The study was carried out greenhouse of the Department of Forestry of the Federal University of Paraíba, Patos, PB. Are am of this study to evaluate the effect of the inoculation with native rhizobia and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of the initial growth of red-angico (Anadenanthera macrocarpa Benth. Bren.), a legume native tree of the great socio-economic and ecological importance in the semi-arid of the Brazilian northeast. The plants grew for 120 days in pots with 4.0 dm3 with a mixture by sand and clay (1:2, v/v). The five treatments consisted: inoculation of AM fungi (Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdmann) and/or native rhizobia (NR), previously selected; addition of N (100 mg dm-3) and a control (without N and inoculation). All treatments were significantly higher than the control for seedling height and shoot dry weight, mainly in the treatment with fungi inoculation. Inoculation treatments were able to supply the nutrients (N and P) for growth of A. macrocarpa seedlings ultil 120-days old.

To the evaluate the different alternative foods identify like an agroindustrial by-products through on the total apparent digestibility and digestible nutrients determinations five Criole adult horses were housed in individual metabolism cages. From the reference diet (DR) contained peletized ration and tifton-85 hay, was made the substitution in 30% with weight basis (kg/kg) for each one of the agro industrial by-products, soybean residue (RS), soybean hulls (CS), wheat hulls (CT) and corn hulls (CM). In the digestibility obtained with each one of the alternative foods, the best values were obtained with CT (45.31% crude protein), with RS (78.86% ethereal extract), with CS (82.53% neutral detergent fiber), with CS (85.75% acid detergent fiber), CM (96.92 % non structural carbohydrate), CM (57.18 % total carbohydrate) e CS (57.67 % crude energy). In the determination of nutritional value with each one of the alternative foods, the best values were obtained with CT (7.53 % DCP), RS (5.11 % DEE), CS (53.04 % DNDF), CS (40.77 % DADF), CT (35.82 % DNSC), CM (48.12 % DTC), CM (2101 DEB kcal/kg). It was suggest that all alternative foods tested in this study can be used in the feeding horse, more over, the inclusion level and combination of these by-products in the diets to maximize feed efficiency and mantence of the digestive tract health will be depend on the readiness and regional cost.

Three experiments were conducted in the agricultural year of 2007, aiming to estimate the genetic divergence, using the Mahalanobis' generalized distance, and the test of competition of six populations of corn in the municipalities of Arapiraca, Rio Largo and Viçosa, of Alagoas State. The experimental was in the randomized blocks design with seven treatments and four repetitions. There was the formation of two different groups where, it was conclued that is small genetic divergence between the populations of corn. A group was formed by six populations and the other group by the "Asa Branca" variety. The people "Viçosense" and "Rio Largo" were closer genetically (D2 = 1.70), while the longest distance has been detected among the population Alagoano and witness Asa Branca (D2 = 67.27). The average yield of grains ranged from 2,885 kg ha-1 to 3.461 kg ha-1 in the "São Luiz" and "Viçosense" populations, respectively, with overall average of 3,207 kg ha-1, although not statistically differ.

Were evaluated five soybean genotypes of precocious, average and tardy cycles' in greenhouse UESPI/Parnaíba-PI in the agricultural year 2005/06. The adopted experimental delineation was the entirely randomized with four repetitions. Cultivars evaluated were cultivated in plastic vases with five 5kg of soil. Significant differences among cultivars for the height plant characters in the bloom were not observed and height of insert of the first pod. Regarding the number of days' for the bloom and maturation highlights to cultivate BRS Sambaíba who introduced reduction of cycle. BRS Tracajá introduced larger number of pod for plant not differing significantly of cultivars Sambaíba and Babaçu. For the characteristic weight of a hundred seeds to cultivate Candeia showed better a phenotypic behavior to the too much cultivars not differing statistically just to cultivate Babaçu. All the evaluated genotypes of this leguminous answered to photoperiod terms in Parnaíba-PI's Municipal district.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the genetic divergence of a melon population of the Plant Breeding Program from the Federal University of Alagoas. The following quantitative characteristics were evaluated: the fruit weight (FW), the longitudinal fruit (LFL) and transversal fruit (TFL) lengths; the skin (SFT) and the pulp¿s (SPF) thicknesses; and number of seeds (NSF). For the evaluation of the genetic divergence, a multi varied analysis was used by means of the main component method, which graphical dispersion was done from the two first components and from the euclidean distance average standardized, being that the grouping among the similar families done by the Tocher Method. The results suggest genetic divergence among the families, indicated by the two techniques used. The two first main components were able to explain 72.36% of the existing variability, being the TFL and FW variables which contributed more to the divergence. Considerable genetic divergence among the families was verified and that some of these are promises for use in genetic improvement programs.

