Jatropha curcas crop is raising attention as an alternative crop for oil and biodiesel production. Despite the mineral fertilization is an important factor for increasing Jatropha curcas yield, few research has been made on this issue, mainly on the use de zinc and copper. In order to evaluate the effects of these elements on Jatropha curcas plant growth two experiments were carried out in a greenhouse, in Campina Grande, Paraiba State, Brazil, from July to December 2007. The substrate for the pot plants was a 5 mm-sieved surface soil (Neossolo Quartzarênico). The experimental design was a completely randomized with three replications. The treatments of first and second experiment were composed of five levels of Zn (0; 2; 4; 6 and 8 mg dm-3) and five levels of Cu (0; 1; 2; 3; and 4 mg dm-3) which were applied at the time of planting. One plant of Jatropha curcas was grown per pot after thinning and was irrigated whenever necessary. Data on plant height, number and length of leaves and stem diameter were measured at 40; 60; 80; 100 and 160 days after planting. Under conditions that the experiments were carried out the Zn and Cu levels used did not affect the Jatropha curcas plants growth.

Cotton seeds require special care during storage to maintain their physiological and sanitary quality. The present work evaluated the physiological and sanitary quality of seeds of three varieties of herbaceous cotton stored for three (Lot 1) and twelve months (Lot 2). Analyses were performed in the Laboratório de Análise de Sementes e de Fitopatologia of the Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Areia-PB, and included tests for: emergence (E), vigor (IVE), green weight (PV), dry weight (PS) and the "Blotter test". Tests for physiological quality were performed in a randomized manner using a (3x2) factorial scheme, with four replicates with 25 seeds. Data on sanitary quality are presented according to the fungus index expressed as percentages. Seeds of the varieties CNPA 7H and BRS Verde demonstrated good levels of emergence after up to 12 months of storage, while seeds of the variety BRS Verde initially demonstrated dormancy, although this was overcome during storage. The fungus most commonly observed among the seed varieties in both storage lots was Rhizopus sp. The variety Aroeira do Sertão demonstrated the greatest incidence and variety of fungal species, a large majority of which were classified as storage fungi.

The effects of the fertirrigation were evaluated with in nature vinasse on to microorganism of the soil. The soil was treated with three levels different from in nature vinasse (equivalent to 200, 400 and 600m3.ha-1), withhumidity maintained around 70% of c.r.a.. Para isolation and count of the total microorganisms (bacterias, mushrooms and actinomicetos) and microorganisms celulolíticos were used the methods of the dilutions in series. The population of mushrooms had a significant increase with addition of the level of in nature vinasse of 200m3.ha-1, and the population of bacterias only obtained increase starting from the 120 days of incubation, tends larger growth in the level of vinasse 600m3.ha-1. The number of actinomicetos of the soil had a significant reduction in all the levels standing out the one of 600m3.ha-1, already with relationship to the population of microorganisms celulolíticos an increase of in nature vinasse 200m3.ha-1 was verified.

The domain geographical ecology of the caatinga occupies an area of about 750.000 Km² and it includes parts of the territories the states of Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia and part of Minas Gerais. Its area corresponds at 54% of the Northeast and 11% of the brazilian territory and it constitutes it calling Polygon of the Droughts. The use of the caatinga as extensive pasture comes causing strong degradations and for irreversible times in that ecosystem. They are already found extensive areas whose vegetation already meets very impoverished; having lost the diversification vegetation that is it typical. Even so, the regeneration cannot almost always happen because of the intense and constant human pressure. This, once ceased, it would allow, the medium or long term, that the vegetation if it reconstituted. So that that was possible it would be precise to take in bill the factors such geographical ecology as: location, soil types, rock-mother, indexes precipitation and duration of the station evaporates. Of what concisely was exposed, it can be ended that the degrading activities as, especially the extensive cattle creation, contributed to structural alterations of the caatinga and that these they are reflected in its polymorphism, but they are not the only factors. However that was the purpose of that work of presenting a vision geographical ecology of the caatinga submitted to the human, special activity the cattle creation, and the consequences impacts for the vegetable covering in the semi-arid brazilian.

In food analysis, it is of utmost importance the determination of a specific component of the food as it is the case of the determination of the centesimal composition. Are procedures carried through with the purpose to supply information on the chemical composition, physicist-chemistry and, or, physics of a food. It can have different purposes, as: nutritional evaluation of a product; quality control of the food; development of new products and the monitoration of the legislation. In such a way, this work was carried through with intention to -chemical evaluate physicist the quality of pulps congealed with regard to the effective norms of the product. It was verified that, in a generalized manner, the pulps had taken care of the Brazilian legislation, excepting the values of pH and soluble solids (ºBrix) of the cashew pulp.

