Sunflower crop is a good option of income generation because of its grains commercialization and oil extration. The lack of knowledge about performance of genotypes at local conditions is one of the problems to the installation of this crop in the Maranhão State The objective of this work was to evaluate sunflower genotypes and to verify its productive potential in the Maranhão State. The aquenio yield, oil content, oil yield, initial flowering, physiological maturation and height of plants had been evaluated. It was observed that genotypes showed a low average aquenio yield (348 kg/ha), but their average oil content was sactisfatory. ACA 884, Helio 358 and Agrobel 962 had the best results for all of agronomical characteristics evaluated.

This work objectified to study the nutritional composition of the espinheiro (Machaerium aculeatum Raddi.), in dry and rainy season under pasture of Brachiaria decumbens Stapf in the conditions of Itambé, Pernambuco, Brazil. The experiment was carried out at Experimental Station of Itambé, of the IPA. It was identified 20 trees of the specie in the pasture, in which were realized eight collections of leaves and twigs (diameter<0.5 cm), half at the dry period and half at the rainy period. It were determinate the dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), potassium (K), nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and phosphorus (P) contents. The CP, ADF, K, N, Ca and Mg contents were larger (P<0.05) in the rainy season, with average 14.7; 39.7; 1.7; 2.3; 1.1 and 0.5%, respectively. NDF and P contents had not differed between the seasons, with average 49.1 and 0.1%. The espinheiro presents similar chemical composition to the one of other legumes forages. The season of the year exerts influence on the chemical composition of the espinheiro.

The influence of seed position and sowing depth on seedling emergence and growth in Moringa oleifera Lam. in two laboratory experiments at Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, UFERSA, RN, Brasil. In one experiment, the influence of three sowing depths (2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 cm) were evaluated through percent of emergence, emergence velocity index (EVI), seedling height, and whole seedling dry matter. In the second, it was studied the influence of seed position (apex upward, lateral and apex down) on percent of emergence, EVI, seedling height, root length, and whole seedling fresh and dry matters. Both experiments were completely randomized with four replications of 50 seeds. Sowing at 2.0 cm deep provided higher percent of emergence, IVE and seedling height. Seed position did not affect percent of emergence and seedling dry matter, height and root length, however, when the seeds were sown with the apex upward or lying, seedlings had greater fresh matter and higher EVI.

This review objective to show the importance of the rural administrator to the perfect development of the familiar agriculture. In this situation, we observed the inclusion of experimented administrative theories in others areas, has the capacity of increase the production of the little cultivators or familiar agriculturalist, maintaining them in yours regions and increasing the lucratively with less degradation ofthe ambient. So we conclude who so important than the agricultural techniques is the rural administrator to promote the development of the familiar agro industry, because he is holder of important knowledge, but he considerate the specific particularity of our region.

Surveys of the intensity of soft rot in plantations of lettuce and Chinese cabbage were performed from January to May 2004 in mesoregions of the Mata and Agreste of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Disease prevalence of 42.9% was observed in lettuce and 100% in Chinese cabbage. The incidence of soft rot ranged from 0 to 22% in lettuce and 1 to 67% in Chinese cabbage. In lettuce higher intensity of soft rot was observed in areas with more than 17 years of cultivation; planted with cultivars "Cacheada", "Elba" and "Tainá"; with clay soil type; irrigated by hosing; and having poor drainage. Lower disease intensity was detected in areas of cultivars "Verdinha" and "Salad Bowl"; when coriander was the previous crop; and when seedlings wereproduced in trays. In Chinese cabbage higher intensity of soft rot was found in areas having more than 10 years of cultivation, and in plantations with more than 50 days of growth. The sole subspecies detected causing soft rot in all areas of lettuce and Chinese cabbage was Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum.

