Basil is a medicinal aromatic plant of the Lamiaceae family, it is rich in essential oils with high industrial interest. The present work to verify the production of basil plants, from different sources and combinations of substrates. The study was conducted in greenhouse Sector, Department of Soil Environmental Science, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA) in May 2010. Basil seedlings were grown from seeds from plants on the campus of UFERSA. The experimental design was randomized blocks representing five treatments and four replicates of 10 seedlings per plot. The treatments employed arisco, sand, cattle manure and earthworm castings in different combinations. Features diameter, leaf number, shoot length and root dry mass of shoots and roots were evaluated thirty days after sowing. It was found that adding cattle manure in the compositions of the substrates was increased growth and development of seedlings. In the production of seedlings of basil is recommended mixture of substrates containing cattle manure, sand and arisco in the ratio 1:1:1.

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of daily supplementation with 10 g of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) associated with Sabiá shrub hay (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth.) on the intake and digestibility of in goats and sheep. Twenty animals, ten sheep and ten goats were allocated in a randomized block design, with two treatments and two species: PEG group (supplemented with 10 g of PEG) and control group (without supplementation). Significant differences were not observed between treatments and species regarding the intake and digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber. Nevertheless, PEG supplementation enhanced the crude protein digestibility of Sabiá shrub hay from 33.96% to 38.74% in sheep and from 43.29% to 54.41% in goats, showing that the supplementation with PEG could become a good feeding strategy against the antinutritional effects of tannin of the forage plants.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the wood natural resistance of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. of phenotypes (plants) with and without prickles to subterranean termite (Nasutitermes corniger Motsch.) in forced feeding and feeding preference assays, under laboratory conditions. Wood test samples measuring 2.54 x 1.50 x 0.64 cm (forced feeding) and 10.00 x 1.50 x 0.64 cm (feeding preference), with the largest measurement in the fiber direction, were obtained from three positions from pith to bark direction. The samples were exposed for 28 days (forced feeding) and 45 days (feeding preference) to Nasutitermes corniger Motsch. termites. In forced feeding assay the termites caused superficial attack in wood and lived during 8 to 10 days, thus the wood was classified as resistant. In forced feeding assay more mass loss and attack in wood of external positions to both phenotypes was observed. To the waste and survival time of termites were similar to both types. In feeding preference a larger mass loss and waste to inner position in both phenotypes was observed. In general, the plants with prickles lost more mass than the one without prickles. Therefore, the wood of plants without prickles is more suitable to be use in construction of fences, sheepfolds and other similar uses where the wood shall be subject to attack by termites.

The objective of this paper was to study the effects of molybdenum doses, applied on bean crop under the conventional and no-tillage systems. Two experiments were carried out in the field: one during winter- spring (winter season), sowed in July 2006, and the other one during summer-fall (dry season), sowed in March 2007. They were conducted in Experimental Station of Coimbra, MG, Universidade Federal de Viçosa. The experiments were carried out in randomized block design with four repetitions and subdivided plots. The plots were represented by the soil management system (conventional or no-tillage), and the subplots were represented by the molybdenum doses (0, 40, 80, 160 and 320 g ha-1). The number of grain per pods, the number of pods per square meter, the weight of 100 grains, grain productivity, number of plants per plot, and nutrient rates in the leaves and grains were evaluated. The number of pods per square meter and grain productivity were increased by Mo doses. The grain productivity in no-tillage system was higher than in the conventional. Productivity and production components in the winter season were higher than in the dry season. Mo rates in the bean leaves increased in response to its application. Mo leaf fertilization increased N (total and organic) rates in bean crops under both plantation systems.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of storage temperature on the quality of red pitaya of pulp white, produced in Itajobi city, São Paulo state. The pitayas were stored at room temperature, (21-27 ºC with 44-63% de UR), at 18 ± 1 ºC, with 86-92% RH), 13 ± 1 ºC, with 85-90% RH and at 8 ± 1 ºC, with 85-95% RH. The quality was monitored during storage time through the parameters: fresh weight loss titleble acidity; soluble solids contents; vitamin C, external appearance, pH and fruit firmness. Through the results obtained may be concluded that the temperature at 8 ± 1 ºC it was proportioned the small fresh weight loss; the acidity, soluble solids, pH and fruit firmness were influenced by the storage temperature and storage time, but the temperature at 8 ± 1 ºC it was that occasioned the small change theses parameters. In general, it can be concluded that the temperature at 8 ± 1 ºC it was the best to maintenance the quality of pitaya fruit.

