The study area covers all the territory of the municipality of Boa Vista, located in the Microrregião Homogênia dos Cariris Velhos, semi-arid region of the State of Paraíba. The main objective of this study was to elaborate space-temporal thematic maps of the land degradation expansion in the municipality of Boa Vista for the period 1987/2004, based on TM/Landsat-5 image analysis and field work data. The Landsat images digital processing was carried on the SPRING, v.4.2. The results had shown that in the study area are presented degradation levels varying from low to the very serious. The degradation levels very low, low, moderate and serious had their occurrence diminished in 2.59%, 11.80%, 12.86% and 0.88%, respectively during the period since 1987 to 2004. In opposing way, the areas of moderate serious and very serious degradation levels had increased in the period, with increments of 20.14% and 7.65%, respectively. The process of land degradation is more present in the neighborhoods of the rural houses and along the rivers, where the humidity of the ustifluvents soils guarantees better security for dry land agriculture and for the fodder plants for feeding live stocks in dry period. In the municipality the land degradation is resultant of a lack of conservation practical in the use of agricultural soils by the farmers, of a lack of an infrastructure for mitigating the drought effects and of a lack of public polices for a sustainable life in the semi-arid region.

The green fertilizing has been used to improve the physical-chemical properties of soil, to help the benefic microorganisms, to increase the organic matter and essentially to put the nutrients available to the plants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the production of fitomassa and the macronutrients contents of scarlet starglory in different phonological stages. An experiment was carried out in the agricultural year of 2005, in a completely randomized design with eight treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of following phenological stages: 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 days after seed germination of scarlet starglory. Plants of scarlet starglory were taken randomly, with a quadrate of 1.0 m x 1.0 m, and cut at 0.10 m from the soil level. The highest production of fitomass was obtained from 112 days after seed germination of scarlet starglory, with mean weight of fresh mass of 32.69 t ha-1. However, the content of dry matter was 11.07% of the fresh mass at 120 days after germination. The highest contents of N, P and K were obtained of plants with 15 days. Based on these results, it may be possible to use the scarlet starglory as a green fertilizer in the semi-arid condition of Rio Grande do Norte state.

Spodoptera frugiperda is a species polyphagous that attacks several cultures economically important in various countries. It is known in the larval phases as fall armyworm and it is to main curse of the culture of the corn in Brazil.It was found recently fed her in plantings of cassava in São Luís and Itapecuru Mirim (MA). As the knowledge of the biology of the insect is of fundamental importance for the development of handling strategies, inside of the integrated handling of curses, the work aimed at to study the biology and the behavior of S. frugiperda in cassava leaves, maids in laboratory conditions. 60 coming caterpillars of the creation were used in articial diet. After the appearance the larvas were individualized in disposable plastic glasses with capacity for 100 ml and fed with cassava leaves, that they were changed every other day, or according to need. The experiment was led in climate chamber, regulated for temperature of 25°C, relative humidity of 60 + 10% and fotofase of 14 hours. The appraised biological parameters demonstrated the medium duration of the total cycle of 39,93 days, distributed in 6 or 7 you urge, where the species presented larval viability, pupal and of superior adult to 75% and, percentile of of 4% and 22,97% in pupas and adults, respectively. The fecundity was of 70,84% and the adults' of 77,08% viability. Being ended that the culture of the cassava assists to the demands nutricionais of S. frugiperda.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of Litopenaeus vannamei postlarva submitted to different substitution levels of fish meal protein by meat and bone meal protein. A completely randomized design, in a 4x2 factorial arrangement was used. The first factor was substitution levels of fish meal protein by meat and bone meal protein (0, 25, 50 and 75%); and the second factor was the use of a commercial attractant (with and without). The system consisted of 40 plastic boxes with 50 L each, provided with aeration, biofilter and shelter for the shrimps, with water from a low salinity well combined with 1% of effluent from low salt water dessalinization. It was evaluated shrimp final weight, weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion rate and survive. It was observed that shrimp performance decreased with the increasing on substitution levels of fish meal protein by meat and bone meal protein; and the presence of commercial attractant on feeds resulted on higher final weight and weight gain, in relation to feeds without commercial attractant.

Soil salinity is a abiotic factor that can harmful of Rhizobium-legumes symbiosis, reducing plant nodulation and growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of saline stress on nodulation of cowpea inoculated with strain of Bradyrhizobium sp. The study was conduced out using plastic pots containing 5 kg of a Neossolo Quartzarênico typical órtico. The experimental design was randomized and the treatments consisted of five levels of salinity of irrigation water (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 dS m-1). The seeds inoculation was made using inoculant containing Bradyrhizobium sp, strain BR 2001. The evaluations were made at 35 days after plant emergence, being determined the nodule number and dry mass and shoot mass. The analysis of variance showed that there was significant effect for salinity levels on all variables. The regression analysis showed negative linear and quadratic responses for the nodule number and dry mass, respectively. In relation to the dry mass was observed negative linear response. Nodulation of cowpea was reduced by the salinity levels showing a sensibility of symbiosis to saline stress.

