The use of medicinal plants in the herbal medicine of Brazilian Health System has intensified production and the need for developing efficient agricultural techniques that promote greater productivity of these species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the chamomile production at field conditions as a function of irrigation depths and organic fertilizer rates. The experiment was conducted in the Universidade do Oeste Paulista (Campus II experimental area), in Presidente Prudente, São Paulo State, Brazil. A triple factorial experimental design was used, consisting of irrigation rates (150, 100, 75, 50, 25 and 0% of the reference evapotranspiration - ETo), organic manure types (poultry and cattle manure) and manure rates (0, 3 and 5 kg m-2), with four replications. The capitula production per plant, capitula dry weight and yield per water input (water use efficiency) were evaluated. The supplementary irrigation combined with organic manure fertilization provided the highest capitula yield for chamomile crop in the Presidente Prudente region. The combination of poultry manure at rate of 5 kg m-2 with water depth equal to 150% of the ETo resulted in higher average values of capitula fresh and dry weight and water use efficiency.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of intercropping combinations of carrot and arugula at different population densities in bicropping in the semi - arid conditions of the Brazilian Northeast. The study was conducted at the "Rafael Fernandes" Experimental Farm of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi - Árido (UFERSA) during the period September 2011 to February 2012. The experimental design was of randomized complete blocks with treatments arranged in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme with four replications. The combinations were four population densities of carrot (40, 60, 80 and 100% of the recommended population in sole crop – RPSC) with four population densities of arugula (40, 60, 80 and 100% of the RPSC). The recommended population densities for sole crops of carrot and arugula are 500,000 and 1,000,000 plants per hectare, respectively. All treatments were fertilized with hairy woodrose ( Merremia aegyptia L.), a spontaneous species of the Caatinga biome. The highest agronomic efficiency of carrot intercropped with arugula in bicropping was achieved in the combination of 40% of RPSC for the carrot and 100% of RPSC for the arugula. The commercial maximum yield (33.74 t ha - 1 ) of carrot roots and the maximum yields of arugula green mass (8.06 and 2.67 t ha - 1 ) in both cultivations were also obtained in the combination of population densities of 40% of RPSC for carrot and 100% of RPSC for arugula.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of anthropic activities on the effective precipitation (eP) and soil loss in watersheds under different land uses in a tropical dry forest region. The experimental area was located in the central part of the State of Ceará, Brazil. The land uses evaluated were: fallow Caatinga (FC), thinned Caatinga (TC) and deforested Caatinga followed by a burning procedure and pasture cultivation (DBP). The areas were monitored in the rainy season (January to May, 2010), when 57 natural rainfalls occurred, totaling 941 mm of precipitation. The eP and sediment productions were quantified by the sum of all occurrences during the study period, and the soil loss was represented by suspended and dragged sediments. The eP was 15.13 mm and sediment produced was 167.81 kg ha - 1 in FC conditions. The eP values was smaller (11.28 mm) in the watershed with TC, which had soil loss sum of 42.04 kg ha - 1 . The largest annual eP was found in the DBP area, with 112.88 mm yr - 1 of accumulated water depth, which also showed the greater annual soil loss (3114.97 kg ha - 1 ). The greatest interference of plant cover in the two variables evaluated occurred in the first precipitation events, when the plants were not yet fully developed.

