A treated sewage effluent was initially analyzed and after that an experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of the irrigation using this effluent on some chemical properties of a Typic Quartzipsamment soil, in a greenhouse. The experiment was accomplished in a completely randomized design with two treatments and ten replications. The treatments consisted of applying normal water and treated sewage effluent in twenty experimental units (plastic bags with capacity of 2 L). Soil samples from experimental units, collected before and after experiment, tap water and treated sewage effluent samples were chemically analyzed. Results indicated that treated sewage effluent can be used for crop irrigation. When compared to water, irrigation with treated sewage effluent produced in the soil, under the study conditions: a) increase in the P and organicmatter contents in the soil; b) increase in the sodium contents, exchangeable sodium percentage and, consequently, in the soil pH; and c) increase on the sum of exchangeable basis and on the exchangeable cationic capacity.

From leaves, stems and roots of healthy yellow passion fruit plants 93 isolates of endophytic fungi were obtained, with the colonization rates varying from 59.8 to 92.4% (leaves), 27.2 to 90% (stems) and 2.4 to 87.2 (roots). Twenty-nine of these isolates were evaluated for extracelular hydrolitic enzymes production (amylolitic, cellulolitic, lypolytic and proteolytic) and capacity to promove growth of yellow passion fruit seedlings. The isolates were identified as Fusarium (44.82%), Colletotrichum (37.93%), Acremonium, Glomerella, Curvularia, Alternaria and Aspergillus (3.45% each). The isolates EM11, EM50, EM172, EM20, EM81, EM72, EM135 and EM24 presented lypolytic activity with halos varying from 1.52 to 3.74 cm, and no isolate produced proteolytic, cellulolytic and amylolitic enzymes. Fifteen endophytic isolates promoted growth of yellow passion fruit seedlings, being the best EM173 (Alternaria), EM155 (Fusarium), EM139 (Curvularia), EM20 (Colletotrichum), EM6 (Acremonium) and EM151 (Colletotrichum) that increased aerial and root fresh biomass and root dry biomass of until 108.4, 204.4 and 70.2%, respectively, 90 days after the inoculation.

Water shortage and saline soils of the Brazilian semi-arid northeastern region are limiting factors to the development of many plants. Jurema preta (Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret) is a small, multiple use tree that abundantly colonizes unfavorable sites, including environments with severe water stress. This work had the objective of investigating the tolerance of jurema preta seeds to water and salt stresses during germination. Seeds germination in polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) and sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions was analyzed under five different osmotic potentials (0.0; -0.3, -0.6, -0.9 and -1.2MPa), in order to simulate water and salt stress, respectively, in four 100-seed replications for each treatment. Seeds were placed into 10cmx10cmx4cm boxes, and germination accomplished in BOD germinator adjusted to 30oC. The number of germinated seeds was monitored every 24 hours, and percentage and speed of seed germination were generated from these data. Mean percentage germination in the control treatment was ~95%, reducing to 63-53% at -0.9 to -1.2-MPa PEG solutions, and to 27- 9.5% at NaCl solutions at equivalent osmotic potentials. Velocity of germination index was more affected, and decreased up to 1/8 of the control, at -0.6 MPa. Jurema preta seeds showed lower tolerance to NaCl than to water stress, and this species can be classified as a glycophyte.

The purpose of the present work was to determine the size sample in order to estimate soluble solid contents in yellow melon plot. Samples of fifty fruits were taken of fifteen yellows melon plots grown in Mossoró- Assu Agricultural Pole. Evaluation for total soluble solid contents was done in all fruit samples. The procedures used for sample size estimation were bootstrap method and classical expression with 5% and 10% of error limit. The sample sizes estimated by bootstrap method, in average, yielded estimates close to those observed in the classical expression with 10% of error limit, although in ten plots these sample sizes were greater in the bootstrap method. The sample size recommended to estimate the total soluble solid contents in cultivated plots of melon fruits is fifteen.

The insects of the Chrysopidae family are very important for biological pest control. The present work had the objective of determine the consumption capacity of eggs of three moths species by Chrysoperla externa larvae, besides to verify the larvae-adult period viability, duration of the larval period, and the total mass (g) of consumed eggs. The experiment was accomplished in laboratory conditions, under controlled temperature (25 + 2 ºC), UR (75 + 10%) and photoperiod (14:00 H). Insects of the first generation (F1) were used, being three treatments with 30 replications, under DIC. The obtained results showed that the eggs of S. cerealella and A. kuehniella provided higher viability for the larvae-adult period of C. externa; the duration of the larval period of C. externa was smaller when the eggs of A. kuehniella were used as food; and the larvae of C. externa, preferentially consume the eggs of A. kuehniella, being the higher consumption in the third ínstar.

