An experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, in the period of May to June of 2006, with the objective of determing the best treatment with scarlet starglory (Merremia aegyptia L.) incorporated to with soil on rocket performance cv. Folha Larga. A completely randomized desing with six treatments and four replications. The treatment consist of: T1 - 19g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base plus; T2 - 28g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base plus; T3 - 37g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base; T4 - 46g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base; T5 - 55g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base; T6 - Fertilization with NPK at the recommended dose for the crop and. The rocket cultivar grown was Folha Larga. The evaluated traits were: plant height, number of leaves per pot, shoo fresh and dry mass. All the evaluated traits were significantly affected by the amounts of scarlet starglory incorporated. Height mean value for plant height, shoo fresh, dry mass and number of leaves were obtained in the amount of scarlet starglory incorporated of 19 g pot-1.

The experiment was carried out at Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP during the period of March to May of 2006, with the objective of evaluating the production cost and profit margin of crespleaf lettuce cv. 'Verônica' and American lettuce cv. 'Lucy Brown' in sole crop and intercropping with rocket cv. 'Folha Larga'. The determination of the production cost was based on the total operational cost. The estimate of the operational cost for crespleaf and american lettuces and rocket in sole crop were about R$ 5, 446.42; R$ 4, 923.25 and R$ 3,829.84, respectively. The estimate of the total operational costs of crispleaf lettuce x rocket and American lettuce x rocket intercrops were about R$ 7,195.46 and R$ 6,041.38 per hectare. Higher operational profits were observed in intercropping systems, being highest in the american lettuce x rocket intercrop, with R$ 45,437.68 per hectare.

In environmental studies is important to know the adsorption process of heavy metals in clay minerals, since they are able to immobilize these metals. Knowing the cations adsorption is influenced for several factors, the objective of this research was to study the copper adsorption process by bentonite clay and to evaluate the electrolyte type and pH influence on this process. In order to quantify the adsorbed copper, 2 g of bentonite clay were equilibrated for 24 hours with 20 mL of a NaNO3 (0,01 mol L-1) solution and with 20 mL of water containing different quantities of copper (5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100,120 mg L-1) as background solutions of pH values 4 and 6. Langmuir's adsorption equation in its linearized form was applied and the values of the maximum capacity and those of the constant related to the bonding energy were obtained. Langmuir isotherms presented two distinct adsorption regions at both pH 4 and pH 6, showing that the adsorptive phenomenon occurs in two distinct stages. The adsorption of copper depends on pH and ionic strength and it increased with an increase in pH and decreased slightly with an increase in ionic strength. The maximum capacity of adsorption and the bonding energy varied with the pH, with electrolyte used and with the adsorption regions.

The increasing importance of sunflower leads to studies on seed pathogen, to guarantee crop sanity and to provide identification of pathogens in new areas. Genotypes seeds lots produced in Embrapa Soja assays carried out in tree cities of the State of Maranhão, Brazil (Balsas, São Luís and Timon) were analyzed, with the objective of evaluating sanitary quality of sunflower seeds. Sanitary analysis was performed by blotter test method and identification of fungi genera was based on morphological features. The occurrence of Fusarium sp., Alternaria spp., Curvularia sp., Dreschelera sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Phoma sp., Trichoderma sp., Botrytis sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Rhizopus sp., Colletotrichum sp., Chaetomium sp., Cladosporium sp. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was observed in seeds of sunflower, with variable incidences.

The objectives of this work were identified and characterize the allelopatic activity of extracts obtained from Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh (Asteraceae). The fitotoxic activity of organic extracts (1 e 100 mg.L-1) and aqueous extract (5,00 e 0,05% m/v) on the germination and radicular growth of the monocotyledon Sorghum bicolor L. (sorghum), and the dicotyledon Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber) were evaluated. The results showed the presence of allelopatic activity variable in according to the extract concentration and with the target plant. The intensity of induced inhibitory effect was higher for the ethanolic extract in concentration of 100 mg.L-1 for Sorghum bicolor L. The results also indicates the existence of the potential use of Arctium minus (Hill) Bernh ethanolic extract as a natural herbicide and open perspectives for the research of the constituent(s) with higher allelopatic activity.