This work aimed to determine over the Brazilian territory extreme air temperatures: maximum (Tx) and minimum (Tn) absolute, using multiple regression techniques, orbital data and climatological. The data of Tx and Tn were observed between the years of 1961 and 1990 in 204 meteorological stations by the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), and topography information was obtained from the program Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The multiple regression models were validated with the observational data of 30 meteorological stations in different locations than those generated. The statistical analysis was performed using bootstrap techniques. The results showed that the multiple regression model for Tn presented good agreement with the observed data (R² = 0.86) showing no tendencies to overestimate or underestimate Tn. The Tn varied between -12 to 25 °C and the Tx between 31 and 42 °C. For the Tx the results were not as satisfactory. In a first approach, the limits of the Tn can be used for data quality control of the meteorological station. The map of Tn can be used to subsidize research in agroclimatic zoning in the region where these data are not available.

This study was conducted in the Private Reserve Mata do Jambreiro (912 ha), localized in the Iron Quadrangle, Minas Gerais, southeastern portion of the Espinhaço Range, which is predominantly covered by semideciduous seasonal montane forest. Three topographically and physiognomic similar areas located within a continuum forest fragment, distant by 1.3 to 1.5 km were sampled by the point-quadrat method. In each area, 30 points were marked. Individuals with a minimum perimeter at the breast height (PBH) of 15 cm were sampled, totaling 111 species belonging to 40 families. The most representative family was Fabaceae, with 14.29% of the total number of species. Low floristic similarity (5.3% to 34.4%) was observed between the areas, pointing out the importance of distribution of sample units in continuous fragments. Shannon diversity index (H') found was 4.22 and Pielou equability (J) 0.894. Soil analysis showed some differences in chemical composition between the three studied areas and was an important component for the interpretation of the floristic variation found. The low floristic similarity observed here for close areas justify the requirement of more detailed inventories by Brazilian Environmental Agencies for the legal authorization procedures prior to the establishment of new enterprising projects. Also, the professionals that conduct rapid inventories, mainly the Environmental Consultants, should give more attention to this kind of floristic variation and to the methods used to inventory complex forests.

This research performed an evaluation of the water distribution on the soil surface and in its profile in a subunit irrigated by microsprinkle cultivated with Annona muricata L., with the purpose of verifying the spatial distribution and quantification of the water availability in the soil profile. The data were collected in 28 spaced emission points of 10 x 24 m, forming a mesh for application of the geostatistics. In the surface evaluation it was determined the coefficient of emission uniformity and the irrigation efficiency, while in the subsurface evaluation the water availability was esteemed in three layers of the soil profile, 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm, one and twenty-four hours after the irrigation, using a neutrons probe. The coefficient of irrigation uniformity found was of 84.69% with an irrigation efficiency of 76.22%. It was verified that, twenty-four hours after irrigation, the water content in the most superficial layers of the soil profile is below the correspondent to the wilting point, while in the deepest layers the water content overcomes the maximum capacity of soil water retention, in other words, humidity superior to field capacity.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of water availability in the initial development of maize, sorghum and millet. The experiment was carried at Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Rondonopolis the period from May to June 2010. The design was completely randomized in factorial 3x3, with three water availability (30, 60% field capacity and flooded soil), three grasses (maize, sorghum and millet) and three replications. Soil moisture was maintained by the weight of the experimental plots. The variables were: plant height, dry weight of shoots, leaf number and SPAD. Maize, sorghum and millet gets greater development in water availability of 60% of field capacity, and this condition provides the highest SPAD reading. The sorghum is tolerant to flooding and drought, unlike maize which is sensitive to these conditions and millet that is tolerant to drought only.

We analyzed the viability and effectiveness of restricted-use protected areas aiming to identify gaps in the definition of priorities to protect wild regions from Ceará. Based on the creation of legal documents and interviews with managers of protected areas, we analyzed the size, we verified the existence of the management plan, monitoring activities and the criteria used in selecting the area. We found that in eight of the sixteen protected areas had not followed technical-scientific criteria, nor had carried through previous studies of the resources when they had chosen the areas to be transformed into completely protected areas. Fifteen do not possess management plans and 13 do not have environmental monitoring activities. Eleven protected areas have less than 10,000 ha, and insufficient studies that accurately ascertain the extent appropriate to maintain the biodiversity of the ecosystems of Ceará. It is necessary to deploy tools for maintaining these forests to protect the wildlife and the environmental services provided by these areas.