Maize is an important cereal and it is widely consumed in the world, both as food for humans and animals. Nitrogen (N) is a nutrient required in large quantities by maize, but unfortunately, soils are limited in meeting this need. Nodulating legumes can serve as a source of Nitrogen, because they are symbiotically associated with bacteria capable of fixing atmospheric N. Another important source of this nutrient is cattle manure, which is widely used in agriculture. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of using legumes and cattle manure on the production as well as the microbial and biochemical quality of the soil used for maize cultivation. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design, in a sub-subdivided plot scheme (2x4) +2, two leguminous plants (pigeon pea and macassar bean), four doses of cattle manure (0, 20, 40 and 60 t ha-1) and two controls; one with mineral fertilization and the other cultivated without the use of fertilizers. Treatment using a manure dose of 60t ha-1 and pigeon pea legume, recorded higher dry mass production per plant. The increase in manure doses was directly proportional to the length and weight of the cobs for the two legumes. The enzymatic activities were affected by the different doses and legumes, with greater results being recorded at the 60 t ha-1 dose with the macassar legume. The use of legumes with manure improved maize production as well as the microbiological and biochemical quality of soils.

Here we aimed to evaluate the influence of cladode morphology on the canopy formation of forage cactus plants. The study was carried out in Serra Talhada, the State of Pernambuco, using the IPA Sertânia (IPA), Miúda (MIU), and Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (OEM) clones, which were submitted to three irrigation depths (2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 mm) and three irrigation intervals (7, 14, or 28 days) from March 2012 to August 2013. Cladode and plant canopy biometric data were obtained during the experimental period. We found that the characteristics of the second and third order cladodes contributed most to the canopy formation of clones of the genus Nopalea (IPA and MIU), whereas, for the genus Opuntia (OEM), the first and third order cladodes contributed most. Overall, we found that the influence of the cladode variables on the canopy growth of forage cactus is more associated with the characteristics of the genus than to the peculiarities of the clones.

The most-used preparation process of protein isolates (PI) involves the isoelectric precipitation of the protein. Heating shortens the preparation time but this procedure may affect the purity, yield, molecular profile of the protein, and the activity of the trypsin inhibitor. This study aimed to investigate the effect of heating in the production of cowpea protein isolates. Crude whole beans (WB) were defatted with hexane, and the protein isolates obtained by isoelectric precipitation with (HPI), and without (NHPI) heating. The protein content of the WB and the PI was determined by the micro-Kjeldahl method, and the extraction yield estimated from the protein content at the end of extraction in relation to this content in the raw material. Possible losses of protein fractions were followed by SDS-PAGE, and the trypsin inhibitor activity determined by an enzymatic assay (BAPNA: benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide). Protein content in HPI was 83.3%, less than in the NHPI (92.2%). The HPI yield was lower (40.0%) as compared to the NHPI (42.3%). Electrophoresis indicated bands ranging from 13 to 262 kDa in WB; and the NHPI presented a protein fraction’s profile closer to that of the WB than to the HPI. The WB had the trypsin inhibitor activity, expressed as Trypsin Inhibitory Units (TIU), of 32.5±0.5 TIU /mg-protein; HPI showed 12.7±0.5 TIU /mg-protein (39% of that observed in WB) and the NHPI, 8.3±0.2 TIU /mg-protein (25.5%). Heating reduces the yield and purity of proteins in the isolates. However, the inhibitory activity of trypsin cowpea is most affected by the isolation procedure.

Flour production through milling is an alternative for the cowpea processing, when the aim is to obtain a product with higher added value. The objective of this work was to determine the chemical composition, the granulometry, and evaluate the microbiological characteristics of whole-bean flours from five cowpea cultivars (BRS Cauamé, BRS Guariba, BRS Xiquexique, BRS Novaera and BRS Itaim). Cowpea beans were dried in a oven (Fanem, 320-SE) at 50 °C for 6 hours, milled in a cyclone-type rotor mill (Tecnal, TE-651/2) and, subsequently, in a pulverizer-type semi-industrial mill (Fritsch, Pulverisette 14) to obtain the flour. The flour centesimal composition, total energetic value, mineral content, granulometry, microbiological characteristics, and technological properties-flour water absorption and solubility in water-were analyzed. All analyzes were performed in triplicate and the results expressed in mean ± standard deviation. The means were compared by the Scott-Knott test (p ≤ 0.05). The flour centesimal composition presented (g per 100 g of flour): 7.13 to 10.33 of moisture, 2.06 to 3.65 of ashes, 1.53 g to 2.90 of lipids, 21.73 to 25.77 of proteins, and 58.08 to 64.02 of carbohydrate. The flours had on average 359.04 Kcal (100 g) and presented high iron, zinc, copper, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium contents. The whole-bean flours from the cultivars BRS Cauamé and BRS Xiquexique are sources of calcium. Regarding the microbiological characteristics, all flours are innocuous. The water absorption index were within 1.77 and 2.20 g g-1 and the water solubility index within 17 and 23%. All whole-bean flours had good nutritional, technological and microbiological characteristics, and thus potential for use in bakery products.

The semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil is vulnerable to problems of water scarcity and salinity, resulting in low-quality irrigation water and the need to adopt cultivation strategies that make the production system viable. Given the above, this study aimed to evaluate emergence, growth, and production of colored cotton subjected to increasing levels of irrigation water salinity and organic matter doses. The experiment was carried out in a eutrophic Regolithic Neosol with a sandy loam texture in a greenhouse in the municipality of Campina Grande - PB, Brazil. A randomized block design was used in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme with three replicates, and the treatments corresponded to four levels of electrical conductivity of water - ECw (1.7, 3.4, 5.1, and 6.8 dS m-1) and four doses of organic matter - OM (0, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5% based on soil volume). Increasing irrigation water salinity with ECw values above 1.7 dS m-1 reduced emergence, growth, and production of colored cotton, and the cotton seed weight was the variable most affected by salinity. Organic matter addition led to increased cotton growth and production, especially in terms of seed weight. Increasing doses of organic matter attenuated the effect of irrigation water salinity on the number of bolls in ‘BRS Jady’ cotton.

