Water is a limiting factor for crop yields, for example yellow passion fruit, requiring from use of irrigation due to limitation of surface waters. This study aimed to evaluate irrigation levels and fruits quality in yellow passion fruit production in Semiarid conditions, thus an experiment was carried out. The seedlings were grown in greenhouse and transplanted in the field spacing 4 m x 2 m. The treatments studied were five water levels: 60; 80; 100; 120 and 140% from ETo, applied through drip irrigation with 4 repetition. The parameters evaluated were average fruit weight (g), yield (t ha-1), the pulp yield with seed (%), juice yield (%) and skin percentage (%). The results obtained in the experiment showed that the highest yield of hybrid passion fruit with average weight over 150 g, and the highest yield was obtained with the blade of 120% ETo. The yield of pulp with seeds was negatively affected by increased volumes of water for irrigation. Can use plant 120% ETo for the irrigation of yellow passion fruit 'IAC 273/277¿ to optimize production and improve fruit quality in semiarid conditions.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a uniformidade de aplicação de efluente de três sistemas de irrigação abastecidos com diferentes características de esgoto doméstico do condomínio residencial Bosque Acamari, em Viçosa-MG. O experimento foi realizado em área de pesquisa da Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), em Viçosa-MG. Montaram-se três sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento, abastecidos com esgoto doméstico preliminar (EDP), esgoto de tratamento secundário (EDS) e esgoto de tratamento terciário (EDT). Cada sistema de irrigação foi composto por filtro de discos e gotejadores não autocompensantes com vazão nominal de 1,7 L h-1. A uniformidade de aplicação de efluente foi obtida a cada 100 h, totalizando 500 h de operação, com os Coeficientes de Uniformidade de Distribuição (CUD) e de Uniformidade Estatística (Us). Foram realizadas determinações físico-químicas e microbiológicas nos esgotos domésticos. Conclui-se que as características ferro total e coliformes totais representam risco severo de obstrução para gotejadores abastecidos com EDP, EDS e EDT, enquanto para as características manganês total, magnésio e cálcio tal risco é baixo. A formação de biofilme de sólidos suspensos e bactérias foi a principal causa de obstrução de gotejadores. Os valores de CUD e Us apresentaram, após 500 h de operação, redução de 61 e 54%; 27 e 24%; e 57 e 59%, respectivamente, para os sistemas de irrigação abastecidos com EDP, EDS e EDT.

Substrates containing 0, 10, 20, and 40% (v/v) of urban waste compost were evaluated for the production of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) seedlings in polytube containers. At 40 days after planting, growth characteristics and macro nutrient content in shoot were determined. The urban waste compost added to the substrate promoted increase in Jatropha plants growth. The maximum growth was obtained with the estimated dose of 24% of compost mixed with subsoil material. Increments in the dose of compost caused linear increase in K, Mg, and S shoot content, but N and Ca contents were reduced by dilution, as the shoot dry mass increased more than the uptake of those nutrients.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the performance of lactating 5/8 cross-breed Holstein/ Zebu cows, and digestibility of diets with different levels (0%; 5.5%; 13.0%; 20.5% and 26.0%) of melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruits in replacement to wheat bran, on dry matter basis. Five cows averaging 380 kg and 10 kg of daily milk production were used. The experiment was conducted in a 5x5 latin square design, including five animals, five experimental periods and five levels of melon fruits addition. The length of each period of evaluation was 14 days (seven for the adaptation of the animals to the diets and seven for data collection). The intake of dry matter (DM) (kg/day, %BW and g/kg0.75), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TCH), ether extract (EE) was unaffected (P>0,05) by the levels of melon fruits (12.52; 3.20; 142.42; 11.62; 1.29; 8.15; 10.21 and 0.41, respectively). Crude protein (CPD) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFD) digestibilities decreased linearly, and the digestibility of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFCD) increased linearly. The estimative for total digestible nutrients (TDN) presented a quadratic response with the addition of increasing levels of melon fruits in the diet. Milk production and fat corrected milk production, averaging 9.09 and 9.78 kg/day respectively, increased linearly with the increment of melon fruits participation in the diets, which points out a possibility for utilization of this co-product to feed dairy cows.

