The sustainable use of land constitutes a growing concern for different managements and inappropriate agricultural practices. Despite the expansion of scientific knowledge on soil it appears that the use of indicators to estimate their quality, independently does not allow a proper evaluation for the diagnosis of imbalances in production systems. This research aimed to diagnose changes on important physical and microbiological indicators in a dystrophic Red-Yellow (Oxissol) under extensive grazing conditions and native vegetation in the Brazilian Pantanal. The results showed significant deterioration in physical and microbiological environment anthropized with average reductions in indicators of 51.62%, 10.30%, 16.36%, for microbial carbon, basal respiration, percentage of wet aggregates, respectively, and increases for soil density, soil resistance to penetration, metabolic quotient of 184.68%, 142.18%, 88.31%, respectively. By inserting these results in a Qualigram allowed to obtain a quantitative index of soil quality under extensive grazing equal to -0.0814. Based on this index has qualified sustainable management of cumulative effects on pasture as a "system under collapse" compared to the native environment.

The objective of this work was to study the behavior of ten soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars using the electrical conductivity (EC) test by the comparison of curves of the accumulative electrolyte leakage along the time and to establish the statistical model that allow the best adjust of the curves. Ten soybean cultivars were used and they were mechanically harvested in 2004 in the EEA Oliveros, Santa Fe, Argentina. Measurements of EC were made for 100 individual seeds of each cultivar during 20 hours of immersion at intervals of 1 hour using an equipment that permit an individual seed analysis (Seed Automatic Analyzer SAD 9000S). There were proposed two statistical models to study the EC along the time of the 10 cultivars studied using SAS Statistics Program, to select the model that better allow us to understand the EC behavior along the time. Model 1 allowed to make comparisons of EC along the time between cultivars and to study the influence of the production environment on the physiological quality of soybean seeds. The time to reach the stabilization of the EC must not be lower than 19 hours for the different cultivars.

The aim this work was know the species of fruit fly and host plants in orchards in the urban area in the north of Minas Gerais. Were selected 10 orchards with wide variety of fruit species, which were distributed in equidistant way in the urban area of Janaúba, MG. Weekly, were collected systematically fruit flies through trap type McPhail and ripe fruit and in ripening one, on those orchards. Were collected 7.016 tephritid obtained from trap (5.226) and fruit (1.790), from which 1.044 belonged to genus Anastrepha and 5.972 were Ceratitis capitata. The specimens number of C. capitata (85.1%) was around six times superior to Anastrepha spp. (14.9%), demonstrating the preference of this species for urban orchards. Eight species of Anastrepha occur in urban orchards of Janaúba, MG. Ceratitis capitata was found infesting 10 species of host fruits, being the main S. purpurea and guava. In fruits were collected three species of Anastrepha (A. obliqua, A. sororcula and A. zenildae) which were associated with five species of fruit (Malpighia glabra L, Psidium guayava L, S. dulcis, S. purpurea and S. tuberosa). The predominant species of Anastrepha was A. obliqua, and S. tuberosa and S. purpurea being the main hosts of this species in the urban area of Janaúba, MG.

This work aimed to study the weed population dynamics of weeds and their influence to analyze in the corn production with the reduction of the space between lines in no-tillage system. The study was conducted in 2003/04 agricultural years, at the Experimental Station of Coimbra ¿ UFV. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized block design. Treatments were arranged in a 3 x 3 x 2 factorial scheme with four replicates (three cultivars - UFVM 100, AG 9010 and AG 1051) three nitrogen application ways (0, 120 kg ha-1 of N in planting and 30 kg ha-1 at sowing + 90 kg ha-1 at four fully expanded leaves) and two plant spacing (1.0 and 0.5 m). For the phytosociological study, a square of 0.30 m of side was used, thrown at random once in each treatment before the application of the herbicides and 30 and 60 days after the application. The species with the highest density was Artemisia verlotorium, whatever the time of assessment and management used throughout the sampling dates. The population dynamics and the mass accumulation dries of the plants were not influenced by the spacing of the corn, for the nitrogen fertilization and for the studied cultivars. The spacing reduction, from 1.0 m to 0.50 m, provided an increase of 8% in grains productivity.

