An unidentified Lepidoptera species was found defoliating Eucalyptus cloeziana (Myrtaceae) in a cerrado area of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Pupae of this insect, collected in the area, were brought to the laboratory and maintained in Petri dishes (9.0 cm x 1.5 cm) under 25 ± 2oC, relative humidity of 60 ± 10% and 12 hours photophase to obtain adults and eggs. This insect was identified as Hylesia paulex Dognin (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), and, in that way, the objective of the present study was to register for the first time its herbivory in E. cloeziana plants. Newly-emerged caterpillars were reared in 10 plastic pots (500ml), with 30 caterpillars per pot and fed, daily, with fresh leaves of Eucalyptus cloeziana (Myrtaceae). The egg incubation period of H. paulex was 32.00 ± 1.19 days. The total duration of the seven instars of this insect was 67.83 ± 0.84 days. Hylesia paulex completed its life cycle with E. cloeziana plants, what proves its adaptability to this kind of exotic Myrtaceae in Brazil.

The present work had as main objective to identify and to characterize rural producers as well as it productive systems. The characterization of the small producing native of northeastern Brazil, supported in a scientific knowledge about the local agricultural reality, is fundamental to elaborate politics of diffusion of technologies, programs and projects of agricultural development for the northeast. The disorganization of the productive chain and the little articulation among the different segments of this chain, allied the lack of zootecnic control, to the genetic standard bass of the flocks and the technical, managerial less information and of market of the producers it has been resulting in low productive indexes dedicated to the exploration of the cattle raising in Brazil. For initiative of the Clerkship of Agriculture of Quixeramobim a questionnaire was elaborated in partnership with IBAMA, SEBRAE and EMATERCE. The same was applied in the 11 districts of the municipal district in an eclectic and including way, in order to obtain a sampling the most representative possible. The great totality of the producers maintains a typical profile of the family agriculture, with emphasis in the subsistence, little technological progress and little specialization. Turning them less competitive and more susceptible to the adversities, be of physical, climatological, managerial nature or the commerce.

Erosivity is the potential ability of rain to cause erosion on somewhere. With the objective of mapping the rainfall erosivity in the entire State of Pernambuco, the average monthly values of the EI30 index with were correlated with Fournier rainfall coefficient and the average monthly precipitation, as well as the yearly values of the index EI with average yearly precipitation values. Data from 11 localities representative of their distinct climatic regions were utilized. From the best regression equations found for each region, the average yearly values of the EI30 index were calculated ( Factor R of Universal Soil Loss Equation - USLE) for 96 localities in the State, based on periods of 14 to 75 years of rainfall records. The values of erosivity found varied from 1,500 to 10,000 (Mj mm ha-1 h-1 year-1), where the Zona da Mata, Agreste and Sertão regions presented a moderate erosive potential, with values from 1,500 to 3,500 (Mj mm ha-1 h-1 year-1). The litoral region, was characterized by high erosivity, with annual average values of the index EI bethween 5.500 to 10.000 (Mj mm ha-1 h-1 year-1).

This research aimed to study competition effects of legumes intercropping and weeds on seeds yield and quality of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. The experiment was carried out in a Rhodic Nitisol, under field condition in Botucatu region, São Paulo State, Brazil. Ten treatments were tested: sorghum (cv. A-6304) intercropped with Dolichos lablab L., Mucuna aterrima (Piper et Tracy) Holland, Canavalia ensiformis D.C. or Crotalaria juncea L., that were sown in the same time of sorghum or 20 days after the sorghum sowing, and sorghum weed-free and sorghum without weeding. The experimental design employed was the completely randomized blocks with four replications. There were evaluated sorghum seeds yield and some characteristcs of seed quality: purity, hectolitric weight, 1000 seeds weight, insect infestation, germination and vigor (by first counting of germination test and accelerated ageing test). The competition caused by legumes intercropping and weeds affected the yield and the physical and physiological characteristics of sorghum seeds, but the intensity of prejudicial effects depended on the time and the species of legume intercropping.

The objective this work was to evaluate the effect of microbial and chemical insecticides on the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda in the development initial phase of crop corn. The work was lead in the experimental area of the State University of Mato Grosso do sul, in Cassilândia (MS) city. The treatments had been: 1) control; 2) fipronil; 3) thiametoxan; 4) Beauveria bassiana (0,5 kg of p.c/ha), 5) Beauveria bassiana (1 kg of p.c/ha), 6) teflubenzuron and 7) spinosad, in the doses and recommended way of application. After the tenth second after the emergency of the plants (DAE), had been day applied the treatments in foliar spraying (PF), being evaluated to the 2, 9, 15 and 21 days after the application (DAA), the number of small caterpillars (lesser that 1,5 cm) for parcel in 20 showed plants. The applied results show that teflubenzuron and spinosad in PF to the 12 DAE had been most efficient (71 and 83% respectively). The microbial¢s insecticides had not differed significantly from the chemical insecticides in the percentage of plants attacked for the pest and the 15 and 21 DAA.

