ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the root of vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Robert) on the soil Resistance to penetration (RP) in the margins of the lower São Francisco River. Vetiver grass seedlings were planted on the riverbank margins in order to increase soil resistance to erosion processes, and RP assessments were made at soil depths of 0-0.20, 0.20-0.40, and 0.40-0.60 m in different situations (near the plants and within rows). RP data was obtained using an automated penetrometer. Gravimetric moisture data was also collected, as well as particle size data by densimetry, and root density data by the monolith method. The results of the RP, moisture, and root density studies were subjected to analysis of variance (p <0.05) and then the averages were compared by the Tukey test using SISVAR software. The samples next to the vetiver grass showed an average RP of 1793.94 kPa and an average moisture content of 11.78%, statistically differing from that of the sampled points within rows. RP and soil moisture did not differ statistically at the depth assessed. The vetiver grass produced an adequate ground cover, leading to higher water retention and hence a reduced resistance to penetration. | RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da raiz de capim vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Robert) sobre a resistência à penetração (RP) das margens do Baixo São Francisco. Mudas de vetiver foram plantadas no talude do rio, a fim de aumentar a resistência do solo aos processos erosivos, com avaliações de Resistência à Penetração (RP) realizadas em profundidades de 0 a 0,20, 0,20 a 0,40, e 0,40-0,60 m em diferentes situações (próximo à planta e, nas entre linhas). Dados de RP foram obtidos utilizando um penetrômetro automatizado. Amostras de solo foram coletadas para a determinação da umidade assim como da textura do solo, que foi determinada por densimetria, a densidade das raízes pelo método monólito. Os resultados do RP, umidade, e estudos de densidade de raiz foram submetidos a análise de variância (p <0,05) e, em seguida, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey utilizando o software SISVAR. As amostras próximas ao vetiver apresentaram uma RP média de 1793,94 kPa e umidade média de 11,78%, diferindo estatisticamente dos pontos amostrados nas entrelinhas. RP e umidade do solo não diferiram estatisticamente com a profundidade do solo. O capim vetiver produziu uma cobertura do solo adequada, levando a uma maior retenção de água e, consequentemente, uma redução da resistência à penetração.

RESUMO O uso do percolado de aterro sanitário (PATS) na produção de biomassa para fins energético e biocombustível é uma alternativa que minimiza a degradação ambiental. Neste contexto, objetivou-se neste trabalho, analisar o efeito da aplicação de distintas proporções de percolado de aterros sanitários no cultivo de girassol (Helianthus annuus L.). O experimento foi conduzido com delineamento em blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos T1 - 100 % de água da rede de abastecimento - AA (Testemunha); T2 - 80 % de AA e 20 % de PATS; T3 - 60 % de AA e 40 % de PATS; T4 - 40 % de AA e 60 % de PATS; e, T5 - 20 % de AA e 80 % de PATS, e quatro repetições, totalizando 20 parcelas experimentais. O girassol foi cultivado em ARGISSOLO Vermelho - Amarelo eutrófico, durante 81 dias em Mossoró/RN. Durante o ciclo do girassol foram determinadas as características vegetativas altura de planta (AP), número de folhas (NF), diâmetro do caule (DCaule) e do capítulo (DCapítulo). Comprovou-se que para todas as variáveis estudadas houve diferença estatística entre os tratamentos. Em geral, o tratamento 60 % de AA e 40 % de PATS apresentou melhor desempenho com relação às características vegetativas do girassol. | ABSTRACT The use of landfill leachate (LL) to produce biomass for energy and biofuel purposes is an alternative that minimizes environmental degradation. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of using different rates of LL in the fertigation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crops. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with five treatments and four replications-20 experimental plots. The treatments consisted of control with 100% water from the water supply (WWS) (T1); 80% WWS + 20% LL (T2); 60% WWS + 40% LL (T3); 40% WWS + 60% LL (T4); and 20% WWS + 80% LL (T5). The sunflower crops were grown in a eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisol for 81 days, in Mossoró RN, Brazil. The plant characteristics evaluated-plant height, number of leaves, steam diameter and capitulum diameter-was determined. All variables evaluated presented statistical differences between treatments. In general, plants in the treatment 60% WWS + 40% LL presented better performance regarding the characteristics evaluated.

