The purpose with this experiment was to evaluate the sucupira-preta seeds tolerance to the desiccation. Seeds initially with 10.63% of humidity were submitted to a drying until reaching the following water tenors: 10.63% (control); 10.0%; 9.5%; 9.0%; 8.5%; 7.5%; 7.0%; and 6.5%. Then they were preheated for 24 hours in recipients with air relative humidity of about 100% to avoid harming by the quick absorption. Next, they were scarified with water sandpaper number 120 and accommodated in Petri plate on filter paper and set to germinate in germination chamber type BOD at 25 ºC and photoperiod for 12 hours, during 30 days. Radicle with 2 mm long was the germination criterion used in this experiment. The experimental design was the completelyKeywords randomized, with four replications of 25 seeds per treatment. The averages were compared using Tukey test at 5% of probability. Sucupira-preta seeds tolerate dehydration until they touch on 9% of water tenor, when they show germination of 24%, not differing from the control (31%). Due to these results they can be classified as orthodoxy, feature that enable the storage away from their natural environment.

This work was carried out in an area covered by the caatinga (savanna-like) vegetation in order to study insect-plant interactions, with emphasis on the pollination agents of the Apoideae superfamily. The study site is situated in the municipality of Caturité, Paraíba, Northeast Brazil (7o 25' 12" S; 36 o 1' 37" W). Plant species visited by bees were identified, as well as the Hymenopterans considered as their visitors. Sixteen Angiospermae species from nine families were identified as being associated to bees in the woody and herbaceous strata. The most visited plant families were Fabaceae (50%) and Anacardiaceae (12.5%). Anandenanthera macrocarpa (Benth) and Senna spectabillis had the greatest numbers of visitors (85% and 57% respectively). Among the pollinating bees, the one which visited more plant species was Trigona spinipes (Fabricius). It was found visiting 81.25% of the plant species under study.

The effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) on spore germination of arbuscular mycorrizal fungi (AMF) and the co-inoculation of these organisms on aclimatization of micropropagated pineapple cv. Pérolaseedlings were evaluated. The germination study was performed in a completely randomized design (CRD), factorial of 3 (G. albida, G. etunicatum, S. heterogama) × 4 (C210, RAB9, ENF10 and control) with five replicates, in plate with water-agar, where the bacteria and spores were inoculated and evaluated after 21 and 28 days. The co-inoculation study was performed in a CRD, factorial of 5 (G. albida, G. etunicatum, S. heterogama, mixture ofAMF and control) × 5 (C210, RAB9, ENF10, mixture of PGPB and control) and six replicates. At the 21th day RAB9 stimulated germination of G. albida in relation to the others PGPB; ENF10 stimulated the germination of G. etunicatum in relation to absence of bacteria, where the spores did not germinate; differences were not observed for S. heterogama. At the 28th day C210 inhibited the germination of G. albida. In both periods, G. albida showed higher germination rate. In absence of PGPB,G. albida improved growth more than G. etunicatum. The effect of G. albida on seedlings can be inhibited by C210 and by the bacterial mixture. It was confirmed that AMF germination can be stimulated or inhibited in presence of PGPB while the mycorrhizal symbiosis can be inhibited. In general co-inoculation of AMF and PGPB did not improve growth of pineapple cv. Pérola during the aclimatization period until the 90th day.

The experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, with the objective of determing the best treatment with scarlet starglory to with soil on rocket performance cv. Cultivated. A completely randomized desing with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consist of: T1 (scarlet starglory in coverage 35 days) T2 (scarlet starglory in coverage 28 days); T3 (scarlet starglory in coverage 21 days); T4 (scarlet starglory in coverage 14 days); T5 (scarlet starglory in coverage 7 days); T6 - Control (no fertilized soil). The evaluated traits were: plant height, number of leaves per pot, dry mass and yield of grains. The different times of jitirana significantly in coverage plant height, number of leaves per pot, dry mass and yield. The time of 35 days was what provided the greatest increases in plant height, leaf number, yield of green mass and dry.

The occurrence of the Utetheisa ornatrix (L., 1758) is registered for the first time attacking Crotalaria spp. in Rio Largo country (12°40' S, 39°06' W, 127 m de altitude), Alagoas State, Brazil.

