The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in dairy cattle from São Luis Island in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. A total of 281 blood samples were collected. In total, 275 (97.9%) animals were B. bovis-reactive and B. bigemina reactive in the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The microscopy examination detected 22 (7.8%) animals that were positive for Babesia sp. and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis showed that 91 animals (32.38%) and 23 animals (8.18%) were positive for B. bovis and B. bigemina, respectively, while 17 animals (6.04%) were co-infected. There is a high level of transmission of these protozoa in Maranhão, and the animals were naturally exposed. Therefore, it is possible to characterize the island as enzootic stability for babesiosis, indicat-ing a risk of financial losses when susceptible animals are introduced from areas of enzootic instability or free regions of B. bovis and B. bigemina.

The current work had the objective to characterize the visual symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, single and multiple, in castor bean cultivar Guarani, as well as their effects on dry matter and biometrical index. The experiment was carried out in culture solution with randomized blocks with six treatments and four repli-cations. The treatments were represented by control, then the Hoagland and Arnon (1950) control, omission of iron (-Fe); multiple omission of iron and zinc (-FeZn), omission of manganese (-Mn), multiple omission of manganese and zinc (-MnZn) and omission of zinc (-Zn). Castor bean plants under single Zn omissions did not show visual symptoms, however multiple omission of this nutrient increased the symptoms intensity and re-duced the plant height. In such results, the symptoms of Zn deficiency were observed. The nutrients content, in leaves, were more affected by the treatment -FeZn, while the stem contents were affected under Zn omissions. The nutrient omission, single or multiple, in culture solution caused morphological changes and turn into a vis-ual symptoms, altered the dry matter, biometrical index and nutrient contents in castor bean plants.

The non-carcass components are configured in additional source of income for sheep producers. This study aimed to evaluate the non-carcass components in Morada Nova hair sheep fed hay or Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.) or Maniçoba (Manihot pseudoglaziovii Pax & Hoffman) hay. The animals were males, initially weighing 18.86 ± 6.48 kg were housed in individual and slaughtered at 58 days of confinement. The Tifton 85 diet resulted in higher (P<0.05) spleen weights (0.05 kg), liver (0.45 kg) and kidneys (0.08 kg). Largest total weights of organs were also obtained in the diet Tifton 85. There was no difference between diets for weight viscera. The skin showed higher weight for animals fed Tifton 85 hay. The diets did not affect the weights or buchada and panelada yields. Replacement of Tifton 85 hay by Maniçoba hay in Morada Nova hair sheep diet, reduces the weight of the organs and skin, but does not influence the buchada and panelada weights or yields.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different additions of flour I endocarp of babassu on consumption and digestibility in diets. Twenty uncastrated male sheep were distributed in a completely ran-domized into four treatments with five replicates per treatment. The animals received experimental diets isoca-loric and isonitrogenous (zero, 7.5%, 15%, 22.5%). The dry matter intake as a function of body weight and metabolic weight decreased linearly with the inclusion of flour I Endocarp in the diet. The apparent digestibil-ity coefficients demonstrate the occurrence of a linear decrease with the inclusion of by-product in the diet. Nitrogen balance was positive with all inclusion levels, decreasing with larger inclusions in a linear response. The inclusion of this byproduct promotes change in score of the feces. The flour endocarp I of babassu present-ed the typical features of consumption and digestibility of forages. The inclusion of by-product in diets for lambs should stand at 7.5% inclusion.

This study was carried out at SIPA (Integrated System of Agroecological Production), situated in Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, in order to evaluate the effects of two cropping systems on yield and growth of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). The trial was conducted in a scheme of plots split in time, with three rep-lications, where cropping systems (conventional - CT and e no-till - NT) were assigned to the plots, while sam-pling dates were assigned to the subplots. Although values observed suggested that NT system provided a better crop growth performance in relation to CP, this superiority was not confirmed when comparing growth analysis methods. The functional method provided different values of biomass accumulation and leaf area index (LAI) of plants between two cropping systems. The highest values of LAI were 1.61 m2 m-2 and 1.31 m2 m-2, respec-tively, for NT and CT. Similar behavior was observed for accumulated plant biomass, being obtained values of 634.29 g m-2 and 511.44 g m-2, respectively, for NT and CT. In both cropping systems evaluated, three produc-tion cycles were identified, which yield peaks occurred at 58, 100 and 149 days after planting (DAP). However, yield per harvest and total yield presented no difference between the cropping systems.

Passion fruit is one of the major fruit crops grown in Brazil, however, the state of Mato Grosso culture has much to be explored. Thus, the aim of the study was to estimate the gain of plant selection of pas-sion fruit on the quality of fruit via REML/BLUP. The experiment was conducted in the State University of Mato Grosso, in its experimental area, in Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso. It was evaluated eight crossing of commercial cultivars. It was used a randomized block experimental design with ten replications of ten plants per plot. From the genetic value found by the REML/BLUP methodology, it was applied the Mulamba Mock selection index in order to rank all individuals, selecting the 30 plants that showed the best performance for the evaluated characteristics. The high heritability values in the strict sense of the characteristics fruit weight (87%) and fruit length (65%) indicate possibilities for individual plant selection. The selection gain aiming fresh con-sumption was high for the characteristics fruit weight (13.38%), peel thickness (4.37%) and SST/ATT relation (3.61%). For industrial production selection requires special attention to the characteristics PP, SST and ATT, but the gains for PP (1.53%) and TSS (0.95%) did not stand out, however, the selection has raised other im-portant features as EC (-7.46%), CF (3.75%) and MF (1.77%).

