Ao longo dos tempos, têm se buscado alternativas para aumentar a disponibilidade de água para as plantas. Devido à capacidade de absorver e reter água, os polímeros hidroabsorventes surgiram como uma possibilidade de contribuição para a solução do problema. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito de dois polímeros hidroabsorventes utilizados no solo como condicionadores: o Terracottem e o Hidratassolo. Os estudos consistiram em obter as curvas características de retenção de água em dois materiais de solo, sendo um classificado como Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo de textura franco-argilo-arenosa e o outro como Podzólico Vermelho-Amarelo de textura argilosa, com adição dos polímeros hidroabsorventes em diferentes concentrações. Foram conduzidos três experimentos, visando à obtenção das curvas características de retenção de água, sendo o primeiro experimento resultante da incorporação de sete granulometrias e cinco concentrações do Hidratassolo em cada um dos solos; o segundo, resultante da incorporação de cinco concentrações do Terracottem em cada solo; e o terceiro, no qual as curvas foram obtidas das sete granulometrias do Hidratassolo e da granulometria comercial do Terracottem, sem mistura com solos. A avaliação de alteração das características de retenção de água foi feita com base nos valores de disponibilidade total de água no solo, capacidade de campo e ponto de murchamento permanente. Concluiu-se que a retenção de água nos dois solos estudados foi maior à medida que aumentou o diâmetro dos grânulos do Hidratassolo e a concentração dos dois polímeros. O Hidratassolo reteve mais água, com base no peso seco, que o Terracottem. A tensão de 1,5 MPa não foi suficiente para eliminar toda água retida nos polímeros, fazendo com que o teor de umidade dos solos tratados fosse maior que o da testemunha no ponto de murchamento. O Hidratassolo foi mais eficiente na retenção de água para o solo argiloso. A alta capacidade de absorção e retenção de água pelos polímeros a baixas tensões indica que estes podem reduzir perdas de água por percolação e, também, a altas tensões, reduzir o déficit hídrico em culturas conduzidas durante períodos secos do ano. | Along the times, alternatives to increase water availability to plants have been sought. Due to the capacity of absorbing and retaining water, hydro-absorbent polymers have arisen as a possibility of contribution to the solution of this problem. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of two hydro- absorbent polymers used as soil conditioners: Terracottem and Hidratassolo. The studies consisted of obtaining curves representative of water retention in two soils classified as a sandy-clayey-loamy Red-yellow Latosol and the other as a clayey Red-yellow Podzol, with addition of hydro-absorbent polymers in different concentrations. Three experiments were carried out in order to obtain the curves representative of water retention: experiment one, with incorporation of seven particle-sizes and five concentrations in each soil; experiment two, with incorporation of five concentrations of Terracottem in each soil; and experiment three, in which the curves were obtained from the seven particle-sizes of Hidratassolo and from the Terracottem commercial particle-size, without mixing with soils. The evaluation of change in water retention characteristics was based in the values of total available water in the soil, field capacity and permanent wilting point. It was concluded that, water retention in the two soils increased with the diameter of the Hidratassolo particles and the concentration of the two polymers. Hidratassolo retained more water than Terracottem on a dry-weight basis. The tension of 1,5 MPa was not enough to eliminate all the water retained in the polymers, making the moisture level of the treated soils higher than the control in the wilting point. Hidratassolo was more effective for water retention in the clayey soil. The high absorption capacity and water retention by the polymers at low tensions indicate that they can reduce water losses by percolation and, also at high tensions, the water deficit in crops cultivated in dry periods of the year.

La evolucion de nuestros conocimientos sobre los antibioticos (nocion de dosis y dependencia temporal, efecto post-antibiotico), y la aparicion de numerosas especialidades solubles viene a reforzar nuestro interes por el tratamiento de los cerdos a traves del agua del bebedero. Sin embargo, esta tecnica plantea sus exigencias que no hay que olvidar en ningun caso (naturaleza del agua de explotacion, fiabilidad del sistema de distribucion, mantenimiento de los circuitos...).