This work was carried out to evaluate the use of a hydrogel polymer in melon crop under different irrigation depths, with the objective of improve water retention, and efficiency of water and nutrient utilization by plants. One trial consisted of two treatments with four replications: a treatment with irrigation depth corresponding to 75% of gross depth and 27g of the soil conditioner per plant; the control with irrigation depth equal to the gross depth and without conditioner. The following characteristics were evaluated: root length, yield and quality of melon fruits. Root growth was bigger in the plants where soil conditioner was used. Use of soil conditioner provided an increase on melon yield and number of fruits per linear meter. Mean fruit weight and total soluble solids were not influenced by soil conditioner application and irrigation depth reduction.

This work it objectified determination apparent digestibility of Dry Matter (DM), of Fraction Crude Protein (CP), of Gross Energy (GE) and the Digestible Energy (DEa) and Digestible Protein (DPa) of the waste guava meal and coconut meal. 75 figerlings of Nile tilapia had used been (with initial weight of 20,00 ± 5,0g), kept per 25 days in glass aquariums (70 L of water, each one), were fed to satiation, in small fractions to each 2 hours, of the 8:00 to 17:00h, with three diets (three repetitions each one) contend 0,10% of oxide chromic (marked intern): a) the reference (half-purified); b) 30 % coconut meal and c) 30% of waste guava meal. The feces had been by "sifonagem" two times for day (in beginning of the morning and afternoon end). The values of digestibility of waste guava meal had been: DM 43,36%; CP 61,49%, GE 64,24%; DEa 3601,03 kcal/kg e DPa 6,89% and for coconut meal: MD 60,36%; CP 75,62%, GE 37,10%; DEa 1878,74 kcal/kg e DPa 15,60%. The tested ingredients present potential to be used in rations for figerlings of Nile tilapia.

The present study aimed to evaluate the interference of cows genotype and calving order on the milk production and composition during lactation period. Thirty six cow (19 Gir and 17 Guzera) were the studied population, analyzed from October 2005 to February 2008. Gir and Guzera cows showed no significant differences between daily milk production amount of milk produced in 305 days and of lactation duration. There were significant differences in milk fat for Gir and Guzer multiparous, and milk protein for Gir and Guzer primiparous and multiparous. Multiparous Gir cow showed higher lactose rate than Guzera cow. Calving order among cows that multiparous produced milk containing higher fat levels than cow at first giving birth. Total solid (TS) end nonfat dry extract (NDE) was significantly different of both primiparous and multiparous animals between genotypes, except for TS primiparous cows. It was used Student-T test to compare different milk characteristics between genotypes and calving order, setting at 5%. In conclusion, the calving order and genotype do not affect Gir and Guzera milk production, but however, milk composition was interference.

The present work had as objective uses a model of lineal programming algorithm to optimize the use of the water in the District of Irrigation Baixo Acaraú-CE proposing the "best" combination of crop types and areas established of 8,0 ha. The model aim maximize the net benefit of small farmer, incorporating the constraints in water and land availability, and constraints on the market. Considering crop types and the constraints, the study lead to the following conclusions: 1. The water availability in the District was not a limiting resources, while all available land was assigned in six of the seven cultivation plans analyzed. Furthermore, water availability was a restrictive factor as compared with land only when its availability was made to reduce to 60% of its actual value; 2. The combination of soursop and melon plants was the one that presented the largest net benefit, corresponding to R$ 5,250.00/ha/yr. The planting area for each crop made up to 50% of the area of the plot; 3. The plan that suggests the substitution of the cultivation of the soursop, since a decrease in annual net revenue of 5.87%. However, the plan that contemplates the simultaneous substitution of both soursop and melon produced the lowest liquid revenue, with reduction of 33.8%.

The soil of the Paraiba, in generality, are acid and with low levels of available match, seriously limiting the income of the plants. A research in vegetation house was lead, with the objective to evaluate doses of calcareous soil and match in the culture of ricinus. The treatments had been composites for five levels of match: 0.0; 80; 160; 240 and 360 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and four dosis of calcareous rock: 0.0; 2.5; 3.5 and 4.5 t ha-1 in experimental delineation of blocks casualized with 4 factorial project x 3 (four levels of match and three doses of calcareous soil) more two treatments you add zero of match (0.0 P2O5: 2,5 t ha-1 of calcareous soil) and calcareous soil zero (240 P2O5: 0.0 t ha-1 of calcareous soil), with three repetitions. The calcareous soil reduced the acidity of the ground and effect of the application of the match (¿ 80 kg ha-1 of P2O5) in the presence of the collagen (¿ 2.5 t ha-1 of CaCO3) with of the calcareous soil (¿ 2.5 t ha-1 of CaCO3) in the presence of the match was not verified well (¿ 80 kg ha-1 of P2O5). The match applied in the absence of the calcareous soil was limited to the income of the culture of what the calcareous soil in the absence of the match.