RESUMO O Rio Grande do Norte possui formações serranas que diferem das condições edafoclimáticas predominantes no estado, apresentando solos mais profundos, ácidos e clima mais ameno. Dentre estas formações, destaca-se a Serra de Santana, que está inserida na Formação dos Martins. Com isto, objetivou-se neste trabalho interpretar a pedogênese dos solos representativos da Serra de Santana através da caracterização morfológica, física e química de perfis de solos e relacionar a influência de tais atributos na distribuição das pedoformas ao longo da paisagem, utilizando ferramentas de análise multivariada. Foram realizadas análises morfológicas, físicas e químicas de sete perfis de solos que compõem a Serra de Santana, os quais foram classificados de acordo com o Sistema Brasileiro de Classificação do Solo e os dados submetidos a análise multivariada. As classes de solos representativas foram classificadas como: LATOSSOLO AMARELO Distrófico argissólico; LATOSSOLO AMARELO Eutróficoargissólico; NEOSSOLO QUARTZARÊNICO Órtico típico; NEOSSOLO LITÓLICO Eutrófico fragmentário; NEOSSOLO REGOLÍTICO Eutrófico típico e CAMBISSOLO HÁPLICO Tb Eutróficoléptico. Ao observar os atributos morfológicos percebeu-se que houve grande influência do material de origem na distinção das principais classes de solo encontradas na Serra. A classe textural dos perfis variou de areia a franco-argilo-arenosa. Em relação aos atributos químicos, todos os perfis apresentaram reação ácida, grande variação de saturação por bases entre os perfis e baixos valores de condutividade elétrica. A análise multivariada estabelece grupos de perfis de solos representativos da Serra de Santana através da distinção de atributos físicos e químicos principalmente dos horizontes subsuperficiais diagnósticos. | ABSTRACT Rio Grande do Norte has mountain formations with edaphoclimatic conditions different from those predominating in the state, presenting deeper,acid soils, and milder climate. Among these formations, is the Santana mountain range, which is part of the Serra do Martins Formation. The objective of this work was to interpret the pedogenesis of the representative soils of the Santana mountain range through morphological, physical, and chemical characterizations of soil profiles and evaluate the effect of these attributes on the distribution of pedological forms along the landscape using multivariate analysis. Morphological, physical, and chemical analyses of seven soil profiles of the Santana mountain range were performed. The soils were classified according to the Brazilian Soil Classification System and the data subjected to multivariate analysis. The representative soil classes found were: LATOSSOLO AMARELO Distrófico argissólico; LATOSSOLO AMARELO Eutrófico argissólico; NEOSSOLO QUARTZARÊNICO Órtico típico; NEOSSOLO LITÓLICO Eutrófico fragmentário; NEOSSOLO REGOLÍTICO Eutrófico típico and CAMBISSOLO HÁPLICO Tb Eutrófico léptico. According to the analysis of the morphological attributes, the parent material had great influence on the formation of the different soil classes found in the Santana mountain range. The soil textural classes varied from sand to sandy clay loam. According to the analysis of the chemical attributes, the soil profiles presented acid reaction, great variation of base saturation, and low electrical conductivity. The multivariate analysis established groups of representative soil profiles of the Santana mountain range through the distinction of their physical and chemical attributes, mainly of subsurface diagnostic horizons.

RESUMO O semiárido representa cerca de 70% da superfície do Nordeste brasileiro e o recurso forrageiro de maior expressão é a Caatinga, cobrindo aproximadamente 54% desta região. Porém, cerca de 40% dessa vegetação encontra-se em sucessão secundária e as áreas em processo de degradação de intensidade baixa a severa, já somam mais de 20 milhões de hectares, reflexo do uso intenso da terra, dentre elas o superpastejo. Objetivou-se avaliar a influência de diferentes doses de fósforo (0, 50 e 100 kg de P2O5 ha-1 ano), em área de Caatinga manipulada, sem pastejo por quatro anos, sobre a dinâmica da vegetação herbácea em diferentes épocas do ano. O experimento foi conduzido na Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada-UFRPE, durante os anos de 2015 a 2016. Foi utilizado delineamento em blocos casualizados, com três blocos e quatro repetições por bloco. A adubação fosfatada em áreas de exclusão ao pastejo promoveu aumento da massa de forragem do estrato herbáceo da Caatinga enriquecida, em todas as épocas de avaliação, com destaque para a época seca de 2016, que obeteve valores acima da média de 7950 kg de MS ha-1. Promoveu aumento da participação do capim-buffel na composição florística, elevando sua participação na área em torno de 74% para a dose máxima de fósforo utilizada. Neste sentido, a adubação fosfatada até 100 kg de P2O5 ha-1 ano, juntamente com a exclusão ao pastejo, pode ajudar na recuperação da Caatinga enriquecida com capim-buffel e otimizar a sua utilização diminuindo a formação de novas áreas de pastejo na Caatinga. | ABSTRACT The semi-arid region accounts for about 70% of the surface area of the Brazilian northeast, and the most important forage resource is the Caatinga, covering approximately 54% of this region. However, about 40% of this vegetation is in secondary succession. The areas in the process of degradation range from low to severe intensity, and total more than 20 million hectares, reflecting the intense use of the land, such as the overgrazing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different doses of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg P2O5 ha-1 year-1) on the dynamics of herbaceous vegetation at different times of the year, in a Caatinga area manipulated without grazing for four years. The experiment was conducted at the Serra Talhada-UFRPE Academic Unit during the years 2015 and 2016. We used a randomised block design with three blocks and four replicates per block. Phosphate fertilisation in grazing exclusion areas promoted an increase in forage mass of the enriched Caatinga herbaceous stratum at all evaluation times, especially in the dry season of 2016, which showed values above the average of 7950 kg DM ha-1. In addition, it promoted an increase in the participation of buffelgrass in the floristic composition, increasing its involvement in the area to around 74% at the maximum dose of phosphorus used. Thus, phosphate fertilisation at up to 100 kg of P2O5 ha-1 year-1, together with grazing exclusion, can help to recover the Caatinga enriched with buffelgrass and optimise its use by reducing the formation of new grazing areas in the Caatinga.

