The current work had the objective to characterize the visual symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, single and multiple, in castor bean cultivar Guarani, as well as their effects on dry matter and biometrical index. The experiment was carried out in culture solution with randomized blocks with six treatments and four repli-cations. The treatments were represented by control, then the Hoagland and Arnon (1950) control, omission of iron (-Fe); multiple omission of iron and zinc (-FeZn), omission of manganese (-Mn), multiple omission of manganese and zinc (-MnZn) and omission of zinc (-Zn). Castor bean plants under single Zn omissions did not show visual symptoms, however multiple omission of this nutrient increased the symptoms intensity and re-duced the plant height. In such results, the symptoms of Zn deficiency were observed. The nutrients content, in leaves, were more affected by the treatment -FeZn, while the stem contents were affected under Zn omissions. The nutrient omission, single or multiple, in culture solution caused morphological changes and turn into a vis-ual symptoms, altered the dry matter, biometrical index and nutrient contents in castor bean plants.

The aim of this study was to provide information on the ecology and floristic composition of vascular epiphytes on specimens of licurizeiro (Syagrus coronata), palm tree native to the Brazilian Backlands, whose individuals were isolated in pasture areas in the municipality of Várzea da Roça - BA. The epiphytic species were classified according to their ecological category and dispersion forms. The vascular epiphytes were represented by 26 species, 21 genera and seven families, and Bromeliaceae (8 spp.), Cactaceae (7 spp.), Polypodiaceae (4 spp.) and Orchidaceae (3 spp.) the most representative. The true holoepiphytes and accidental epiphytes were the most frequent categories, gathering, respectively, 42.31% and 30.76% of the species inven-toried. Regarding the dispersion forms, it is observed the predominant of zoochoric species (14 spp.) while anemochoric were represented by 12 species. The results show the importance of licurizeiro in the maintenance of the epiphytic community in areas of Caatinga and show its role as maintainer of biological diversity in an-thropogenic environments.

The non-carcass components are configured in additional source of income for sheep producers. This study aimed to evaluate the non-carcass components in Morada Nova hair sheep fed hay or Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) or Maniçoba (Manihot pseudoglaziovii Pax & Hoffman) hay. The animals were males, initially weighing 18.86 ± 6.48 kg were housed in individual and slaughtered at 58 days of confinement. The Tifton 85 diet resulted in higher (P<0.05) spleen weights (0.05 kg), liver (0.45 kg) and kidneys (0.08 kg). Largest total weights of organs were also obtained in the diet Tifton 85. There was no difference between diets for weight viscera. The skin showed higher weight for animals fed Tifton 85 hay. The diets did not affect the weights or buchada and panelada yields. Replacement of Tifton 85 hay by Maniçoba hay in Morada Nova hair sheep diet, reduces the weight of the organs and skin, but does not influence the buchada and panelada weights or yields.

The objective was to evaluate the performance of growth and productivity of three cactus for-age clones, resistant to Cochineal Carmine, grown under irrigated conditions in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The clones evaluated were: IPA Sertânia (IPA), Miúda (MIU) and the Orelha Elefante Mexicana (OEM), be-tween February 2010 and February 2012, in Serra Talhada, State of Pernambuco. To the end of the crop cycle morphological data were obtained from plants (canopy height and width, cladode total number, cladode number by order of emergence and cladode area index) and cladode (length, width, thickness, perimeter and area), and crop productive parameters (crop fresh and dry matter yield, and final density of plants per hectare). Path anal-ysis was applied to evaluate the influence of meteorological variables (global solar radiation, air temperature and relative humidity, wind speed and rain) on the growth of cactus forage. It was found that the OEM and IPA were those who stood out most of the morphological characteristics. But, in terms of cladode number, the MIU is the clone of greater emission (> 35 units), however it has been demonstrated as the clone less productive in terms of fresh mass (117.5 t ha-1), along with the IPA. The OEM stood out as the most productive clone (163.0 t ha-1). However, there was no difference in productivity in dry basis between the clones (12.6 ± 2.0 t ha-1). The IPA has the highest mortality of plants (10.4%). Meteorological variables showed effect lower on the evolution of crop growth (< 33.1%).

Cropping systems modify soil attributes and may change its quality.The work had the objective to evaluate the changes in physical, chemical and biological soil under organic farming systems (soils cultivated organically for more than seven years), in conversion to organic and conventional, with reference to the soil under native forest, and identify the attributes used as indicators of soil quality. Three areas of farm crops, located in the municipalities of Areia, Remígio, and Lagoa Seca, the state of Paraíba, Brazil were selected, and soil samples deformed collected in the layers 0-10 and 10-20 cm. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, the Tukey Test, and the Principal Component Analysis. There was a reduction of soil density (Ds) and increased porosity (PT) in the system of organic farming compared to cropping systems in conversion organic and conventional. The contents of phosphorus and organic carbon (CO), the base sum (SB), cation exchange capacity (CTC), light particulate organic matter (MOPL), carbon particulate organic matter light (CMOPL), edaphic respiration (RE) and pH of soils under organic cultivation are higher than soils under conventional tillage.The growing organic basis contributes to the maintenance of soil quality under similar conditions and/or even better than the condition forest and, under the conditions of this study, the most appropriate indicators to analyze the cultivation organic basesare Ds, PT, CO, MOPL, CMOPL, pH, SB, CTC e RE.

