The caatinga biome covers around 70% of the North-Eastern territory and nevertheless the studies carried out about its natural riches are still insufficient especially tackling the floristics diversity of the biome as a whole, particularly in the state of Paraiba. For this reason the current study aimed to carry out the floristics survey of an area of caatinga in the municipality of Boqueirão, Paraiba State. In the area of study, it was registered 47 species distributed in 39 genera and 20 families of flowering plants. The families that stood out in number of species were: Fabaceae, with 12 species; Cactaceae, with five; Euphorbiaceae and Malvaceae, with four species each one and Convolvulaceae with three species, while the other families (15) showed one to two species each one. The woody component dominated over the shrubby, herbaceous, subshrubby and the woody vines components of the area studied. Based on the data obtained in this study, it was possible to correlate the taxa shown with the flora of different areas of caatinga, especially in the Northeast region, showing up the priority of carrying out floristics studies including other areas of the caatinga of Paraiba as well as of different states of the Brazilian Northeastern.

Studies have shown that the Caatinga has two vegetation types related to different soils originated from crystalline and sedimentary. However, it is unclear whether the flora as a whole varies in relation to this difference or if it only varies for certain plant habits. This article provides a comparative analysis of the different habits of flowering plant species that occur on different soil types in a semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Sixty plots (10 x 10m) were established to collect woody species and 300 plots (1 x 1m) were established to collect herbaceous species. The plots were in soils of crystalline and sedimentary origin, and drainage and relief were taken into consideration. One hundred and fifty species distributed in 40 families were recorded. Species richness was greatest in Leguminosae (37 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (16 spp.) and Convolvulaceae (13 spp.). There were 101 woody species and 49 herbaceous species, suggesting that the woody habit responds better to local morpho-pedological differences.

The aim of this research was to examine the response of utilization of wastewater and organic manure on the growth of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Embrapa BRS Oásis). The study was carried out from April to July 2009 in a greenhouse. Sunflower plants were irrigated with wastewater and tap water combined with doses of humus (w/w) of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% and two controls (wastewater + mineral NPK and tap water + NPK) with three replications. Humus application did not show significant effect on any variable analyzed except duration of post-harvest where all treatments presented duration more than the established by the market, while the wastewater was efficient in all assessments, promoting substantial increases in the growth of sunflower.

This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of weeds and the performance of common bean grown on different types of plant residues managed with herbicides, in a no-till system. The treatments were arranged in split plots in a randomized block design with three replications. Prior to sowing common bean in the no-till system, plant residues of sorghum, maize, jack bean, sunflower, stylosanthes, rice, soybean and weeds were spread on the plots. Common bean was sown after chemical drying of the cover species. The two secondary treatments in split plots after bean sowing consisted of herbicide absence and the use of a mixture of the herbicides fomesafen (applied at a rate of 100 g ha-1 , 20 days after bean emergence-DAE) and quizalofop-p-ethyl (applied at a rate of 70 g ha-1, 25 DAE). Sorghum produced highest amounts of straw as well as the best soil cover. The plant residues did not influence the establishment of common bean. Herbicide application controlled weeds efficiently. However, the effects of mulch on weed control did not influence bean yield. The treatments influenced the number of pods per plant and grain yield of the bean yield components, with higher values in herbicide-treated plots.

This work deals with the survey of the family Acanthaceae in the region of Xingó, in the States of Alagoas and Sergipe. Five species belonging to three genera were found: Anisacanthus trilobus Lindau, Justicia aequilabris (Nees) Lindau, Ruellia asperula (Mart. ex Nees) Lindau, R. bahiensis (Ness) Morong and R. paniculata L. Descriptions, illustrations, comments about geographic distribution and key to the recognition of the taxa are provided.

Liming is an alternative to correct the consolidated surface acidity and gypsum allows the supply of calcium and reduction of aluminum saturation in subsurface layers of soils in Brazilian Cerrado. The objective of this study was to evaluate the correction of acidity of ground the effects of superficial liming and gypsum on Ultisol cultivate. The experiment was carried out at the greenhouse of Soil Laboratory, at Federal University of Tocantins (Brazil) to evaluate of application of limestone and gypsum, during three periods of collection (30, 90, and 150 days after correction) and three depths of collection (0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 cm) in Ultisol of Tocantins State (factorial 2x3x3), with four repetitions. After the collections had been analyzed the soil chemical properties (pH, K, Here, Mg, H, Al, CTC, and V%). The surface applied lime was effective in neutralizing soil acidity, at a depth proportional the time. The application of gypsum improved the ground in depth, increasing the Ca, beyond diminishing aluminum.

