With The effect of replacing conventional corn-soybean based diet by maniçoba hay on the performance and carcass quality of colonial broiler chicken was evaluated. The economical viability of the diet with maniçoba hay was also evaluated. It was used 160 naked-neck chickens with 28 days of age that were distributed according to a completely randomized design, with four treatments, four repetitions and 10 broilres in each experimental unit (five females and five males). The treatments consisted of substituting 0, 5, 10 and 15% of the basal diet for maniçoba hay. It was evaluated feed intake, final weight, weight gain, feed:gain ratio, absolute and relative weigth of the nobles cuts, abdominal fat pad and visceras eatable (heart, gizzard and liver) and relative gross margin (MBR) in relation to the prices of maniçoba hay, prices of others ingredients and those related to chicken live weight. Two males and two females per repetition were slaughtered at 70 days of age. The feed intake with Maniçoba hay diets had no significant effects on the final weight, weight gain, feed:gain ratio, abdominal fat, absolute and relative weight of the noble cuts, while the substitution levels had influenced the feed intake, the absolute and relative weight of gizzard. The MBR reduced when 15% of replacement was used. Utilization of 10% of replacement can be viable, mainly when ingredients prices are elevated or colonial broiler market price is low.

The physical and chemical characteristics of quixaba fruits (Sideroxylon obtusifolium Penn.) the chop 2003/2004, harvested in Santa Terezinha region of State of Bahia, Brazil. It was used 450 fruits harvested at random the following physical and chemical analyses: pH, Soluble Solid (SS), Total Acidity (TA), ratio SS/TA, density, diameter, length, and volume of the fruits and pulp yield. The following average values were obtained: 24.13º Brix; pH 4.35, TA 0.4%, ratio SS/AT 63.32 and poor pulp yield (20.89%), which is compensated by the high fruit productivity per plant. The chemical analysis of quixaba¿s fruits presented desirable characteristics for industrialization. The Quixabeira is an alternative of native fruit for exploration in Semi-Arid region. Index terms: Native fruits, Semi-arid region, Quixabeira

Considering the Sumé Irrigated Perimeter revitalization process the present work aims, throughout the soil chemical characterization of the area diagnostic the soil situation and offer subsidies to allow an adequate soil management. On the experimental area (33 plots totalizing 33 ha) soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depth and characterized chemically. The obtained results were statistically using classical descriptive statistical techniques. With the exception of the organic matter, the others chemical properties are in adequate levels for the crop development. It is recommended, however, the incorporation of organic matter in the area soils. No salinity or sodicity hazards were founded in the analyzed soil samples. Different variation coefficients were observed on the analyzed chemical properties.

The Brazilian Cherry (Eugenia uniflora L.) is a native species of Brazil species native to the southern of Brazil. The aerial part of the plant (leaves and fruits) contains essential oil high in sesquiterpenes, which is used in the cosmetics industry and popular medicine. Although it has great potential, information regarding the distillation of its essential oil is scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the post-harvest treatments of the aerial part in order to improve the extraction of essential oil. The samples were collected from terminal branches of the same access of Eugenia uniflora L. belonging to the collection of aromatic and medicinal plants of the Center of Horticulture of the Agronomical Institute of Campinas, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, from May to June, 2005. The experiment was conducted in completely randomized blocks and a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial designs, with 3 replications, the factors being: two parts of the plant (leaves and branches), two methods of sample preparation (leaves and branches, whole or triturated) and two forms of the sample (fresh and frozen), totalizing eight treatments. The leaves were distilled in a modified Clevenger distiller for 3 hours. The frozen parts were kept for 7 days at -10oC before distillation. The highest concentration of essential oil is occurs in the leaves of Brazilian Cherry, with the twigs of the plant containing a small amount.. The freezing of the leaves reduced the oil yield as compared to that by others treatments, and the trituration of the vegetal material raised the extracted amount of oil.

