Spatial variability of soil attributes affects crop development. Thus, information on its variability assists in soil and plant integrated management systems. The objective of this study was to assess the spatial variability of the soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECse), water content in the soil (θ) and soil texture (clay, silt and sand) of a sugarcane crop area in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. The study area had about 6.5 ha and its soil was classified as orthic Humiluvic Spodosol. Ninety soil samples were randomly collected and evaluated. The attributes assessed were soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) measured by electromagnetic induction with vertical dipole (ECa-V) in the soil layer 0.0.4 and horizontal dipole (ECa-H) in the soil layer 0.0-1.5 m; and ECse, θ and texture in the soil layers 0.0-0.2 m and 0.2-0.4 m. Spatial variability of the ECa was affected by the area relief, and had no direct correlation with the electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECse). The results showed overestimated mean frequency distribution, with means distant from the mode and median. The area relief affected the spatial variability maps of ECa-V, ECa-H, ECse and θ, however, the correlation matrix did not show a well-defined cause-and-effect relationship. Spatial variability of texture attributes (clay, site and sand) was high, presenting pure nugget effect.

In Brazil, studies on chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) have demonstrated the high productive potential of this crop, especially in the Cerrado areas of Cristalina, GO, and Brasília, DF. Due to dry winter climatic conditions, the North of Minas Gerais may be very suitable for the production of this crop. However, more information on chickpea sowing dates is needed. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate different chickpea sowing times in two municipalities of Minas Gerais State in Brazil: Montes Claros and Januária. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, comprising three sowing dates (12 May, 23 June, and 22 July, 2015), and seven replications. The cultivar used was BRS Aleppo, and the chickpeas were harvested 121 days after sowing. The variables evaluated included plant height, productivity, number of pods with one grain, and number of pods with two grains. The data were submitted to analysis of variance, and joint analysis of the experiments was performed. The highest yields were obtained when chickpeas were sown in May in Montes Claros, with a yield of 5.3 t ha-1. In Januária, chickpeas sown in May and June produced yields greater than 3.0 t ha-1. The plants sown in July, considered late for planting, were harvested during the rainy season, which compromised the quality and yield of the grains. In addition, maximum temperatures above 30ºC were recorded from September onwards in both locations, which also resulted in a reduction in the number of grains per plant. Thus, this sowing season is not recommended in the studied region.

Plasma technology is a fast, cost-effective, and pollution-free method that can be used in place of conventional methods to overcome seed dormancy. The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of different application times of atmospheric plasma on soaking and germination of Hybanthus calceolaria seeds in order to accelerate these processes. Helium plasma jet produced by dielectric barrier discharge was used to treat H. calceolaria seeds with applications of 1, 5, and 10 minutes. The treated seeds were characterized considering their weight variation during soaking, changes in electrical conductivity, and pH. It was found that germination depended on the plasma application time. The treatment of H. calceolaria seeds with atmospheric plasma for 1 minute provided 3.5 times greater germination in comparison to untreated seeds. Atmospheric plasma technology obtained by dielectric barrier discharge had potential of being used as a germination accelerant in H. calceolaria seeds. The treatment of H. calceolaria seeds using atmospheric plasma for 1 minute favored germination.

Wood is the main source of energy in the energy matrix of underdeveloped countries, in addition to having a significant participation in developing countries, ranking fourth in Brazil. Thus, this study aimed to determine a model for determining the energy density of forest species from the Cerrado. Samples of trunks and branches were collected from 34 forest species in an area of 10.15 ha located in the Cerrado region aiming for immediate analysis, i.e. the contents of ashes (ASH), volatile matter (VM), fixed carbon (FC), and higher calorific value (HCV). Data from dry and saturated mass were obtained in order to determine the basic density. The species presented values of VM ranging from 77 to 85.5%, ASH from 0 to 1%, FC from 14 to 23%, and HCV ranging from 18,282 to 20,121 GJ ton-1. A significant relationship was found between VM and FC (R2 = 0.9927) whereas no significant values were found between HCV and basic density. The average value of energy density considering the 34 species was 12,459 Mcal m-3. The estimated energy density of the area was 1,378,541 Mcal ha-1. The proposed model for calculating the energy density as a function of basic density favors energy surveys of areas to be explored since there is no need for calorific value analysis.