Changes in soils management systems, including the application of green manure, are able to increase crop productivity. The aim of this study was to propose a soil management system with the use of green manure to improve the nutritional status and melon productivity in the submedian of the São Francisco Valley. The experiment was installed in Typic Plinthustalf and conducted in split plot. There were two soil tillage systems, tillage (T) and no tillage (NT), and three types of green manure (two vegetal cocktails: VC1- 75% legumes (L) + 25% non-legumes (NL); VC2- 25% L+ 75% NL and spontaneous vegetation (SV)). The experimental design was a randomised block with four replications. Fourteen species of legumes, grasses and oilseeds were used for the composition of the plant cocktails. We evaluated production of the dry shoot and root biomass and carbon and nutrient accumulation by green manures and melon plant. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and the treatment means were compared by Tukey´s test (P<0.05). Shoot biomass production and carbon and nutrient accumulation were higher in plant mixtures compared to spontaneous vegetation. The root system of the plant cocktails added larger quantities of biomass and nutrients to the soil to a depth of 0.60 m when compared to the spontaneous vegetation. The cultivation of plant cocktails with soil tillage, regardless of their composition, is a viable alternative for adding biomass and nutrients to the soil in melon crops in semi-arid conditions, providing productivity increases.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the development and production of semi-noble garlic cultivars subjected to different bulb-seed pre-planting vernalization periods in two municipalities (Barauna and Governador Dix-sept Rosado) of the Western Mesoregion of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Therefore, two simultaneous experiments were conducted, from April to November, 2012. A complete randomized block experimental design was used with four replications. The treatments were arranged in split-plot design, with the plots consisted of cultivars (Gigante-do-Nucleo and BRS-Hozan) and subplots consisted of bulb-seed pre-planting vernalization (4±1°C) periods (0, 10, 20 and 30 days). In Barauna, the cultivar Gigante-do-Nucleo proved to be adapted, with a yield of 4.56 Mg ha-1 without vernalization, while the BRS-Hozan presented a yield of 4.42 Mg ha-1 when vernalizated for 10 days at pre-planting. In Governador Dix-sept Rosado, the vernalization of 10 days improved the adaptation of both cultivars, however, with no significant yield increases. The use of vernalization improved adaptation of cultivars in the planting locations, facilitating the emergence of plants, increasing plant height and number of leaves, however, not promoting significant yield increases, therefore, this technology should not be used for produce this type of garlic in this region.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the tolerance of fruits of different banana cultivars to low temperature storages. Fruits of the cultivars Nanicão (AAA), Prata (AAB), Vitória (AAAB), Maçã (AAB) and Caipira (AAA) were used. Clusters of three fruits were kept in cold storage for 7, 14 and 21 days, with average temperature of 10.53±0.37°C and relative humidity of 85%. Subsequently, the clusters were transferred to temperatures of 22±0.39°C and evaluated for 16 days. The fruits of all cultivars remained green after 21 days of storage at 10.53±0.37°C. Fruits of the cultivar Nanicão did not completely ripened after transferred to the 22°C storage, when stored for 7 days at low temperature. These fruits were firmer, with green peel and low soluble solids and titratable acidity. The fruits of all cultivars complete the ripening when transferred to room temperature after 21 days of cold storage. Chilling injuries increased with cold storage time in all cultivars. The cultivars Nanicão, Caipira and Maçã had more symptoms of chilling injury, while Prata and Vitória were more tolerant to the cold storage (10.53°C) for up to 21 days, showing normal ripening after transferred to the 22±0.39°C storage.

Os sistemas de irrigação por gotejamento se destacam para a aplicação de águas residuárias, devido à minimização das perdas de água, dos riscos ambientais e de saúde pública, porém a obstrução dos emissores representa um problema potencial dessa tecnologia. Objetivou - se com este trabalho avaliar o coeficiente de variação de vazão (FCV) e o coeficiente de uniformidade estatístico (Us) de unidades gotejadoras abastecidas com percolado de aterro sanitário diluído em água de abastecimento. O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento inteiramente casualizado no esquema de parcelas subdivididas, tendo nas parcelas os tipos de gotejadores (G1 não autocompensante; e G2, G3 e G4 autocompensantes) e nas subparcelas os tempos de avaliação (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 e 160 horas), com quatro repetições. Os valores de FCV, CSU e das características físico - químicas e biológicas do percolado de aterro sanitário diluído foram determinadas a cada 20 horas, até completar 160 horas de operação das unidades gotejadoras. A bioincrustação proporcionou maiores alterações nos valores de FCV e CSU da unidade gotejadora com gotejador G1 (não autocompensante) em relação às unidades dotadas dos gotejadores G2, G3 e G4 (autocompensantes). O gotejador G3 foi o mais adequado na aplicação do percolado de aterro sanitário diluído.

