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.

The objective of this research was to identify species of ants in plantations of Heliconia spp. in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. The fauna of Formicidae was sampled in Maceió and Rio Largo, State of Alagoas, Brazil. The samples were taken from three producing areas of tropical flowers from June 2003 to May 2004. We collected 289 specimens belonging to 12 species, distributed in five genera of four subfamilies. The most abundant genus was Camponotus, with five species. This is the first record of a survey of mirmecofauna in Heliconia plantations in the agrobusiness flowers.

The accumulated litter in the forest ecosystems is source of nutrients for the soil, contributing to the maintenance of the productivity and sustainability in these environments. This study evaluated the chemical characteristics and nutrient content of litter in a Caatinga forest site located in the Fazenda Tamanduá RPPN, in the semi-arid region of Paraíba. Litter production in collector boxes were monthly collected of the seven transects systematically located in the RPPN area, being that the each three months was litter retired an the organic material sample, by transect, to evaluated the chemical characteristics. It was also estimated the remaining nutrient content of litter in nylon bags after 12 and 24 months under field conditions. The order of the nutrient quantities present in litter was: N > Ca > S > K > Mg > P. Potassium, Ca, and Mg release was directly related to litter weight loss, and N, P and S concentrations in litter increased during the process of litter decomposition. The nitrogen in the litter was presented the highest concentration in the wet period and phosphorus as limiting factor in this environment.

The aim of this work was the study of proline and aminoacids accumulation in two cowpea ultivars, previously identified as tolerant (Pitiúba) and sensitive to salinity (TVu 2331), along the stress exposition time. Plants of both cultivars were exposed to NaCl 75 mM (salt stress), added at rate of 25 mM day-1 in nutritious solution and its behavior was compared with control ones, kept at the same environmental conditions. In general, salt stress inhibited more the growth in TVu 2331 cultivar. The stressed plants of this cultivar also presented larger proline accumulation in their leaves, suggesting the existence of a protection mechanism. TVu 2331 cultivar also presented tendency of more accumulation of aminoacids in the leaves and roots, which could have occurred due its higher growth inhibition.

Yellow passion fruit crop (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.) and natural insume use on agriculture are increasing in Remígio county Paraíba State, Brazil. In this direction was carried out an experiment, during July 2005 to December 2006 in randomized blocks in order to evaluate the effects of absence and presence of biofertilizers comum (bovine manure fertilizer fresh and water) and supermagro (bovine manure, water, macronutrients and micronutrients), applied to soil on liquid form, in level of 2.4 L plant-1, 30 days before and two months after transplanting, in the absence and presence of mineral fertilizer with NPK, with three repetition and six plantas per set using a factorial designs 3x2. The biofertilizers show more reliable to growth than fruit production of yellow passion fruit. Biggest production corresponded to treatments with the use of mineral fertilizer, specially in the first production. Comum and supermagro biofertilizer gave significative effects on vegetative growth of plants of yellow passion fruit plant but had no influence on fruits production.

The present work had as objective to evaluate the influence of pre-germinatives treatments to overcome dormancy in seeds of albizia (Albizia lebbeck) with different colorations. It took place an experiment at greenhouse UFERSA, in Mossoró-RN, in completely randomized design with the treatments distributed in outline factorial 8x2, with the factors treatments for pre-germination and classes of seeds (clear seeds and dark seeds), in four replications of 25 seeds. The germinative pré-germinative consisted either in the immersion of the seeds in sulfuric acid for ten, 15 and 20 minutes; immersion in sodium hypochlorite for ten, 15 and 20 minutes; cutting in the tegument in the opposite side of the embryonic axis and the control (the control was represented by intact seeds). Were analyzed the following parameters: first germination count, germination speed index, and percentage of germination. . By considering the results, it was observed that the dark seeds were better than clear seed. The immersion treatments in sulfuric acid for 10 and 20 minutes and the cutting in the tegument were the most efficient for the break of seeds dormancy.

The objective in this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing concentrate by flor-de-seda hay under the levels of 0; 15; 30; 45 and 60 % on the fatty acids profile of goat milk. Five multiparus goats of the alpine origin were used with 106 days on lactation at the beginning of the trial, being milked twice daily (06:00 and 16:00 hs). The goats were allotted into a 5 x 5 Latin Square, consisted of five periods of 13 days which, in which the first 10 days were for adaptation of the animals to the new diet and the other three days used to collect the milk from the animals. It was identified the presence of 13 fatty acids, being 8 saturated, small, medium and large chain (C6 to C20), 3 monounsaturated of medium and long chain (C14 to C18) and 2 polyunsaturated of long chain (C18:2 and C18:3). There was not detected any significant difference (P>0.05) on the variables evaluated but on miristoleic acid (P<0.05). The presence of CLA (linoleic conjugated acid) was not evident, although its precursors (C18:2 and C18:3) were identified. It could be concluded that flor-de-seda hay can be included in the diet up to the level of 60% without causing a depression on milk content of essential fatty acids.

It was evaluated banana weevil infestation in six varieties of banana, in the region of Inhambupe - Bahia, using itself of traps of the type "cheese". The biggest level of infestation occurred in the variety Great Naine, that was statistical significant, with 972 captured insects, average of 7,59 insects/traps. The other varieties presented low index of infestation. With exception of Tap Maeo.

The fungi entomopathogenic are actually objects of works according to their importance in the ecological system. This work analysed the persistence of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae and M. anisopliae var. acridum, under different conditions of temperature and humidity, in the period of September to December. After inoculation on soil the fungi were submitted to four different treatments: environment temperature and 25% of humidity; environment temperature and 75% of humidity; 28º C and 25% of humidity; 28º C and 75% of humidity, during 120 days. The results show that M. anisiopliac var. anisopliae presented the most recuperation in the treatment at 28º C and 75% of humidity (P > 0,05) in 30 days and maintained a positive conditions on soil for 120 days of experiment. The same did not happen to M. anisopliae var. acridum that, during the whole process of observation and controll the colonies recuperation avoiding its persistence on soil, during the 120 days of experiment.

In food analysis, it is of utmost importance the determination of a specific component of the food as it is the case of the determination of the centesimal composition. Are procedures carried through with the purpose to supply information on the chemical composition, physicist-chemistry and, or, physics of a food. It can have different purposes, as: nutritional evaluation of a product; quality control of the food; development of new products and the monitoration of the legislation. In such a way, this work was carried through with intention to -chemical evaluate physicist the quality of pulps congealed with regard to the effective norms of the product. It was verified that, in a generalized manner, the pulps had taken care of the Brazilian legislation, excepting the values of pH and soluble solids (ºBrix) of the cashew pulp.