A field experiment was carried out at the UFCG/CSTR Experimental Station NUPEARIDO in order to evaluate the influence of organic and mineral fertilization on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) production. After plot demarcation, macassar bean was sown and incorporated in the soil in the respective plots after x days of plant development. Treatments were control, green manure, NPK, cattle manure or goat manure, with four replications, totaling 20 plots, each one with 8 m2 of net inner area. Pear millet plants were grown in a 0.8 x 0.4 m2 grid. Cattle or goat manure was applied at a rate of 3.4 kg m-2, green manure at a rate of 12.5 kg plot-1, and the mineral source consisted of 25.2 g m-2 of ammonium sulphate, 22.2 g m-2 of single superphosphate and 3.3 g m-2 of potassium chloride. Plants were cut 60 days after seeding to evaluate N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn accumulation. Fertilization with cattle or goat manure promoted more nutrient accumulation pearl millet plants.

This research had as objective determination the floristic composition and some parameters phytosociological of the herbaceous vegetation of caatinga. The studied area is located in the located in the experiment station of UFPB, in the county of São João do Cariri, Paraíba, Brazil. Three caatinga physionomy were selected where were plots fixed of 10mx10m, an open one and another closed, containing 5 plots of 1m x1m total of 30m². Being a represented by the covering vegetable less conserved (Area I), other constituted by an area in intermediate apprenticeship of conservation (Area II), and the third area being represented by the covering vegetable more conserved (Area III). The herbaceous flora was represented by 31 genera, 40 species and 21 families with 3.091 ind.m² distributed in the three areas. The areas II and III presented larger wealth and diversity, expresses so much for the number of families as of identified species. The families, Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae presented larger number of species in the open and closed plots. Aristida adscensionis, (area I and II) and Cyperus uncinulatus (area III) the species that presented were larger value of importance in the closed and open plots were.

Seeds of Caesalpinea ferrea Mart. ex Tu. var. leiostachya Benth. present low and irregular germination due to dormancy caused by the impermeability of the tegument. With the purpose to determine an efficient method to accelerate and uniformize seed germination, they were submitted to different immersion periods (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes) in sulfuric acid (95-98%), influence emergency and vigor (first count, speed index, medium time and relative frequency of emergency, length and dry matter of the seedlings). The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions with an experimental design of completely randomized, with seven treatments and four replications. The pre-conditioning of the seeds with immersion in concentrated sulfuric acid was efficient to overcoming seed dormancy, by increasing the percentage and speed emergency, the first count of emergency, length and dry matter of seedlings and reduction in the medium time for emergency. The efficiency of this chemical treatment with concentrated sulfuric depends on the immersion time, and 10 to 20 minutes were the most adequate to provide larger emergency uniformity percentages and vigor.

This study aimed to evaluate the insecticidal activity of eight medicinal plants on Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). Plant powder from Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) leaves, Peumus boldus (Mol) leaves, Matricaria chamomilla (L.) flowers, Baccharis trimera (Less.) leaves, Camellia sinensis (L.) leaves, Thea sinensis (L.) leaves, Ilex paraguariensis (St. Hil.) leaves, and fruits of Pimpinella anisum (L.) were used in the experiment. Bioassays were carried out under constant conditions of temperature (28±2 °C), relative humidity (70±5%) and scotophase of 24 hours. Experimental units consisted of 20 grams of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) grains with 13% wet basis moisture content, 2 g plant powder and ten adult insects, both placed in plastic containers (60 mm in diameter x 60 mm high). The analyzed variables included: insect mortality, oviposition (egg number) and instantaneous rate of population growth (ri). The number of dead insects was recorded 5 days after bioassays were started, the egg number was recorded after 12 days, and ri was estimated on the 60th day. All the tested plants had toxicity to C. maculatus. The highest mortality was found in insects treated with P. boldus and I. paraguariensis. Number of eggs and ri also varied significantly among the powders. The lowest mean values for these parameters were recorded in the plots treated with P. boldus, P. anisum and R. officinalis.

The use of high quality seeds constitutes in one of the responsible factors of the success of a fieldwork. Because of that, this work was elaborated to evaluate the physiological quality of cotton seeds of two to cultivars Green BRS and CNPA 7H submitted to two levels of moisture content and stored for 12 months. It was used the delineation entirely random, using a factorial arrangement 2 x 3 x 5, with four repetitions, being two for cotton cultivars, two for moisture content (S.0 - seeds with 10%, S.1 - seeds with 8%) and five periods of storage in dry chamber (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months). The application laboratory tests were: germination, moisture content and vigour (first counting of germination, seedlings length and precocious aging). The results show that the quality of the cotton seed was superior in the seeds with tenor of 10% of humidity of variety BRS Green throughout the storage, in the different analyzed laboratory tests.