The measures of leaf area for methods no destructive to evaluate the growth certain plants during the whole cycle. The experiment aimed at to establish a mathematical model to esteem the leaf area of cowpea, through measures maximum of length and width of the foliole. The measures were accomplished in collected leaflets of plants cultivated in vases. The real leaf area was certain through a leaf integrator (model LI 3100 LICOR.) and in the choice of the models they were appraised the types: lineal and potential, with measures of the length (L), width (W), product LxW and it adds L+W. The mathematical models obtained by regression were applied to the destructive methods and no destructive, and compared to the dear leaf area and too real. Measures of leaf area of cowpea can be dear starting from equations potential and lineal with good precision. The equations that involve two measured biometrics, for adds and the product, present better adjustment in the potential equation. Measures of leaf area starting from mathematical models, for being a method no destructive, they allow analysis of growth of vegetables with reduced number plants. The leaf area cowpea can be dear for the equations: LA=¿(0.9915(LxW)0.9134) and LA=¿(0.6597(LxW)+2.1745).

The water and soil natural resources in the semi-arid tropics are under pressure and are inclined to degradation due to the severe environment and shallow soils, in ecologically sensitive regions to anthropic actions. In view of the above, this work aimed to characterize the structure and the hydraulic evaluation of the surface water typical of interrill erosion, in a caatinga area of Serra Talhada country in Brazil. For this the quadrant point method was used in the structural characterization of the vegetation of caatinga for trees and shrubby species. Laminar surface regime was generated from a rain simulator in 2 m2 plots with caatinga in the humid and dry seasons. The differentiations of the flow rates, average surface water speed and the Reynolds number, had demonstrated the significant effect of seasonality on the characteristic laminar surface water of the interrill erosion. The observed tree-shrub structure of caatinga contributed to the low values of runoff coefficient of the interrill areas, demonstrating the efficiency of caatinga, and its resulting vegetated cover in the interception of rain and, in the delay of the surface water. The low values runoff also observed also contributed to the high rates of infiltration of water.

Corn yield losses caused by weeds may reach up to 80%. Reducing the use of herbicides is one of agriculture's major goals and several alternatives are currently being investigated, including intercropping. In the Brazilian Northeast, corn intercropping with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is extensively practiced, and there is interest in evaluating weed control under this type of intercropping. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of different cowpea planting times, intercropped with corn, on green ear yield of two corn cultivars. The experiment was carried out under randomized design blocks with four replications. AG 1051 and AG 2060 corn cultivars were submitted to the following treatments: no hoeing, two hoeings (20 and 40 days after planting), and cowpea planting (BR 4 - Mulato cultivar, with indeterminate growth) at corn planting and at 5, 10, and 15 days later. Twenty-eight weed species were found in the experiment area. In all characteristics evaluated, except for plant height, ear height, and total number of green ears, where no difference occurred between treatments, the lack of weeding determined the smallest means, while weed control determined the highest. In plots where cowpea was sown, intermediate means were obtained for number and weight of marketable unhusked green ears and for number and weight of marketable husked ears. This suggests that cowpea controlled weeds to a certain extent, especially when it is planted earlier, which was, however, insufficient to avoid green ears yield loss. The corn cultivars evaluated were not different among themselves, except with regard to ear height. The cowpea grain yields were practically null in all plots.

This work had the purpose evaluate physiological quality and incidence of fungi in twelve cowpea seeds cultivars, produced in the state of Ceará, Brazil, in 2005. The physiological quality was evaluated through the germination standard and vigour tests (First germination count) and sanity quality was evaluated through the method paper filter (blotter test) being used four repetitions of 100 seeds. In relation physiological potential of cultivars, it was observed that the cultivars presented low vigour, like Galanjão (0 %), Costela de Vaca (11,49 %) and Parambú (16,6 %). The germination index were low too, except Sempre Verde with 70,33 % the germination of seedlings normal. In respect the incidence of fungi in the seeds, the Fusarium spp. was detected in 0,5 a 0,6 %, Colletotrichum only in Corujinha (0,5 %), Pingo de Ouro 3 (2 %) and Macrophomina phaseolina was detected only in Costela de vaca and Pingo de ouro (0,5 %) and Galanjão (7 %). The incidence of Aspergillus spp. was verified in all you cultivars and Penicillium sp. was detected only in Galanjão, Pingo de Ouro and Costela de Vaca (12 %). Others fungi like Curvularia sp., Phoma sp., Trichoderma sp. and Alternaria sp. were detected in low incidence. The seeds evaluated shown a low physiological quality and the most frequent fungi were those of storage.

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.