To evaluate the utilization of the biofetilizer substituting nutrient solution in hydroponic lettuce was carried out the study in greenhouse at Environmental Science Departament of the UFERSA, located in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. The statistical test was realized in randomized blocks, with thee repetitions. Treatments were composed of five nutrient solution (Biofertilizer - T1; Biofertilizer + 25% of the mineral nutrient solution - T2; Biofertilizer + 50% of the mineral nutrient solution - T3; Biofertilizer + 75% of the mineral nutrient solution - T4 and mineral nutrient solution - T5). The fresh and matter biomes, leaf area, diameter of caulis and number of leaf was analyzed. The T5 treatment showed better response in relation to growth parameters and production of hydroponic lettuce, demonstrating that in a hydroponic requires high levels of nutrients readily available to meet the rapid and high nutrient demand.

The experiment was carried out at the Embrapa Semi-Arid, Petrolina, Pernambuco State, Brazil aiming to study the behavior of five species of the genus Spondias: umbu-cajá (Spondias sp.), umbuguela (Spondias sp.), cajá (S. lutea L.), cajá-manga (S. cytherea Sonn.) e ceriguela (S. purpurea L.) grafted on umbuzeiro (S. tuberosa Cam), which presents a specialized root system bearing tubers. Five-years old plants, spaced by 10.0 m x 10.0 m were studied under rainfed conditions based on phenotypic and physiological data acquisition. The results indicated the occurrence of high levels of graft unions and good vegetative performance of all species, suggesting the occurrence of week incompatibility barriers among them and the rootstock. Consequently, all grafted species presented a internal water balance recovering similar to the umbuzeiro due to the presence of tubers in the root system. Despite the improvement on the species' water balance, the values on stomatal conductance, transpiration and photosynthesis significantly decreased along the experimental period suggesting the existing of a signal present in the root system that controls the stomatal aperture, although to the umbuzeiro, the reduction on gas exchange was less steeped.

The study propagation of non-cultivated plants aims the species domestication, and its propagation can be carried out by seeds. However exist factors that affect the germination, among them there are the size, the weight of seed and the use of chemical substances. The present work was carried out with the objective to evaluate the influence of the weight of seeds and chemical promoters on the seed germination of Hyptis pectinata. It was used seeds collected and classified of sambacaitá in blower machine, which had been placed to germinate on Petri dishes, and kept in germination chamber at 27ºC under constant light. The experimental design was the completely randomized in factorial scheme 2x4, referring two chemical seeds classification llow and heavy seeds) and three substances (GA3, KNO3 and PEG) and the control, with four replications of 50 seeds each. The variables analized were percentage, speed germination index and mean square for time of germination. The statistical analysis was carried out using the software Sanest, and the average values compared by the Test of Tukey 5%. The different classification of seeds by weight present influence on the physiological quality of sambacaitá's seeds. Heavy seeds germinate in higher percentage, and faster speed, and short time. The chemical treatment with KNO3 and GA3 increases the germination percentage, but for the speed germination index and germination do not present significant difference. The use of PEG increases the mean square time of germination of sambacaitá's seeds.

With the objective to determine the influence of the dehydration and of the size and/or weight on germination percentage and the vigor of jussara palm seeds (Euterpe edulis Mart.), 10 individuals' ripe fruits, picked in the Experimental Station of Ubatuba (IAC) they were classified by size in 5 sieves of circular sieve: 26/64¿ (10,31mm), 28/64" (11,11mm), 30/64" (11,90mm), 32/64" (12,69mm) and 34/64" (13,49mm). It was determined, the medium weight of the classified seeds. The quality of the seeds was evaluated through the following parameters: water content of the seeds; germination and vigor (first germination counting). It was evaluated the drying speed of different seed sizes for 48 hours, in dry chamber. The sizes of 28/64", 30/64" and 32/64" represented 98,7% of the total weight of the harvested seeds and showed similar drying speed, percentage of germination and vigor. With the increase of the drying period, the smaller seeds (28/64") had their germination less affected them the intermediate (30/64") and bigger sized seeds (32/64").

