The shortage of animal feed during the dry season has led to the development of food handling techniques that are efficient and sustainable for farmers and ranchers. The research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, voluntary intake and digestibility of faveleira (Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus (Muell. Arg.) Pax et K. Hoffman), to supply the sheep provided as in the form of hay. Five castrated 18 months old sheeps with a mean age of 18 months old with and initial average weight of 31.75 kg ± 1.08 were evaluated, using the conventional method of total collection of feces. The hay was made naturally in sunny area, the forage being harvested in areas of caatinga at the IPA¿s Sertânia Experimental Station belonging to the Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco/IPA. The faveleira hay results of chemical analysis percentages were: 92.95 dry matter (DM); 89.28 organic matter (OM); 13.48 crude protein (CP); 3.52 ether extract (EE); 41.42 does not extract nitrogen (NEN); 41.92 neutral detergent fiber (NDF); 26.71 acid detergent fiber (ADF) and 30.36 non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC). The voluntary intake of DM, CP, TDN, NDF, ADF and NFC, expressed in g kg-1 PV0, 75 were (93.14, 12.52, 56.06, 39.04; 24.88 and 28.28), respectively. The digestibility percentages were: 63.66 (MS); 66.06 (MO); 74.52 (PB); 36.44 (EE); 74.32 (ENN); 57.32 (NDF); 54.77 (FDA) and 56.91 (NFC). These results show that the faveleira hay could be a viable alternative to dietary supplementation of sheep during the dry season to semiarid of Brazil.

Priming promotes physiological and biochemical changes in seeds which contribute to the improvement in germination and vigor of the lots. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological response promoted by priming lots of papaya seeds after 12 months of storage. Seed lots were obtained through different methods of removing the seeds sarcotesta and stored in a refrigerator for 12 months. After this time, the lots were conditioned in PEG 6000 MPa/48h -0.8 solution, -1.2 MPa/48h PEG 6000 solution, 0.34 KNO3 M/48h solution; H2O/24h and H2O/48h. The temperature during the treatments was 25 Celsius degrees. Seeds not conditioned were used in the control. The design was completely randomized with four replicates, and treatment in a factorial scheme (4 x 6 lots conditioning). The effects of the treatments were tested by F test (< 0.01). Papaya seeds KNO3 solution conditioned accelerated the onset of germination in seeds without sarcotesta, promoting favorable response in the vigor of seed lots. Accelerated aging reduced the germination of the lots. After aging, the conditioning in PEG solution promoted improvement in the physiological quality of the lots.

If was evaluated to the influence of different sources fertilization in the productivity of the lettuce cultivar ¿Elba¿ of different sources fertilization. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme 4 x 2 with three replications. The experiment was conducted in gauntry of eutrophic cambisol and treatments consisted of the combination of four fertilization sources: 1 - bovine manure vermicompost humus (4 kg m-2); 2 - organic manuring, 4 kg m-2; 3 - cattle manure, 20 kg m-2; 4 - organic and mineral fertilizer, 10 kg m-2 cattle manure + 10 g de urea , 15 g potassium chloride and 45 g sample superphosphate m-2) with without and with foliar application. No significant interaction was observed between factor-treatments. The head mean diameter had mean value of 26 cm at 42 days after transplantation. This value is acceptable for the cultivar. For the characteristic commercial fresh mass, the best performance was in the organic and mineral fertilization (260.20 g).

The goal of paper was to evaluate the quality of fish commercialized in supermarkets and marketplace stalls in Cruz das Almas, Bahia. Sensorial, physicochemical and microbiological analysis were performed in 11 fish samples (three fresh fish samples, four frozen fish samples, and four dry salted fish samples). Supermarkets presented better hygiene conditions and facilities, and offered staff training. In the market stalls the facilities were in disagreement with food legislation. The sensorial analysis indicated tha 60% of the samples were in accordance with the concept of freshness. Hundred percent of the fresh and frozen fish samples were negative for sulphydric gas reaction, and humidity varied from 65.79 to 81.59%. Humidity in all the dry salted fish samples was higher than the maximum values allowed, and the chloride test was < 10%. Mesophilic bacteria counts varied from 4.66 × 106 to 6.84 × 106 CFU g-1 in fresh fish samples, and from 2.0 × 10 to 2.22 × 106 CFU g-1 in salted fish. The number of psychrotrophic bacteria in frozen fish varied from 1.08 × 103 to 1.76 × 105 CFU g-1. Coliforms at 45 ºC were observed in 100% of the samples and varied from < 3.0 to > 1.1 × 103 MPN g-1. Escherichia coli (08) was isolated only from fish samples collected in the marketplace stalls and was resistant to eritromicine 08 (100%), amicacyn 02 (25%), ampicillin, cephalotin and tetracycline 01 (12.5%). Multiresistance profile was observed in 62.5% of the isolates.

The aim was to evaluate the effect of late application of different nitrogen levels in different cultivars. The experimental design was a block design with four replications in a factorial 3 x 5 compounds by combining three soybean varieties: Conquest (early season), Pioneer 98C81 (medium cycle) and M-Soy 9350 (late maturity) and five nitrogen rates: zero, 20, 40, 80 and 160 kg ha-1 applied at growth stage R.1 (early flowering), using urea as nitrogen source. The application of 20 and 40 kg N ha-1 provided an increase in the number of pods per plant in all cultivars. Effect on thousand seed weight in cultivar checked only for conquest, with the application of 20 and 40 kg ha-1 N. Yield was reduced with application of 80 and 160 kg N ha-1 and increased with the application of 20 and 40 kg ha-1 N. There was a similar behavior among cultivars for yield components and yield when subjected to nitrogen in a late period. Although it was observed an increase in production around 300 kg ha-1, is still not economically viable application of nitrogen in soybean.