Several factors are involved in the formation of soil aggregates, specially chemical, physical and biological origin. The glomalin, a protein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is one of the substances associated with soil aggregation. The aim of this study was to quantify the levels of soil organic carbon and glomalin in different vegetation types in Caatinga biome in Araripe plateau - Ceará state, and verify the relationship with aggregate stability and seasonality. Soil samples were carried out in dry and rainy seasons, in three vegetation types (Brejo de altitude, Carrasco and Cerradão) in Araripe National Forest to determine the water stability aggregate, soil total carbon, particulate carbon and glomalin. Seasonality effect was observed in the levels of easily extractable glomalin, suggesting that this fraction of glomalin is more sensitive to seasonal variations. The highest correlations were observed between the variables soil carbon and both fractions of glomalin, indicating that the protein produced by AMF is directly related to the amount of carbon, in addition to being an important component in soil aggregation of the Araripe.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of soil management systems in no - tillage system (NTS) and crop rotations and on soil chemical properties. The experiment was conducted for six con- secutive years, during which were made 12 crops (summer and winter). The experimental design was com- pletely randomized in a split plot scheme. Treatments included four soil management (plots): P 1 = NTS fol- lowed annually for a plowing in the winter; P2 = NTS followed biennially for a plowing in the winter; P3 = NTS followed every three years for a plowing and P4 = continuous NTS. Subplots were crop rotation with crops in the summer and winter: R 1 = millet - common bean - millet - common bean - rice - common bean - millet - common bean - millet - common bean - rice - common bean; R 2 = Soybean - common bean - soybean - wheat - rice - soybean - common bean - soybean - wheat - rice - common bean; R 3 = corn - common bean - corn - tomato - rice - common bean - corn - common bean - corn - tomato - rice - common bean; R 4 = millet - soybean - common bean - rice - common bean - millet - soybean - common bean - rice - common bean; R 5 = millet - common bean - corn - common bean - rice - common bean - millet - common bean - corn - common bean - rice - common bean; R 6 = Soybean - common bean - corn – common bean - rice - soybean - corn - common bean - rice - common bean. Each rotation cycle of three years crop season was repeated twice. Systems of soil management and crop rotations significantly affected soil chemical properties. The chemical attributes Ca, Mg, organic matter, P, K, Mn and Zn concentrated in the top- soil regardless of the crop rotation used in the managements of less soil disturbance. The pH values were simi- lar during the 12 seasons in six years. The crop rotations used in different soil managements under NTS provid- ed the improvement of soil fertility with values of organic matter, P, K, Cu, Mn and Zn contents equal to or higher than the initial values.

The objective of this st udy was to prepare drinks type soursop nectars sweetened with honey from Apis mellifera , by use of experimental planning, varying the concentrations of pulp and soluble solids content and evaluate the effect of these in the physical and chemical characteristics of processed drinks. Were used a factorial planning 2 2 with three experiments in central point resulting in seven experiments. The soursop pulp was diluted with potable water to obtain products in the concentrations of 25, 30 and 35% (w/w) of pulp. The correction of soluble solids to 11, 12 and 13 °Brix was made using honey from A. mellifera . It was ob- served that all formulations of drinks type soursop nectar sweetened with honey were in accordance with bra- zilian legislation. The mathematical equations fitted to the data of titratable acidity, total sugar, ratio, brightness and intensity of yellow were significant, and only the models fitted to the values of titratable acidity, total sug- ars and ratio were predictive. The responses of titratable acidity, total sugar, ratio, brightness and yellow color intensity were influenced by factors pulp concentration and total soluble solids content, wherein the concentra- tion of soursop pulp had greater influence on the acidity and the ratio and the content final total soluble solids of the beverages, modified by the addition of honey, showed greater influence on the content of total sugars and lightness values. The yellow intensity response showed influences of both factors.

Combretum leprosum Mart. is a tree species native of the Caatinga, used in the restoration of degraded areas and in folk medicine. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the germination and vigor of the seeds subjecting them to different pre-germinative treatments, temperatures and substrates. In the first experi- ment, we tested the pre-germinative treatments: mechanical scarification with sandpaper, chemical scarification with H2SO4 for 1, 5, 10 and 20 minutes, immersion in water at 80 oC and imbibition in distilled water for 24 hours, beyond of the control. In the second experiment, after treatment of imbibition in water for 24 hours, the experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 5 x 4 (five substrates: into paper, sand, coconut fiber, vermiculite and paper towel organized in the form of rolls; and four temperatures: 25, 30, 35 and 20-30 oC). The following parameters were evalueted: seed moisture content, germination, germination speed index, first germination count and seedling length and dry matter weight. The seeds of Combretum leprosum have not coat dormancy. However, pre-germinative treatments of mechanical scarification with sandpaper and imbibi- tion in water for 24 hours allows better expression of seeds vigor. The paper towel and the temperatures of 25, 30 and 20-30 oC provide adequate conditions for evaluating the germination of Combretum leprosum seeds.