The cowpea considered one of the main dietary sources of tropical and subtropical regions. To population of the regions North and Northeast of Brazil represents an important socioeconomic activity. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth characteristics of cowpea under the residual effect of phosphorus fertilization. Research conducted on the screened greenhouse of the Department of Soil Science and Agricul- tural Engineering, Center of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba, Areia-PB. The substrates used were materials Oxisol textures of sandy clay and sandy clay franc that we fertilized with levels of 0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg ha-1 of P2O5. After fertilization, the cultures we performed with sunflower, corn and beans, respectively. Were analyzed the stem diameter, main branch length, leaf area, shoot dry weight and water con- sumption. The effect of residual phosphorus was significant for leaf area, dry weight of shoots and water con- sumption. The effect of soil was significant for all variables evaluated, except for the consumption of water. Phosphorus fertilization in sunflower, followed by maize cultivation has a positive effect on growth and water use by cowpea, third culture. The Oxisol of sandy clay loam texture led to the highest in diameter at ground level, main branch length and leaf area of cowpea.

The liquid biofertilizers have been used with relative success in the recovery of banana planta- tions that have low productivity, after long time cultivation. However, there is little information available relat- ed to cultural practices that aim to increase the life of bananeiral. The objective of the present study was to compare areas degraded plantations that have received the application of biofertilizer for a period of two and five years and the area where the culture did not receive this type of application. The study was conducted in year of 2011 in the municipality of Chapada do Apodi Quixeré - CE. It was evaluated the effects of time of ap- plication on soil chemical attribute, biometric measurements of the plant, dry mass production, extraction and export of N, P and K, and the contribution of plant biomass. The experimental design was completely random- ized with three replications. The biofertilizer increased the content of organic matter, exchangeable Ca and K in all soil depths. The levels of disposable P and exchangeable Mg were higher only in the surface layer. The bio- fertilizer contributed to the increase of pH, the CE and Na soil. Plants that received application of the product were higher, with greater weight and number of leaves. The area received more application time showed higher productivity, accumulated 20% more dry mass, extracted more N, P and K soil, more nutrients exported through harvesting and landed larger amount of plant biomass.

Over the past few years, the increased use of fossil fuels as well as the unsustainable use of land, through the reduction of native forests has increased the greenhouse gas emissions, contributing defini- tively to the rise in temperature on earth. In this scenario, two environmental factors, directly related to the physiology of crop production, are constantly being changed. The first change is the increase in the partial pres- sure of carbon dioxide (CO2), which directly affects photosynthetic efficiency and the associated metabolic processes. The other change is the temperature increase which affects all the physiological and metabolic proc- esses mediated by enzymes, especially photosynthesis and respiration. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the main effects caused by increased CO2 pressure and the temperature rise in the physiology, productivity and post-harvest quality of plants with photosynthetic metabolism C3, C4 and CAM. Based on physiological evi- dence, the increased atmospheric CO2 concentration will benefit net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and the transpiration of C3 plants, however in hot, dry and saline environments, the C4 and CAM species present an advantage by having low photorespiration. Studies show controversial conclusions about the productivity of C3 and C4 plants, and the quality of their fruits or grains under different CO2 concentrations or high tempera- tures. Thus, there is a need for more testing with C3 and C4 plants, besides of more researches with CAM plants, in view of the low number of experiments carried out in this type of plants.

The objective of this study to evaluate the nutritional value of cactus pear grown under different planting spacings and doses of cattle manure applied to soil. The experiment was implemented in an Oxisol in Guanambi, Bahia. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 12 treatments arranged in a factorial 3 x 4, four doses of cattle manure (0, 30, 60 and 90 Mg ha-1 yr-1) and three planting space, two in single rows (1,0 x 0,5 and 2,0 x 0,25 m) and a double row in (3,0 x 1,0 x 0,25 m) and three repetitions. In the planting spaces used, the same population density of 20,000 plants ha-1 was maintained. The nutritional value of cladodes was evaluated at 600 days after planting. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and subsequently comparisons were made between the means of different spacings by the Tukey Test and regression analysis for the different doses of manure and, when significant, interactions were unfolded. The manure of cattle increasingly influ- enced the content of crude protein, total nitrogen, protein and rapid intermediate degradation. There was a de- crease in hemicellulose levels, total carbohydrates, neutral and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen as a function of total nitrogen and indigestible protein. Thus, the increase in doses of manure applied to soil improves the quality of the nutritive value of forage palm and planting spaces barely influence the quality of cactus pear.

To evaluate different organic sources as substrates for the production of rootstocks of Tamarin- dus indica L., we conducted an experiment in a greenhouse nursery located on the campus of Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA) in the period from October 2007 to February 2008. We tested the substrates: soil, manure, goat manure, sheep manure and humus, and combinations thereof, totaling twelve treatments. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, with 12 treatments (substrates), four replicates and 10 plants per treatment, totaling 480 plants. The conclusion that the combination of soil with animal manure, in various ratios studied, show satisfactory results in the production of the tamarind rootstock was reached. The treatment not only composed of soil provided suitable for production of rootstocks results of tamarind.

