In semiarid regions the irrigation is essential for obtaining high yields and fruit quality of pine- apple. The objective of this work was to evaluate the vegetative characteristics, fruit and slips production and fruit quality of pineapple, under different drip irrigation depth. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with five treatments replacement of class A evaporation pan (PAN), with 4 replications. The vege- tative growth, flowering, production and fruit quality and slips production were evaluated. The plants of pine- apple that have received regarding the irrigation at 30, 50, 70, 100 and 150% of PAN do not differ for the char- acteristics of productivity, fruit weight with and without crown diameter and fruit length, skin color, total solu- ble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), TSS / TTA and pH of the pulp. The pineapple 'Perola' has greater vegetative growth in irrigation depth applied between 67,1 and 79,1% of PAN. The natural flowering cumulative total is greater in depth corresponding to 70% of PAN. The slips production per plant and slips pro- ductivity is greater in depth corresponding to 85% of PAN.

For applications in water management, estimation of evapotranspiration is a critical term in the water balance, to establish a sustainable development of activities that requires such action. So it is necessary to more accurately estimate the reference evapotranspiration (ETo). The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of daily ETo values obtained for 12 empirical methods by comparing them with the Penman- Monteith FAO. The meteorological data used for the empirical models were measured in the National Institute of Meteorology automatic meteorological station installed at the experimental station in Rafael Fernandes, Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid, Mossoró, RN. Even with some methods presenting divergences from the standard method in the months of the highest water demand with an absolute error of approximately 0.99 to 1.67, it could infer that the most suitable methods based on the performance index greater than 0.76 were: Benevides and Lopez (1970), Linacre (1983), Bruin (1979), Jensen and Hayse (1963) and Priestley and Taylor (1972), in that order, thus it may represent satisfactorily the ETo. The methods that require fewer climatic elements such as Benevides and Lopez (c = 0.85) and Linacre (c = 0.79) performed better than more complex to estimate ETo in daily periods at any time of year.

Combretum leprosum Mart. is a tree species native of the Caatinga, used in the restoration of degraded areas and in folk medicine. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the germination and vigor of the seeds subjecting them to different pre-germinative treatments, temperatures and substrates. In the first experi- ment, we tested the pre-germinative treatments: mechanical scarification with sandpaper, chemical scarification with H2SO4 for 1, 5, 10 and 20 minutes, immersion in water at 80 oC and imbibition in distilled water for 24 hours, beyond of the control. In the second experiment, after treatment of imbibition in water for 24 hours, the experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 5 x 4 (five substrates: into paper, sand, coconut fiber, vermiculite and paper towel organized in the form of rolls; and four temperatures: 25, 30, 35 and 20-30 oC). The following parameters were evalueted: seed moisture content, germination, germination speed index, first germination count and seedling length and dry matter weight. The seeds of Combretum leprosum have not coat dormancy. However, pre-germinative treatments of mechanical scarification with sandpaper and imbibi- tion in water for 24 hours allows better expression of seeds vigor. The paper towel and the temperatures of 25, 30 and 20-30 oC provide adequate conditions for evaluating the germination of Combretum leprosum seeds.

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.

The use of natural coagulants and organic filters locally produced and low financial cost can provide attenuation problems in discharge of wastew aters, without treatment, into watercourses. Was ev aluated in this study the efficiency of the coagulation pro cess, using the Ca(OH) 2 in the preparation of Moringa seed extract, followed by filtration sawdust in the trea tment of sewage. In the tank of 150 L containing se wage was added a solution of the moringa seed extract prepar ed with Ca(OH) 2 0.011 mol L -1 at a concentration of 2.2 grams of seed per liter of wastewater to be treated . The coagulated effluent was applied to organic fi lter and the filtrate volume was converted in pore volume. Physi cal and chemical analyses were carried out in the i nfluent and effluent of the two treatment structure for the evaluation of treatment efficiency. The treatments by coagu- lation followed by filtration provided removals of 98.0, 75.3, 75.8, 75.0, 79, 7, 59.0 and 88.3% of tu rbidity, Total Solids, Total Fixed Solids, Total Volatile So lids, Total Suspended Solids, Suspended Solids Fixe d and Volatile Suspended Solids and of 51.2, 88.7, 72.6; 33.5 and 38.5% of Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Chemic al Oxygen Demand, Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Sodium.