ABSTRACT New hybrid onions that are more productive are currently being cultivated. Information on growth and nutrient accumulation must thus be updated to assist in the refinement of existing recommendations, enabling the better exploitation of the productive potential of these new genotypes. We determined the growth of plants and the accumulation and export of nutrients of the short-day onion ‘Soberana’ established by direct seeding. The experimental design was a randomized block with four replicates and the treatments were evaluation times. Leaf number, tissue dry weight, nutrient accumulation, and the maximum daily rate of accumulation were evaluated throughout the growing cycle. The order of nutrient accumulation was (g plant-1) K (0.72) > Ca (0.38) > N (0.32) > S (0.14) > P (0.08) > Mg (0.06) and (mg plant-1) Fe (2.26) > Mn (1.43) > Cu (0.93) > Zn (0.91) > B (0.85). Macronutrient demand was highest between 61 and 148 days after sowing (DAS), and micronutrient demand was highest between 70 and 148 DAS. | RESUMO Novos híbridos de cebola mais produtivos estão sendo cultivados atualmente. Assim, informações sobre o crescimento e absorção de nutrientes devem ser atualizadas para auxiliar no refinamento das recomendações existentes, possibilitando melhor explorar o potencial produtivo desses novos genótipos. Objetivou-se com o trabalho determinar o crescimento, acúmulo e exportação de nutrientes do híbrido de cebola Soberana no sistema de semeadura direta. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, onde os tratamentos foram épocas de avaliação. Avaliou-se o número de folhas, massa seca, acúmulo de nutrientes e a taxa máxima de acumulo diário. A sequência de acúmulo de nutrientes foi (g planta-1): K (0,72) > Ca (0,38) > N (0,32) > S (0,14) > P (0,08) > Mg (0,06) e (mg planta-1) Fe (2,26) > Mn (1,43) > Cu (0,93) > Zn (0,91) > B (0,85). A exigência máxima dos macronutrientes ocorreu entre 61 e 148 dias após a semeadura (DAS) e dos micronutrientes entre 70 e 148 DAS.

The aim of this study was to assess the productive performance of cowpea cultivars with different growth habits as a function of population density in the MATOPIBA region, Brazil. The experiments were carried out in Magalhães de Almeida, MA in the agricultural season 2014/2015. The cultivars BRS Itaim, BRS Tumucumaque, and BRS Pajeú, which present an erect, semi-erect, and semi-prostrate growth habits, respectively, were assessed. For the erect and semi-erect cultivars, a total of 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 plants m−2 were used whereas for the semi-prostrate cultivar, a total of 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 plants m−2 were used. The experimental design was a randomized block design with four replications and treatments composed of plant densities. Grain yield and number of pods per area presented a quadratic response to the increased plant density whereas a decreasing linear response was observed for the number of pods per plant. The maximum grain yield of erect, semi-erect, and semi-prostrate cultivars were 1,076 kg ha−1 (19.5 plants m−2), 1,252 kg ha−1 (18.7 plants m−2), and 755 kg ha−1 (14.5 plants m−2), respectively. The number of pods per area was the character that most correlated (P<0.01) with grain yield, regardless of the plant growth habit.

