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.

Considering the Sumé Irrigated Perimeter revitalization process the present work aims, throughout the soil chemical characterization of the area diagnostic the soil situation and offer subsidies to allow an adequate soil management. On the experimental area (33 plots totalizing 33 ha) soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depth and characterized chemically. The obtained results were statistically using classical descriptive statistical techniques. With the exception of the organic matter, the others chemical properties are in adequate levels for the crop development. It is recommended, however, the incorporation of organic matter in the area soils. No salinity or sodicity hazards were founded in the analyzed soil samples. Different variation coefficients were observed on the analyzed chemical properties.

In aim to evaluate the nutritional value of shrimp meal its proximate chemical analyzed and a metabolism trial were done. The analyses performed on shrimp meal were dry mater (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), gross energy (GE), calcium (Ca), and phosphorous (P). In the digestibility trial sixty broilers with fourteen days old were allocated in a completely randomized experimental design composed by three treatments, four replicates and five broilers per experimental unit. Treatments were a reference standard diet and two trial diets with 30 or 40% of substitution on the reference standard diet. Shrimp meal analyses resulted in 91.81 % DM, 16.31 % ASH, 66.01 % CP, 17.31 % EE, 9.38 % CF, 4726.51 kcal/kg GE, 4.70 % calcium and 1.44 % phosphorus in dry matter. Digestibility coefficient of DM from diets and shrimp meal does not differ but values for EE digestibility differed. In the levels of 30 and 40 % inclusion the mean calculated values of Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME) for shrimp meal were 3,690 and 3,800, for AME nitrogen corrected (AMEn) the values were 3,478 and 3,554 kcal/kg, respectively.

This study evaluated the effect of different temperatures and light conditions on Ocimum basilicum L. seed germination. The treatments were the temperatures of 20ºC, 25ºC and 30ºC and two different light expositions (constant dark and 8h of light plus 16h of dark). The tested variables were first count germination and germination percentage. The treatments consisted of 200 seeds, with four replications of 50 seeds each, sown on filter of paper for 14 days on germination chamber. The completely randomized design was used and the averages compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. The specie of Ocimum basilicum is positive photoblastic and temperature of 30ºC was the best condition for seed germination.

An experiment was carried out at Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró - RN, for screening the effect of substrate for germination of seeds and seedling growth of Moringa oleifera Lam. It was utilized a completely randomized design with four treatments (substrates: T1= 75% sand + 25% bovine manure, T2= 100% washed sand, T3= 75% sand + 25% worm castings and T4= 75% sand + 25% sawdust) and four replications of 25 seeds. The seeds were sown in the substrates contained in wooden boxes (7,5 cm long x 23,5 cm wide x 39 cm deep). Each box was filled with approximately 6 kg of substrate. The substrates were irrigated once a day (until the tenth day), then twice a day until the end experiment (19 th day). Seedling height, root length, number of leaves, whole seedling fresh and dry matter weights, germination velocity index and germination percent were evaluated. It was concluded that the mix 75% sand + 25% worm castings was the most suitable for the initial growth of moringa and the substrate containing 100% sand provided the best germination index for this species.

The germplasm bank of cucurbitaceae, sited at Semi-Arid Embrapa in Petrolina-PE comprises different species of cucurbitaceae family, out of which 600 accessions of Citrullus spp. Forty two accessions from the germplasm bank plus the Crimson Sweet cultivar were submitted to morphological evaluation in order to study the genetic variability of accessions collected in three different regions from the State of Bahia (Chapada Diamantina; Irecê e Vitória da Conquista). The field trial was set in a randomized block design with three replications. Thirteen phenotypic descriptors to evaluate plant and fruit characteristics were used. The data were submitted to a variance analysis and the means were compared using Scott-Knott at 5% probability. The analysis of variance among accessions from different regions showed significant differences for eleven characters except number of stems per plant and rind thickness in the peduncle region. The accessions formed two different groups for most of the descriptions, but, fruit mean weight and sugar content presented four and three groups, respectively showing higher genetic variability, the variation among accessions within each region was significant. Irecê and Vitória da Conquista presented the higher and the smaller variation among the accessions, respectively. Therefore, the genetic variability of watermelon accessions in the tree regions of the State of Bahia and some accessions presented useful characters to be incorporated in watermelon breeding programs.

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.

Different rooting average were tested to identify those whch would provide the best conditions for growth of mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru P.. DC.), facheiro (Pilosocereus pachycladus Ritter), xiquexique (Pilosocereus gounellei (A. Webwr ex K. Schum.) Bly. ex Rowl.) and coroa-de-frade (Melocactus bahiensis Britton & Rose). five different compositions for rooting average were (sand; soil; sand + soil; sand + cattle manure; soil + cattle manure) the study was carried out from september of 2004 to december of 2005, in an area room temperature at Embrapa semi-arid, Petrolina, PE, Brazil. the substrate composed with sand + cattle manure and soil + cattle manure rooting medium showing the highest rates. In relation to the development of the system to radicular of the cactáceas was verified that in treatment 1 (sand) all had presented the biggest values in length terms. The growth in height of the cactáceas was influenced by different analyzed substrata. Between substrate, optimum cattle manure was with ground.

The objective of this work was to evaluate sowing depth and seed dormancy breaking method in the formation of seedlings of the soursup rootstock cv RBR. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions at the orchard of the Lavras Federal University - UFLA. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in a two factors arrangement (4x3), with four replicates and five plants per plot. The dormancy breaking treatments were: witness (control); immersion in water (25 °C for 12 hours); immersion in water (25 °C per 24 hours) and side cut on the seed. The seeds were sowed at 1, 2 and 3 cm of profundity. The characteristics evaluated were germination velocity; germination percentage and after 120 days of sowing the seedlings height (cm); rootsand aerial part fresh matter (g) and roots and aerial part dry matter (g) were also evaluated. There was notinteraction of dormancy brake treatments with the seeds profundity. Seed germination was not influenciated by theprofundity that the seeds were sowed. The side cut on the seed did not provide different results of germination percentage and germination velocity compared to the other treatments, but presented higher of seedlings height.

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 differencesfor 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.