The aim of this paper was to evaluate the development of melon seedlings grown in different substrates. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse covered with 25% screen, at the Department of Technology and Social Sciences -DTCS of the University of the State of Bahia / UNEB, Juazeiro-BA, from July to August 2005. It was used a completely randomized experimental design with six treatments and four replications, each one consisted of 50 seedlings. The treatments composed of the substrates: Plantmax HT©; soil; sterilized soil; sugarcane residue; sugarcane residue + soil (1:1) and sugarcane residue + urea. Polystyrene trays of 200 cells were used as containers, where seeds of the AF882 melon cultivar. We sowed at 1 cm depth, using one seed per cell. The emergence percentage, average emergence time and average emergence velocity were determined. Fourteen days after sowing were evaluated seedling height, shoot and toot fresh and dry masses leaf area and chlorophyll content. The results allow one to conclude that the commercial substrate Plantmax HT© and the sterilized soil were those that provided the best melon seedlings formation.

This research aimed at evaluating the effect of the semiarid climatic conditions on the physiological behavior of F1 Saanen x Boer crossbred goats, created at an intensive system. The experiment was carried out in the Health and Rural Technology Center, in the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the town of Patos, Paraiba. Twenty-four animals were used, with ages varying between three and four months, being 12 females and 12 males, weaned and prevented against worms, receiving ad libitum water and controlled concentrate and roughage. The environmental variables were checked inside and outside the experiment place, as well as the physiological variables of all animals. Except for the humid bulb temperature, the variance analysis revealed shift effect (P<0.05) for all environmental variables. There was merely shift effect (P<0.05) for Cardiac Frequency and Rectal Temperature, and the averages of both, in the afternoon, overcame those observed in the morning. The obtained results based on the studied physiological and environmental variables conclude that crossbred goats, resulting of Boer (paternal) and Saanen (maternal), present a good resistance to heat, permitting their indication for the meat production in confinement on semiarid conditions.

Water is a limiting factor for crop yields, for example yellow passion fruit, requiring from use of irrigation due to limitation of surface waters. This study aimed to evaluate irrigation levels and fruits quality in yellow passion fruit production in Semiarid conditions, thus an experiment was carried out. The seedlings were grown in greenhouse and transplanted in the field spacing 4 m x 2 m. The treatments studied were five water levels: 60; 80; 100; 120 and 140% from ETo, applied through drip irrigation with 4 repetition. The parameters evaluated were average fruit weight (g), yield (t ha-1), the pulp yield with seed (%), juice yield (%) and skin percentage (%). The results obtained in the experiment showed that the highest yield of hybrid passion fruit with average weight over 150 g, and the highest yield was obtained with the blade of 120% ETo. The yield of pulp with seeds was negatively affected by increased volumes of water for irrigation. Can use plant 120% ETo for the irrigation of yellow passion fruit 'IAC 273/277¿ to optimize production and improve fruit quality in semiarid conditions.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a uniformidade de aplicação de efluente de três sistemas de irrigação abastecidos com diferentes características de esgoto doméstico do condomínio residencial Bosque Acamari, em Viçosa-MG. O experimento foi realizado em área de pesquisa da Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), em Viçosa-MG. Montaram-se três sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento, abastecidos com esgoto doméstico preliminar (EDP), esgoto de tratamento secundário (EDS) e esgoto de tratamento terciário (EDT). Cada sistema de irrigação foi composto por filtro de discos e gotejadores não autocompensantes com vazão nominal de 1,7 L h-1. A uniformidade de aplicação de efluente foi obtida a cada 100 h, totalizando 500 h de operação, com os Coeficientes de Uniformidade de Distribuição (CUD) e de Uniformidade Estatística (Us). Foram realizadas determinações físico-químicas e microbiológicas nos esgotos domésticos. Conclui-se que as características ferro total e coliformes totais representam risco severo de obstrução para gotejadores abastecidos com EDP, EDS e EDT, enquanto para as características manganês total, magnésio e cálcio tal risco é baixo. A formação de biofilme de sólidos suspensos e bactérias foi a principal causa de obstrução de gotejadores. Os valores de CUD e Us apresentaram, após 500 h de operação, redução de 61 e 54%; 27 e 24%; e 57 e 59%, respectivamente, para os sistemas de irrigação abastecidos com EDP, EDS e EDT.

Basil is a medicinal aromatic plant of the Lamiaceae family, it is rich in essential oils with high industrial interest. The present work to verify the production of basil plants, from different sources and combinations of substrates. The study was conducted in greenhouse Sector, Department of Soil Environmental Science, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA) in May 2010. Basil seedlings were grown from seeds from plants on the campus of UFERSA. The experimental design was randomized blocks representing five treatments and four replicates of 10 seedlings per plot. The treatments employed arisco, sand, cattle manure and earthworm castings in different combinations. Features diameter, leaf number, shoot length and root dry mass of shoots and roots were evaluated thirty days after sowing. It was found that adding cattle manure in the compositions of the substrates was increased growth and development of seedlings. In the production of seedlings of basil is recommended mixture of substrates containing cattle manure, sand and arisco in the ratio 1:1:1.