The trial was carried out at Santana da Vargem, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from September to November 2003, with the objective of evaluating the productivity and nutritional state of lettuce cultivars in function of the Si addition. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with four replicates, in factorial arrengement with additional treatments: 3 x 4 +3, composed by three lettuce cultivars: Raider (group crisphead); Regina (group loosensmooth) and Vera (group loosen crisped) and four Silifértil® rates (0, 1, 2 and 4 t ha-1). The additional treatments were composed by the application of 3.5 t.ha-1 of Limestone for the three cultivars. The nutritional status of lettuce was evaluated by Diagnosis and Integrated Recommendation System. The application of Si in the form of Silifértil® do not increase the yield of the lettuce Rider, Regina and Vera. The fertilization with Silifértil® do not increase the silicon concentration in the aerial part of the lettuce, increase the DRIS indice for Si, but do not change the concentrations of most of the nutrients analyzed, except for the concentration of the K and Zn. The concentration of K decreased in function inverse polinomial, with low point in 1,89 t ha-1 of Silifértil®, and without adjusting, a regression curve, the tenor of Zn, decreased with the increase of the rate of Silifértil®. The fertlization with Silifértil® do not promote one better nutritional status for lettuce crops.

Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. is cultivated extensively a fodder species and for fruit in many countries. The seeds have a lignified covering that protects them against adverse environmental factors, however it hinders germination. Objective was to determine to determine an efficient, practical and low-cost methodology to break seed dormancy. These were submitted to the following treatments: control (intact seeds) (T1); mechanical scarification with number 80 water sandpaper for ten minutes (T2); sulfuric acid immersion for 3, 5 and 10 minutes (T3, T4 e T5, respectively); e 80ºC water immersion for 3, 5 e 10 minutes (T6, T7, e T8, respectively). The experimental design was entirely random, with eight treatments and four repetitions. The appraised characteristics were: emergence percentage first count and velocity index and seedling dry mass. The mechanical scarification with number 80 water sandpaper for ten minutes effectively broke the O. ficus indica seed dormancy.

O mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru P. DC.) é uma cactaceae nativa da caatinga, possuindo grande importância para a sustentabilidade e conservação da biodiversidade deste bioma. Objetivou-se com este trabalho desinfestar e promover a germinação de sementes de mandacaru, variando os fatores concentração de hipoclorito de sódio e concentração de sacarose. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 5x5, com cinco repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de cinco concentrações de hipoclorito de sódio (0,0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5 e 2,0% de cloro ativo ) e cinco concentrações de sacarose (0,0; 2,5; 5,0; 7,5 e 10,0% ). Foram avaliados o número de contaminações, germinações e tamanho da planta por semente cultivada. Houve interação significativa, apenas para a variável germinação, sendo a concentração de 2,5% de sacarose a mais eficiente dentro das quatro concentrações de cloro ativo. Verificou-se que a concentração de cloro ativo a partir de 0,5% é efetiva na desinfestação das sementes, sendo a concentração de 1,0% o melhor tratamento. Com relação à característica comprimento de plântula não houve diferenças significativas para os dois fatores analisados.

This work had for objective to test the coconut dust as one of the components of the substratum recommended in the production of seedlings of green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and that the inoculation with arbuscular mychorrizal fungi (AMF) it turns the most efficient plant in the absorption of nutrients, especially the phosphorus. A Yellow Red Argissolo was used, the substrata dust dry coconut and dust green coconut. The plants had been inoculated by AMF (Glomus clarum, Glomus intraradices and margarita Gigaspora). The experiment was lead per 45 days, the plants had been supplied weekly with exempt nutritional solution of P and to the end collected and submitted to the analyses of: dry mass of the aerial part, leaf number, height of the plant, diameter of caule, contend of macronutrient and micronutrient of the aerial part of plant. The delineation was of blocks casualizados with eighteen treatments and four repetitions. The results had demonstrated that10% dust dry coconut the seedlings of green pepper presented better results in mass dries of the aerial part, height, number of leves and diameter of caule.

The use of spontaneous species as green manure en the rocket production has been produce satisfactory results. The experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, in the period of 2008, with the objective of determing of different decomposition times of malva veludo rocket production. A completely randomized desings with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consist of: (7 days incorporated), T2 (incorporated 14 days); T3 (incorporated 21 days); T4 (incorporated 28 days); T5 (incorporated 35 days); T6 (fertilized soil). The evaluated traits were: plant height, number of leaves per pot, dry mass and yield. The time of decomposition of 14 days was what provided the best rocket production.