The experiment was done in the experimental farm NUPEARIDO belonging to the Federal University of Campina Grande, Patos, Paraiba, Brazil. The objective of the research was to evaluate the hematological parameters as well as the adaptation degree of goats F1 (Boer x SRD) created in semi-intensive regime and submitted at different levels of concentrated supplementation in the area or the semi-arid Paraibano. 24 animals were used F1 (Boer x SRD), distributed in a delineation entirely randomized with four levels supplementation (0.0; 0.5; 1.0; and 1.5 % of PV in MS) and 6 repetitions. It was evaluated the environmental and hematological parameters aiming at to verify the degree of tolerance of the animals to the atmosphere. In the environmental parameters it was observed that there was significant effect of shifts (P < 0.05) with elevation of the temperatures during the afternoon. Already in the hematological parameters, there was not significant difference among the treatments. It was concluded that the different supplementation levels don't exercise significant effect on the hematological parameters of goats resultants of the crossing of the Boer race and SRD in the area of the semi-arid Paraibano and that the animals demonstrate high capacity of tolerance to the climatic conditions of that area for they maintain the normal sanguine representatives in agreement with the patterns for the species.

At present, the preference of the internal and external markets is for small fruits. Therefore the size, other aspects equally are important and considered to determining harvest point how soluble solids, coloration and format. The objective of the present work was determined the physical-chemical changes during the development of watermelon 'Quetzali' with support for the harvest in the size demanded by the extern market. Six harvests were made, the first occasion of marks made on fruits with fresh weight of 2 g and the other at 10, 15, 20, 15 and 30 days of development. Next, the fruits were transported for the laboratory of Irrigated Agriculture of the UFERSA, in Mossoró-RN-Brazil. The experiment was installed in design entirely at random composed by five treatments (days of development), five replications and a fruit for replication. Fresh mass was analysed (g), growth rate of the fruit (g.day-1), length and diameter of fruit (cm), firmness of the pulp (N), vitamin C (mg.100 mL-1 ascorbic acid), soluble solids (SS, %) and titratable acidity (AT, g.100 mL-1 acid malic). The watermelon variety Quetzali obtained the very growth rate of 178.64 g to 20 days and the very diameter of 19.57 cm to 25 days, when size adapted for harvest. To 25 days of development the fruits had firmness of pulp 15 N, soluble solids 8.9%, titratable acidity 0.1289 mg.100 mL-1 acid malic and vitamin C 7.3 mg.100 mL-1 ascorbic acid.

Excessive salt can to promote water soil retention, reducing your availability to plants. Besides, they can interfere in protoplasm metabolism. The plants ability to survive in salinity conditions is an important factor to geographic distribution and agriculture in salinized regions. The objective of this work was to verify the effects of the NaCl in the growth, dry matter distribution and N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and Cl content in young plants. The experiment was conducted in 'Leonard' pots, with nutrient solutions, with NaCl (0, 25, 50 and 100 mmol L-1). Increasing of NaCl concentration reduces growth and total dry matter. There was an increase of N and K content, in shoots, and N and Mg content in roots. There was an reduction in Mg content in shoots, and reduction of Ca content in roots with increasing of NaCl. Leucaena plants were inefficient to exclude Na and Cl, in shoots principally.

The goals of this work consisted of identifying the prevalence of helminth eggs in household organic wastes generated in the urban zone of cities of the semiarid of the Paraíba. The work was accomplished from June to December of 2006 in 30 homes in the urban center of Cabaceiras, 30 in Caraúbas and 50 in Queimadas. Organic solid residues were collected during in three consecutive weeks and alternate days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) in the generating source. For quantification of the helminth eggs three composed samples were picked up by city, resultants of ten fractions of organic solid residues collected in the homes. The amount of helminth eggs varied from 12.82 to 14.39 eggs/gST, with viability of 95.42%. In prevalence order, they enrolled Ancylostoma sp., Enterobius vermiculares, Fasciola hepatica and Ascaris lumbricoides. The eggs of Ancylostoma sp. were identified in 100% of the examined samples. The terrible sanitary quality verified for the household organic waste solid in three cities, located geographically in the area of the paraiban semiarid they suggest that these residues constitute important source of contamination to the environment and the human being, requesting the appropriate management.