The use of landfill leachate (LL) to produce biomass for energy and biofuel purposes is an alternative that minimizes environmental degradation. In this context, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of using different rates of LL in the fertigation of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) crops. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with five treatments and four replications-20 experimental plots. The treatments consisted of control with 100% water from the water supply (WWS) (T1); 80% WWS + 20% LL (T2); 60% WWS + 40% LL (T3); 40% WWS + 60% LL (T4); and 20% WWS + 80% LL (T5). The sunflower crops were grown in a eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisol for 81 days, in Mossoró RN, Brazil. The plant characteristics evaluated-plant height, number of leaves, steam diameter and capitulum diameter-was determined. All variables evaluated presented statistical differences between treatments. In general, plants in the treatment 60% WWS + 40% LL presented better performance regarding the characteristics evaluated.

Myroxylon balsamum is a valuable tropical tree; besides the good quality of its timber it also provides valuable nontimber forest products: balsam and resin. High deforestation rates in the area of distribution and the unregulated extraction of its resin and wood have led M. balsamum to be endangered or threatened. Its regeneration through seeds has been poorly studied, and there are no reports of germination and plasticity under controlled conditions. We evaluated the effect of scarification (longitudinal cut of the fruit and embryo fully exposed) and environmental factors (different levels of light intensities and changing temperatures) on seed germination and the development of seedlings. From the aforementioned, M. balsamum seeds are orthodox and show physical dormancy. In view of these characteristics, M. balsamum can be managed efficiently to initiate conservation programs and restoration in degraded land.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytomorphological parameters of soybean in a crop-livestock system inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense. The experiment was conducted in Santa Maria, Brazil, for two agricultural years (2 Paper extracted from the doctoral thesis of the first author. 012/2013 and 2013/2014) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. In the winter, the black oat and ryegrass pasture was managed with sheep under different grazing systems: (I) - a conventional grazing (CG) system, where the animals remained in the pasture throughout the experimental period without any pasture height control; (II, III, and IV) - systems with post-grazing pasture heights of 10, 20, and 30 cm, respectively; and (NG) - one control without grazing. All treatments received two nitrogen doses (50 and 100 kg ha-1) and inoculation or no inoculation (A. brasilense). The soybean cultivar BMX Potência RR was sown using no-tillage on 16 November 2012 and 1 December 2013. In each plot, seven rows of plants with spacing of 0.45 m were used, and in four rows, the seeds were inoculated with the bacterium A. brasilense. The phytomorphological variables and grain productivity were evaluated. In a croplivestock system, soybean has better productivity when established on black oat and ryegrass pasture managed with post-grazing pasture heights of between 20 and 30 cm. Areas under conventional grazing in the winter led to smaller soybean plants with lower first and last pod heights. Inoculation with A. brasilense should not be used alone in soybean cultivation.

Recurrent selection can generate successive gains for characters of economic interest without causing genetic narrowing in the population. However, it has rarely been used in breeding programs in popcorn, especially when using full-sibling progenies to generate more expressive gains. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic gain of the UENF-14 popcorn population through recurrent selection, and verify the evolution of the gains between the selection cycles four and eight. A total of 200 full-sibling progenies were evaluated in randomized blocks arranged in eight sets within three replicates in two environments; each set containing twenty-five progenies and six controls (selection cycles 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the UENF-14, BRS-Angela and IAC-125). The average height, prolificacy, 100-grain weight, ear weight, grain yield, and grain popping expansion of the plants were evaluated. In the selection of the thirty superior progenies for the eighth cycle, the Mulamba and Mock selection index was used, which generated estimated genetic gains of 4.60 for grain yield and 3.61% for popping expansion. The grain yield increased 111.99 kg ha-1 and the popping expansion increased 1.75 mL g-1 per cycle. The evolution of the cycles resulted in an accumulated genetic gain for the main characters of economic importance, allowing the prediction of success in the continuity of the recurrent selection.

Bacillus spp. have been used against diseases caused by bacteria that affect cultured shrimp, providing beneficial effects on the host shrimps by altering their microbial community, and improving zootechnical indexes. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of a diet supplemented with Bacillus cereus-a bacterium with probiotic potential-on post-larvae Litopenaeus vannamei shrimps grown in laboratory. The experiment lasted for fifteen days and consisted of six treatments-control (T1), probiotic (T2), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) (T3), probiotic and VP (T4), V. alginolyticus (VA) (T5), and probiotic and VA (T6). The survival rate, weight gain, colonization capacity of the probiotic bacteria, pathogen count, and histopathological lesions were evaluated. There was no significant difference (p=0.05) in survival between treatments. The groups with pathogens and without probiotics presented lower weight gain. The result of the Bacillus cereus count in the treatments T2, T4 and T6 were significantly different (p<0.05), the probiotic bacteria were more aggressive in competing for space and nutrients when compared to V. parahaemolyticus than when compared to V. alginolyticus. Animals fed with the probiotic presented lower counts of these pathogens than those fed without the probiotic (p<0.05). No histopathological lesions were found in the organs and tissues of the shrimps. Bacillus cereus showed a high colonizing capacity in post-larvae shrimps, causing a significant reduction of pathogens, probably by secreting antimicrobial substances and the competitive exclusion, which justifies their use as probiotic bacteria.