The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth, development and macronutrients concentrations in physic nut fertilized with sewage sludge and calcium and magnesium silicate. The treatments, in a factorial scheme 5 x 2, distributed in design in randomized block with three replications, corresponded to five doses of dehydrated sewage sludge (0; 4.8; 9.6; 14.4 and 19.2 t ha-1, dry basis) and two doses of calcium and magnesium silicate (0 and 1 t ha-1). Were collected soil samples at 0-20 and 20-40 cm deep, and of the older leaf not senescent and of the youngest leaf fully expanded for analysis of macronutrients. Were determined in the 18º month of planting the stem diameter (DC), the crown diameter (DCO) and the stem height (ALT). The application of silicate of calcium and magnesium in soil increased the pH, the concentrations of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium available in the soil and magnesium concentration in the plant, however, did not influenced the growth and development of physic nut. Sewage sludge, on the other hand, promoted increased of the concentrations of organic matter and phosphorus in the soil, and of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium in the plant. There were no relevant interactions between the sewage sludge and silicate, and nor the affect of this last about the growth and development of the plant, recommending only the application of sewage sludge in the cultivation of physic nut.

The use of granular fertilizers as a vehicle for seeding forage species has become a simple and very useful operation. However, the data is contradictory about how much time the seeds can be mixed with urea without reducing the germination percentage. The aim was to study the effect of mixing periods of urea with seeds of Brachiaria ruziziensis on physiological quality. The treatments consisted of seed mixed times of B. ruziziensis (0; 4; 8; 16; 24; 48; 96 and 192 hours) with urea, besides control treatment. It was used a completely randomized design with four replications. Moreover, with the passage of time in contact with urea, water content and electrical conductivity of seed increased, while there was decrease in percentage of germination, first count, the emergence and emergence speed index. Thus, it is concluded as feasible to mix the seeds with urea, since the seeding is performed at intervals shorter than 8 hours, reducing damage to the seed physiological quality of forage.

The increase of the shrimp and fruit crop has devastated the carnauba, evidencing the importance of reforest projects and of researches aiming to the production of seedlings. It was aimed to evaluate the effect of imbibition of seeds and shading on the emergence and quality of carnauba seedlings. The treatments were disposed in a randomized design arranged in split-plot with the shading conditions (without shading and shading all day, during the morning and during the afternoon) as the main factor and the types of seeds (imbibed and non-imbibed seeds) as secondary factor. The imbibed seeds were immersed in water until the protrusion of the cotyledonary petiole. To the shading conditions was used black screen (50%). After 120 days of the sowing, we evaluated the percentage (PE), speed index (IVE) and mean time of emergency (TME), the ratio between the aerial part length and stem¿s diameter (CPA/DC) and quality index of Dickson (IQD). By the PE and IVE, higher viability was verified and vigor in imbibed seeds. By the TME, higher vigor was observed to the seedlings produced under full sunshine and with shading during the afternoon, which had higher quality according to CPA/DC. By the IQD, better balance was observed in the seedling from imbibed seeds and in the seedlings produced under full sunshine. It is concluded that the carnauba seeds imbibition provides higher emergency percentage, accelerates this process and provides better quality of seedlings. Carnauba seedlings produced under full sunshine presents faster emergency and higher quality.

The objective of this study was to characterize the level of mineral nutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mo and B of twelve genotypes of grapevine: 'Italy', 'Ruby' , 'Patricia', 'Isabel', 'Redglobe', 'Roberta', 'Kyoho', 'Romana', 'Rosalinda', 'Moscatel de Hamburgo,' 'Niagara Rosada' and 'UFV 01' in the North Fluminense. Was held on pruning, followed by fertilization and conventional analysis of leaf blade in three moments of the reproductive cycle of the vine: in full bloom, berries and peas at the stage between half and beginning of berry ripening of berries (veraison). Following results were obtained for all moments sampled: normal levels of N, K, P, Mg, Fe, B and Zn and subnormal levels of Ca. The study demonstrated that the leaf blade sampled reflects the nutritional stage of grapevine enotypes.

The current paper was proposed to analyze and determine the behavior and the direct and indirect relation between the sign of live cattle value and the main components of supplementation. The database was obtained by consulting secondary sources, which underwent path analysis to study the unfolding of the correlation coefficient (dependent variable x independent) in direct and indirect effects. The analysis period was from January 1999 to December in 2008. The corn presented a total correlation of 0.5080 indicating a substantial contribution for the increasing of beef value. The value of wheat bag had a direct effect of 0.4897 and an indirect effect through the soybean (0.5601), like this, the main components of concentrate supplementation (soybean, corn and wheat) showed high correlation with the sign of live cattle value in the state of Sao Paulo.