The mapping of the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) of the municipal district of Grossos, RN, located in a region with avowed tourist potential, because of their dunes, salt marsh and archeological ranch. Interesting for planned real estate activity. The objective of this work was the necessity to produce cartographic documents, orientated by the actual legislation, that serve as base for to decide as occupy the surface of municipal district. The maps, at the 1:100,000 scale, with delimitation of the PPAs were produced aided by SIG, satellite image colored and vectorial file. The conclusions were good, principally the next: the PPAs occupy 46,8% of the surface of the municipal district, limiting the use and soil occupation, already the PPA of dunes occupy an area 25% of the municipal surface.

An experiment was carried out in the vegetable garden of Plant Science Department at the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, during the period of June to August 2005, to evaluate the influence of different spacings on rocket economics performance. The experimental design used was randomized complete blocks in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme with four replications. The treatments consisted of the combination of three between row spacings (0,20; 0,25 and 0,30 m) with four within row spacings (0,05; 0,06; 0,07 and 0,10 m). The rocket cultivar grown was 'Cultivada'. Indicators of economic performance were evaluated through gross income, net income, rate of return and profit margin. The highest economics efficiencies were obtained in the following spacings: 0,20 m x 0,05 m; 0,25 m x 0,05 m and 0,30 m x 0,05 m.

An experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidad Federal Rural do Semi-Arid (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, in the period of May to June of 2006, with the objective of determing the best treatment with scarlet starglory (Ipomoea glabra) incorporated to with cattle manure on rocket performance cv. Folha Larga. A completely randomized desing with seven treatments and three replications. The treatment consist of: T1 - 113g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base plus 21g pot-1 of cattle manure; T2 - 76g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base plus 42g pot-1 of cattle manure; T3 - 38g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base plus 63g pot-1 of cattle manure; T4 - 151g pot-1 of scarlet starglory in green base; T5 - 84g pot-1 of cattle manure; T6 ¿ Fertilization with NPK at the recommended dose for the crop and T7 - Control (no Fertilized soil). The rocket cultivar grown was Folha Larga. The evaluated traits were: plant height, number of leaves per pot, shoo fresh and dry mass. All the evaluated traits were significantly affected by the amounts of scarlet starglory incorporated. Height mean value for plant height, shoo fresh, dry mass and number of leaves were obtained in the amount of scarlet starglory incorporated of 151 g pot-1.

The lack of adequate management practices favors the reduction of the soil organic matter and fertility. The broad bean (Phaseolus lunatus) is a leguminous plant appropriate to human and animal feeding that is also cultivated to biomass production and soil incorporation as green manure. The objective of this work was to evaluate the rate of decomposition of broad bean leaves. Broad bean leaves (10 g) in nylon bags were set on the surface or 15 cm deep in the soil and leaf decomposition were evaluated every 15 days from October to December 2002, with the 2 x 5 factorial treatments, replicated three times and randomly assigned to the plots according to a completely random design. Buried leaves showed higher decomposition rate (96.7%) at day 75, while decomposition rate was higher (65.2%) at day 60 when the leaves were on the surface of the soil. Thus, as a result it is concluded that broad bean plants can be recommended for green manuring, being decomposed faster when incorporate to the soil.

Studied biology of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) in four constants temperatures (20º, 25º, 30º, 32ºC) and with fotofase of twelve hours. With to determinate and goal termic constant of differents fases with the biologic cycle and avaliate the behavior in differents temperatures, viewing the zoneament ecologic in Piauí State. The temperature effected markedly the biologic cycle of the insect the graving and less termic. The bases temperature of the period of the egg, larva, pupa and the cycle total were 13,28; 13,07; 15,29; 13,84ºC, respectively and the constantly termics 35,56; 251,76; 96,57; 381,01 degree-days, respectively. Through the totally the degrees days the probably numbers annually of the insect for the Piauí State that various of 10,7 the 12,6.