Water deficit affects plant development and the overcoming of its effects depends on the genotype, duration of stress, severity of damage and development stage of the plant at water stress. Cowpea is considered tolerant to water deficit, however, studies have shown that its yield can be reduced under this condition. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of water deficit on F2 populations of cowpea and select tolerant genotypes. Thirty F2 populations of cowpea and their parents (BRS-Paraguaçu, Pingo-de-Ouro-1-2, BRS-Xiquexique, CNCx-698-128G, Santo-Inácio and MNC99-510F-16-1) were evaluated in two experiments, one under induced water deficit and other under full irrigation, in the experimental field of the Embrapa Mid-North, in Teresina, State of Piauí, Brazil. A triple lattice incomplete block experiment design was used, with three replications. The experimental plots consisted of six 2-m rows, with spacing of 1.0 m between rows and 0.50 m between plants. The grain production was evaluated and its decrease related to the relative production and tolerance to stress was calculated. The grain production of the genotypes had an average decrease of 29.83% under water deficit. The genotypes from the crosses BRS-Paraguaçu x CNCx-698-128G, BRS-Xiquexique x Pingo-de-Ouro-1-2, CNCx-698-128G x BRS-Xiquexique, CNCx-698-128G x MNC99-510F-16-1, Santo-Inácio x BRS-Xiquexique and MNC99-510F-16-1 x BRS-Paraguaçu had high production and high tolerance to water deficit.

Knowledge of the nutrient uptake by crops at different stages of growth may provide the basis for rational application of fertilizers, which may lead to reduced production costs and improved use of fertilizers by plants. Based on this knowledge, we conducted this study to determine the biomass and nutrient accumulation curve of the onion cultivar Bella Vista in a system of transplanted seedlings. The experiment was carried out in Ituporanga-SC, Brazil, by using a randomized block design with three replicates. Eleven plant collections were carried out throughout the crop cycle. The variables evaluated included plant length; total dry biomass of leaves, bulbs, and roots; and concentrations of macro- and micronutrients. The maximum dry biomass accumulation in the shoots and bulbs at 140 days after transplanting (DAT) was 4.26 and 27.41 mg per plant, respectively, which contributed to 13% and 85% of the whole plant dry biomass at the end of the cycle, respectively. Potassium (K, 521.6 mg) was accumulated in the largest quantity per plant, followed by nitrogen (N, 465.7 mg), calcium (Ca, 253.3 mg), sulfur (S, 109.0 mg), magnesium (Mg, 86.9 mg), and phosphorus (P, 76.5 mg). The micronutrient accumulation was as follows: iron (Fe, 6,227.5 µg), boron (B, 902.3 µg), zinc (Zn, 573.7 µg), manganese (Mn, 573.7 µg), and copper (Cu, 241.4 µg).

The banana tree is grown in an extensive tropical region throughout the world, usually by small producers. The present work had the objective of evaluating irrigation systems in banana production in the Açu-RN Valley, aiming at alternatives so that they can be recommended to farmers in the Açu Valley region. The experiment was carried out in the area of the School Farm of the IFRN Campus Ipanguaçu, located in the municipality of Ipanguaçu-RN. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with subdivided plots and eight replications. The irrigation systems were: irrigation, drip irrigation, micro sprinkler and alternative irrigation. The plots were composed of eight useful plants with spacing in double rows 4 x 2 x 2 m. Eight characteristics related to production were evaluated: bunch mass (MC); number of leaves (NP); number of fruits per cluster (NFC); mean mass of the leaves (MMP); diameter of the fruit of the second seed (DF2P); length of the fruit of the second seed (CF2P); mean fruit mass (MMF); productivity (Prod). The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% of probability. In the first cycle of production the sprinkler irrigation system was the one that presented better results the productivity of the Pacovan banana tree; in the 3rd cycle the alternative irrigation system was the one that showed better results the productivity of the banana tree; where the electrical conductivity correlated with the sodium adsorption ratio in the irrigation water, contributed to a moderate limitation of use.