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of daily supplementation with 10 g of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) associated with Sabiá shrub hay (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth.) on the intake and digestibility of in goats and sheep. Twenty animals, ten sheep and ten goats were allocated in a randomized block design, with two treatments and two species: PEG group (supplemented with 10 g of PEG) and control group (without supplementation). Significant differences were not observed between treatments and species regarding the intake and digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber. Nevertheless, PEG supplementation enhanced the crude protein digestibility of Sabiá shrub hay from 33.96% to 38.74% in sheep and from 43.29% to 54.41% in goats, showing that the supplementation with PEG could become a good feeding strategy against the antinutritional effects of tannin of the forage plants.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the wood natural resistance of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. of phenotypes (plants) with and without prickles to subterranean termite (Nasutitermes corniger Motsch.) in forced feeding and feeding preference assays, under laboratory conditions. Wood test samples measuring 2.54 x 1.50 x 0.64 cm (forced feeding) and 10.00 x 1.50 x 0.64 cm (feeding preference), with the largest measurement in the fiber direction, were obtained from three positions from pith to bark direction. The samples were exposed for 28 days (forced feeding) and 45 days (feeding preference) to Nasutitermes corniger Motsch. termites. In forced feeding assay the termites caused superficial attack in wood and lived during 8 to 10 days, thus the wood was classified as resistant. In forced feeding assay more mass loss and attack in wood of external positions to both phenotypes was observed. To the waste and survival time of termites were similar to both types. In feeding preference a larger mass loss and waste to inner position in both phenotypes was observed. In general, the plants with prickles lost more mass than the one without prickles. Therefore, the wood of plants without prickles is more suitable to be use in construction of fences, sheepfolds and other similar uses where the wood shall be subject to attack by termites.

The objective of this paper was to study the effects of molybdenum doses, applied on bean crop under the conventional and no-tillage systems. Two experiments were carried out in the field: one during winter- spring (winter season), sowed in July 2006, and the other one during summer-fall (dry season), sowed in March 2007. They were conducted in Experimental Station of Coimbra, MG, Universidade Federal de Viçosa. The experiments were carried out in randomized block design with four repetitions and subdivided plots. The plots were represented by the soil management system (conventional or no-tillage), and the subplots were represented by the molybdenum doses (0, 40, 80, 160 and 320 g ha-1). The number of grain per pods, the number of pods per square meter, the weight of 100 grains, grain productivity, number of plants per plot, and nutrient rates in the leaves and grains were evaluated. The number of pods per square meter and grain productivity were increased by Mo doses. The grain productivity in no-tillage system was higher than in the conventional. Productivity and production components in the winter season were higher than in the dry season. Mo rates in the bean leaves increased in response to its application. Mo leaf fertilization increased N (total and organic) rates in bean crops under both plantation systems.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of storage temperature on the quality of red pitaya of pulp white, produced in Itajobi city, São Paulo state. The pitayas were stored at room temperature, (21-27 ºC with 44-63% de UR), at 18 ± 1 ºC, with 86-92% RH), 13 ± 1 ºC, with 85-90% RH and at 8 ± 1 ºC, with 85-95% RH. The quality was monitored during storage time through the parameters: fresh weight loss titleble acidity; soluble solids contents; vitamin C, external appearance, pH and fruit firmness. Through the results obtained may be concluded that the temperature at 8 ± 1 ºC it was proportioned the small fresh weight loss; the acidity, soluble solids, pH and fruit firmness were influenced by the storage temperature and storage time, but the temperature at 8 ± 1 ºC it was that occasioned the small change theses parameters. In general, it can be concluded that the temperature at 8 ± 1 ºC it was the best to maintenance the quality of pitaya fruit.

This work aimed to determine over the Brazilian territory extreme air temperatures: maximum (Tx) and minimum (Tn) absolute, using multiple regression techniques, orbital data and climatological. The data of Tx and Tn were observed between the years of 1961 and 1990 in 204 meteorological stations by the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), and topography information was obtained from the program Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The multiple regression models were validated with the observational data of 30 meteorological stations in different locations than those generated. The statistical analysis was performed using bootstrap techniques. The results showed that the multiple regression model for Tn presented good agreement with the observed data (R² = 0.86) showing no tendencies to overestimate or underestimate Tn. The Tn varied between -12 to 25 °C and the Tx between 31 and 42 °C. For the Tx the results were not as satisfactory. In a first approach, the limits of the Tn can be used for data quality control of the meteorological station. The map of Tn can be used to subsidize research in agroclimatic zoning in the region where these data are not available.