Boron deficiency in sunflower cultivation can cause decreased production, mainly by the fall of the inflorescence diameter. Most soils, especially in the tropics present low content of boron (B) available. To ascertain the response of sunflower to boron application in different orders of tropical soils with different tex- tures, we carried out an experiment under controlled condition. Were applied to the soil samples collected in the layer 0-20 cm, four doses of B as boric acid (H3BO3) in solutions at concentrations of 0.0; 0.04; 0.08 and 0.16 mol m-3. The soils were: PAC - Argissolo Acinzentado; PVe - Argissolo Vermelho eutrófico; PVA - Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo; RL - Neossolo Litólico; RY - Neossolo Flúvico; VX - Vertissolo Háplico. The experimental design used was a randomized blocks in factorial scheme 4 x 6 (doses x soils) with four replica- tions and one plant per pot. Quantification of B content was performed by extraction method with barium chlo- ride solution of 5.0 mol m-3 subjected to heating with microwave radiation and determining the B content in the soil was performed by colorimetric technique using the azomethine-H reagent. The contents at levels sufficient to allow the soil B established independent of the dose added, a yield exceeding 90% yield on. The highest dry matter yield of sunflower was associated with the B concentration in the soil between 0.04 and 0.08 mol m-3 and there was a decrease with higher concentrations.

This work was carried out to evaluate the functional response of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1850 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed with Planococcus citri Risso, 1813 (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) reared on a pumpkin hybrid (Cucurbita maxima x Cucurbita moscata) (Cucurbitaceae), seedlings of Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia) Rutaceae) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) (Solanaceae) at two temperatures. The predation rate of C. montrouzieri was measured using Petri dishes of 15 cm diameter with 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 adults of P. Citri. One third instar larva, one fourfh instar and one newly emerged adult (without differentiation of sex) of C. montrouzieri were added to each plate. The study was conducted in climatic chambers at temperatures of 25 and 30 º C and photophase of 12 hours. The predation rate was evaluated after 24 hours of prey exposition to the predator, by counting the number of preys trapped in the different treatments and control. The statistical design was completely randomized with four treatments x 6 subplots with 7 repetitions, the two temperatures. The values obtained were subjected to analysis of variance, to relate the number of scales preyed by larvae and adults of C. montrouzieri set up in different substrates. The amount of prey consumed by larvae and adults of the predator increased with increasing the prey density until it reaches a plateau, characterizing functional response type II. In general, the number of scales preyed by larvae and adults of C. montrouzieri was higher on potato and under temperature of 30 °C.

It is reported the occurrence of coleoborers Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar, 1824), Metama- sius hemipterus (L., 1758), Metamasius canalipes (Gyllenhal, 1838) and Rhynchophorus palmarum (L., 1758) attacking banana cultivar 'Terra' (Musa paradisiaca) (Musaceae), in the municipality of Joaquim Gomes, State of Alagoas. Twenty adult specimens were sent to Prof. Dr. Sergio Antonio Vanin, Department of Zoology, In- stitute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo and identified by morphological characteristics, being this the first report of M. canalipes and R. palmarum damaging the cultivar 'Terra’ in Brazil. Attack symptoms in the field are initially manifested by chlorosis, necrosis and fall of the lower leaves, the fruits did not develop satis- factorily and plants finished by fall over. As a result of infestation was observed the death of 70% of the plants evaluated in the area.