The red pitaya is a cactacea that has been more and more demanded both for theproducers and for the consumers. Nevertheless, there are still several aspects about its cultivation that need to be elucidated, in order to provide a good culture development and profitability to the producer. This work was done aiming to study the effect of substrate in the vegetative propagation of this fruit, commonly done through cutting. The experiment was carried out in a lath house from the Departamento de Produção Vegetal of FCAV - UNESP. Cuttings of adult plant were used and placed in different substrates for rooting, composing the following treatments: (1) soil, sand and manure of tanned corral mixture, in the proportion of 3:1:1; (2) coconut fiber (Amafibra); (3) sand and (4) commercial substrate (Plantmax). For each treatment, 4 replications with 10 cuttings were done. Fresh and dry mass of roots (grams) and volume (mL) were evaluated. A completely randomized design was used, and data evaluated by Tukey test at 5% probability. In the conditions in which the experiment was accomplished, one can conclude that there was influence of the substrate in the fresh mass and volume of the roots, being the substrate (1) the most appropriate for seedlings formation of this species.

The experiment was accomplished in a completely randomized block design, using 25 cross bred bullocks nursed in the periods of 35, 42, 49, 56 and 63 days of life. Effect of the breastfeed periods was not observed on the weight development of the bullocks. The consumption of daily and total milk was influenced by the weight when being born and for the breastfeed period (P < 0,05). The adjustment of the averages for the variation analysis showed an increase tendency in the consumption of proportional milk to the breastfeed periods. The wean at 35 days was shown economically viable.

In agriculture practiced in Brazil, the branch of the horticulture is one of the prominences, in production and in exportation, being melon one of the more produced fruits, especially in Brazil¿s northeast. In this context, the use of a good quality substrate is essential for the development of the plants. In this study it was evaluated the growth of melon seedlings and the role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF),Glomus clarum, associated to the use of coconut dust, as an alternative substrate, at 100, 80, 60, 40, 20, 10 and 0% concentrations, as a soil mixture (grayish Argissol). The plants were cultivated under greenhouse conditions and, at the end of a 35 days period, were analyzed the diameter of the stem, number of leaves, height of plants, shoot dry weight, microbial biomass carbon content, basal soil respiration, metabolic quotient, colonization with AMF and shoot nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca and Mg). It was observed that 100% and 80% concentration of coconut dust were the more restrictive treatments for plant development. Microbial carbon and mycorrhizal colonization were higher when the substrate was composed by 10 and 20% of coconut dust. The basal soil respiration and the metabolic quotient (2,07) were higher when 100% coconut dust was used, while the smallest value (0, 96) was found in treatment without coconut dust. The use of concentrations higher than 40% of coconut dust decreased AMF activity and growth of the melon plants.

The postharvest shelflife of Galia Solarking melons was evaluated at the Postharvest Study Center, Escola Superior de Agricultura de Mossoró, RN, Brazil. The treatments consisted of submitting the hybrid to the experimental temperature at 5, 7, 9 and 11ºC under 90 ± 5% relative humidity, with or without modified atmosphere (MAP), with evaluations in nine days intervals (7 days under cold storage plus 2 days at room temperature), with the determination of weight loss, external and internal appearances, flesh firmness and total soluble solids content. A 4 x 2 x 5 (temperature x presence or absence of plastic film x time of storage) factorial scheme in a completely randomized design with three repetitions and one fruit per plot was utilized. Weight loss was smaller for the fruits under modified atmosphere. Larger values of flesh firmness were verified for fruits stored under modified atmosphere stored at 5ºC. Based on the external appearance, the postharvest shelflife of Solarking melons were 27 days for 5, 7 and 9ºC storage temperatures and 18 days for 11ºC.

The residual effect of natural insecticides was evaluated on adults of Sitophilus zeamais Mots. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on stored corn grains. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), white pepper (Piper nigrum L.), neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) and silica dioxide powders were tested as well as neem, eucalyptus (Eucaliptus globulus Labill and Eucaliptus citriodora Hook.), eugenol, andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl.), rosemary (Lippia gracillis HBK.), cedar (Cedrela fissilis Vell.) and pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) oils. Powders were tested at concentration of 1kg/t in 50g-corn-plot and the oils at dosage of 50¿L in 20g-corn-plot. The plots infestation was accomplished using 20 and 8 adults (males and females) of S. zeamais being 0 to 15 days old, respectively, in the experiments with powders and oils. Silica dioxide caused 46.7, 38.3 and 37.5% of mortality, respectively, in the initial (soon after the treatment with the powders or oils) and at 60 and 120 days of storage periods, but the mortality induced by the other powders was inexpressive. In the three studied storage periods, silica dioxide was the more efficient in reducing adults emergency. At the initial storage period, all the oils caused mortality above 79%, however, after 60 and 120 days, mortality was lower than 2.5%. The adult emergency increased as stored period increased, although at 120 days the best performance was obtained using neem, followed by andiroba, cedar, rosemary and E. globulus oils.