Sunflower crop is a good option of income generation because of its grains commercialization and oil extration. The lack of knowledge about performance of genotypes at local conditions is one of the problems to the installation of this crop in the Maranhão State The objective of this work was to evaluate sunflower genotypes and to verify its productive potential in the Maranhão State. The aquenio yield, oil content, oil yield, initial flowering, physiological maturation and height of plants had been evaluated. It was observed that genotypes showed a low average aquenio yield (348 kg/ha), but their average oil content was sactisfatory. ACA 884, Helio 358 and Agrobel 962 had the best results for all of agronomical characteristics evaluated.

This work objectived to evaluate the influence of the calcium levels reduction (0.75 and 0.60%), using two suplemental sources in the diet, limestones of two distinct deposits of calcareous rock (A and B), for female and male broiler chickens in the period between 1 to 28 days of age, and thus, its effect on the performance and the bone development. For such purpose, had been used 288 female and 288 male cobb line broilers, by entirely randomized design in factorial arrangement (2x2x2). The food intake and live weight gain had presented significant differences for the calcium sources, while the calcium level and the sex of the chickens had influenced the feed conversion, the mineralization and the length of the tibia bone. The reduction in the calcium level to 0.75% with the tested limestones, in males and females, provided to satisfactory performance, bone mineralization and calcium retention.

The selection of rhizobium strains tolerant to salinity and temperature stress, typically of semi-arid regions, enhances the chance for introducing and establishing the air nitrogen fixing bacteria and cowpea association successfully, resulting in grain yield increases. Effects of factors, such as tolerance to different NaCl concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%) and two levels of high temperature (39º C and 42º C). were studied on seventy-six rhizobium strains isolated from cowpea root nodules in order to identify the relation to the origin region and their growth habit in YEM solid culture medium. In general, it was observed that bacteria from the "Sertão" region were more tolerant to high temperatures. On the other hand, results for the salinity study showed that as the salt concentration increased, the percentage of tolerant strains decreased. About 40% of the strains were able to grow in a culture medium with 1% of NaCl. At 2% of NaCl concentration, 17% of the total strains could grow and, from this amount, 15% came from the "Sertão" region and 24% from "Zona da Mata" region. At 3% NaCl concentration, only 12% of the strains were able to grow. From the 76 strains, around 10% were tolerant to high temperatures and to the NaCl levels used, one of them from the "Agreste" region, four from the "Sertão" region and 2 from the "Zona da Mata" region".

An experiment was carried out under greenhouse condition at orchard of Universidade Federal de Lavras, MG with aim studing the effect of different levels of organic matter in the seedling production of papaya Formosa. The experimental design used was of randomized blocks complet with four treatment and four replication. The treatments composited of four percentages of organic compost (0%; 10%; 20% and 40% of the total volume). Each plot 16 seedlings, one for each recipient. After 140 days of sowing, it was evaluated the following characteristics: plant height (cm), number of leaves/plant, shoot dry matter, root and total (g/plant). The presence of organic matter on substrate allawed a higher growth of papaya seedlings. The presence of40% of organic compost on the substrate was the best posibility alternative of organic matter for production of papaya seedlings.

With In many areas of the Northeast semi-arid, the native vegetation of caatinga is the main fodder support for ruminants feeding. This experiment was accomplished to evaluate Guzera and 5/8 Holstein/Zebu milk production, having the caatinga vegetation as the base of their diet and with energetic and protein supplement. Eight animals from the two races, with 60 days of lactation and 450 kg of live weight, in the beginning of the experiment, were distributed in two Latin Squares (4X4). Each experimental period lasted 21 days, being 14 for the adaptation of the animals to the ration and seven for the collection. The milk production ranged from 5.29 to 6.19 kg/cow/day for the different treatments. The animals, which received supplementation, produced more milk than those that did not receive it. There were no significant differences among the supplementations. The milk fat percentage did not vary among the treatments. An average consumption of 2.2% of live weight was observed. The animals from the 5/8 Holstein/Zebu had a bigger intake of dry matter, and more milk production than those from the Guzera race.

