The objective of this study was to compare the weather data obtained from both conventional (CWS) and automatic (AWS) weather stations, in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil (latitude: 21º14'05" S, longitude: 48º17'09" W and altitude: 613,68m), from July 1997 to June 2002. Daily data were collected and analyzed statistically by regression analysis. The results showed a good relationship between CWS and AWS, specially for air mean temperature, minimum temperature, maximum temperature and rainfall. Air humidity and atmospheric pressure showed the highest errors, respectively equal to 5,69% and 3,64 hPa. Wind velocity at 2m did not show good precision and accuracy because its estimation for CWS.

The objective of this work was to study the behavior of ten soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars using the electrical conductivity (EC) test by the comparison of curves of the accumulative electrolyte leakage along the time and to establish the statistical model that allow the best adjust of the curves. Ten soybean cultivars were used and they were mechanically harvested in 2004 in the EEA Oliveros, Santa Fe, Argentina. Measurements of EC were made for 100 individual seeds of each cultivar during 20 hours of immersion at intervals of 1 hour using an equipment that permit an individual seed analysis (Seed Automatic Analyzer SAD 9000S). There were proposed two statistical models to study the EC along the time of the 10 cultivars studied using SAS Statistics Program, to select the model that better allow us to understand the EC behavior along the time. Model 1 allowed to make comparisons of EC along the time between cultivars and to study the influence of the production environment on the physiological quality of soybean seeds. The time to reach the stabilization of the EC must not be lower than 19 hours for the different cultivars.

Some physical and chemical characteristics of Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth. wood were analyzed in order to study its potentiality as alternative specie to produce tannins. The polyphenols (tannins) were avaliated by Stiasny reaction. The wood from this specie showed an average of 41.1% and 58.9% for heartwood and sapwood respectively. The average quantity of extracts was 9.0%. The contents of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin were 32.8%, 33.2% and 24.6% respectively. The averages of polyphenols (Stiasny index) for heartwood and sapwood, were 96% and 42% respectively. The highest tanni ns content was in the heartwood with content of 11.5%. The results showed that is possible to use Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia as a source of condensed tannins.

The aim of this work was to evaluate methods for overcoming Jitirana's (Merremia cissoides) seeds dormancy. The treatments were: immersion of Jitirana's seeds in sulfuric acid during 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 minutes and control (no treatment). The experiment was carried out in the completely randomized design, with ten treatments and four replications, with 20 seeds each. The variables evaluated were: germination percentage, germination speed index, medium time for germination, dry weight and height of seedling obtained 16 days after sowing. The immersion of seeds in sulfuric acid during 50 minutes is an efficient method to overcome dormancy and promotes germination, enabling quickly and greater Jitirana's seedling emergence.

The experiment was carried with the objective of evaluating the adaptability of the breeds goats to Semiárid through physiologic parameters: rectal temperature, respiratory frequency and surface temperature and the structures of the tegument: perspiration glands, fat of glands and hair follicles. 40 female were used goat, of the breeds Anglo-Nubiana, Savana, Boer and Moxotó, being 10 animals of each breed, with medium age of five months. For the physiologic answers, he animals were allocated into a completely randomized design entirely in portions subdivided in the time, with the main treatments constituted by the breeds and the secondary ones by the shifts. For the study steorologic of the tegument was used in a completely randomized design entirely with four treatments and three repetitions. There was in significant teraction (P<0.05) between breed and shift, for the rectal and surface temperature. The breed Savanna it presented larger medium (P<0.05) for respiratory frequency and the Anglo-Nubiana to medium smallest (P<0.05). There was significant difference (P<0.05) regarding the number of hair follicles for breed Anglo-Nubiana that presented the smallest number, differing significantly (P<0.05) of the breeds Savanna and Moxotó that presented the largest averages, however these didn't differ (P>0.05) of the Boer breed. The breed Anglo-Nubiana it presented larger number of glands perspiration (P<0.05) and the breed Savanna presented the largest average of fat of glands (P<0.05). The studied breeds demonstrated to be physiological well adapted and with characteristics of the favorable tegument to the climatic conditions of semiarid.