The tall coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) has great socioeconomic importance in Brazil and was first introduced on the coast of the north-eastern region, where it has been exploited in a semi-extractivist manner. The goal of this study was to quantify the genetic divergence between accessions introduced and preserved at the International Coconut Genebank for Latin America and the Caribbean, estimate the efficiency of descriptors used in the discrimination of the accessions, and indicate the essential descriptors for the activities of characterisation and evaluation. The accessions used were: Polynesia Tall; Tonga Tall; West African Tall; Rennel Tall; Rotuma Tall; Vanuatu Tall; Malayan Tall and Brazilian Tall Praia-do-Forte. Thirty-five quantitative descriptors recommended for the species were used. Genetic divergence was estimated by the Mahalanobis’s generalised distance and the cluster analysis was performed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). The relative importance of the descriptors was measured according to Singh and Jolliffe’s methods, and the variables were selected taking into consideration the matching information in the two methods, eliminating those that were discarded in the two procedures. The agronomic characteristics indicated that the first canonical variable explained 90.25% of total variance. The most efficient descriptors for detecting the genetic divergence were: fruit equatorial circumference; nut polar and equatorial circumference; quantity of liquid endosperm; total fruit weight; nut weight; stem height; girth of stem at 1,5m height; number of leaflets; and number of bunches. The most dissimilar accessions according to the agronomic characteristics were Rotuma Tall and West African Tall, which can be primarily indicated as genitors for the formation of segregating populations in breeding programmes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of parts of leguminous trees on the growth and nutrition of maize (Zea mays L.), as well as on the chemical attributes of a degraded soil, 65 days after applying the residues. The experiment was conducted in pots, in a randomized block design with ten treatments and four replicates. The evaluated treatments were: T1 - No residues of leguminous trees, T2 - Leaves of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, T3 - Branches of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, T4 - Leaves + branches of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, T5 - Leaves of Mimosa hostilis, T6 - Branches of Mimosa hostilis, T7 - Leaves + branches of Mimosa hostilis, T8 - Leaves of Gliricidia sepium, T9 - Branches of Gliricidia sepium and T10 - Leaves + branches of Gliricidia sepium. Pots were filled with soil from a degraded area and residues were added in the form of green mass after sowing the maize. Residues of leguminous trees positively influenced maize growth at 65 days after application and favored the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the shoots. Green fertilizers improved soil chemical attributes at 65 days after application, especially nitrate-N (NO3 --N), ammonium-N (NH4 +-N), total inorganic N (NO3 --N + NH4 +-N) and K, demonstrating that these species are good options for recovering degraded areas in the semi-arid region of Ceará.

The Brazilian bocachico, Prochilodus brevis, is a rheophilic fish. Although there is evidence that this species shows reproductive seasonality in the wild, in captivity hormonal induction techniques allow semen sampling in different seasons. This study aimed to compare the kinetics, morphology and biochemical composition of the semen of Brazilian bocachico in captivity when hormonally induced to breed in the reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. During sampling spermiation was hormonally induced in breeders. The concentrations of total protein, glucose, fructose, triglyceride, calcium and chloride were evaluated with biochemical kits. The pH data (6.5 to 8.5) suggest semen requires alkaline conditions, as expected for freshwater fish. Seminal plasma contained more protein (1.51 ± 0.06 dL g-1), glucose (79.44 ± 1.88 mg dL-1) and triglycerides (61.59 ± 8.10 mg dL-1) in the non-reproductive than the reproductive season, but calcium ions (15.98 ± 1.02 mg dL-1) showed the opposite pattern. There was a significant seasonal difference in sperm morphology, with a higher percentage of normal sperm in the reproductive season. From these data it can be concluded that the physical, kinetic, morphological and biochemical characteristics of semen of captive Prochilodus brevis are influenced by reproductive season.

Soil physical and chemical analyses are relatively high-cost and time-consuming procedures. In the search for alternatives to predict these properties from a reduced number of soil samples, the use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) has been pointed out as a great computational technique to solve this problem by means of experience. This tool also has the ability to acquire knowledge and then apply it. This study aimed at using ANNs to estimate the physical and chemical properties of soil. The data came from the physical and chemical analysis of 120 sampling points, which were submitted to descriptive analysis, geostatistical analysis, and ANNs training and analysis. In the geostatistical analysis, the semivariogram model that best fitted the experimental variogram was verified for each soil property, and the ordinary kriging was used as an interpolation method. The ANNs were trained and selected based on their assertiveness in the mapping of considered standards, and then used to estimate all soil properties. The mean errors of ordinary kriging estimates were compared to those of ANNs and then compared to the original values using Student's t-Test. The results showed that the ANN had an assertiveness compatible with ordinary kriging. Therefore, such technique is a promising tool to estimate soil properties using a reduced number of soil samples.