Three castor ( Ricinus communis ) genotypes were studied regarding tolerance to high exchange factorial distribution of five doses of exchangeable aluminum added to the soil (0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.60, and 1.20 cmol c dm - 3 ) and three castor genotypes (BRS Nordestina, BRS Paraguaçu, and Lyra). The plants were raised in pots in a greenhouse. At 53 days after emergence, data were taken on plant height, leaf area, dry mass of shoot and root, and leaf tissue content of macronutrients. The most sensitive genotype was the cv. BRS Nordestina, in which the shoot and root dry weight in the highest aluminum content were reduced to 12.9% and 16.2% of the control treatment, respectively. The most tolerant genotype was the hybrid Lyra, in which the shoot and root dry weight in the maximum content of aluminum were reduced to 43.5% and 42.7% of the control treatment, respectively.The increased exchangeable aluminum affected the leaf nutrient content, and the intensity of the response was different among cultivars. The aluminum toxicity increased N, Ca, and Mg contents and reduced on P, K, and S contents. The cv. BRS Nordestina had a drastic shoot dry weight reduction associated with an intense increment in the N leaf content. Thus, the N increment was caused by a concentration effect caused by the limited growth.

Thisstudy aimed toevaluate theperformance agronomic ofgrain sorghumas a functionof Nand- P2O5, as well as the economic analysis in the municipality of Mossoró-RN. The treatmentsconsisted of the combinationof fourN rates(30,60, 90and120 kgha-1) andfourdoses ofP2O5 (30,60, 90and120 kgha-1) and acontrol treatment.The experimental design wasa randomized complete blockwith four replicationsin a factorial design. The characteristicsevaluatedwere:plant height,stem diameter, paniclelength, paniclediameter, dry matter, grain yield, nitrogen and phosphoruscontentinleafnitrogen content, phosphorus in the soil, gross receipts, expendi- tureson fertilizerand net income. Theincreased availability ofnitrogen andphosphorus in thesoil influencethe variables studied, except the nitrogen contentin soil.While mostproductiongrainhas beenestimated for theappli- cation of87.62 kgha-1 N +120 kgP2O5ha-1, the maximumdoserecommendedenvironmentalandeconomic effi- ciencywere60 kgNha-1+ 120kgha-1P2O5.

This paper describes the composition of fatty acids in oil extracted from seeds of carnaúba ( Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore), an important palm species native to Northeastern Brazil. After extracting the crude oil, the physico - chemical characteristics (density, refraction index, pH, acidity and saponi- fication index) were registered and the chemical composition of the fatty acids was determined by gas chroma- tography (GC - FID). The predominance of saturated fatty acids does not make carnaúba seed oil a promising alternative for the food industry, and the small yield obtained (approx. 5%) may constitute a limiting factor for commercial exploitation, but carnauba seed oil could potentially be used in the production of biofuels, cosmet- ics and detergents.

Browning discoloration after cutting is detrimental for the quality of a number of fruits and vegetables, such as banana, apple, pear, potato, and some roots such as cassava, yam, and others. Browning and softening compromise banana after cut shelf-life in a few hours under cold storage. Therefore, anti-browning compounds have been applied to slices before packing. Some commonly used substances are calcium chloride, ascorbic acid, cysteine and citric acid, in immersed inchemical mixtures. Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of preserving fresh-cut banana immersed in sweetened fruit juice for relatively longer periods, favoring commercialization. This type of conservation, although widely used in Brazil for fruit salads, consists of a more complex system in a physiological basis, requiring adjustment of the solution parameters, such as sugar concentration, pH and acidity, considering the viability and freshness of the plant tissue. In this short review, we discuss some experimental data and present a new method for preserving fresh-cut banana. Reduction of enzymatic activity, either in temporary dipping treatment or permanent immersion of banana slices is regarded as a key factor for maintaining its quality during cold storage.

The study aimed to examine the response of cowpea Vinegar cultivarwith inoculation of rhizobia and Trichoderma spp. at cerrado environment in Gurupi – TO, in the years of 2011 and 2012. The experiment was conducted under field conditions and experimental design of randomized blocks, corresponding to the treatments: inoculation with rhizobia and Trichoderma spp. in the seed; the seed inoculation with rhizobia and Trichoderma spp. in the soil; the seed inoculation with rhizobia and Trichoderma spp. in the seed and soil; only inoculation with rhizobia; fertilized with nitrogen; and control non-inoculated and non-fertilized with nitrogen. Inoculation was performed with the rhizobia strains INPA 03-11B and UFLA 03-84. For treatments with Trichoderma spp. was used to inoculate commercial Trichoplus JCO powder formulation. The results indicated that the potential for nitrogen fixation of rhizobia strains tested, and the Trichoderma bioprotection was of fundamental importance for biomass, production, nodulation and yield, which may be related with the effective capacity to supply nitrogen and protection against pathogens. Generallythe inoculation with rhizobia and Trichoderma in the seed and soil, provided better results on the variables analyzed for both season, with higher productivity than other treatments