The physical and chemical characteristics of quixaba fruits (Sideroxylon obtusifolium Penn.) the chop 2003/2004, harvested in Santa Terezinha region of State of Bahia, Brazil. It was used 450 fruits harvested at random the following physical and chemical analyses: pH, Soluble Solid (SS), Total Acidity (TA), ratio SS/TA, density, diameter, length, and volume of the fruits and pulp yield. The following average values were obtained: 24.13º Brix; pH 4.35, TA 0.4%, ratio SS/AT 63.32 and poor pulp yield (20.89%), which is compensated by the high fruit productivity per plant. The chemical analysis of quixaba¿s fruits presented desirable characteristics for industrialization. The Quixabeira is an alternative of native fruit for exploration in Semi-Arid region. Index terms: Native fruits, Semi-arid region, Quixabeira

Processing tomato is the most important vegetable crop of the Brazilian agribusiness and few researches have been conducted to evaluate the tolerance of this crop to saline stress. In this study, the effects of five levels of salinity of the irrigation water (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 dS m-1) and three equivalent proportions of Na:Ca:Mg (1:1:0.5, 4:1:0.5 and 7:1:0.5) were tested on the emergence and vigor of processing tomato, cultivar IPA 6. Seeds were sowed in expanded polystyrene tray (128 cells) and each tray received 1 L of water after sowing. The trays were piled and, four days after sowing, they were placed on suspended supports in a greenhouse. Irrigation was accomplished daily from the fifth day after sowing. Only dry weight of shoot and root was affected by sodium proportions, while linear reductions of the speed of emergence, stem length and the dry weight of shoot and root were observed with increasing salinity. Root was more affected than shoot by salinity and relative growth ratioincreased with salinity levels on the 14-21 days after sowing period, indicating that the crop showed a certain increase of salinity tolerance with the time of exposure to salts.

Soil microbial biomass (SMB) is considered a significant nutrient pool in soils, that may be associated to changes in the vegetation cover. In order to estimated the SMB C and N contents, six treatments were installed in mature forests (F), 8-year-old mixed plantations of indigenous tree species (P), and abandoned pastures (G), at both the flooding (V) and the sloping (M) areas of the Poço das Antas Biological Reserve, an Atlantic Rain Forest remnant of ca. 5,200ha. Soil samples were collected at the layers 0-2.5cm, and were incubated to also measure soil respiration rates. There was no significant difference among the treatments for SMB-C content and for the soil respiration rate, but the plantation on the flooding area showed a higher value for SMB-N than that on the sloping area plantation. Higher values of metabolic quotient (qCO2) and of Cmic:Nmic ratio suggest the plantation on the sloping area has a lower stability than the plantation on the flooding area.

The search to exotic fruits by the consumers and producers have in creasing in the latest years. The commercialization in CEAGESP is being similar to the flowers, that are an important part. The dovialis can be used in this way and the present research was conduced due the ausence of technical information about this culture. Evaluate the influence of the temperature on percentage of germination of seeds of this plant. The experiment was conduced in the Laboratory of Seeds, located in the Department of Vegetable Production, of FCAV - UNESP - Campus of Jaboticabal/SP, using seeds that were extracted from ripe fruits of dovialis trees, washed, placed to dry on shade and so conditioned in gerbox, being realized 4 replications with 10 seeds in each one and the treatments were composed by 4 temperatures: 15, 20, 25 and 35ºC, in a experimental delineation entirely randomized. The values of percentage of germination were transformed in arc sen x/ 100 . The averages were compared by the test of Tukey, with 5% of probability. Were realized daily evaluations of the number of germinated seeds, being the percentage of germination represented by the adding of the obtained plants, and the VIG was calculated according to Maguire (1962). Through the obtained results in this research, can be concluded that the temperatures of 20 and 25ºC were the most appropriated to a higher and faster germination for the specie in study.

The objective of evaluating the effect of salinity water irrigation of the for vegetative phase of castor culture, it was developed a greenhouse experiment at Environmental SciencesDepartment of UFERSA. The experimental delineating used was entirely randomized with six treatments and three replications. The soil utilized was eutrofic red-yellow latossol and the treatments were six waters with different salinity levels (0,5; 1,0; 1,5; 2,0; 2,5; 3,0 dS·m-1). The cropping was carried out with the BRS 149-Nordestina variety. The variables evaluated were: chemical-physical characteristics of the soil (pH, electrical conductivity, Ca, Mg e Na), and in the plant, the plant height, stalk diameter, fresh and dry matter. It was observed that the soil under went the influence of the waters utilized: the pH, Electrical Conductivity and changeable Na with the water salinity. With the increase of the salinity, the plant development decreased.

