The aim of this work was to examine the effect of different temperatures on germination of the seeds in O. canum. The seeds had been washed in under water and after immersed for 30s in water with environmenttemperature, 25, 30 (control), 50, 75 and 100ºC. After that it was immersed per 5 minutes in fungicidal solution and later washed by 10s with water and placed to germinate in plates of Petri conditioned in germination chamber regulated to provide temperature of 25 ± 1,0ºC and photoperiod of 12 hours. The completely randon design was used in experiment, with 5 treatments and 10 repetitions, resulting in 50 parcels. Each experimental unit wasconstituted of a plate of Petri contends 10 seeds. The averages had been compared by the Scott-Knott test at 5% level of probability. The germination rate was statistically equal in the control and the temperatures of 25, 50 and 75ºC, being superior to that one gotten to 100ºC. The temperature of 30ºC was the one that provided the biggest rate of germination, while that of 100ºC is not indicated for the breaking in dormancy of thisspecies, since it promoted the death of the embryo.

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.

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.

Aiming to evaluate crisp head lettuce cultivars adapted to summer, showing tip burn¿s tolerance caused by calcium deficiency, an experiment was conducted in Santana da Vargem, MG, comprising the Lucy Brown, PSR 1114, PSR 1115, PSR 0110, PSR 5338, PSR 1530, PSR 0398 and Raider cultivars. A randomized complete blocks design with three replications was used. Total and commercial fresh mass, stem length and tip burn¿s tolerance caused by calcium deficiency were evaluated. The total fresh mass ranged between 538.8 and 894.4 g.plant-1, being PSR 1114; PSR 1115; PSR 5338 and Lucy Brown superior to the others, with 822.2; 833.3; 850.0 and 894.4 g plant-1, respectively. For commercial fresh mass and stem length there were no significant differences among the evaluated cultivars. Regarding tip burn¿s tolerance significant differences were observed. The Lucy Brown cultivar showed the highest incidence of this physiological disorder.

Studies on availability of suitable and economic diets for adults and larvae of the South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830) were carried out at the Entomology Unit of the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria with the aim to find the best diets to fit in a large scale mass rearing production. The best diet for adult was the combination of Hydrolysate Corn Protein + Yeast Hydrolysate Enzymatic + Sugar (3:1:3). This diet resulted in the highest numbers of egg/female/day, spermatozoid in the spermathecae, percentages of egg hatch, the lowest mortality rate of adults and the highest average mating duration compared with the standard adult diet based on Yeast Hydrolysate Enzymatic + Sugar (1:3). Among eleven larval diets tested, diets based on sugarcane and sugarbeet bagases plus 7% brewer yeast, 8% sugar, 0.2% sodium benzoate, 0.8% of hydrochloric acid and 60% water (adjusted), yielded the highest percentages of egg hatching, pupal recovery, pupal weight and adult emergence. There was no statistical difference with the standard larval diet based on wheat germ 3%, corncob 15%, corn flower 8%, brewer yeast 6%, sugar 8%, sodium benzoate 0.23%, hydrochloric acid 0.63%, nipagin 0.14% and water 59% (adjusted). The significant performance of these adult and larval diets open discussion for future researches on improvement of rearing techniques required for the establishment of sterile insect technique (SIT) program focused on the South American fruit fly.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of phosphor dosages and sources on productivity and fruit quality of yellow passion fruit. The experiment was carried out in orchards in Lavrasmunicipality, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The experimental outline used was a 2 X 5 factorial on a randomized complete block design, with four replicates. The treatments were composed by two phosphor sources (super triple phosphate and termophosphate) and five dosages (6, 30, 60, 90 and 120 g/plant). Productivity, fruit number per plant, juice yield, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), ratio TSS/TTA and peel thickness were evaluated. There was no productivity increase or improvement of the fruit quality for the treatments, except for the increases of TTA and peel thickness when Yoorin termophosphate was used as fertilizer.

This work aimed to evaluate the economic viability of the pineapple production in the Northern region of Rio de Janeiro State. One concludes that the majority of producers in this region presented an internal return average rate of 33.08%, indicating that pineapple production shows satisfactory economic viability. On the other hand, several pineapple producers of this region are deficient in both production management and administration control. In this sense, it was observed low productivity, inefficiency of the production resources and product price instability in the commercialization process, as one among other factors that result directly in the low profitability of this enterprise. It was found out that the main determinant factors of pineapple production competitiveness in the mentioned region are related to unsuitable management of irrigation, diseases and weeds control, defensives usage, costs management and commercialization process.

Copaifera langsdorfii is a typical tree species very important for restoration of degraded areas. This study evaluated the effect of different temperatures and light conditions on Copaifera seed germination. The applied treatments were the temperatures of 25ºC, 30ºC and 20-30ºC and three different light expositions (constant dark, 8h of light plus 16h of dark and constant light). The tested variables were percentage, velocity and average time of germination. The treatments consisted of 200 seeds, with four replications of 50 seeds each, sown on a Germitest towel paper and maintained for 28 days on germination chamber. The completely randomized design was used and the averages compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. Germination percentage was not influenced by the treatments. The constant temperatures of 25ºC or 30ºC, independently of light regime, promoted a higher rate of germination velocity and caused the reduction of the germination average time.

Different substrates were tested, aiming to verify the ones that provided better development conditions for the mandacaru without thorns (Cereus hildemannianus K. Schum.). The work was carried out in the period from January to December 2005 in room temperature at Embrapa Semi-Árido, Petrolina, Pernambuco State, Brazil. A randomized blocks design, in a 5 X 3 factorial with five treatments and four replications, was used. The treatments consisted of five different substrate compositions and three plant types. Bud number, length, weight and dry matter of the flowers, besides weight, length and diameter of the roots were evaluated 360 days after planting. The substrates composed by sand, soil and cattle manure, presented the highest percentages of mandacaru buds growth.

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.