Silk flower [Calotropis procera (Aiton) R. Br.] is a very common plant in the north-eastern Brazil, used in the animal ration in the period of food scarcity, beyond presenting phytotherapic properties and effect presented against nematoid when incorporated to the ground. The work was considered to evaluate the influence of the substrate and the temperature on the germination of seeds and the development of the seedlings. The knowledge on the germination and the more adjusted substrate can propitiate an increment in the production of seedling of silk flower. The temperature can cause changes in the germination percentage, in the speed and relative frequency of germination. In laboratory experiment using the entirely randomized delineation in array factorial 3 x 3, with 4 repetitions, whose plots had been constituted by 25 seeds. The treatments had been to the combinations of three substrate (paper towel, sand and vermiculite) with three temperatures, 25 ºC (bookshelf coated with plastic canvas), 27 ºC (laboratory environment), 30º C (chamber of controlled temperature). The analyzed variable had been the percentage of germination, VIG, SDM and height dry of the seedlings. Paper towel, under temperatures 27 and 30 °C, showed it more appropriate for the germination five days after the sowing. Sand and vermiculite under temperatures 25 and 27 ºC, showed it more appropriate for the germination and the index of speed of germination twelve days after the sowing. The dry matter of the seedlings, on sand and vermiculite was superior under temperature 30 ºC.

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.

An experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, in the period of May to June of 2006, with the evaluate the agronomic performance of beans mungo in function of their times of decomposition of scarlet starglory incorporated. A completely randomized desing with six treatments and five replications. The treatments consist of: T1 - 130g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base fresh with twenty-eight days incorporated; T2 -130g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base fresh with twenty one days incorporated; T3 - 130g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base fresh with fourteen days incorporated; T4 - 130g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base fresh with seven days incorporated; T5 - 130g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base fresh with zero days incorporated; T6 - Control (no Fertilized soil). The beans mungo cultivar planted was green gold. The evaluated traits were: plant height, dry mass and yield of grains. All the times traits were significantly affected by the amounts of scarlet starglory incorporated. Height mean value for plant height, dry mass and yield of grains were obtained in the amount of scarlet starglory incorporated of 28 days.

The forage cactus is cultivated of extensive form as a producing species of fruits and fodder plant in many countries. The extensive culture if bases on the vegetative propagation, that is preferred, had its easiness. The propagation for seeds can come to be a useful tool for ends of genetic improvement, then, in this work forage cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) seeds were submitted to different fermentation periods (0; 24; 48; 72 and 96 hours) and were dried or not, before sowing. It was evaluated the physiological quality of the seeds through the determination of the moisture content, emergence percentage and speed of seedling emergency. It was used an entirely randomized experimental design 5x2 (period of fermentation and drying). The practical one of the fermentation is efficient in the elimination of the sarcotesta in palm seeds, occurring bigger vigor in the seeds without drying and submitted the 55 hours of fermentation, as well as, the drying of the seeds, after the first periods of fermentation promotes reduction of the physiological quality, with reflected right-handers in the vigor.

The use of high quality seeds constitutes in one of the responsible factors of the success of a fieldwork. Because of that, this work was elaborated to evaluate the physiological quality of cotton seeds of two to cultivars Green BRS and CNPA 7H submitted to two levels of moisture content and stored for 12 months. It was used the delineation entirely random, using a factorial arrangement 2 x 3 x 5, with four repetitions, being two for cotton cultivars, two for moisture content (S.0 - seeds with 10%, S.1 - seeds with 8%) and five periods of storage in dry chamber (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months). The application laboratory tests were: germination, moisture content and vigour (first counting of germination, seedlings length and precocious aging). The results show that the quality of the cotton seed was superior in the seeds with tenor of 10% of humidity of variety BRS Green throughout the storage, in the different analyzed laboratory tests.

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.

The objective of this work, is to evaluate the growth components of castor cultivars under irrigation conditions in the region of Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. For both, used to the design in blocks randomized, and the treatments consisting of castor cultivars CSRN-142, CSRN-393, CSRD-2, CNPAM-2001-49, CNPAM-2001-50-2001-and CNPAM 212) and times of assessment (to 29, 40, 50, 64 and 78 days after planting - DAP), arranged in the scheme split plots 6 x 5, with six repetitions. The growth was measured by plant height (HP), the stem circumference (CIRC) and leaves number per plant (NL). Cultivars differ among themselves about the growth characteristics in all seasons studied, except for the first timemaking data for HP and NL. The CNPAM-2001-49 and CNPAM-2001-50 showed, in general, very similar behavior, and cycles with size larger than the CSRN-142, CSRN-393, CSRD-2.

The melon, the main exportation product Potiguar, faces enormous phytosanitary problems in the phases of production and postharvest. The latent infections represent serious problems for exportation of the fruits. Nevertheless, the number of products registered for postharvest treatment of melon is reduced. In view of that, was evaluated the efficiency of three pesticides thiabendazole, azoxystrobin and imazalil utilized, in the commercial doses of 194g, 8g and 100g, a.i. /100 l, respectively, in storage conditions at ambient temperature in the control of faulness postharvest caused for Alternaria alternata. The effect of pesticides on the mycelial growth, sporulation and germination of the fungi was evaluated, as well as the efficiency of the pesticides in the control of the fungi in melons. After the immersion of fruits in the fungicidal solution, discs of 5mm of PDA medium with the fungi structures were inoculated. After, four fruits were put in each cartoon package and storaged for 36 hours in a humid chamber. After that, the fruits were taken out of the humid chamber and storaged at ambient temperature. The Imazalil has inhibited 100% of the mycelial growth and sporulation of A. alternata. Although the azoxystrobin only reduced 36% of the mycelial growth, when compared with the standard sample, it shows efficiency related tosporulation. The Thiabendazole was also efficient to reduce the mycelial growth. However, it had not the same efficiency related to sporulation. All pesticides researched were efficient in the control "in vitro", but they did not show any efficiency in the control of fungi in fruits storaged at ambient temperature.

This work was carried in commercial areas cultivate with muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), variety AF- 646, in the municipal district of Acaraú, state of Ceará, Brazil. The investigation was split in four treatments: hand cross pollination, open pollination in presence of the honey bee hives, open pollination and resricted pollination. The observed variables were: rate of fruit set, fruit weight and seed number of fruits. The hand cross pollination showed the best effect to number of fruit set, fruit weight and seed number of fruits, following to open pollination in presence of the honey bee hives, open pollination and resricted pollination, without fruit set. Considering the melon cultivated at open fields and during the dry season in NE Brazil, it is possible to conclude that it depends on biotic pollinators and that honeybees promote efficientily the pollination.

The experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, with the objective of determing the effect green manuring with scarlet starglory incorporated to with soil on radish production. A completely randomized desing with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consist of: T1 (scarlet starglory incorporated 0 days ; T2 (scarlet starglory incorporated 7 days); T3 (scarlet starglory incorporated 14 days); T4 (scarlet starglory incorporated 21 days); T5 (scarlet starglory incorporated 28 days); T6 - Control (no fertilized soil). The evaluated traits were: plant height, Horizontal and vertical diameter of the root (mm), shoot fresh and dry mass (g); roots fresh and dry mass (g). The decomposition times of seven days was what provided the best height, and the other characteristics oscillated among 21 to 28 days.