The objective of this study was to evaluate morphophysiologic and productive characteristics from a modern variety of cowpea, cv BRS Novaera, under different plant densities. The experiment was con- ducted out at city of Alvorada do Gurguéia - PI, under irrigation system in the agricultural year 2009/2010. We evaluated five plant populations (100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 thousand plants per hectare) in a randomized complete block design with four replications, using BRS Novaera. The increase in population from 100 thou- sand to 500 thousand plants ha - 1 led to reductions of 78.18% in the number of branches, 66.53% in the number of pods per plant,59.53% in grain yield and, on average,of65.76% and 72.65% for biomass and plantlet af area, respectively. The pod length and weight of on hundred seeds was not significantly influenced by different plant populations. The different plant densities promoted significant changes in morphological and physiological characteristis, yield component sand grain yield.

Three castor ( Ricinus communis ) genotypes were studied regarding tolerance to high exchange factorial distribution of five doses of exchangeable aluminum added to the soil (0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.60, and 1.20 cmol c dm - 3 ) and three castor genotypes (BRS Nordestina, BRS Paraguaçu, and Lyra). The plants were raised in pots in a greenhouse. At 53 days after emergence, data were taken on plant height, leaf area, dry mass of shoot and root, and leaf tissue content of macronutrients. The most sensitive genotype was the cv. BRS Nordestina, in which the shoot and root dry weight in the highest aluminum content were reduced to 12.9% and 16.2% of the control treatment, respectively. The most tolerant genotype was the hybrid Lyra, in which the shoot and root dry weight in the maximum content of aluminum were reduced to 43.5% and 42.7% of the control treatment, respectively.The increased exchangeable aluminum affected the leaf nutrient content, and the intensity of the response was different among cultivars. The aluminum toxicity increased N, Ca, and Mg contents and reduced on P, K, and S contents. The cv. BRS Nordestina had a drastic shoot dry weight reduction associated with an intense increment in the N leaf content. Thus, the N increment was caused by a concentration effect caused by the limited growth.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the agronomic and technological performance of common-bean crop following three straw mulch production system (sole corn, corn-Urochloa ruziziensis inter- crop and sole U. ruziziensis) and topdressing nitrogen fertilization (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 kg ha-1 of N) in the fourth year after the no-tillage system implementation. A randomized block design, in a splitplot array, with three replications was used. The use of U. ruziziensis intercropped with maize allowed a greater straw mulch formation and a more adequate coverage of the soil surface aiming the beans cultivation in succession. The nitrogen fertilization influenced the common-bean productivity in succession to U. ruziziensis unique and maize intercropped with U. ruziziensis. The common-bean crop in succession to the straw mulch production system with U. ruziziensis allowed higher grain production and sieve yield. The grain cooking time decreased due to the rates of N used in the dry bean crop in succession of maize exclusive.

The present work studied the productivity of plant and ratoon cane in soils with different physical, chemical and mineralogical particulars submitted to phosphate fertilization. Randomized block field experi- ments were located at Japungu Distillery (Paraíba State), at Sugar Cane Experimental Station of Carpina (Pernambuco State) and at Bom Jesus Sugar Cane plant (Pernambuco State), from where Argisoils of sandy, mid and clayey textures were selected respectively. The doses of 0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg ha - 1 P 2 O 5 were applied at the bottom of the furrow (fertilization foundation). In the subsequent ratoon cane were applied 0 and 40 kg ha - 1 P 2 O 5 (topdressing) for each of the doses applied at the planting. It was concluded in this study that the productivity of sugarcane plant was positively influenced by phosphorus fertilization planting. The ratoon cane only responded nicely to phosphorus coverage in the less weathered medium texture Argisoils; Phospho- rus fertilization of ratoon sugarcane coverage in clay and weathered Argissolos did not promote increased productivity, restricting its recommendation in Argissolos with these characteristics.

The ginger culture was planted in Espirito Santo State on a commercial scale for just over 10 years as an alternative income for farmers family based submitted high yield potential, but requires studies to their best advantage due to the great variability of climatic conditions of the State. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of fresh rhizomes, the dry mass of leaves and rhizomes and the extraction and accumulation of N, P and K of the culture depending on the application of increasing doses of P, in a dystrophic Ultisol . The experiment was conducted on a farm in the municipality of Santa Maria de Jetibá (ES) between the months of August 2006 and June 2007. Experimental model adopted was randomized blocks with four treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of control (no P fertilization), and doses of 60, 120 and 240 kg ha - 1 of P 2 O 5 applied at planting. The plants showed continuous growth up to 180 days after planting (DAP) and the phase of the plant where there was greater uptake of N, P and K in the flowering cycle was at 240 DAP. Analy- zing the contents of N, P and K, in the rhizome and leaves over the cultivation cycle, it was observed that, in general, most of the accumulation occurred in the rhizome.