In desalination process, besides the potable water, highly salty and pollutant water (brine) is generated, which can be used for producing crops since it is carefully monitored. In order to test this hypothesis, bell pepper plants, cv. 'Margarita', were grown in coconut fiber substrate under greenhouse and were irrigated with nutrient solutions prepared with tap water, brine from desalination plant, and its dilution with tap water at 75, 50 and 25%, giving a range of electrical conductivities of the nutrient solution (ECs) of 2.6, 3.1, 6.6, 10.0 and 12.2 dS m-1 after the dilutions and fertilizers addition. Completely randomized blocks design was used with 5 treatments (salinity levels of the nutrient solutions) and six replications. Leaf area, number of marketable fruit, total and marketable yield were reduced with ECs increase. The marketable yield of bell pepper 'Margarita' reduced 6.3% for each unitary increase of ECs above 2.6 dS m-1 (threshold salinity) and the results suggest that in hydroponic system, the reduction of marketable yield with increasing ECs is promoted by reduction of the number of fruits per plant instead of a reduction of fruit mean weight.

"Caatinga", dominant vegetation in Brazilian semiarid, has suffered severe degradation process, triggered, among other reasons, by the traditional agricultural and extractive activities. The need to conserve the environment and natural resources in agricultural and forestry activities, led to search for alternatives to conventional production. In this context, agroforestry systems, that integrate trees with crops and livestock, are an alternative operating sustainably. With the aim of studying the potential for preservation tree species of the "Caatinga" in an agrosilvopasture system in semiarid, in Sobral-CE, was evaluated the relatives density, frequency and dominance, the importance value index and the Shannon e Wiener index, of the woody component of this system. It was found that the vegetation management practices of trees and shrubs used in the system decrease density, and interfered in height and diameter distribution of individuals in relation to the original vegetation of the Caatinga. However, these practices were effective in preserving the wealth of flora species of trees and shrubs, similar to the area of native vegetation reserve. Cordia oncocalyx was the species with the highest number of individuals in the system, also showing highest importance value, followed by Mimosa caesalpiniifolia. The family Leguminosae was the most representative. The Shannon index shows that this agrosilvopasture system has the potential to promote an intermediate level of conservation among the "Caatinga" vegetation remnants and disturbed areas in this biome.

Basil is a medicinal aromatic plant of the Lamiaceae family, it is rich in essential oils with high industrial interest. The present work to verify the production of basil plants, from different sources and combinations of substrates. The study was conducted in greenhouse Sector, Department of Soil Environmental Science, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA) in May 2010. Basil seedlings were grown from seeds from plants on the campus of UFERSA. The experimental design was randomized blocks representing five treatments and four replicates of 10 seedlings per plot. The treatments employed arisco, sand, cattle manure and earthworm castings in different combinations. Features diameter, leaf number, shoot length and root dry mass of shoots and roots were evaluated thirty days after sowing. It was found that adding cattle manure in the compositions of the substrates was increased growth and development of seedlings. In the production of seedlings of basil is recommended mixture of substrates containing cattle manure, sand and arisco in the ratio 1:1:1.

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of daily supplementation with 10 g of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) associated with Sabiá shrub hay (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth.) on the intake and digestibility of in goats and sheep. Twenty animals, ten sheep and ten goats were allocated in a randomized block design, with two treatments and two species: PEG group (supplemented with 10 g of PEG) and control group (without supplementation). Significant differences were not observed between treatments and species regarding the intake and digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber. Nevertheless, PEG supplementation enhanced the crude protein digestibility of Sabiá shrub hay from 33.96% to 38.74% in sheep and from 43.29% to 54.41% in goats, showing that the supplementation with PEG could become a good feeding strategy against the antinutritional effects of tannin of the forage plants.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the wood natural resistance of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. of phenotypes (plants) with and without prickles to subterranean termite (Nasutitermes corniger Motsch.) in forced feeding and feeding preference assays, under laboratory conditions. Wood test samples measuring 2.54 x 1.50 x 0.64 cm (forced feeding) and 10.00 x 1.50 x 0.64 cm (feeding preference), with the largest measurement in the fiber direction, were obtained from three positions from pith to bark direction. The samples were exposed for 28 days (forced feeding) and 45 days (feeding preference) to Nasutitermes corniger Motsch. termites. In forced feeding assay the termites caused superficial attack in wood and lived during 8 to 10 days, thus the wood was classified as resistant. In forced feeding assay more mass loss and attack in wood of external positions to both phenotypes was observed. To the waste and survival time of termites were similar to both types. In feeding preference a larger mass loss and waste to inner position in both phenotypes was observed. In general, the plants with prickles lost more mass than the one without prickles. Therefore, the wood of plants without prickles is more suitable to be use in construction of fences, sheepfolds and other similar uses where the wood shall be subject to attack by termites.