In order to evaluate foliar production of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) was accomplished in an experiment under greenhouse conditions. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with six treatments: T1 - tap water; T2, T3, and T4 mixture of wastewater and tap water (25-75%; 50-50% and 75-25%, respectively), T5 - wastewater only, and T6 - tap water + mineral fertilization, and four replications. The results showed that increasing the proportion of wastewater in the treatments T2 to T5 there was a simultaneous increase in dry mater production of root, stem and leaf. In the absence of mineral fertilization, soils irrigated with treated wastewater were able to attend nutritional requirements of the tested plant, proving wastewater to be a viable source of water and nutrients for plants.

This work had the objective of checking the echophysiological behavior of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] cv. BRS Xique-xique cultivated under different levels of hydric deficit. The plants were cultivated in vases with capacity for 10L, containing one substratum composed by: 88,45% sand, 3,71% of clay, 7,84 % of silte. The experimental design was entirely randomized with three treatments (TO- reposition of 100% of lost water by evapotranspiration, T1- reposition of 50% and T2- reposition of 25%) and five repelicates. Previously, T1 and T2 suffered a period of stress and were later rehydrated. In the day of the assessment, the plants of T1 had been undergone to stress for three days, while the plants T2 for 5 days. The variables analyzed were: leaf water potential, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration, internal CO2 concentration and foliar temperature. The fewest availability of water caused reductions in the net photosynthesis rates, stomatal conductance and transpiration in T1 and T2 when they were compared to T0. The internal CO2 concentration in T2 was the greater among analyzed treatments. The reposition of 50 % of the lost water hasn´t caused any damage in the net photosynthesis.

The objective of that work was to evaluate the influence of different soil mulching and doses of organic compost in the culture of the rocket. The experimental design was used in randomized blocks, in splitplot arrangement with four replications. The plot corresponded to the soil mulching (no-tillage with living mulch of Arachis pintoi, living mulch of native weed, straw mulch of native weed and conventional tillage without mulching). The plots represent the doses of organic compost (10, 20 and 30 t ha-1 in the dry compost). The variables analyzed were yield, commercial fresh matter, and dry matter of the aerial part. The dose of 30 t ha-1 provided the largest yield values and commercial fresh mass for the conventional system and straw mulch. The dose 20.49 t ha-1 increased yield and commercial fresh mass for A. pintoi mulch. The dose 20.85 t ha-1 showed greater increase in yield and commercial fresh mass for the live native weed. The tillage and straw mulch presented higher yield values for all the studied doses. The dose of 23.1 t ha-1 it promoted the largest dry mass of the aerial part. The tillage and no-tillage with straw mulch it contributed with the largest dry matter of the aerial part.

This work carried out a floristic-taxonomic survey of the family Verbenaceae sensu lato in a stretch at the Ecological Station Raso da Catarina, Bahia State, Brazil. Four genera and six species were recorded: Aegiphila, with one species (A. sellowiana Cham.); Lantana, with one species (L. fucata Lindl.); Lippia, with three species (L. gracilis Schauer, Lippia cf. schomburgkiana Schauer and L. thymoides Mart. & Schauer) and Stachytarpheta, with one species (S. caatingensis S. Atkins). A key for recognition of the species, descriptions and illustrations, beyond data about flowering and fruiting, geographical distribution and habitat are provided.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different pre-treatments on the germination of the seeds as well as the emergence velocity of the seedlings of Erythrina velutina and Erythrina falcata. The treatments utilized for the evaluation of germination were intact seeds (control); mechanical scarification with sandpaper number 120 in the opposite side of the embryo; and immersion in water at room temperature for 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. Four replications of 25 seeds each were used per treatment and the experimental design was completely randomized, and the comparison among the averages was made using the Tukey test at 5% of probability. The percentage of germination, the emergence velocity index and the relative frequency of germination were calculated 31 days after sowing. For both species, better percentages of germination and values of emergence velocity were obtained with the mechanical scarification of seeds. That treatment was efficient in the uniformization and anticipation of the germination process. However, the tests done with seed immersion in water at room temperature for up to 48 hours do not increase the percentage of germination of E. velutina and E. falcata seeds.

The accelerated process of environmental degradation in the São Francisco Drainage Basin (BHSF) has generated a high demand for seeds destined to the production of plant propagules. However there is no information about the commercial value of the diaspores of forest species which occur in the BHSF. The objective of this study is to propose a system to evaluate the worthiness of the kilogram of seeds for 22 plant species of the Caatinga, based in the following parameters: geographic distribution, endemism, level of threat, functional group, processing, collection effort, classification of seeds and number of seeds per kilogram. Field studies were conducted in five municipalities of the the region of the central valley of the São Francisco River and on five islands located in the main channel of the São Francisco River, from August 2007 to September 2008. The prices calculated using our system varied from R$ 10.00 for Syagrus coronata Mart. Becc. (Arecaceae) and R$ 44.15 for Handroanthus spongiosus (Rizzini) S.O.Grose (Bignoniaceae). From a 50% cut percentage in a cluster multivariate analysis we identified the occurrence of three groups: a group with seeds of lesser commercial value (average value of R$ 18.80.Kg-1), a second group with intermediate commercial value (R$ 28.21.Kg-1) and a third group with seeds of higher commercial value (R$ 32.85.Kg-1). We hope that this study will contribute to the process of conservation and ecological restoration of Caatinga, and also to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the local population from the commercialization of these seeds.