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.

The correct time to make the ridging and spacing of plants in the rows are factors that affect the development of potato culture and its effects need to be better known to assist in establishing best management alternatives. The study was conducted on the campus of Universidade Estadual do Centro Oeste (Unicentro) in Guarapuava, Paraná State, Brazil. The objective was to evaluate the effects of different times of ridging and spacing of plants on the rows in characteristics of the vegetative development of potato plants, Ágata, to estab- lish the best alternative for managing these factors. The design was completely randomized in a factorial 4 x 4, composed by four management of ridging (at planting, at 10 days after the emergency of plants (DAE), 20 DAE and without ridging) and four spacing of plants in the row (16, 22, 28 and 34 cm). It was concluded that ridging in the planting and the largest spacing of plants in the row in the range between 16 and 34 cm are the best management options for these factors, due to its decrease in the occurrence of mechanical damage in the canopy and further development of vegetation potato plants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of varieties of common bean in notillage on biomass of fallow vegetation as a function of crop fertilization. The study was conducted at Bujari, AC. The experimental design was a randomized complete block split plot with four replications. The experiment consisted in the cultivation of three varieties of common bean in no-tillage on weed straw, with and without fertilization at planting subplot. The variables analyzed were grain yield, final stand, number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod and weight of hundred grains. The data were submitted to the F test and means were compared by Tukey test (p<0,05). The bean variety Carioca Pitoco has better grain yield than the Carioca and Rosinha varieties on the first year of no-tillage system. The crop fertilization increases the yield of varieties of beans grown on straw till the fallow vegetation.

The present study verified the consumption capacity of Ceraeochrysa cubana when fed nymphs of Aleurocanthus woglumi. The experiments were conducted at the Laboratory of Entomology, Departamento de Fitotecnia e Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Paraíba – Areia/PB. Was used a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement. The research was conducted in climatic chamber, regulated to 26 ± 2ºC, 70 ± 10% relative humidity and 12 hours photophase. The predation of C. cubana was evaluated for the three larval instars (1st, 2nd and 3rd), and as prey, nymphs of 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th instars of A. woglumi, with 10 repetitions per treatment. The larvae were individualized in Petri dishes (9.0 x 1.5 cm), with as standard food (control) Sitotroga cerealella eggs. The consumption among the predator instar among nymphs was higher and increasing for the first instar nymphs of A. woglumi. The total predation among the predator instar was higher when fed with nymphs of first instar of A. woglumi. The predator when fed with second instar nymphs of A. woglumi had higher intake in the 3rd larval stage. The green lacewing C. cubana is promising as a control agent of A. woglumi in biological control program, considering the infestations with nymphs of first instar of A. woglumi.

This work aimed to evaluate the repellent and deterrent effect of the application of concentra- tions of neem and chinaberry oil on bean leaves on the leaf beetles Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) and Cero- toma arcuata (Olivier). The concentrations of neem oil tested were 0.625, 1.25, 2.50, 5.00, 10.00 and 20,00 mL, corresponding respectively to 1, 2, 4, 8, 17 and 33 ppm of azadirachtin A and the concentrations of china- berry oil used were the same used to neem oil, corresponding, however, to 1.875, 3.75, 7.50, 15.00, 30.00 and 60.00 mg mL-1 of chinaberry extract, respectively. For the free-choice tests, glass containers were used as are- nas, whereas for the no-choice tests Petri dishes were used, where in both one insect per treatment was released in the center. Attractiveness was evaluated in predetermined time periods, in addition to the leaf consumption, at the end of the experiment. Neem oil is repellent to D. speciosa and C. arcuata, with more efficient results at the 5.00, 10.00 and 20.00 mL concentrations. All concentrations of neem oil reduce leaf consumption of both insects, except in the no-choice test with D. speciosa, in which only the 10.00 and 20.00 mL concentrations are deterrent. Chinaberry oil provides high repellent activity on both leaf beetle species, and the 10.00 and 20.00 mL concentrations stood out. The 10.00 and 20.00 mL concentrations of chinaberry oil are deterrent to D. spe- ciosa and C. arcuata.