The production of shifts sweet passion fruit tree (Passiflora alata Curtis) is hampered by the presence of soils that, sometimes, doesn¿t tend to nutritional demand of the plant, needing, then, fertilization. The application of Arbuscular Mycchorizic Fungus (AMF) is a way to available this nutrients in the soil. It can take to a reduction of time of the shifts in vegetation house anticipating the transplantation for the field, increasing the growth, developing the biomass of the plant and the production of fruits of quality. The aim of this work was to analyze the growth of the shifts of sweet passion fruit according to the levels of concentration of this innoculus. The experiment was conducted in casualty entirely lineation (CEL) with factorial arrangement of 2 x 4, as: 2 innoculation treatments (Gigaspora albida Schenck & Smith and Scutellospora heterograma Nicolson & Gerdemann) x 4 levels of innoculation (without innoculus = WN/I 100 spores = N1, 200 spores = N2 and 300 spores = N3) whit 5 repetitions. In each 30 days after the innoculation were measured the height, stem diameter and number of leaves. After harvest (90 days) also were evaluated: leaf area, fresh and dry biomass of the air and radicular part, colonization of roots and density of spores of Arbuscular Mycchorizic Fungus. Plants of sweet passion fruit showed high Mycchorizic dependence when innoculated with Gigaspora albida, this fungus proportioned in the plants of sweet passion fruit better answers in relation to the evaluated parameters.

The study aimed to: assess the effects of plant densities in the behavior of genotypes of maize; Select the genotypes of greater adjustment and grain yield and better density of planting in the municipality of Rio Largo-AL. It was evaluated the genotypes: UFAL-1, UFAL-4, UFAL-5, UFAL-7, Sertanejo, Cruzeta and AL-30, and the densities: 55,555, 66,666, 77,777 and 88,888 plants.ha-1. Used randomized block design scheme in a split plot with three replicates. The plots (4 rows 18mx0, 9m) was formed by genotypes and the subplots (4.5 mx0 ranks, 9m) by densities, with one plant per pit. It was determined the variables: plant height and insertion of the 1st spike, the stem diameter, ear size and number of rows of grain in ear, index of ears and yield. The density of planting of 55,555 plants.ha-1 improved performance in the variables, plant height, diameter of the stem, size of the ear, index of spike and grain yield in genotypes; Genotypes AL-30 and UFAL-4 outperformed the others in grain yield; Low correlation of the variables studied with the yield; Lack of water during the flowering to maturity of the grains meant that the genotypes expressing its full potential.

Knowledge of the speed of infiltration of water into the soil is of fundamental importance to define the methods of soil conservation, planning and design of irrigation systems and drainage. In order to study the speed of infiltration of water into a OxiLatossoil, before the system management tillage applying different empirical models, this work was conducted Centro de Ciências Agrárias, at the Federal University of Alagoas (CECA - UFAL), in order to evaluate the behavior of the equations of Kostiakov, Kostiakov-Lewis and Horton which Were used to estimate the Water infiltration rate in studied soil by using simple the soil under study, using a simple ring to evaluate the infiltration of water in the field. It was then that the system on the equation that more fit the model of the simple ring infiltrometer was to Kostiakov followed the model of Horton.

In food analysis, it is of utmost importance the determination of a specific component of the food as it is the case of the determination of the centesimal composition. Are procedures carried through with the purpose to supply information on the chemical composition, physicist-chemistry and, or, physics of a food. It can have different purposes, as: nutritional evaluation of a product; quality control of the food; development of new products and the monitoration of the legislation. In such a way, this work was carried through with intention to -chemical evaluate physicist the quality of pulps congealed with regard to the effective norms of the product. It was verified that, in a generalized manner, the pulps had taken care of the Brazilian legislation, excepting the values of pH and soluble solids (ºBrix) of the cashew pulp.

The objective of this work was to characterize plants and fruits of native muricy (Byrsonima verbascifolia Rich. former. Juss), a tropical underutilized and endangered fruit tree in a coastal area of Northeast Brazil. There were evaluated the main biometric parameters of 20 plants and 200 fruits collected from a natural occurring area in Alagoas. The fresh fruits weight 1,21 g in average, the longitudinal and transversal diameter of the fruits were, respectively, 8,5 mm and 7,4 mm with an average income of 63% of pulp. The fresh mass of the fruit was proportional to the amount of pulp (r = 0,605; P < 0,05), indicating an interesting potential to select elite trees with fruit quality for futures works on genetic improvement.