Despite the knowledge that you have about the benefits of the humus of the worms or ver- micompost, there is a need to evaluate the technical feasibility of using other sources of carbon for worms. The objective was to evaluate the possibility of using straw of coffee to vermicompost production, the effects of their use on worms and on the quality of humus obtained. The evaluated treatments consisted of: (1 straw of coffee (SC) 100%; 2 SC 75% + manure (MA); 3 50% SC + 50% MA; 4 25% SC + 75% MA; 5 100% MA). The straw of coffee and the manure were incubated for 64 days to make them available to feed the worms and more 84 days to digest the substrate. The straw of coffee increased the number of worms without resulting in harmful effects. The percentage increment of the straw in the constitution of the vermicompost increased the availability of N, K, Ca and Cu, but it reduced the availability of Mg, S, Mn, P, Fe and Zn. Aiming o the medi- um supply of nutrients, the proportion of the 50% of straw of coffee and 50% of manure is designated.

Imazaquin is an herbicide widely used in Brazil to control weeds associated with the soybean crop. This work aimed to study the mobility and leaching of imazaquin in soils with different characteristics. In both experiments, a completely randomized block design was used; with tree replicates. We study the mobility of imazaquin in Red Eutrophic Latosol, clayey; Alfisol Haplic Eutrophic, medium texture; Alfissol Eutrophic, medium texture; and Orthic Psament, sandy texture. To obtain the mobility rate (Mr), a solution of 14Cimazaquin with the activity of 304,75 Bq/mL was applied to plates containing different soils. All Mr values range between 0.803 and 1, indicating that imazaquin has a relevant mobility in our soils. In the leaching study, the soils were classified as Rhodic and differed chemically. The herbicide imazaquin (14C + imazaquin technical product) was applied to the highest recommended dose ( 161 g a.i. ha-1 ), directly on the soil surface of each column. After that, was done a rainfall simulation of 200 mm. Nearly 100% of the herbicide was in the 0- 10 cm layer, however, the soil with higher pH, the herbicide was distributed to 15-20 cm depth. The herbicide imazaquin has greater mobility in soils with low organic matter and clay and soils with high Ph.

This research aimed to evaluate the physiological quality of pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) var. Bode Vermelha seeds, obtained from fruits at different ripening stages. The fruits of C. Chinese were separated according to the ripening stages, based on pericarp color (green fruits – stage 1, orange fruits – stage 2, light red fruits – stage 3, red fruits – stage 4, and carmine-red fruits – stage 5). To evaluate the ripeness and the physiological quality of the seeds were determined the biometric characteristics of the fruits and seeds, mass of thousand seeds, seeds water content, electrical conductivity, standard germinations test, speed of germination index, percentage of normal seedlings, speed of seedlings formation, accelerated aging, and seedling length. The characters length, diameter, weight, and number of seeds of the fruits and length, width, thickness, and mass of the seeds were analyzed by the estimated parameters using descriptive statistics. For the other variables was used the completely randomized design. The results were submitted to variance analysis and comparison of means by the Scott-Knott test at 5% probability. The ripeness stage affects the physiological quality of C. chinense Jacq. var. Bode Red seeds, being the seeds from red (stage 4) to carmine-red (stage 5) fruits those with the best performance thus, they are physiologically ripe, being the most indicated to seeds obtaining.

This study was carried out at SIPA (Integrated System of Agroecological Production), situated in Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, in order to evaluate the effects of two cropping systems on yield and growth of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The trial was conducted in a scheme of plots split in time, with three rep-lications, where cropping systems (conventional - CT and e no-till - NT) were assigned to the plots, while sam-pling dates were assigned to the subplots. Although values observed suggested that NT system provided a better crop growth performance in relation to CP, this superiority was not confirmed when comparing growth analysis methods. The functional method provided different values of biomass accumulation and leaf area index (LAI) of plants between two cropping systems. The highest values of LAI were 1.61 m2 m-2 and 1.31 m2 m-2, respec-tively, for NT and CT. Similar behavior was observed for accumulated plant biomass, being obtained values of 634.29 g m-2 and 511.44 g m-2, respectively, for NT and CT. In both cropping systems evaluated, three produc-tion cycles were identified, which yield peaks occurred at 58, 100 and 149 days after planting (DAP). However, yield per harvest and total yield presented no difference between the cropping systems.

Most banana plantations are still made using traditional clones per type horn and rhizomes. Oth- er propagation methods such as micropropagation have been developed and perfected to raise the rate of multi- plication in a short time and improve the health status of the seedlings. However, contamination by bacteria and fungi is one of the biggest problems of this technique. The aim was to evaluate the in vitro disinfestation using active chlorine concentrations of banana explants ‘Farta Velhaco’. The experimental design used was com- pletely randomized consisting of five treatments and five repetition, each replicate represented by five explants in different concentrations of active chlorine for twenty minutes: T1 - without active chlorine, T2 - 0.5% active chlorine, T3 - 1.0% of active chlorine, T4 - 1.5% active chlorine and T5 - 2% active chlorine. The percentages of contamination by bacteria and fungi as well as the percentage of oxidation of the explants were evaluated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and regression analysis. The results showed that the highest effi- ciency among the tested treatments was the immersion of explants in 1% of active chlorine that caused a reduc- tion in 95% and 90% respectively for bacteria and fungi and 60% of explants oxidation. It was concluded that this concentration can be used to control contamination for micropropagation of banana 'Farta Velhaco'.