake in the tops of cover crops. Overall, Cu and Mn use efficiency was decreased when P level was raised from low to medium level and then it was constant. Iron use efficiency was increased with increasing P level but Zn use efficiency was constant with the addition of P fertilizer

This study sought to estimate (co)variance and genetic parameters for birth weight (BWT) and weaning weight (WWT) in Santa Ines sheep. A total of 2,111 records were obtained from EMBRAPA/CPATC experimental herds, dating from the years 1998 to 2008. (Co)variance parameters were obtained through a two - trait analysis with the Gibbs sampling algorithm using the MTGSAM program. The mixed model included the environmental effects of sex, contemporary group and type of birth, in addition to residual, direct and maternal additive effects. Mean estimates of direct heritability for BWT and WWT were 0.25 and 0.09, respectively. Mean estimates of maternal heritability were 0.34 for BWT and 0.24 for WWT. The genetic correlation be- tween BWT and WWT was 0.14. The results suggest that breeding Santa Ines sheep for meat production must take into consideration direct and maternal additive genetic effects.

There is great genetic diversity of rambutan plants, thus, to establish commercial orchards cul-ture, it is recommended the use of plants vegetatively propagated. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the best method of grafting, graft protection and type of rootstock for its propagation. The experiment was re-peated in two seasons (autumn/winter and spring/summer). The experimental design was completely random-ized in both experiments, with four replicates, each experimental unit consisted of 10 plants analyzed in a 4x2x2 factorial with four types of grafting (whip graft-WG; cleft graft –CG; wedge graft-WG; and inverted wedge graft-IWG;), 2 types of graft protection (Biodegradable and plastic) and 2 types of rootstock (without or with leaves). The variables analyzed in this study were: percentage of grafting success, number and length of buds (cm). For grafting performed in autumn / winter, both by cleft grafting as whip graft with biodegradable strip and rootstock leafless provided the best results in propagation of rambutan tree. The best results were ob-served during the autumn / winter.

Several factors are involved in the formation of soil aggregates, specially chemical, physical and biological origin. The glomalin, a protein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is one of the substances associated with soil aggregation. The aim of this study was to quantify the levels of soil organic carbon and glomalin in different vegetation types in Caatinga biome in Araripe plateau - Ceará state, and verify the relationship with aggregate stability and seasonality. Soil samples were carried out in dry and rainy seasons, in three vegetation types (Brejo de altitude, Carrasco and Cerradão) in Araripe National Forest to determine the water stability aggregate, soil total carbon, particulate carbon and glomalin. Seasonality effect was observed in the levels of easily extractable glomalin, suggesting that this fraction of glomalin is more sensitive to seasonal variations. The highest correlations were observed between the variables soil carbon and both fractions of glomalin, indicating that the protein produced by AMF is directly related to the amount of carbon, in addition to being an important component in soil aggregation of the Araripe.

Chemical composition, energy values, digestibility coefficients and the values of true amino acid of eight different deactivated full-fat soybeans were determined. The total excreta collecting method was used to determine the energy values, where 180 broiler chicken, aging 21 days, were distributed in a completely randomized design, with nine treatments (eight soybeans and one reference diet), four replicates, and five birds per experimental unit. The method of “forced feeding” was used to determine the digestibility coefficients, where 40 cecectomized roosters were distributed in a completely randomized design, with eight treatments, five replicates and one rooster per experimental unit five cockerels were fasted to determine endogenous losses. The values for apparent metabolizable energy (AME), nitrogen corrected AME (AMEn), and coefficients of metab-olizability (CAME and CAMEn) for the soybean, ranged respectively, from 3.191 to 4.242 kcal/kg, 2.953 to 3.906 kcal/kg, 64.85 to 80.42% and 60.00 to 74.07%. The average values of true digestibility coefficients of essential and nonessential amino acids from soybeans evaluated ranged from 79.74 to 93.08% and from 78.33 to 91.85%, respectively. The soybean one (deactivated organic) showed the lowest digestible coefficients com-paring to the others (obtained commercially), probably due to a subprocess, confirmed by the urease activity of 0.32.

The implantation of the mechanized harvesting system of sugarcane led to changes in the pro- duction system, in the production system was the modification of the weed flora, promoting the emergence of weed species that weren`t present in the conventional production system where the sugar cane was burnt. The present work had the objective of determining dose response curves of the herbicides amicarbazone, saflufenacil, mesotrione and sulfentrazone in post - emergence, over the weed species Merremia aegyptia ; Ipo- moea purpurea ; Luffa aegyptiaca ; Mucuna aterrima e Ricinus communis. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, with delineation entirely randomized, with four repetitions. The treatments constituted of the spraying of different doses of the herbicides amicarbazone, saflufenacil, mesotrione and sulfentrazone over the weed plants M. aegyptia ; I. purpurea ; L. aegyptiaca ; M. aterrima e R. communis when the plants had two pairs of true leaves. . The method used was the dose response curves, being sprayed doses equivalent to 1,5; 1,0; 0,5; 0,25 and 0,0 times the commercial dose of each product ( amicarbazone, saflufenacil, mesotrione, and sulfentrazone). The herbicides were sprayed individually over each weed species,. By 7, 14 and 21 days after the applications of the treatments (DAT), the symptoms of phytotoxicity were visually evaluated, and by 21 DAT, the dry mass of the shoots was determined. The herbicides saflufenacil and mesotrione weren`t effective in controlling Luffa aegyptiaca e Ricinus communis, respectively. The application of the herbicides sulfentrazone and amicarbazone resulted in control supe- rior to 80% for all weed species times the commercial dose studied. Therefore, different levels of susceptibility of the weed plants to post - emergent herbicides were observed. The herbicides amicarbazone and sulfentrazone were the most effective.

The fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum , handles significant losses in lettuce production. Being a soil borne fungus, its management is difficult, and an alternative is the use of biological control using species of the Trichoderma genus. Thus, the objectives of this study were to identify native species of Trichoderma spp. presents in the soil with (CP) and without white mold (SP), evaluate the growth rate and in vitro antagonism of Trichoderma spp. against S. sclerotiorum and to verify the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma spp. microbi- olized lettuce seeds, growing in substrate infested with S. sclerotiorum . Trichoderma spp. isolates were obtained from areas with and without history of white mold or stored in water. Mycelial growth rate and sporu- lation of the Trichoderma spp. isolates and control of Trichoderma spp. versus S. sclerotiorum in the in vitro essays. For the in vivo essay, lettuce seeds were microbiolized with Trichoderma spp. and the substrate was infested with S. sclerotiorum . The native isolates of Trichoderma identified belong to T. koningiopsis and T. asperellum species. The CP isolates had higher mycelial growth rates when compared to the SP isolates and stored while the stored isolates showed better responses in confrontation. The application of Trichoderma spp. promoted higher seedlings quality compared to control, as well as good seedlings development in the presence of the pathogen.

The objective was to compare models by Bayes factor (BF) to estimate the (co)variance compo- nents, genetic parameters and genetic values for the adjusted weights at 205 (W205), 365 (W365) and 550 (W550) days of age in Tabapuã animals reared on pasture in the Brazilian Northeast. Information about 26,838 cattle born in the period from 1975 to 2007 originally from the weight - development - control system of the Bra- zilian Association of Zebu Farmers ( Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Zebu , ABCZ) was used. The (co) variance components and genetic parameters were estimated by the Bayesian approach, in single - and two - trait analysis, using the GIBBS3F90 software. The full model provided the best fit to estimate the breeding value for W205 and W365 characteristics parameters. For trait W550, the model that provided the best fit was the one that did not include the effect of permanent environment. Genetic trends of direct effect were significant for the W205, W365 and W550 features, corresponding to increments of 2.67 kg, 7.35 kg and 8.32 kg, respectively, during the 32 years evaluated. Phenotypic trends were significant only for W205 and W365 characteristics cor- responding to increments of 26.82 kg and 22.42 kg, respectively. The genetic correlations between weight at 205, 365 and 550 days of age were of high magnitude (P205P365 = 0.90, = 0.90 and P205P550 P365P550 = 0.98); you can obtain genetic gains via correlated response to the weights at 365 and 550 days old when select- ing for W205.

The population density is one of the factors that affect the final yield of crops, being easily ma-nipulated by man. The objective was to evaluate the growth of castor bean plants cv BRS Energia in dense pop-ulations through primary data and non-destructive analysis of growth and identify which period greater vegeta-tive growth occurs. We adopted a randomized block design with five treatments and four replications, totaling 20 experimental units. Each experimental unit contained 4 m wide and 6 m in length, representing 24 m². Treatments involving five populations of plants 10.000; 16.666; 25.000; 50.000; 100.000 plants ha-1, with a spacing of 1 m between rows and 1; 0.6; 0.4; 0.2 and 0.1 m between plants, respectively. It was determined: stem diameter, plant height, leaf area, leaf area index and rates absolute and relative leaf growth, of stem diam-eter, of plant height and of fresh biomass epigeal. The castor bean BRS Energia has the highest rates of vegeta-tive increase between 15 and 45 days after emergence. Therefore, it is of great importance, in this period, pro-vide the plant water and nutrient conditions appropriate so that does not compromise on plant development.

This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters and genetic trends for reproductive traits and testicular growth in Guzerá cattle. Variance components were estimated through two-trait analyses using the restricted maximum likelihood method. To age at first calving (AFC), first calving interval (FC1), gestation period (GP), and scrotal circumference at 365 and 450 days (SC365 and SC450, respectively) were included the random residual and additive genetic effects and the fixed effects of contemporary group. The covariates cows age at calving and AFC were included in the model for SC365 and SC450 (linear and quadratic effects) and for FC1 (linear effect), respectively. For GP, The random maternal genetic effects were also considered. Heritability estimates ranged from 0.08 ± 0.05 (FC1) to 0.48 ± 0.11 (GP). Genetic trends were significant (P <0.05) for all traits with the exception of the maternal genetic effect of GP. The SC365, SC450 and GP traits, could be used as selection criteria for presenting additive genetic variability sufficient to respond to the selec-tion process. The genetic correlation between AFC and scrotal circumferences (SC365 and SC450) indicates that selection for scrotal circumference in these ages, reduce the AFC of the females.