The quality of irrigation water is one of the environmental factors that can affect the initial growth of the culture of gherkin. Therefore, the aim of this work to evaluate germination in different levels of salinity of irrigation water. The study was carried out at the Seed Analysis Laboratory of the Department of Crop Science of the UFERSA, Mossoró, RN, between September and October 2007. The treatments were organized in a completely randomized design whit six levels of water salinity (0.00; -0.04 MPa; -0.08 MPa; -0.12 MPa; -0.16 MPa and -0.20 MPa) and four replications. Percentage of germination, speed of germination index and dry weight were evaluated. Results showed that the gradual reduction of the osmotic potential of substrate is harmful to seed germination of gherkin seeds. Osmotic potentials lower than -0.04 MPa were considered as critical.

Random regression models (RRM) allows considering heterogeneous residual variances to describe the growth for each age. However, this feature increases the number of parameters to be estimated in the maximization likelihood function process. Searching for more parsimonious RRM, several approaches have been suggested. One of them is the use of different structures of residual variances modelled through step function in different classes with similar variance or through variance functions. A total of 7,369 records of body weight of partridges, measured from birth to 210 days of partridges born from 2000 to 2004 were used in this research. The random regression models applied to the data set considered different structures of residual variances and were performed by the restricted maximum likelihood method. The residual variances were modeled using classes of 210 (R210) and 30 (R30) ages and variance functions with orders ranging from quadratic (VF2) to nine (VF9). The R30 considered birds weighted in the same week. The random effects included were the genetic additive direct and the permanent environment effects of the animal. It was not possible to include the maternal effects in the models. All random effects were modelled by sixth order regression on Legendre polynomials. The models were compared by the likelihood ratio test, the Akaike's information criterion and the Schwarz's Bayesian information criterion. Best results were showed by the models R210 and VF5. In conclusion, the most parsimonious model was VF5 and should be applied to fit growth records of partridges.

The mapping of the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) of the municipal district of Grossos, RN, located in a region with avowed tourist potential, because of their dunes, salt marsh and archeological ranch. Interesting for planned real estate activity. The objective of this work was the necessity to produce cartographic documents, orientated by the actual legislation, that serve as base for to decide as occupy the surface of municipal district. The maps, at the 1:100,000 scale, with delimitation of the PPAs were produced aided by SIG, satellite image colored and vectorial file. The conclusions were good, principally the next: the PPAs occupy 46,8% of the surface of the municipal district, limiting the use and soil occupation, already the PPA of dunes occupy an area 25% of the municipal surface.

The present work aimed to study the environment genotype interaction and estimate the componentssimple and complex of interaction as well as identify watermelon cultivars with phenotypic stability. Seven cultivars of watermelon were evaluated in six environments during the years of 1996, 1997 and 1998 in two location of Rio Grande do Norte State. The trait evaluated was the commercial fruits yield. The interaction Cultivar x Year wasn¿t significant, amount only to 3, 26 % of the total sum of square sum total of the source of variation. There wasn't interaction Cultivar x Location significant, however it explained 11,68 % of the total variation. The triple interaction was significant and explained 13,67 % of the total observed variation. The simple component was responsible for the most part of Cultivar x Environment interaction with about 61% of the total variation. The hybrid Jetstream had the best perfeormance with linear regression coeficient equal to unit, with regression deviation not significant, high coeficient of determination and average yield above the check.

The study was carried out greenhouse of the Department of Forestry of the Federal University of Paraíba, Patos, PB. Are am of this study to evaluate the effect of the inoculation with native rhizobia and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of the initial growth of red-angico (Anadenanthera macrocarpa Benth. Bren.), a legume native tree of the great socio-economic and ecological importance in the semi-arid of the Brazilian northeast. The plants grew for 120 days in pots with 4.0 dm3 with a mixture by sand and clay (1:2, v/v). The five treatments consisted: inoculation of AM fungi (Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdmann) and/or native rhizobia (NR), previously selected; addition of N (100 mg dm-3) and a control (without N and inoculation). All treatments were significantly higher than the control for seedling height and shoot dry weight, mainly in the treatment with fungi inoculation. Inoculation treatments were able to supply the nutrients (N and P) for growth of A. macrocarpa seedlings ultil 120-days old.