The objective of this work was of evaluating three textures of mixed organic compost in the lettuce seedlings formation, cv. Babá de Verão, in trays of 72, 128 and 200 cells. An experiment was carried out in a greenhouse of the Plant Sciences Department at Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA). A completely randomized experimental design was used with the treatments in 3 x 3 factorial scheme with three replications. The treatments consisted of combination of three textures of mixed organic compost, obtained by passage in mesh sieves n°4 (6mm), n°8 (4mm) and n°12 (2mm), with three trays of 72, 128 and 200 cells. Evaluations for seedling height, root length, number of leaves per seedling, leaf area, shoot fresh and dry mass, root fresh and dry mass were determined. Higher mean values of root length and root fresh mass were obtained in mesh sieve n° 8 (4 mm) combined with tray of 72 cells. Higher mean value of root dry mass was obtained in mesh sieve n° 12 (2 mm) combined with tray of 72 cells. Higher mean values of seedling heigh, shoot fresh mass, leaf area and root dry mass were obtained with tray of 72 cells. Higher mean value of root dry mass was obtained in mesh sieve n° 8 (4 mm).

An experiment was carried out at Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró - RN, for screening the effect of substrate for germination of seeds and seedling growth of Moringa oleifera Lam. It was utilized a completely randomized design with four treatments (substrates: T1= 75% sand + 25% bovine manure, T2= 100% washed sand, T3= 75% sand + 25% worm castings and T4= 75% sand + 25% sawdust) and four replications of 25 seeds. The seeds were sown in the substrates contained in wooden boxes (7,5 cm long x 23,5 cm wide x 39 cm deep). Each box was filled with approximately 6 kg of substrate. The substrates were irrigated once a day (until the tenth day), then twice a day until the end experiment (19 th day). Seedling height, root length, number of leaves, whole seedling fresh and dry matter weights, germination velocity index and germination percent were evaluated. It was concluded that the mix 75% sand + 25% worm castings was the most suitable for the initial growth of moringa and the substrate containing 100% sand provided the best germination index for this species.

The xiquexique ((Pilocereus gounellei (A. Weber ex K. Schum.) Bly. ex Rowl)) is native cactus the caatinga, much utilization of the small farmers in the drought period in the caatinga, To evaluate the xiquexique consumption for goats in the drought period in the caatinga, they were selected to the 12 animals in the community of the Xiquexique, Curaçá, BA, in the period of august to november of the 2005. The experiment consisted the two treatments and four replications. The animals consumed, on the average, 351.13 kg the phytomass the xiquexique. The daily consumption the xiquexique for animal was of 6.63 kg/dia. The animals thatreceived supplement had the period, while the other animals lost.

The sugar sugar cane (Saccharum spp.) has revealed as a new energy alternative, mainly as one of the possible substitutes of oil through the combustible alcohol, and São Paulo State is distinguished as being the producing greater of sugar cane, and thus studies are necessary for estimate your productivity, and for this a model was used to predict potential productivity through IPCC datas scenarios, in this study was used the scenario A2 for Barretos city in São Paulo state in the period of 2000 the 2099. In a general way the changes climatic had caused a beneficial effect for the sugar cane, reflecting in a bigger production of dry mass in stalks.

The aim of this research paper was to make a comparison between the reference values of crop evapotraspiration acquired through the FAO-modified Penman-Monteith and Thornthwaite, Hargreaves-Samani, Blaney-Criddle, the Class A pan and Makkink. Data was obtained from the meteorological station at Boa Vista, in the State of Roraima, Brazil. Results have shown that the methods of Blaney-Criddle tend to be well adjusted to the reference values of the crop evapotranspiration as to those obtained through the FAO-modified Penman-Monteith. The Class A pan showed good adjustments that can be a good alternative for irrigation management in this region.

The germplasm bank of cucurbitaceae, sited at Semi-Arid Embrapa in Petrolina-PE comprises different species of cucurbitaceae family, out of which 600 accessions of Citrullus spp. Forty two accessions from the germplasm bank plus the Crimson Sweet cultivar were submitted to morphological evaluation in order to study the genetic variability of accessions collected in three different regions from the State of Bahia (Chapada Diamantina; Irecê e Vitória da Conquista). The field trial was set in a randomized block design with three replications. Thirteen phenotypic descriptors to evaluate plant and fruit characteristics were used. The data were submitted to a variance analysis and the means were compared using Scott-Knott at 5% probability. The analysis of variance among accessions from different regions showed significant differences for eleven characters except number of stems per plant and rind thickness in the peduncle region. The accessions formed two different groups for most of the descriptions, but, fruit mean weight and sugar content presented four and three groups, respectively showing higher genetic variability, the variation among accessions within each region was significant. Irecê and Vitória da Conquista presented the higher and the smaller variation among the accessions, respectively. Therefore, the genetic variability of watermelon accessions in the tree regions of the State of Bahia and some accessions presented useful characters to be incorporated in watermelon breeding programs.