Today there is still a search for substrates economical, easy to use, available in large quantities and good characteristics for the production of seedlings, so are many substrates available. Thus, an experiment was conducted using different substrates for the production of yellow passion fruit seedlings at the University Vale do Rio Doce in Governador Valadares - MG, from November 2007 to January 2008. The objective was to evaluate different commercial substrates and a substrate used by small farmers in the region, associated with different rates of mineral fertilizer 8-28-16 (0, 21.4 and 42.8 g / plant) on the initial growth of two new cultivars (FB100 and FB200). We evaluated the physiological characteristics of seedlings. It was found that the cultivar FB 200 had the best vegetative growth, the substrate manure + soil was the best for cultivar FB 200, together with the plantmax® was superior to coconut fiber in the initial growth of cultivar FB 100 and the increasing rates of fertilizer stimulated the growth of seedlings.

Lettuce has highlight as an important crop for human consumption, to having good flavor and important nutritional characteristics and potassium is one of the main nutrients that crop. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of potassium in morphological and physiological lettuce responses in South of Tocantins State. The experimental design was randomized block in factorial scheme of 4 x 6 with three replications. Four levels were evaluated of K2O: 0; 100; 200 and 300 kg ha-1 in six development stages: 15; 22; 29; 36; 43 and 50 days after emergency. Was determine the specific leaf area, net assimilation rate, relative growth rate and abso-lute growth rate, as well as the leaf, stem and root weight. During the duration of the experiment occurred high temperatures that caused a physiological disorder known as tipburn, which compromises calcium uptake by the plant. The potassium levels did not influence the morphological and physiological responses of lettuce as well did not significant differences among levels for leaf, stem and root weight. The partition of assimilates in the plants was influenced by crop management whit significant variation among evaluation times.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the production of lettuce Lactuca sativa cv. Verônica to water levels. The experiment was conducted at Centro de Ciências Agrárias at Universidade Federal de Roraima (State of Roraima, Brazil). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse following the completely randomized blocks design with four replications. The treatments consisted of six water levels based on fractions of the class A pan daily evapotranspiration (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100% e 120%). The results of yield and fresh matter showed a linear response of the applied irrigation levels. The water use efficiency showed a decreasing linear response with respect to the irrigation levels. The maximum of yield showed 17.35 t ha-1 with 120% Class A Pan evaporation level.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of Jatropha curcas L. when submitted to crescent levels of salinity of irrigation water on the initial growth stage. For this, was collected, from native plants, seeds of two cities, Nova Porteirinha, MG and Tianguá, CE. The experiment was developed in the Campus of Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido (UFERSA), Mossoró, RN, in the period of March to May of 2010. The treatments were installed in completely randomized design, in factorial 2 x 6 (seeds from two cities) and six levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (0.5; 1.5; 2.5; 3.5; 4.5 e 5.5 dS m-1), with four repetitions, being each plot composed by one plant cultivated in a plastic vase, with capacity for eight pounds. Thirty days after sowing, was evaluated plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, foliar area and weight of dry matter of aerial part of plant. The analysis of results allowed to conclude that there are differences between seeds of Jatropha curcas L. in relation to the tolerance to the salinity; and that proceeding from Tianguá, CE, showed more tolerant to salinity, in reason of larger values of foliar area and plant height.

The study was care out to evaluate the consumption and digestibility of rations with increasing levels of coconut meal by sheep. Eight sheep between six and ten months old installed in metabolism cages were use. The statistical design was a randomized blocks made by SISVAR 3.0 program. To calculate the nutrients consumption, the quantities supplied and the leftovers were weighed to form at the end of the period, a composite sample for laboratory analysis. There was significant difference (P<0.05) between treatment to consumption of DM (dry matter), OM (organic matter), CP (crude protein), EE (ether extract), NFC (non-fibrous carbohydrate), TCHO (Total Carbohydrates), ADF (acid detergent fiber), HEM (hemicelluloses), CEL (Cellulose), observing negative effect on consumption when included the by-product. There was no significant effect (P> 0.05%) between treatments to digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, energy, HEM, Cellular Content (CC), NFC and total digestible nutrients (TDN). Regarding the coefficient of digestibility of the ether extract (EE), as the by-product was included in the diet, increased the digestibility of this parameter. The digestibility of ADF and NDF decreased as it did the inclusion of the by-product of coconut. Thus, the use of byproduct over 6% of complete feed based on corn and soybeans meal is not recommended.