Este trabalho foi conduzido no período de setembro a dezembro de 1997, numa área irrigada da Fazenda Experimental do Vale do Curu, pertencente à Universidade Federal do Ceará, no município de Pentecoste, CE, localizada a 100 km de Fortaleza. O objetivo do experimento foi avaliar a utilização do tensiômetro de mercúrio, do Tanque Classe A e da equação de Hargreaves, na determinação da lâmina de água a ser aplicada na irrigação. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições, enquanto os tratamentos foram representados pelos três diferentes métodos de estimação citados, de quando e quanto irrigar (Tratamento 1 - Tensiômetro; Tratamento 2 - Tanque Classe A e Tratamento 3 - equação de Hargreaves) e a cultura utilizada foi o caupi (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) para consumo em estado verde, cultivar João Paulo II, no espaçamento de 0,90 x 0,40 m, com duas plantas por cova, irrigada por aspersão convencional. A análise dos resultados constatou uma economia de água no tratamento 1, de 28 e 23%, em relação aos tratamentos 2 e 3, respectivamente, e também evidenciou a inexistência de diferenças significativas entre as produtividades alcançadas em todos os tratamentos. O tensiômetro pode ser indicado como instrumento de racionalização do uso da água em irrigação. | A field study was conducted from September to December 1997 at the Federal University of Ceará Experimental Farm in Pentecoste, Brazil. The irrigation scheduling was based on a tensiometer, Class A pan evaporation and Hargreaves equation. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the three treatments (Treatment 1 - tensiometer, Treatment 2 - pan evaporation and Treatment 3 - Hargreaves equation) with four replications in a completely randomized design. Sprinkler irrigated cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp), cultivar João Paulo II for fresh consumption was grown on the experimental area. Plants were spaced at 0.90 x 0.40 m, maintaining two plants per hole. Crop yield showed no significant difference, although using the tensiometer to schedule irrigation, the water consumption was 28 and 30% lower compared to the Class A Pan Evaporation and Hargreaves equation, respectively. The tensiometer may be indicated as an instrument for saving water in irrigation scheduling.

Abstract: The accelerated and disorganized deforestation in Central Brazil and the transformation of these natural ecosystems into crop land or pastures, without adequate technologies, resulted in irrecoverable damages to the environment, especially with respect to water and soil conservation, with particular mention to compactation. As a consequence, the soil intake rate decreased and surface runoff increased, thus causing laminar erosion, low soil quality, silting up of rivers, floods and decreased sustainability of family properties. With the objective of reverting this scenario, a demonstrative unit was implemented in Sete Lagoas MG, in 1995, in a property of 70 ha, where 30 micro-cachments ("barraginhas") were built to contain surface runoff damages.These micro-cachtments also retain pollution sources carried by the waters and favor the recharge of good quality water tables, by means of improving soil intake rate, recovering water sources and alleviating droughts. Due to the success of this demonstration unit, by means of field visits by farmers, NGO´s and publication of articles in journals and national/international congresses, a decision was taken to extend the experience and build 960 low-cost micro-catchments, in 1998, in 60 small properties covering all the micro-basin of the Paiol stream, in the village/community of Estiva, Sete Lagoas county. That was only possible because of the active participation of small farmers in the indication of existing degraded sites and the support provided in terms of food and lodging for the working teams As a result, it is now possible to hear the farmers testimonials on the effects observed in elevation of water tables observed in their domestic reservoirs ("cisternas"), better utilization of the water and drought alleviation, that have increased their yields.

This article presents the report on a research developed in the seven palm oil mills of the central oil palm zone of Colombia. The objectives of the study were to analyze, through statistical tools, the historical information during 1998, on the incidence and correlation of the different variables measured during the clarification process (dilutions, heavy sludge, light sludge, oil at the exit of the clarifiers, recovered oil of the sludge removers, dry solids without oil, etc.) with the loss of oil at the exit of the sludge removers. Important correlation was found between the presence of light sludge at the exit of the clarifier and the losses of oil on dry non-fatty base in the discharges of the sludge removers. It was also found that the percentage of oil in clarification effluents had a lower incidence in the loses in centrifuges, than the sludge previously mentioned. Some important correlations of other variables and important differences between two sub-zones of the central Colombian palm zone are also shown. | Se presenta el informe sobre las investigaciones realizadas en las siete plantas de beneficio de la zona palmera central de Colombia. Los objetivos del estudio fueron analizar, mediante herramientas estadísticas, la información histórica, durante 1998, sobre la incidencia y correlaciones de las diferentes variables que se miden en la clarificación (diluciones, lodos pesados, lodos ligeros, aceite a la salida de los clarificadores, aceite recuperado en las deslodadoras, sólidos secos no aceitosos, etc.) con la pérdida de aceite a la salida de las deslodadoras. Se encontraron correlaciones significativamente estadísticas entre la presencia de lodos ligeros a la salida del clarificador y las pérdidas de aceite sobre base seca no aceitosa en las descargas de las deslodadoras. También se encontró que el porcentaje volumétrico de aceite en los efluentes de clarificación tenía menor incidencia en las pérdidas en las centrífugas que los lodos ligeros antes mencionados. Se muestran correlaciones significativas de otras variables y diferencias importantes entre dos subzonas de la Zona Central.