The feeding programs for naked neck chickens in semi-intensive production system from brazilian equatorial semi-arid environment, must consider regional food availability and respective nutritional values. Thus, to evaluate the digestibility and metabolizable energy of alternative forages, it was used 240 naked neck pullets (Isa Label lineage) receiving water and ration ad libitum, pair-housed in cages for total collection of excreta on conventional warehouse. It was used a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement (5x2): one control ration (corn and soy meal) and other four experimental rations with silk flower hay (Calotropis procera), cassava leafs hay (Manihot esculenta), kills pasture hay (Senna obtusifolia) or leucaena leafs hay (Leucaena leucocephala), and all rations were balanced for two growing phases, between 8 and 10 weeks (young pullets) and between 14 and 16 weeks of age (old pullets). The values of apparent digestibility of nutrients for all experimental rations were lower than control ration (P <0.05) and it was observed general means of 72.18% for dry matter, 78.12% for crude protein, 66.90% for ether extract, 28.08% for neutral detergent fiber, 18.51% for the acid detergent fiber, 71.64% for gross energy and availability of 15.61% for mineral matter. The general mean of apparent and corrected metabolizable energy of alternative forages was 1217 kcal/ kg and 1108 kcal/kg, respectively, and the higher value was determined for leucaena hay and the lower value for silk flower hay (P <0.05).

The Caatinga biome covers a vast area in northeastern Brazil and presents a high level of biodiversity. It is known that about 400 plant species are used by semi-arid local communities for medical purposes. Based on ethnopharmacological reports, this study aims to screen 24 species from Caatinga regarding the ability to prevent biofilm formation and to inhibit the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa - a major opportunistic human pathogen and an important causative agent of morbidity and mortality. The effects of aqueous extracts, at 0.4 and 4.0 mg mL-1, on biofilm formation and on growth of P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 were studied using the crystal violet assay and the OD600 absorbance, respectively. The most active extracts were analyzed by thinlayer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. Our investigation pointed extracts of four species with potential application for the control of P. aeruginosa: Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan, Commiphora leptophloeos (Mart.) J.B. Gillett, Myracrodruoun urundeuva Allemão, whose antibiofilm effects (89%, 56% and 79% inhibition of biofilm, respectively) were associated with complete inhibition of bacterial growth, and Pityrocarpa moniliformis (Benth.) Luckow & R.W. Jobson, which were able avoid 68% of biofilm formation and inhibited 30% bacterial growth. The qualitative phytochemical analyses reveal the complexity of the samples as well as the presence of compounds with high molecular weight.

The plant species used as ground cover preceding the commercial crops cultivation in the Cerrado must be adapted to the climate and soil of the region, so they have high biomass productivity and offset the decomposition high rates that occurs in these regions. This study aimed to evaluate the biomass yield and the decomposition rate of residues of different cover crops preceding soybean cultivation in Uberaba-MG, Brazil. The experiment was conducted in 2011/12 period in a randomized complete block design in plots with 2 m2 with treatments comprise the following covers: jack bean, millet, sunn hemp and brachiaria. It was evaluated: the dry biomass yield, the decomposition rate through of the bags decomposition, productivity, number of beans per plant, and mass of 100 soybean grains. The millet was the plant cover that showed the highest yield of dry biomass (5.22 Mg ha-1) during the study period. The decomposition of crop residues occurred at accelerated rate until to complete 120 days and after that the rate slowly up until 240 days. Sunn hemp and jack bean were the cover crops with the decomposition highest rates and the smaller half-lives were observed; soybean yield was not affected by the soil covers.

Browning discoloration after cutting is detrimental for the quality of a number of fruits and vegetables, such as banana, apple, pear, potato, and some roots such as cassava, yam, and others. Browning and softening compromise banana after cut shelf-life in a few hours under cold storage. Therefore, anti-browning compounds have been applied to slices before packing. Some commonly used substances are calcium chloride, ascorbic acid, cysteine and citric acid, in immersed inchemical mixtures. Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of preserving fresh-cut banana immersed in sweetened fruit juice for relatively longer periods, favoring commercialization. This type of conservation, although widely used in Brazil for fruit salads, consists of a more complex system in a physiological basis, requiring adjustment of the solution parameters, such as sugar concentration, pH and acidity, considering the viability and freshness of the plant tissue. In this short review, we discuss some experimental data and present a new method for preserving fresh-cut banana. Reduction of enzymatic activity, either in temporary dipping treatment or permanent immersion of banana slices is regarded as a key factor for maintaining its quality during cold storage.