Considering the potential of castor beans as an alternative for the production of renewable en- ergy and the lack of information regarding management techniques for its cultivation, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of irrigation water salinity (ECw) associated with nitrogen fertilization rates (DN) on growth, water consumption and efficiency of water use by castor bean cv. BRS Energia. The experiment was conducted in lysimeters under field conditions, atCCTA/UFCG, adopting a randomized block designin 5x5factorial scheme with three replications. Treatments consisted of five levels of ECw (0.4, 1.4, 2.4, 3.4 and 4.4 dS m-1) associated with five doses of nitrogen (50, 75, 100;125 and 150 mg kg-1). The increase in water salinity from 0.4 dS m-1 caused linear decrease in the absolute growth rate(TCAap), total leaf area(AF)at 35 days after sowing (DAS), the water consumption and water use efficiency (EUA) for castor bean cv. BRS Energia. Increasing levels of water salinity promoted increase in relative growth rate (TCRap). Nitrogen rate of 114 mg kg-1 increased TCRap and 150 mg kg-1of N promoted greater EUA. Increasing levels of nitrogen at- tenuated at 120 DAS, the effect of electrical conductivity up to salinity level of 2.4 dS m-1 on the leaf area pro- moting higher specific leaf area. There was a significant interaction between ECw and nitrogen levels on elec- trical conductivity and pH of drainage water. Keywords: Ricinus communis L. Quality of water. Mineral nutrition.

Organic fertilizing promotes changes in the physical, chemical and biological attributes of soil making it more productive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different amounts of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and their times of incorporation on the chemical attributes of an Alfissol Eutrophic cultivated with lettuce. The experiment was conducted from April to June 2006 at the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA) in Mossoró-RN. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks with treatments arranged in a 4 x 4 factorial with 3 replications. The first factor consisted of four amounts of hairy woodrose incorporated into the soil (2.2, 4.4, 6.6 and 8.8 t ha-1 dry matter) and the second factor was the four times of their incorporations (0, 10, 20 and 30 days before transplanting lettuce). The soil pH remained alkali, decreasing with the amounts of hairy woodrose incorporated into the soil and with the times of incorporation. The contents of N, Ca and Mg in the soil increased with increasing amounts of hairy woodrose and with the times of incorporation in soil. The levels of available P and K increased with increasing amounts of hairy woodrose incorporated into the soil. However, in relation to the incorporation times, they were optimized at 16 and 14 days, respectively, after the manure incorporation. The utilization of hairy woodrose as organic fertilizer, generally, indicated improvement in soil chemical attributes in relation to the original values evaluated before its incorporation.

Boron deficiency in sunflower cultivation can cause decreased production, mainly by the fall of the inflorescence diameter. Most soils, especially in the tropics present low content of boron (B) available. To ascertain the response of sunflower to boron application in different orders of tropical soils with different tex- tures, we carried out an experiment under controlled condition. Were applied to the soil samples collected in the layer 0-20 cm, four doses of B as boric acid (H3BO3) in solutions at concentrations of 0.0; 0.04; 0.08 and 0.16 mol m-3. The soils were: PAC - Argissolo Acinzentado; PVe - Argissolo Vermelho eutrófico; PVA - Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo; RL - Neossolo Litólico; RY - Neossolo Flúvico; VX - Vertissolo Háplico. The experimental design used was a randomized blocks in factorial scheme 4 x 6 (doses x soils) with four replica- tions and one plant per pot. Quantification of B content was performed by extraction method with barium chlo- ride solution of 5.0 mol m-3 subjected to heating with microwave radiation and determining the B content in the soil was performed by colorimetric technique using the azomethine-H reagent. The contents at levels sufficient to allow the soil B established independent of the dose added, a yield exceeding 90% yield on. The highest dry matter yield of sunflower was associated with the B concentration in the soil between 0.04 and 0.08 mol m-3 and there was a decrease with higher concentrations.

This work was carried out to evaluate the functional response of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant, 1850 (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) fed with Planococcus citri Risso, 1813 (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) reared on a pumpkin hybrid (Cucurbita maxima x Cucurbita moscata) (Cucurbitaceae), seedlings of Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia) Rutaceae) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) (Solanaceae) at two temperatures. The predation rate of C. montrouzieri was measured using Petri dishes of 15 cm diameter with 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 adults of P. Citri. One third instar larva, one fourfh instar and one newly emerged adult (without differentiation of sex) of C. montrouzieri were added to each plate. The study was conducted in climatic chambers at temperatures of 25 and 30 º C and photophase of 12 hours. The predation rate was evaluated after 24 hours of prey exposition to the predator, by counting the number of preys trapped in the different treatments and control. The statistical design was completely randomized with four treatments x 6 subplots with 7 repetitions, the two temperatures. The values obtained were subjected to analysis of variance, to relate the number of scales preyed by larvae and adults of C. montrouzieri set up in different substrates. The amount of prey consumed by larvae and adults of the predator increased with increasing the prey density until it reaches a plateau, characterizing functional response type II. In general, the number of scales preyed by larvae and adults of C. montrouzieri was higher on potato and under temperature of 30 °C.

It is reported the occurrence of coleoborers Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar, 1824), Metama- sius hemipterus (L., 1758), Metamasius canalipes (Gyllenhal, 1838) and Rhynchophorus palmarum (L., 1758) attacking banana cultivar 'Terra' (Musa paradisiaca) (Musaceae), in the municipality of Joaquim Gomes, State of Alagoas. Twenty adult specimens were sent to Prof. Dr. Sergio Antonio Vanin, Department of Zoology, In- stitute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo and identified by morphological characteristics, being this the first report of M. canalipes and R. palmarum damaging the cultivar 'Terra’ in Brazil. Attack symptoms in the field are initially manifested by chlorosis, necrosis and fall of the lower leaves, the fruits did not develop satis- factorily and plants finished by fall over. As a result of infestation was observed the death of 70% of the plants evaluated in the area.