To the evaluate the different alternative foods identify like an agroindustrial by-products through on the total apparent digestibility and digestible nutrients determinations five Criole adult horses were housed in individual metabolism cages. From the reference diet (DR) contained peletized ration and tifton-85 hay, was made the substitution in 30% with weight basis (kg/kg) for each one of the agro industrial by-products, soybean residue (RS), soybean hulls (CS), wheat hulls (CT) and corn hulls (CM). In the digestibility obtained with each one of the alternative foods, the best values were obtained with CT (45.31% crude protein), with RS (78.86% ethereal extract), with CS (82.53% neutral detergent fiber), with CS (85.75% acid detergent fiber), CM (96.92 % non structural carbohydrate), CM (57.18 % total carbohydrate) e CS (57.67 % crude energy). In the determination of nutritional value with each one of the alternative foods, the best values were obtained with CT (7.53 % DCP), RS (5.11 % DEE), CS (53.04 % DNDF), CS (40.77 % DADF), CT (35.82 % DNSC), CM (48.12 % DTC), CM (2101 DEB kcal/kg). It was suggest that all alternative foods tested in this study can be used in the feeding horse, more over, the inclusion level and combination of these by-products in the diets to maximize feed efficiency and mantence of the digestive tract health will be depend on the readiness and regional cost.

Three experiments were conducted in the agricultural year of 2007, aiming to estimate the genetic divergence, using the Mahalanobis' generalized distance, and the test of competition of six populations of corn in the municipalities of Arapiraca, Rio Largo and Viçosa, of Alagoas State. The experimental was in the randomized blocks design with seven treatments and four repetitions. There was the formation of two different groups where, it was conclued that is small genetic divergence between the populations of corn. A group was formed by six populations and the other group by the "Asa Branca" variety. The people "Viçosense" and "Rio Largo" were closer genetically (D2 = 1.70), while the longest distance has been detected among the population Alagoano and witness Asa Branca (D2 = 67.27). The average yield of grains ranged from 2,885 kg ha-1 to 3.461 kg ha-1 in the "São Luiz" and "Viçosense" populations, respectively, with overall average of 3,207 kg ha-1, although not statistically differ.

Were evaluated five soybean genotypes of precocious, average and tardy cycles' in greenhouse UESPI/Parnaíba-PI in the agricultural year 2005/06. The adopted experimental delineation was the entirely randomized with four repetitions. Cultivars evaluated were cultivated in plastic vases with five 5kg of soil. Significant differences among cultivars for the height plant characters in the bloom were not observed and height of insert of the first pod. Regarding the number of days' for the bloom and maturation highlights to cultivate BRS Sambaíba who introduced reduction of cycle. BRS Tracajá introduced larger number of pod for plant not differing significantly of cultivars Sambaíba and Babaçu. For the characteristic weight of a hundred seeds to cultivate Candeia showed better a phenotypic behavior to the too much cultivars not differing statistically just to cultivate Babaçu. All the evaluated genotypes of this leguminous answered to photoperiod terms in Parnaíba-PI's Municipal district.

In function of the low availability, due the precipitation and specific adsorption, the phosphorus is very required in fertilization programs. The availability of the phosphorus can be evaluated through chemical extractors, aiming simulate the soil-plant system. The aims of this work are: to determine the available phosphorus in a Quartzarenic Neosol through Mehlich -1, Mehlich -3 and Bray -1 extractors and to observe the relationship between the absorbed and accumulated phosphorus in the melon crop. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse at Federal Rural University, Pernambuco state, Brazil, in casualizated blocks with three replications and six doses of phosphorus (0, 37, 74, 148, 222 and 370 mg dm-3). The plants were collected at 37 days after seedling, determining the dry mass and the content of phosphorus in the shoot biomass and were collected soil samples to determine available phosphorus with Mehlich - 1, Mehlich - 3 and Bray - 1 extractors. The extractors didn't present differences to the available phosphorus. The increase of soil phosphorus doses increased the phosphorus content in the dry mass, without to cause changes in the production of dry mass.

An experiment was carried out from September to November 2001 in the greenhouse of the Plant Science Departament of Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, to evaluate the use of different organic composts on growing of bell pepper seedlings. The experimental design used was of group balanced blocks with four replications. The groups of composts tested were: Plantmax, compost of cashew tree leaves and mixed compost. Within each group of compost was tested a mixture with sandy and/or soil. The cultivar of bell pepper used was All Big. Evaluations were made for number of leaves per plant, plant height, shoot fresh and dry matter, root length and root fresh and dry matter taken 25 days after sowing. Pure organic composts had the best performance on the growing of the bell pepper seedlings than those in mixture with sand and/on soil. Seedlings had better quality as cultivated in pure organic composts as compared to those in commercial substrate Plantimax.