This work has, as its goal, to evaluate the effect of diverse concentrations of salt in irrigation water in the germination and initial growth of seedling of Jucá. The experiment was developed in the greenhouse of the Vegetable Sciences Department of the Federal Rural University of the Semiarid (UFERSA). The statistic delimitation was entirely casualized, with four treatments. To obtain the concentrations, we added NaCl and the electric conductivities (C.E.) T2-1.5; T3-3.0; T4-4.5 dS m-1 which, along with the standard (wellwater, T1-0,5 dS m-1) formed the treatments. The variables we analysed were: percentage of emergency (E), levels of emergency speed (IVE), the seedling's height (AP), and the seedling's dry matter mass (MSP). It was not possible to obtain an expressive result to the seedling dry matter mass variable. On the results, it appears that the salinity interferes in all the evaluated parameters, except dry matter, proportionally to the increase in salinity on the irrigation water. The evaluated characteristics are more sensible to salinity levels of 3dS m-1 or higher.

The objective was to evaluate the effect the soil chemical characteristics with the application crushed basalt doses soil samples in the Mato Grosso do Sul State. The experiment was installed in a completely randomized design with six treatments, represented by basalt ground doses (0.00, 12.50, 25.00, 37.50, 50.00 and 62.50 g dm-3) and three replications. Samples of 200 cm3 soil each, packed in polyethylene pots were incubated in the laboratory for 90 days with crushed basalt. At the end of the incubation the samples were dried in the air, passed through a sieve with mesh 2 mm opening, homogenized and subjected to chemical analysis of pH, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, potassium end potenciaty acidy. The values base saturation (V%) were calculated by the product of the bases sum per 100 divided by the cation exchange capacity at pH 7.0 (T). Concluded that the pH is shown with the greatest change the lower the power of packing the soil. With the application crushed basalt was very significant increases in the potassium levels. The biggest increases calcium and magnesium in the soils were poor in these nutrients.

The objectives of this research were synthesize and characterize the allelopatic activity of 6a,7bdi-hydroxyvouacapan-17b-oic acid derivatives, isolated from seeds of Pterodon polygalaeflorus Benth (Leguminosae). The compound characterization processes involve in infrared spectrometry (IR) and hydrogen and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR) including experiments in double dimensions (COSY 1H 1H, HMQC and HMBC). Allellopathic effects were evaluated by bioassays, carried out at controlled 25 °C temperature and photoperiod (12h light/12h dark), during 72 hours. Sample concentrations of 1,0, 100,0 and 1000,0 mg.L-1 were tested. Senna occidentalis (fedegoso) and Acanthospermum australe (carrapichinho) were used as the target weed plants. Was observed that the allelopatic effect of the compounds increased as a function of the enhancement of concentration, thus showing a relation dose dependence. The N-ethyl-6a-acethoxy- 7b-hydroxyvouacapan-17b-amide and N,N-diethyl-6a-acethoxy-7b-hydroxyvouacapan 17b-amide were the derivatives that present the biggest inhibitory effect on seed germination and root growth of fedegoso and carrapichinho. Therefore, these compounds represent the most allelochemical potential against these weeds.

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.

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.

This work had the objective to assess the effect of different systems of soil management on the components of corn and Brachiaria decumbens production in the conditions of the coastal plateau of the State of Alagoas. The experiment was carried out in the Center of Agrarian Sciences of the Federal University of Alagoas in the year of 2006, in a Yellow Latosol (Oxisols) Cohesive dystrophic soil. The treatments used were: usual preparation system (SPC); minimum cultivation (SCM); direct plantation (SPD) and farming-cattle integration (ILP), this one joined with B. decumbens. The hybrid of maize BRS 3003 was used whose variable had been: number of plants ha-1 (PP), length of spikes (CE), number of row grains on spikes-1 (NF), number of spike (NE), mass of 100 grains (M100) and grain yield (PG); and fresh weight (MN) and dry weight (MS) of the B. decumbens. The results showed that the soil management systems influenced the PP, NE and PG, but not the variables CE, NF and M100. The treatments ILP and the PD were the most promising management systems. In system ILP, the accumulation of MN and MS did not have influence in the production of corn grains, representing an interesting food source for farm animals.