The process of production of Biodiesel Directly Seed (PDS) of oil using a catalyst based on NaOH in the transesterification reaction. The primary byproduct of this process is the pie PDS, this presents considerable levels of sodium in their composition, which can be limiting in the activity of microorganisms during mineralization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mineralization rate of castor bean cake pro- duced from the direct process of the seed (PDS), added to soil samples collected at a depth of 0 - 20 cm of a Typic Eutrophic (CXbe) located in the area of the Apodi Plateau, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The castor bean used were from the Experimental Station of Biodiesel (UEB - 2), Research Center Leopoldo Americo Miguez de Mello, Guamaré, RN. For the study was used castor bean in fresh state and treated with distilled water to re- move the Na + . The material was incubated in increasing leaves of castor bean PDS 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg ha - 1 for a period of 32 days. Was evaluated the decomposition of the material through the evolution of CO 2 . The mineralization rate of the pie PDS castor in a Cambisol is not influenced by sodium levels present in in natura and treated pie. The treatment with pie PDS water is effective in reducing the levels of total and ex- changeable sodium, but as a result there are losses of N and K.

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) and dry rot (Phoma caricae-papayae) of papaya (Carica papaya) reduce fruit post-harvest storage life. Therefore, this study evaluated under laboratory conditions the effect of the hydrothermal treatment of fruits on these diseases. Two types of tests were conducted: (1) fruit immersion in hot water (48 ºC) for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 min; and, (2) fruit immersion in hot water at 44, 46, 48 and 50 ºC / 20 min. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Two isolates of C. gloeosporioides and one of P. caricae-papayae were tested in papaya fruits of cv. 'Sunrise Solo' and hybrid ‘Tainung 1’. Fruits were washed, wounded (3mm), inoculated (50μL, 106 conidia mL-1), placed in humid chamber (24 h), and then treated. After treatment, fruits were water cooled (13ºC/20 min) and stored (14 days) in cold chamber (13 ºC; 85-100% R.H.). Daily the diameter of lesions was evaluated for two weeks. Variations on time and temperature did not alter fruit firmness (kg cm-2), pH, total soluble solids (o Brix) e tritable acidity (% of citric acid) in comparison to non-treated fruits. However, in one case on ‘Tainung 1’ fruits, tritable acidity was higher at 48 ºC / 20 min. Fruits treated with hot water at 48 ºC / 20-30 min or 48-50 ºC / 20 min presented less fruit rots.

The “araçá” (Psidium spp) is a wild plant with potential for direct and indirect use, and it is found spontaneously in the Semiarid region of the State of Bahia. Thus, the aim of this work was to character- ize and evaluate the genetic diversity for rescuing of 37 accessions of “araça” from the counties of Campo For- moso, Senhor do Bonfim, Jacobina, Morro do Chapéu and Uauá using botanical, morphological and physic- chemical descriptors in plants of different phenological phases. Size of plant, trunk shape, leaf color, floral morphology, fruit transversal diameter, rind color of fruit, fruit mass, fruit longitudinal diameter, fruit shape, soluble solids, titratable acidity, maturation index and C vitamin were the descriptors used. The diversity among the accessions of “araçá” was estimated using the method of Tocher as well as the inverted Tocher start- ing of the integration of data. Three species were determined (P. schenckianum, P. guineense e P. grandi- folium) and it was found great variation for all descriptors used and it was also found plants of the same size of guava plants. Using Tocher and inverted Tocher it was found variation within the same species, among differ- ent species as well as among accessions of different counties and within counties. The descriptors that gave the major contribution were C vitamin (70,88%) and fruit mass (25,66%). The variation found for the descriptors used show that there is genetic diversity among the “araçá” accessions from the five counties of the Semiarid of the State of Bahia and they present potential to be conserved and for future uses.