Cordia oncocalyx is abundant among the woody community, nevertheless it presents low density on the soil seed bank. Our hypothesis is that C. oncocalyx presents higher fruit density in areas with higher adult density, once it¿s fruit, although proper for wind dispersal, but not being dispersed though long distances. The low density, result of unproper sample size and methodology used during analyses. To test these hypothesis, a caatinga area was selected in the end of the dry season a hectare was chosen and in it¿s inside thirty 100 m2 squares were selected to count the adult trees and thirty 1m2 squares to count the fruit bank among the leaf litter. Our results showed a fruit density of 67,5 ± 90,17 fruits/m2 and 2 ± 2 trees/100m2. The predation rate was 20%, value similar to the ones found in arid and semiarid systems. A positive correlation was found between the adult tree density and i) the fruit density (rs = 0,5836, p < 0,05) and ii) the proportion of predated fruits (rs = 0,3665 , p < 0,05). The seed density was higher than the ones found in previous studies. Nevertheless, these results agregad dispersal and seed density estimate method.

The objective of this work was to evaluate to the sowing time of the Brachiaria brizantha forage intercrop with two upland rice cultivars on the agronomics characteristics of both species. It was used randomized blocks in experimental design arranged in factorial scheme 2x2+4, with four replicates. The first factor was constituted by the upland rice cultivars (BRS Primavera e BRSMG Curinga) and the second factor by two sowing times of B. brizantha forage (simultaneous sowing between rice and forage and sowing of the forage in the flowering of the rice). The additional treatments consisted of the sole crops upland rice cultivars and B. brizantha forage for each sowing time. In rice was evaluated the height of the plants, bedding, difficulty of the harvest, the number of panicles per area, grain per panicles, percentage of full and empty grains, 100-grain mass and grain yield. In the B. brizantha forage was evaluated the height of the tillers, the total dry mass and the rate of cultural growth. It was observed that the B. brizantha forage interfered in the productivity components of both upland rice cultivars and difficult significantly the harvest of the rice. The upland rice cultivars showed small competitive capacity with the B. brizantha forage when the establishment of the forage occurred simultaneously to the rice. However, to the measure that the sowing was occurred with the established rice already, the B. brizantha forage had his growth suppressed.

Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. is cultivated extensively a fodder species and for fruit in many countries. The seeds have a lignified covering that protects them against adverse environmental factors, however it hinders germination. Objective was to determine to determine an efficient, practical and low-cost methodology to break seed dormancy. These were submitted to the following treatments: control (intact seeds) (T1); mechanical scarification with number 80 water sandpaper for ten minutes (T2); sulfuric acid immersion for 3, 5 and 10 minutes (T3, T4 e T5, respectively); e 80ºC water immersion for 3, 5 e 10 minutes (T6, T7, e T8, respectively). The experimental design was entirely random, with eight treatments and four repetitions. The appraised characteristics were: emergence percentage first count and velocity index and seedling dry mass. The mechanical scarification with number 80 water sandpaper for ten minutes effectively broke the O. ficus indica seed dormancy.

The culture of the castor bean comes as a promising alternative for the producing of the semi-arid Northeasterner, mainly for to present characteristics as adaptation to the climatic conditions and to present in seeds they nourish chemistries of addition importance for production of Biodiesel, however, they are still scarce studies on techniques handling of this culture, mainly as the manuring This work driven with the objective of evaluating the initial development of the castor bean submitted to different sources and doses of organic matter. The used design was it entirely randomized in factorial outline 2 x 5, with three replications. The treatments were composed by the combination of two sources (manure bovine and manure ovine) and five tenors of organic matter in the composition of the substratum (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40). The appraised growth indexes were: plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and fitomassa of the aerial part. The castor bean answered the sources and the studied doses significantly, as well as the interaction among these factors. Answer was verified forms quadratic the doses of bovine and lineal manure to the doses of manure ovine. The largest development of the plants was verified with bovine manure, in close tenors of 30%.

The present research had as objective to evaluate the effect of the traditional forest fire and the enleirament of organic residues in attributes biological in soil under caatinga. Four areas of caatinga of 1 ha been selected, to know: (a) the area that were deforested, forest fire and planted with maize and beans, after five years of pousio (CQ); b) area that was deforested and the placed organic residues in leiras and planted with maize and beans between the leiras, after five years of pousio (CL); c) area with 5 years of pousio (P5); d) secondary forest established 50 years (Mata). They had been collected, in these areas, soil samples in the layers of 0 - 20 cm composed of twenty subamostras in March of 2006. The following attributes was evaluated in microbiana biomass carbon (CBM), microbial basal respiration (C-CO2), microbial metabolic quotient (q Co2) and relation CBM:COT (qMIC). In adition, was evaluated the total organic carbon (COT) and some attributes quimic of soil. The highest values of CBM and relation CBM:COT had been found in Mata, P5 and CL, while of COT they had been registered in Mata, CQ and P5. The highest values of C-CO2 release had been observed in CQ and NF, followed of CL and P5. The qCO2 rate was higher in the CQ, comparison to the too much treatments that they had not differed between itself. The multivaried analysis was an important auxiliary tool fos suggesting CBM as an attribute to discriminate the studied areas.

O mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru P. DC.) é uma cactaceae nativa da caatinga, possuindo grande importância para a sustentabilidade e conservação da biodiversidade deste bioma. Objetivou-se com este trabalho desinfestar e promover a germinação de sementes de mandacaru, variando os fatores concentração de hipoclorito de sódio e concentração de sacarose. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 5x5, com cinco repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de cinco concentrações de hipoclorito de sódio (0,0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5 e 2,0% de cloro ativo ) e cinco concentrações de sacarose (0,0; 2,5; 5,0; 7,5 e 10,0% ). Foram avaliados o número de contaminações, germinações e tamanho da planta por semente cultivada. Houve interação significativa, apenas para a variável germinação, sendo a concentração de 2,5% de sacarose a mais eficiente dentro das quatro concentrações de cloro ativo. Verificou-se que a concentração de cloro ativo a partir de 0,5% é efetiva na desinfestação das sementes, sendo a concentração de 1,0% o melhor tratamento. Com relação à característica comprimento de plântula não houve diferenças significativas para os dois fatores analisados.

This work had for objective to test the coconut dust as one of the components of the substratum recommended in the production of seedlings of green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and that the inoculation with arbuscular mychorrizal fungi (AMF) it turns the most efficient plant in the absorption of nutrients, especially the phosphorus. A Yellow Red Argissolo was used, the substrata dust dry coconut and dust green coconut. The plants had been inoculated by AMF (Glomus clarum, Glomus intraradices and margarita Gigaspora). The experiment was lead per 45 days, the plants had been supplied weekly with exempt nutritional solution of P and to the end collected and submitted to the analyses of: dry mass of the aerial part, leaf number, height of the plant, diameter of caule, contend of macronutrient and micronutrient of the aerial part of plant. The delineation was of blocks casualizados with eighteen treatments and four repetitions. The results had demonstrated that10% dust dry coconut the seedlings of green pepper presented better results in mass dries of the aerial part, height, number of leves and diameter of caule.

Erythrina velutina Willd. is a Fabaceae, popularly known as mulungu. Of the several species spread around the world about twelve are found in Brazil. Mainly in the Brazilian northeast the bark is used due to its sudorific, sedative and topical anesthetic properties. The presence of fungi in seed germination can reduce, causing the death of seedlings or transmit diseases to adult plants. The work has as objetive to test the thermotherapy and chemical treatment in the control of fungi associated with the mulungu seeds of three districts in the state of Paraiba. The sanity was carried by "Blotter test" and physiological quality of seeds was evaluated by germination, first germination counting and drymass. The heat treatment used was hot water at 60°C for 5, 10 and 20 minutes. The chemical treatment was done with the fungicide Captan® TS. It was used by treatment 100 seeds, which were incubated forseven days, the temperature of 22 ± 2 ° C and photoperiod of 12 hours. The qualitative and quantitative evaluate of the fungi associated with seed was done with the help of stereomicroscope and expressed as a percentage. In the samples examined, it was the incidence of fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium spp., Cladosporium sp., Rhizopus sp., Fusarium sp and Botritis sp. The results show that the heat and chemical treatments reduced significantly the germination and first count of the locations studied.

Red rice is grown by small farmers of Brazil, especially in the Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and Pernambuco States, because of its specialty characteristics, compared to white rice, like flavor, texture and supposed nutritional value. Current varieties were selected by farmers and, in general, present traditional plant architecture and small yield. Aim of this work was to compare agronomic, cooking and nutritional characteristics of white and red rice varieties. A field assay was carried out in the Embrapa Meio-Norte experimental area, in Teresina, Piauí State, and the laboratorial analysis, in Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, in Santo Antônio de Goiás, Goiás State. Eleven white rice and four red rice varieties were evaluated, with emphasis to yield, amylose content, cooking time, brown and polished rice, iron and zinc contents. The white rice varieties present larger yield and amylose content, requiring smaller cooking time than the red rice varieties, however the red rice varieties stand out, specially as polished rice, regarding the iron and zinc contents.

Biological control using natural enemies has become one of the main alternatives to chemical control. Among these enemies, worth highlighting the green lacewings, known for their predatory efficiency and the ability of their larvae to seek out food. The present review aimed to gather scientific knowledge about these predators, intending to encourage the inclusion of theses insects in future biological control programs.