With base in the context, the objective of the present work was to study the effect of the fertirrigation of the vinasse and to accompany the decomposition of the same incorporate to the soil, in evolution terms and liberation of CO2. They were appraised effects of the application with in nature vinasse on the soil, where the same was treated with three vinhaça levels: 200, 400 and 600m3.ha-1), with humidity maintained around 70% of the capacity of retention of water. For the liberation of CO2 they were made precipitations and titulation with HCl to 1N. Considering by base the appraised levels, the study lead to the following conclusions: 1. After the in nature vinasse addition they didn't detect significant differences in the amount of CO2 liberated by the microorganisms to the 30 and 90 days of incubation; 2. The analyses of the results for 60 days of incubation had significant alterations, where it was verified that there was a reduction in the amount of liberated CO2 of 51 and 42,5% in the respective levels of 200 and 400 m3.ha-1, an increment of 63% was also detected for the level of 600 m3.ha-1; 3. However for 120 days of incubation the in nature vinasse addition provoked significant alterations with increment in the liberation of CO2 78,3; 38,7 and 72,6% for 200, 400 and 600m3.ha-1 respectively.

This study aimed to carry through chemical caracterization of the coconut fiber powder and evaluate its effect on the absorption of nutrients in the as medium substrate on the production of eggplant seedling. The experiment was conducted for forty days under greenhouse, and it was used seeds of the Florida Market cultivar were cultivated in polyetilene strays with 54 cells and irrigated with nutritive solution two times for day. The substrates were used dust and fiber green coconut coir fibre, in the proportions of 100% of dust, 75% of dust + 25% of fiber and 50% of dust + 50% of fiber, washed and not washed; dry coconut coir fibre not washed; rind of green coconut grinded (fiber and dust mix from machine) washed end not washed (fiber and dust mix from machine); commercial substrate not fertilized and control (green coconut coir fibre not washed and not fertilized). It was used a statistical randomized block design with eleven treatments and four replications, with 25 plants per replications. The chemical characterization of substrates was carried through and was valuated nutrient total contents of the plant upper parts. The best results were observed for the seedlings grown in dry coconut coir fibre not washed, followed by commercial substrate and green coconut coir fibre washed.

Foliar nutrient contents are evaluated in several fruit trees with many objectives. Leaf analysis constitutes a way of evaluating the nutritional requirements of crops. Due to the positive impact that fertilizers have on crop yields, researchers frequently try to evaluate the correlations between yield and foliar nutrient contents. This work's objective was to present fruit yields from the 4th to the 6th cropping seasons, evaluate foliar nutrient contents (on the 5th cropping season), and estimate the correlations between these two groups of traits for 20 half-sibling custard apple tree progenies. The progenies were evaluated in a random block design with five replicates and four plants per plot. One hundred leaves were collected from the middle third of the canopy (in height) of each of four plants in each plot. The leaves were collected haphazardly, i.e., in a random manner, but without using a drawing mechanism. In the analysis of variance, the nutrient concentrations in the leaves from plants of each plot were represented by the average of four plants in the plot. Fruit yield in the various progenies did not depend on cropping season; progeny A4 was the most productive. No Spearman correlation was found between leaf nutrient concentrations and fruit yield. Increased nutrient concentrations in the leaves were progeny-dependent, i.e., with regard to Na (progenies FE5 and JG1), Ca (progeny A4), Mg (progeny SM7), N (progeny A3), P (progeny M), and K contents (progeny JG3). Spearman's correlation was negative between Na-Mg, Na-Ca, and Mg-P contents, and positive between Mg-Ca and N-K contents.

The controlled deterioration test has frequently been used to evaluate the vigor of several species and could be an alternative for evaluation of the vigor in jilo seeds. The objective of the present work was to study the controlled deterioration to evaluate the physiological quality of jilo seeds. Five seed lots, cv. Verde Claro Comprido, were submitted to tests of germination, germination first count, seedling emergence and deterioration (19%, 21% and 24% water content, at 45ºC and 24 and 48 hour periods). The 24% water/24h at 45ºC combination, for the controlled deterioration test, was efficient to detect vigor differences among jilo seed lots.

It was objectified, in this work the standardization of the germination test with relationship to the temperature and the removal of the tegument for the evaluation of the seeds of pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcas L). For so much, the germination test was accomplished with four repetitions of 25 seeds for each treatment. The treatments was arranged in a complete randomized design, in outline factorial 4 x 2 (4 temperatures 20 ºC; 25 ºC; 20-30 ºC and 30 ºC, and 2 type seeds with and without tegument). The sown was accomplished in system roll, humidified with volumes of water (mL), equivalent to 2.5 times the weight of the paper (g). The treatments were installed in cameras of germination of the type BOD under regime of white light. They were appraised the germination with counts to the 10 and 15 days of the beginning of the test and index of germination speed. In agreement with the results obtained in the present work, it can be concluded that the seeds with tegument presented larger germination percentage, and the retreat of the tegument affects the germination and vigor of the seeds negatively. The temperatures of 25 ºC and 30 ºC constants are favorable the germination and vigor of the seeds, while the temperatures of 20 ºC constant and 20-30 ºC alternate they commit the acting in the germination and vigor of the seeds of pinhão-manso.