The aim of this research was to investigate the similarity of water quality in space and time in the upland of Salgado watershed, Ceará, Brazil. Multivariate analysis/Cluster Analysis was used for this investigation. Water samples were took in nine stations, spread out along the rivers during March, May, July, August and September, 2005, totalizing 45 samples. The water quality attributes analyzed were: electrical conductivity (EC), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO4-2), soluble orthophosphate (OPS), nitrate (NO3-), dissolved oxygen (DO), bicarbonate alkalinity (BA), total coliforms (TC) and turbidity (T). Four homogeneous groups were identified. The water samples collected at rainfall season defined the dissimilarity of group 1 in relation to the others. This group showed the best water quality due to the dilution of salts. Water samples collected during the end of rain-fall season and began of dry season formed group 2. Waters sampled at dry season in stations located down of discharge point of effluents defined group 3. These stations presented the highest concentrations of Cl-, EC, SO4-2 and TC. The values of NO3- and TC defined the similarity of group 4. Although Cl-, SO4-2, DO, and TC influenced the cluster definition, the most important variables were EC and NO3-. The water quality similarity was defined by two factors: punctual pollution and climatic seasonality.

Among the factors that affect the production of coffee distinguishes itself by its high nitrogen demand. The aim of the current paper was to evaluate the productivity of coffee plants, the leaf N level critical stages of grain maturation and export of N, depending on the nitrogen, in order to optimize its recommendation. The experiment was performed in Garanhuns - PE, in a plantation crop. The experimental design was completely used with six treatments (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 kg ha-1 of N) and four replications. The productivity with the maximum economic efficiency was of 54 bags for hectare of benefited coffee for an application of 196.43 kg ha-1 of N, which represented a decrease of 41.85% in nitrogen. The critical nitrogen ranged from the filling phase to maturity, and their values, from 25.72 to 27.19 g kg-1 and 29.24 to 29.6 g kg-1. For a dose of 328.62 kg ha-1 of N, it was the largest export of this element by the fruit that was 204.31 kg ha-1 of N.

The determination of leaf area is of interest to producers and sectors of research, and techniques should be simple, quick and accurate. This study aimed to compare methods for estimating leaf area of Barbados cherry in orchard. 60 leaves were collected randomly, and after collection, were measurements of leaf area by five methods: squares, linear dimensions, leaf area integrator AM 300, leaf disks and Digital Image Analysis (Scanner). All methods were compared with the reference method (scanner), based on the criterion of determination coefficient of linear regression (R2). The method that is closer to the leaf area of reference was the integrator portable AM 300.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate economical viability and steers performance in grazing receiving supplements with increasing levels of crude protein in the rainy season and its correlation with the pasture's composition. The test animals were 21 not castrated steers supplemented with mineral supplement and multiple supplements with 20% and 40% of crude protein and heavy at the beginning and the end of the experiment, after being submitted to fasting from liquids and solids for 14 hours. For analysis of the economic viability was used the difference between the Total Revenue and Total Cost. The protein supplementation didn't influence of the animals performance in grazing. The average daily gain of animals was 0.849 kg. The content of crude protein in the cell wall was negatively correlated with animal performance, and the structural characteristics of the pasture just the mass of forage showed a strong and positive correlation. This activity in the studied period presented economic viability when considered return on capital of 8% a year.

Faced with the need for conservation of water resources it is necessary to better irrigation management. The objective of this research was to analyse the water requirement in Pernambuco State, Brazil, represented by the evapotranspiration reference (ET0), in diferents regimes annuals of precipitation: rainfall, regular and dry. The ET0 values were estimated through the Thornthwaite e Mather (1955) method starting from data originated by the registration of 45 climatological stations of the SUDENE (Superintendence of Northeast Development). In general, the results showed that the ET0 were variable on the three Mesoregion, reaching medium values from 915 to 1.549 mm year-¹. The Pernambuco State presents an annual water deficit in approximately 70% of its total area. The months that presented the greatest and smallest water requirements in the State were January and July, respectively. The knowledge of spacial and temporal distribuition of ETo on Mesoregions of Pernambuco bring benefits to producers who can make water management more suited to local crops.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the vegetative growth, the chemical composition, the rain use efficiency and to determine the green and dry matter production of cactus forage cv. Italian (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.), depending on planting spacing. The research was carried out at (EMEPA), in Soledade- Pb, from April 2007 to June 2008. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four repetitions. In order to evaluate crop under the four planting spacing (1 x 1; 1 x 0.5; 2 x 1; 2 x 0.5 m ) we measured plant height, number of cladodes per plant, and the order, length, width, perimeter, thickness and area of cladodes. There were no treatment effects (P > 0.05 ) on any of the growth variables evaluated, except for plant height and cladode width. The cactus pear showed low levels of fibrous carbohydrates, and planting spacing influenced levels of neutral detergent fiber. The phytomass production per area and rain use efficiency by cactus pear increased with increases in planting densities, with higher values observed for the spacing of 1 x 0.5 m; resulting in a greater quantity of forage produced per area and per unit of rain.