The present work aimed to estimate the litterfall rate accumulation in stands of Parkia pendula Benth., Caesalpinia ferrea var. ferrea Mart. ex Tul., Caesalpinia echinatta Lam., Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. and in the native forest in Nísia Floresta National Forest, in the Municipality of Nísia Floresta-RN. The biomass was collected with a metallic frame accomplished in 10 points of each stand in dry and rainy season of 2003. The material was separated in leaves, branches and miscellany fractions, washed, dried at 65ºC for 48 hours and after weighted. Larger biomass accumulation was observed in the Parkia pendula stand with 15.49 Mg.ha-1 and the smallest in Caesalpinia echinatta with 9.52 Mg.ha-1. It was verified in all the stands more leaf biomass production with high amount for Caesalpinia ferrea and Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, accumulating 10.38 and 10.25 Mg.ha-1, respectively. The branches+bark production was larger in the Parkia pendula plot with 4.95 Mg.ha-1 and in the native forest with 3.19 Mg.ha-1. The litterfall accumulation in the pure plantations was larger in the dry period, reaching 33% more than in the rainy season. The cluster analysis classified the forest typologies in two blocks, being the first formed by Caesalpinia ferrea, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia and Parkia pendula, and the second by Caesalpinia echinatta and native forest, with the leaf fraction being the main discriminatory variable.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the accumulation of matter, dry matter content of Brix and two varieties of sugar cane, influenced by the phosphorus cultivated on "Zona da Mata" region, State of Alagoas. The experiment, a factorial 2 x 6, was composed of two varieties of cane; RB867515 and RB92579 and six phosphorus levels: zero, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg ha-1, with the source of the phosphorus triple superphosphate . Was also used nitrogen and potassium in doses equivalent to 100 and 200 kg ha-1 and K, respectively. The soil of the experimental area was set to raise the base saturation to 60%. At the beginning of the first rainfall of the rainy season of 2006 was performed with micro fertilization in coverage, in doses equivalent to 6,0; 6,0 and 7,0 kg ha-1 of Cu, Zn and Mn, respectively. Was The chemical control of weeds. Every month, from August to October 2006, samples were collected in the cane plant. There was initially the number of plants m2, followed by weighing the material. It was subsequently withdrawn a subsample containing ten plants for weighing. After weighing the material was passed in horsemanship and homogenized, again drew up a sample of approximately 300g, leading them to forced ventilation oven at 65 ºC, to obtain constant weight. Resulting in the production of natural (MN) and dry matter (DM). In July, we analyzed the levels of Brix% juice in the refractometer Brix. The average values of production of natural (MN), dry matter (DM) and contents of Brix% were subjected to analysis of variance and regression for variables. The accumulation of dry matter and were influenced by fertilization. The contents of Brix% in two varieties did not suffer significant influence of fertilization.

Cordia oncocalyx is abundant among the woody community, nevertheless it presents low density on the soil seed bank. Our hypothesis is that C. oncocalyx presents higher fruit density in areas with higher adult density, once it¿s fruit, although proper for wind dispersal, but not being dispersed though long distances. The low density, result of unproper sample size and methodology used during analyses. To test these hypothesis, a caatinga area was selected in the end of the dry season a hectare was chosen and in it¿s inside thirty 100 m2 squares were selected to count the adult trees and thirty 1m2 squares to count the fruit bank among the leaf litter. Our results showed a fruit density of 67,5 ± 90,17 fruits/m2 and 2 ± 2 trees/100m2. The predation rate was 20%, value similar to the ones found in arid and semiarid systems. A positive correlation was found between the adult tree density and i) the fruit density (rs = 0,5836, p < 0,05) and ii) the proportion of predated fruits (rs = 0,3665 , p < 0,05). The seed density was higher than the ones found in previous studies. Nevertheless, these results agregad dispersal and seed density estimate method.

The objective of this work was to evaluate to the sowing time of the Brachiaria brizantha forage intercrop with two upland rice cultivars on the agronomics characteristics of both species. It was used randomized blocks in experimental design arranged in factorial scheme 2x2+4, with four replicates. The first factor was constituted by the upland rice cultivars (BRS Primavera e BRSMG Curinga) and the second factor by two sowing times of B. brizantha forage (simultaneous sowing between rice and forage and sowing of the forage in the flowering of the rice). The additional treatments consisted of the sole crops upland rice cultivars and B. brizantha forage for each sowing time. In rice was evaluated the height of the plants, bedding, difficulty of the harvest, the number of panicles per area, grain per panicles, percentage of full and empty grains, 100-grain mass and grain yield. In the B. brizantha forage was evaluated the height of the tillers, the total dry mass and the rate of cultural growth. It was observed that the B. brizantha forage interfered in the productivity components of both upland rice cultivars and difficult significantly the harvest of the rice. The upland rice cultivars showed small competitive capacity with the B. brizantha forage when the establishment of the forage occurred simultaneously to the rice. However, to the measure that the sowing was occurred with the established rice already, the B. brizantha forage had his growth suppressed.

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.

The culture of the castor bean comes as a promising alternative for the producing of the semi-arid Northeasterner, mainly for to present characteristics as adaptation to the climatic conditions and to present in seeds they nourish chemistries of addition importance for production of Biodiesel, however, they are still scarce studies on techniques handling of this culture, mainly as the manuring This work driven with the objective of evaluating the initial development of the castor bean submitted to different sources and doses of organic matter. The used design was it entirely randomized in factorial outline 2 x 5, with three replications. The treatments were composed by the combination of two sources (manure bovine and manure ovine) and five tenors of organic matter in the composition of the substratum (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40). The appraised growth indexes were: plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter and fitomassa of the aerial part. The castor bean answered the sources and the studied doses significantly, as well as the interaction among these factors. Answer was verified forms quadratic the doses of bovine and lineal manure to the doses of manure ovine. The largest development of the plants was verified with bovine manure, in close tenors of 30%.