A phytosociological comparative study was performed in two "caatinga" areas (A - productive pasture and B - degraded pasture), in the eastern "Cariri" microregion of Paraíba State, Northeast of Brazil. The multiple plots method was used, where 40 plots were established in each area, being measured living trees and shrubs with diameter at base height (DAB) ³ 3 cm and plant height (At) ³ 1 m. Eight botanic families, ten genera, and ten species were identified in area A. The Cactaceae and Mimosaceae were the best-represented families in number of individuals in this area. Six families, eight genera, and nine species were identified in area B, where Cactaceae, Mimosaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the best-represented families. The following parameters, total number of sampled individuals (N), basal area (BA), and total density (TD) had in area A 438 individuals, 12.22 m2.ha-1, and 2737 individuals per hectare, respectively, which were higher than area in B, that had the following values: 308 individuals, 11.31 m2.ha-1 e 1925 individuals per hectare, respectively. These results allow to postulate that the uncontrolled grazing practiced in that microregion of Paraíba State, is leading to an environmental degradation of the "caatinga" phytocenosis (a set of plants with ecological similar preferences, living in the same biotope).

Due the necessity to look for alternatives to produce larger amount of quality foods, as well as to develop research that seeks viable solutions for use of waters of the low quality, this work was addressed. The objective was to know the behavior of red earthworm of California when watered with waters of different from salinity for 45 days. The experiment was installed in the earthworm house of UFERSA. The design used was randomized blocks with four treatments and six repetitions. The used treatments were watering waters with four levels of electric conductivities (T1 = 0.5 dS m-1 T2 = 5.0 dS m-1 T3 = 10.0 dS m-1 T4 = 15.0 dS m-1, being T1 originating from local well and the others obtained by the increment of chloride of sodium (NaCl) to the water used in T1. The 24 portions were composed by concrete pitchers containing 1.5 liters of tanned manure and 6 young earthworms of uniform size. The Mass of Head offices Final Average and the Relative Mass of Head offices they didn't suffer significant decrease when the salinity of the watering water increased from 0.5 to 5.0 dS m-1. The watering of earthworms with waters of electric conductivity of up to 5.0 dS m-1 didn't cause any mortality of head offices. The reduction of the Mass of the Final Population went of 1.69 g to each dS m-1 increased in the electric conductivity of the watering water. The Relative Population Growth of earthworms decreased 6,6 times when the electric conductivity of the water increased from 0,5 to 5,0 dS m-1.

This work objectived to evaluate the influence of the calcium levels reduction (0.75 and 0.60%), using two suplemental sources in the diet, limestones of two distinct deposits of calcareous rock (A and B), for female and male broiler chickens in the period between 1 to 28 days of age, and thus, its effect on the performance and the bone development. For such purpose, had been used 288 female and 288 male cobb line broilers, by entirely randomized design in factorial arrangement (2x2x2). The food intake and live weight gain had presented significant differences for the calcium sources, while the calcium level and the sex of the chickens had influenced the feed conversion, the mineralization and the length of the tibia bone. The reduction in the calcium level to 0.75% with the tested limestones, in males and females, provided to satisfactory performance, bone mineralization and calcium retention.

Considering soil acidity importance under tropical conditions and the existence of several limingrequirement evaluation methods, this work aimed to evaluate liming requirement methods in use in Brazil. Experimental units were plastic cups with 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha-1 of CaCO3, in a factorial arrangement with three soil classes, under a block design with five replicates. pH readings were obtained each seven days for eight weeks. Regression analysis and model selection was done for pH, Al3+ and Ca2++Mg2+, considering CaCO3 levels as independent variables, for each soil. Obtained equations were used to estimate pH, Al3+ and Ca2++Mg2+ which would be obtained if liming was conducted according to the liming requirement methods. Data estimated for each soil was submitted to analysis of variance, with each soil being a replicate. Base saturation, exchangeable aluminum neutralization, or exchangeable calcium and magnesium content increase had the best results for pH. These methods achieved liming goals, while the remaining resulted in pH below desirable.

An experiment was carried out at Caatinga Experimental Field of Embrapa Tropical Semi-Arid, Petrolina-PE, Brazil, in the first semester of 1998, with the objective of evaluating the effect of different levels of salinity of irrigation water with and without the soil conditioner on the yield of carrot, cv. Brasília. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of water with electrical conductivity of 0.1 dS/m (control - from the São Francisco river), 4.0 and 8.0 dS/ m, and the same levels of electrical conductivity plus soil conditioner. The carrot yields varied from 33.1 to 82.3 t/ ha, for the treatments irrigated with saline water plus soil conditioner and for the control, respectively. Also, there was no significant difference between the yield obtained using water from the São Francisco river (0.1 dS/m) and that obtained using water with 4.0 dS/m electrical conductivity and that obtained with the application of soil conditioner.