The experiment was carried out at Plant Health Department of the Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró, ESAM during the period of October to November of 2003, with the objective of evaluating the effect of different saline solution leveis on seed germination and development of seediings of song-thrush (Mimosa caesalpiniiflolia Benth.). A completely randomized experimental design was used with four treatments and four replicatíons of fifty seeds. The treatments consísted ofthree saline solutions (of 10, 20 and 30 dS/m) pius a control (0.614 dS/m). The seeds were incubated in sterilized sand into wood packing-case. The evaluated traits were emergency percentage, Índex of emergency speed, seediing height, number of leaves and seedlings fresh and dry mass. The increase of the leveis of solution salinity decreased the seediing height and Índex of emergency speed, besides of influencing on seed emergency percentage.

The measures of leaf area for methods no destructive to evaluate the growth certain plants during the whole cycle. The experiment aimed at to establish a mathematical model to esteem the leaf area of cowpea, through measures maximum of length and width of the foliole. The measures were accomplished in collected leaflets of plants cultivated in vases. The real leaf area was certain through a leaf integrator (model LI 3100 LICOR.) and in the choice of the models they were appraised the types: lineal and potential, with measures of the length (L), width (W), product LxW and it adds L+W. The mathematical models obtained by regression were applied to the destructive methods and no destructive, and compared to the dear leaf area and too real. Measures of leaf area of cowpea can be dear starting from equations potential and lineal with good precision. The equations that involve two measured biometrics, for adds and the product, present better adjustment in the potential equation. Measures of leaf area starting from mathematical models, for being a method no destructive, they allow analysis of growth of vegetables with reduced number plants. The leaf area cowpea can be dear for the equations: LA=¿(0.9915(LxW)0.9134) and LA=¿(0.6597(LxW)+2.1745).

A Caatinga vegetation was submitted to various grazing intensities (GI) by steers (1981-84) to verify their effect on ligneous stratum degradation. The study involved four GI: Heavy (1 steer/6.7 ha); Moderate (1 steer/10.0 ha); Light (1 steer/13.3 ha); Exclosure (no grazing). Areas under grazing varied from 40 to 80 ha, whereas exclosure had 20 ha. The research had two replications, occupying a total area of 400 ha. Data of woody species new plants density (NP) were determined annually in 1 m2 plots, and data of shrubs and trees density were determined by Point-Centered Quarter Method in 1982 and in 1984. NP density (Mean = 3.38 plants/m2) was neither affected by GI, nor by years, although it was highest in 1984 (3.83 plants/m2), the rainiest year. Taking into account the eight areas, there was linear relation (P<0.01) between 1982 and 1984 tree densities. There was linear relation between tree density and density of tree species in shrub stages in 1982, but not in 1984, because the drought probably affected shrubs but not trees. There was, for some tree and shrub species, linear relation between adult plant and NP densities. This fact occurred more in 1982. There was in 1983 a very high germination of the tree Tabebuia spongiosa (22.14 seedlings/m2), there being a linear relation (P<0.01) between NP and tree density.

The present work aimed to study the environment genotype interaction and estimate the componentssimple and complex of interaction as well as identify watermelon cultivars with phenotypic stability. Seven cultivars of watermelon were evaluated in six environments during the years of 1996, 1997 and 1998 in two location of Rio Grande do Norte State. The trait evaluated was the commercial fruits yield. The interaction Cultivar x Year wasn¿t significant, amount only to 3, 26 % of the total sum of square sum total of the source of variation. There wasn't interaction Cultivar x Location significant, however it explained 11,68 % of the total variation. The triple interaction was significant and explained 13,67 % of the total observed variation. The simple component was responsible for the most part of Cultivar x Environment interaction with about 61% of the total variation. The hybrid Jetstream had the best perfeormance with linear regression coeficient equal to unit, with regression deviation not significant, high coeficient of determination and average yield above the check.

The objective was to evaluate the horse behavior during the total time at leisure in testing of metabolism. Four male crossbred horses, with average age of eight years and alive weight of 376,09 kg, were used in an experimental delineation in Latin square (4 x 4), lodged in individual boxes. The treatments had been constituted by four diets: Alfalfa hay + Concentrated (ACSP); Tifton hay (low nutritional quality) + Concentrated (TCSP); Tifton hay (low nutritional quality) + Concentrated with Probiotic (TCCP); Alfalfa hay + Concentrated with Probiotic (ACCP). It was observed a statistical difference (P<0.05) in the percentages of total resting time, alert and head low, in the (ACSP) treatment, showing elevate value 76,85; 4,65 and 1.49%, respectively. The inquietude either showed a significative difference (P<0.05) showing values 5.29% for (ACCP) and (TCCP), respectively. The alimentary activities either showed a statistical difference (P<0.05) for (ACSP and ACCP), showing 10,45% average values. During prolonged resting times, the appeared of behavior disturbs were evident.