The use of phosphates fertilizers can increase the trace element concentration in the soils, with an eventual transfer to human chain food. As indispensable tool, models can be used to identify the risks and to evaluate the effects of preventive actions. The goal of this study was to applied a mass model for trace elements, developed at the University of California - Riverside, (USA) in two cerrado soils (LVdf, a clayey soil and NQ, a Sandy Soil). The model was used as an instrument to evaluate the risks of cadmium and lead accumulation in different soils and in soybean plants, upon the application of different phosphorous sources in the soils. The simulate cadmium content after ten years of application of the reactive phosphate FR3, it reached 2.97 mg kg-1 in the LVdf. The cadmium content in the RQo was more available for the soybean plants. The model showed a greater accumulation of Cd and Pb in the clayey soil (LVdf), after ten years of application high doses of these elements through the phosphates fertilizers FR3 and FN2.

The knowledge about the magnitude of the genetic variability of collection is great importance to the success and longevity of plant breeding programs. Same authors affirm to exist genetic variability in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), being expanded with the use of millet (P. glaucum) in the hybridization. This work presents considerations on genetic variability in elephant grass germplasm and the main methodologies used to assess this variability. Based on the works studied, the methodologies (principal component, canonical variables and agglomerative methods, based in the euclidian and Mahalanobis distances; Jaccard' index and cluster' methods, based in the Ney & Li distances) were efficient in to determine the genetic variability in most genotypes studies in Brazil and other countries, both biometric and molecular level, way be exploited by breeding programs through methods of selection intra and interspecific hybridizations.

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of the use of calcium nitrate on the reduction of stress in the melon plants exposed to excess salt in the irrigation water. The experiment was carried out at the Centro de Ciências e Tecnologia Agroalimentar (CCTA/UFCG), Pombal-PB, from 09/19/2009 to 11/20/2009, using the hybrid melon 'Hales Best Jumbo'. The treatments consisted of the use of two levels of salinity of the irrigation water (0.3 and 5.0 dS m-1) versus rates of N in the form of calcium nitrate (5.5; 6.25; 7.0; 8.5 g N per plant). The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in factorial scheme 2x4, with four repetitions. The highest rates of photosynthesis, stomatic conductivity, transpiration, leaf area, total dry mass and the fruit yield per plant were observed in melon plants irrigated with water of low salinity (0.3 dS m-1) compared to the ones with the saline water (5.0 dS m-1), and for the rates of N between 6.10 and 8.5g of N per plant for both levels of salinity. The suply of N in the form of calcium nitrate was effective on reducing the stress in melon plant the caused by the salinity of the irrigation water up to the rates of 6.20g of N per plant. In absolute terms we can affirm that the best performance of the melon plant was achieved with the dose of 6.25g of N per plant when irrigated with water of low salinity.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of S. platensis as a food supplement for Nile tilapia post-larvae. Two trials was running. In the first, was used two treatments, one offered freshwater microalgae (green water) and other offered microalga S. platensis. In the second trial, were evaluated the effect of without copepods, administration of copepods alone and copepods enriched with S. platensis. Throughout the study, all animals were fed diets with masculinizing hormone 17-K-methyl-testosterone. It was evaluated the growth in weight and length, the survival rate and the rate of sex reversal of tilapia (mean +,- SD). In the first trial, the fish that received the S. platensis and receiving freshwater microalgae showed as result, 0.21 +,- 0.042 g; 2.50 +,- 0.091 cm; 97.5 ± 1,00% and 0.11 +,- 0.022 g; 1.91 +,- 0.419 cm; 98.33 +,- 0.70%, respectively. In the second trial, when the copepods were utilized, with and without S. platensis, the post-larvae as result, 0.221 ± 0.008 g; 2.70 ± 0.070 cm; 86.67 +,- 1.03% and 0.211 +,- 0.014 g; 2.56 ± 0.121 cm; 77.50 +,- 1.33%, respectively. The animals that received only commercial had as result, 0.190 +,- 0.008 g; 2.22 +,- 0.215 cm and 79.17 +,-0.21%. Using S. platensis resulted in better growth in weight and length, but did not affect survival and rates of sex reversal Nile tilapia post-larvae of exposed to natural food.