The semi-arid region accounts for about 70% of the surface area of the Brazilian northeast, and the most important forage resource is the Caatinga, covering approximately 54% of this region. However, about 40% of this vegetation is in secondary succession. The areas in the process of degradation range from low to severe intensity, and total more than 20 million hectares, reflecting the intense use of the land, such as the overgrazing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different doses of phosphorus (0, 50 and 100 kg P2O5 ha-1 year-1) on the dynamics of herbaceous vegetation at different times of the year, in a Caatinga area manipulated without grazing for four years. The experiment was conducted at the Serra Talhada-UFRPE Academic Unit during the years 2015 and 2016. We used a randomised block design with three blocks and four replicates per block. Phosphate fertilisation in grazing exclusion areas promoted an increase in forage mass of the enriched Caatinga herbaceous stratum at all evaluation times, especially in the dry season of 2016, which showed values above the average of 7950 kg DM ha-1. In addition, it promoted an increase in the participation of buffelgrass in the floristic composition, increasing its involvement in the area to around 74% at the maximum dose of phosphorus used. Thus, phosphate fertilisation at up to 100 kg of P2O5 ha-1 year-1, together with grazing exclusion, can help to recover the Caatinga enriched with buffelgrass and optimise its use by reducing the formation of new grazing areas in the Caatinga.

The GGE Biplot method is efficien to identify favorable genotypes and ideal environments for evaluation. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the genotype by environment interaction (G×E) and select elite lines of cowpea from genotypes, which are part of the cultivation and use value tests of the Embrapa Meio-Norte Breeding Program, for regions of the Brazilian Cerrado, by the GGE-Biplot method. The grain yield of 40 cowpea genotypes, 30 lines and 10 cultivars, was evaluated during three years (2010, 2011 and 2012) in three locations: Balsas (BAL), São Raimundo das Mangabeiras (SRM) and Primavera do Leste (PRL). The data were subjected to analysis of variance, and adjusted means were obtained to perform the GGE-Biplot analysis. The graphic results showed variation in the performance of the genotypes in the locations evaluated over the years. The performance of the lines MNC02-675F-4-9 and MNC02-675F-4-10 were considered ideal, with maximum yield and good stability in the locations evaluated. There mega-environments were formed, encompassing environments correlated positively. The lines MNC02-675F-4-9, MNC02-675F-9-3 and MNC02-701F-2 had the best performance within each mega-environment. The environment PRL10 and lines near this environment, such as MNC02-677F-2, MNC02-677F-5 and the control cultivar (BRS-Marataoã) could be classified as those of greater reliability, determined basically by the genotypic effects, with reduced G×E. Most of the environments evaluated were ideal for evaluation of G×E, since the genotypes were well discriminated on them. Therefore, the selection of genotypes with adaptability and superior performance for specific environments through the GGE-Biplot analysis was possible.

The interference imposed by weeds can cause damages to cassava development. Thus, adopting control measures is fundamental. The use of pre-emergence herbicides is one of the control alternatives, since cassava presents a good tolerance to herbicides applied in this modality. However, herbicides may present differential selectivity due to the variety of cassava that is planted. The objective of this study was to evaluate both weed control effectiveness and selectivity of different herbicide combinations applied at pre-emergence of two cassava varieties. Two experiments were established in the field using a randomized complete block design, in a split plot scheme, with four replications. In the efficacy experiment, application of six combinations of herbicides, including clomazone + ametryn, clomazone + metribuzin, clomazone + flumioxazin, isoxaflutole + ametryn, isoxaflutole + metribuzin, isoxaflutole + flumioxazin were evaluated in the main plot. In addition, a non-treated control and a weeded control were evaluated. In the subplots, the Caravela and Pretinha varieties were planted. For the selectivity experiment, a non-treated control was not included. The combinations containing clomazone presented a longer residual period of weed control as well as a better control of benghal dayflower. Metribuzin exhibited lower efficacy than other herbicide combinations containing clomazone or isoxaflutole. The Pretinha variety showed greater tolerance to weed interference. Every herbicide combination that was applied in cassava pre-emergence presented selectivity for both Caravela and Pretinha varieties.