The refrigeration is considered the most recommendable physical process to extend the shelf-life of fruits further control pathogens development. The demand for alternative postharvest disease management practices that could reduce consumer and environmental risks has increased in recent years like the use of sanitation products. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of chlorine dioxide associated with refrigeration on the control of Fusarium pallidoroseum. The effect of 8 different temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 ºC) on the pathogen development and the effectiveness of chlorine dioxide to control F. pallidoroseum were evaluated. The best performance was obtained at 30 ºC. The temperatures of 10 ºC and 40 ºC inhibited completely the mycelial growth and sporulations, in spite of don't be lethal for F. paliidoroseum that recover its normal development when transferred to room temperature. Melons were treated with chlorine dioxide at 10 ug.mL-1. Inoculums contained 107 conidia/mL were applied onto wound on fruit surface and then stored in three different environment: room temperature (29 ± 1 ºC), low temperature (10 ± 2 ºC) during 16 days and low temperature during the whole time, evaluating every other day the incidence and severity during 28 days. The refrigeration inhibited the lesion development. Under refrigeration chlorine dioxide reduced 54 % of incidence and severity, while at room temperature just around 14 % of incidence comparing to control. Chlorine dioxide associated to refrigeration may contribute in an efficient way to integrated control of postharvest disease in melon.

The burning of the sugar cane for occasion of the harvest causes an expressive volatilization of the sulfur contained in the vegetable material, worsening possible deficiencies of this nutritious the short and average term. The goal of this research was to evaluate and to determine the critical levels of sulfur in soils using the mineral gypsium as sulfur source. They were installed four field rehearsals in different class texturais soils. In all rehearsals the experimental delineation employee was blocks at random. The treatments in each rehearsal they constituted of the combination of five doses of mineral gypsium and three chemical extractors, with three repetitions. They evaluated the treatments at thirty days after the application of the sulfur doses in the depths 0-0,2m of sampling. The sulfur doses were defined from need to calagem, for the layer 0,4-0,6 m of depth. With the results of recovered sulfur and production of the sugar cane, they were certain the critical levels of sulfur in the soil. The ammonium acetate extractor in acetic acid extracted more sulfur in loamy soils, of low values of P-rem and with larger contents of organic matter, while the calcium chloride extractor introduced sulfur extraction smaller power, at the same terms. Already the calcium phosphate, contend match and in the presence of acetic acid, extracted efficiently, independent sulfur of physical and chemical characteristics of the soils. The critical levels of sulfur in the soil were increasing in loamy soils, of low values of P-rem and with larger contents of organic matter.

The objective of work was evaluated four methods of superation of dormancy in Jitirana (Merremia aegyptia). The treatments used were: 1- Checking, 2 - Submersion in the hot water at 80ºC by one minute, 3 - Mechanic escarification by five minutes; 4 - Submersion in the sulfuric acid by six minutes, 5 - Submersion in the sulfuric acid by ten minutes. The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications. The plot was formed by sample with 50 seeds. The traits evaluated were: fresh weight, dry weight, height of seedling, length of root, percentage of germination and index of velocity of germination. The seeds treated with sulfuric acid showed bigger percentage of germination. The treatments with mechanic escarification and sulfuric acid (10 minutes) showed bigger index of velocity of germination.

The aim of this work was to verify the effects of Lithothamnium (Concinal Fertilizador®) in different substrates. The experiment was carried out at plant formation area at Federal University of Lavras orchard, testing the following doses of Lithothamnium: 0; 2; 4; 6; and 8 kg m-3 in two compositions of substrates: A (organic compost + sand + soil at 1:1:3 volume proportion) and B (Plantmax + sand + soil at 1:1:3 volume proportion). The randomized blocks was 5 x 2, with 4 repetititons, and 5 plants for plot. The following characteristics had been evaluated: length of the aerial part (CPA), length of the system to radicular (CR), leaf number (NF), dry substance of the aerial part (MSPA) and dry substance of the root (MSR). For seedling production of passion fruit, Lithothanium was good option for growth of passion fruit seedling, and the substrate B promoted best plants.

The Cereus jamacaru it is a cactaceae plant very used in food of cows, caprines and sheeplike in the semi-arid of Brazilian Northeastern. The pH, soluble solids, ashes, total solids, moisture, insoluble solids and the yield of Cereus jamacaru samples were determined. Were utilized the bunch of an only plant, this went separates and processes as three types of samples; pulp of the storaging pancreas of water (central stalk), pulp of vascular cylinder of end bunch and of half of bunch (part between the central stalk and the epicarp of the plant). The resultswere statiscally evaluated according to completely randomize design, from which were verified that had significant difference among the samples as to the pH, ash, totals solids, moisture and insoluble solids. Were observed that the soluble solids (ºBrix) the pulps of vascular cylinder of half and the end the bunchs had the sames, had been less to the of pulp of central stalk. The largest yield was of the pulps of the vascular cylinder, about 75%.