Due to continued machinery, soil mobilization has caused considerable changes in both soil bulk density (physical attributes) and organic C content, risking crop yield reduction and negative environmental effects. In this context, this work aimed at assessing changes in both physical attributes and in organic C content of a Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo surface horizon, subjected to no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage with disk plow (DP), heavy harrow (HG), and disc plow plus harrow (DP+HG) for 23 years. A natural forest fragment (NF) was used as reference area. A randomized-block design with 8 x 12 m plots and four replications was used. Soil samples were collected at 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm depths in order to assess soil density, total organic carbon content, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and aggregate stability. Results showed that continued cultivation increases soil physical degradation, as evidenced by both macro porosity and total porosity reduction, aggregate stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity, total organic carbon, and soil density increase. The NT was found to best contribute to soil physical properties improvement and total organic carbon recovery in 0-5 cm surface layer.

Secondary metabolite produced in some plants can provoke alterations in the development of other plants or even other organisms. The aim of this paper was to identify possible allelopathic effects and biologic control of Achatina fulica Bowdich with aqueous extracts of Morus rubra L. leaves. For obtaining the aqueous extract, we used previously dried leaves in concentration of 1g 10 mL-1. Five concentrations of each aqueous extract were tested (10, 30, 50, 70 and 100%) and compared to control (0.0%), distilled water. The aqueous extracts of Morus rubra showed up allelopathic potentialities on the seed germination and in the growth of the shoot and the root system of the tested species, considering that the reduction in the germination and initial growth increased with the rising of the aqueous extracts concentrations used and, in the biologic control, only in the final mass of A. fulica. The results indicated the existence of allelopathic effect, but not molluscicide of M. rubra.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the influence of different methods of dormancy breaking and substrates in the emergence and early growth of seedlings canafístula (Peltophorum dubium (Sprengel) Taubert). The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design in a factorial 5 x 4, with five substrates, Bioplant®; 75% Bioplant® + 25% bagasse from sugar cane (75B+25BC); 50% Bioplant® + 50% bagasse from sugar cane (50B+50BC); 25% Bioplant® + 75% bagasse from sugar cane (25B+75BC); bagasse from sugar cane (100%) and four methods of breaking dormancy (control, mechanical scarification using sandpaper, immersion in hot water and scarification with concentrated sulfuric acid) with three replications of 12 seeds. We evaluated the index of emergency speed; average time of emergency; emergence percentage at 7, 14 and 28 days after sowing, the dry mass of shoot and root dry mass. Immersion in hot water and chemical scarification with sulfuric acid (98%) are efficient methods to overcome seedcoat dormancy in seeds of canafístula. The substrates Bioplant® and 75B +25BC provide higher initial growth of seedlings.

This paper aimed to evaluate the performance of hybrids of muskmelon on different substrates. Five substrates were evaluated: S1 = coconut husk fiber, S2 = sand; S3 = ½ sand and ½ crushed of sugarcane, S4 = ½ sand and ½ of peanut shell, and S5 = I sand, I of crushed sugarcane and I of peanut shell and four hybrids of muskmelon (Bonus N°. 2, Louis, Fantasy Jab and 2007 # 16). The plants were cultivated in plastic pots of 13 dm3, which were filled with these substrates; they were arranged in plants spacing of 1,0 x 0,5 m between plants. The Fertirrigation was done by dripping, using a nutrient solution for the culture. The experimental design was a randomized blocks, in a 5 X 4 factorial design with four replications. The characteristics evaluated were: total production, average transverse and longitudinal diameter of fruit, fruit shape index; mesocarp thickness; average transverse and longitudinal diameter of the locule; index format locule; mass of fresh fruit; soluble solids, pH; titratable acidity; C vitamin; firmness of flesh; tracery of shell; and maturation index. The optimal substrate for muskmelon cultivation is a combination of 50% sand + 50% peanut shell. The hybrid Fantasy performed better compared to other hybrids.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of the biochar as a substrate conditioner for the production of eucalyptus seedlings. The work was lead in nursery and the experimental design was randomized blocks arranged in factorial 5 x 2, being the factors composed of five concentrations of biochar (0; 7.5; 15; 30 and 60% v/v) added to the Germinar® commercial substrate and two species of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora and Eucalyptus urophylla), with four repetitions. At 75, 90 and 120 days after sowing (DAS) evaluated the stem diameter and plant height and at the end of the experiment (120 DAS) assessed fresh biomass of shoot and root, dry mass of shoot and root morphological parameters relative the plant height/stem diameter, dry mass of shoot/dry mass of roots and index of quality of Dickson. In general, the substrates that was added 7.5% of biochar promoted greater growth of seedlings, especially E. citriodora showed the best results for the evaluated characteristics. Evaluating the morphological parameters that act as key components in the quality of seedlings E. citriodora was superiors than E. urophylla. Concentrations of biochar above 30% harm the development of seedlings.