An experiment was carried out at Caatinga Experimental Field of Embrapa Tropical Semi-Arid, Petrolina-PE, Brazil, in the first semester of 1998, with the objective of evaluating the effect of different levels of salinity of irrigation water with and without the soil conditioner on the yield of carrot, cv. Brasília. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of water with electrical conductivity of 0.1 dS/m (control - from the São Francisco river), 4.0 and 8.0 dS/ m, and the same levels of electrical conductivity plus soil conditioner. The carrot yields varied from 33.1 to 82.3 t/ ha, for the treatments irrigated with saline water plus soil conditioner and for the control, respectively. Also, there was no significant difference between the yield obtained using water from the São Francisco river (0.1 dS/m) and that obtained using water with 4.0 dS/m electrical conductivity and that obtained with the application of soil conditioner.

The objective of this work was to evaluate substrates compost by organic residues for production of papaya tree seedlings. This research was led greenhouse in the campus of the Federal University of Acre in the period of September to December of 2006. The experiment was installed in design completely randomized with eight treatments and four repetitions, and each experimental unit was constituted of 3 plants. The substrates evaluated were: T1 = plantimax (treatment controls), T2 = compost organic + coconut peel, T3 = compost organic + bed-of-chicken + peel-of-rice carbonized, T4 = compost organic + I manure bovine + peel-of-rice carbonized, T5 = compost organic + earthworm casting + peel-of-rice carbonized, T6 = compost organic + earthworm casting + pit of triturated açaí, T7 = compost organic + earthworm casting + peel of triturated coconut, T8 = compost organic + I manure bovine + peel of triturated coconut. In all the substrates, the representatives were used in same proportions, being still added, 10% of triturated vegetable coal, 1,0 kg.m-3 limestone and 1,5 kg.m-3 of termphosphate, except in the treatment T1 (commercial substratum). The evaluations were accomplished to the 70 days after the planting, being evaluated height of plants, mass of the fresh matter of the aerial part, mass of the dry matter of the aerial part, of the root e total. It was observed that the substrata 4 and 5 presented better acting in relation to the characteristics of the mass of the fresh and dry matter of the aerial part, dry matter of the root and dry matter total, but it didn't differ of the substrate 1 (treatment control), 2 and 8, when the seedling's height was analyzed.

The irrigation practice, in a lot of situations, is the only way to guarantee agricultural productivity and economic and social development, especially in the semi-arid region of the Northeast Brazil that is characterized by rainfall irregularities. The objective of the present work was to quantify qualitatively the lands of the farm Agreste, located in the Microrregião do Alto Piranhas, Itaporanga - PB, in classes of potential aptitude for irrigation. For this was taken in consideration the soil characteristics and the available water resources. In the farm 16.80 hectares (3.29% of the lands) can be used for irrigation with restrictions. 144.96 hectares (28.38% of the lands) are irrigable, but only for special use. Finally, 349.04 hectares (68.33% of the lands) are not inapt for irrigated agriculture.

The 20th century was marked by great discovers, which had a deep impact on plants resistance against pest insects. In this context, high studies were developed about cucurbitacins, an important group of secondary substances produced by plants. These substances are mainly produced by the Cucurbitacea family and act against the insects like allomones, imposing an obstacle to the herbivory. However, some insects, mainly defoliators beetles of the Luperini tribe (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), defeated these defenses of the plants and used them as alimentary stimulants and/or in the defense against natural enemies. The action mode of cucurbitacins against the target-insects opens possibilities of its application in the plants breeding, aiming the resistance against insects as well on its utilization in toxic baits or trap cultures.

Whiteflies are pests of many crops. They cause severe yield losses and reduce crop quality on fruits. Insecticides of differents modes of action have been used with little success in the control of this pest. In this work, the efficiency of buprofezin and pyriproxyfen applied alone and/or mixtured with fenpropathrin and acephate on Bemisia tabaci B biotype eggs, nymphs and adults was evaluated under field conditions. The experiment was conduced in a randomized complete block design in an irrigated area in Paraipaba, CE, Brazil, with six treatments and eight replicates. The mixture of the insecticides fenpropathrin + acephate applied weekly alone or mixtured was efficient to control eggs, nymphs and adults of the whitefly, while the insect growth regulators buprofezin and pyriproxyfen did not control eggs and adults, but they controled nymphs, being pyriproxyfen more efficient than buprofezin.