The cultivation of Litopenaeus vannamei has increased in inland areas by using low salinity waters. Cultivation techniques in coastal waters are well developed, however, studies for low salinity conditions are needed, especially regarding the ideal ionic composition of water and its effects on the zootechnical indices. Brazil has adopted this strategy and the semiarid region showed great potential due to its favorable climate and water conditions. Thus, experimental cultivations were conducted in Serra Talhada, State of Pernambuco, in order to evaluate the influence of two feeding strategies (with and without feeding) and three cultivation densities (5, 10 and 15 shrimps m-2), on the production variables of this species. Three ponds of 280 m2 were built, in which six nursery nets of 20 m2 were installed. The cultivation was performed with juvenile shrimps of 8.53 g and lasted 50 days. The animals were fed twice a day with commercial feed containing 25% of crude protein. The water quality (salinity ~1.0 g L-1, temperature ~28.09°C, pH ~8.48) and the shrimp growth were monitored with weekly biometry during the cultivation. A significant difference was found only in the treatment without feeding with 15 shrimps m-2, the average final weight of all treatments ranged from 13.16±1.33 g to 15.50±1.66 g. The survival rates were high in the treatments with feeding and its variation between treatments was 60.56±6.76% and 83.00±4.00%.

A significant increase in the use of integrated farming systems have been observed in the Brazilian Cerrado, such as crop - livestock integration (CLI), which combined with the no - tillage system (NTS) have shown significant influence on soil properties. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of a CLI system on the chemical, physical and microbiological soil characteristics, in an area in the Cerrado biome, Montividiu, State of Goias, Brazil. The soil fertility, remaining phosphorus (Prem), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Nt), aggregate stability (geometric mean diameter – GMD), microbial respiration (C - CO 2 ) and easily - extractable glomalin - related soil protein (EE - GRSP) were evaluated. Soil samples were collected at depth of 0 - 5 and 5 - 10 cm in three areas with: CLI (13 years of annual rotation with Urochloa ruziziensis ); Urochloa decumbens pasture (15 years of implementation); and native Cerrado vegetation. The CLI area had higher pH, Mg, P available (0 - 10 cm) and Prem (5 - 10 cm) values compared to the other areas, and equal values of TOC, Nt, EE - GRSP (0 - 10 cm) and aggregate stability (5 - 10 cm) compared to the pasture area. The CLI had no differences in C - CO 2 emissions compared to the Cerrado, but had lower rates compared to the pasture. The P available and Prem were sensitive indicators to show the differences between the CLI and pasture systems, with higher contents in the CLI area. The TOC and Nt indicators had no differences between these two systems. The GMD results indicated a better aggregation in the pasture (0 - 5 cm) compared to the CLI area, while the EE - GRSP were similar in these areas. The total values of C - CO 2 emission from the soil aggregates showed the stability of respirometry rates in the CLI and Cerrado areas.

The objective was to evaluate the productivity of the fig tree the organic fertirrigation cattle under different environmental conditions in Ceará semiarid region. The experiment was conducted in the experimental area of the Teaching Unit, Research and Extension, the IFCE, North Lemon Tree, EC. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with split plots, with four replications and three plants per plot. The plots consisted of three rooms (full sun - PS; trellis - LT and greenhouse - EST), the subplots, the concentrations of bovine biofertilizer diluted in water in the following concentrations: T0 (0% of biofertilizer + 100% water); T1 (20% biofertilizer 80 +% water); T2 (40% biofertilizer + 60% water), T3 (60% biofertiliante + 40% water) and subsubplot, the production cycles. The variables were evaluated: average fruit weight, fruit diameter, number of fruits per plant and yield. The cultivation environments (greenhouse and trellis) promote better performance on average mass and diameter of the fruit compared to plants grown in full sun during the production cycles of the fig crop grown in Ceará semiarid region. The bovine biofertilizer in the concentration of 60% promoted the highest mass, diameter, number of fruits per plant and the fig crop yield.