The present work had as objective uses a model of lineal programming algorithm to optimize the use of the water in the District of Irrigation Baixo Acaraú-CE proposing the "best" combination of crop types and areas established of 8,0 ha. The model aim maximize the net benefit of small farmer, incorporating the constraints in water and land availability, and constraints on the market. Considering crop types and the constraints, the study lead to the following conclusions: 1. The water availability in the District was not a limiting resources, while all available land was assigned in six of the seven cultivation plans analyzed. Furthermore, water availability was a restrictive factor as compared with land only when its availability was made to reduce to 60% of its actual value; 2. The combination of soursop and melon plants was the one that presented the largest net benefit, corresponding to R$ 5,250.00/ha/yr. The planting area for each crop made up to 50% of the area of the plot; 3. The plan that suggests the substitution of the cultivation of the soursop, since a decrease in annual net revenue of 5.87%. However, the plan that contemplates the simultaneous substitution of both soursop and melon produced the lowest liquid revenue, with reduction of 33.8%.

This work was accomplished with the objective of establishing a technique for the control of the oxidation, in the micropropagation in vitro of the Aloysia virgata. The experimental design utilized was the completely randomized one, with 5 treatments and 20 replications. Being the treatments: T1: control (without activated coal, sun), T2 (coal, sun), T3 (darkness, without coal), T4 (wash, control), T5 (darkness, coal). The characteristics evaluated were the oxidation levels, the percentage of contamination (fungus, bacterium) and the development (height, number of leaves). Before the presented results it can be concluded that the Aloysia virgata presents oxidation easiness. The wash in water favors the spread of fungus and bacterium. The dark ambient and the middle with activated coal were efficient in the control of the oxidation.

It has been recorded that alternative techniques used to keep the product on and control plagues countwith a concept that is getting better day by day. It is a chilling process of grains. Therefore, a freezing unit was used in order to cool the environmental air before injecting it into the aeration system of the structure that stores the product. This is an strategy applied to reduce the grains¿ temperature to such low values that it can inhibit or even avoid the bugs¿ development, also despite the climatic conditions.. This trial was carried out in a storing Plant from a cooperative named CONTRIGUAÇU, in Palotina-PR, from November, 28th to December, 23th , 2003. Three experimental silos were used. The first one with 5,000 tons static capacity, while the others capacity was of 2,500 tons each. The concluding results showed that the layers reached a final chilling temperature in sequence, which means that, when the first one got into this point the same happened to the next ones. This result points out the existence of a chilling zone that takes part of the inner part of the grains as time passes by due to the temperature gradient among the temperature of the product, the chilling air temperature and the flow of air supplied by the equipment. The specific consume of energy was of 5.12 kW.h/ton of wheat to the first silo and of 4.48 kW.h/ton of wheat the the other ones. It was also recorded the chilling cost, which was of R$ 0.53/ton of chilled wheat.

The study aimed to: assess the effects of plant densities in the behavior of genotypes of maize; Select the genotypes of greater adjustment and grain yield and better density of planting in the municipality of Rio Largo-AL. It was evaluated the genotypes: UFAL-1, UFAL-4, UFAL-5, UFAL-7, Sertanejo, Cruzeta and AL-30, and the densities: 55,555, 66,666, 77,777 and 88,888 plants.ha-1. Used randomized block design scheme in a split plot with three replicates. The plots (4 rows 18mx0, 9m) was formed by genotypes and the subplots (4.5 mx0 ranks, 9m) by densities, with one plant per pit. It was determined the variables: plant height and insertion of the 1st spike, the stem diameter, ear size and number of rows of grain in ear, index of ears and yield. The density of planting of 55,555 plants.ha-1 improved performance in the variables, plant height, diameter of the stem, size of the ear, index of spike and grain yield in genotypes; Genotypes AL-30 and UFAL-4 outperformed the others in grain yield; Low correlation of the variables studied with the yield; Lack of water during the flowering to maturity of the grains meant that the genotypes expressing its full potential.

This work had for objective to test the coconut dust as one of the components of the substratum recommended in the production of seedlings of green pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and that the inoculation with arbuscular mychorrizal fungi (AMF) it turns the most efficient plant in the absorption of nutrients, especially the phosphorus. A Yellow Red Argissolo was used, the substrata dust dry coconut and dust green coconut. The plants had been inoculated by AMF (Glomus clarum, Glomus intraradices and margarita Gigaspora). The experiment was lead per 45 days, the plants had been supplied weekly with exempt nutritional solution of P and to the end collected and submitted to the analyses of: dry mass of the aerial part, leaf number, height of the plant, diameter of caule, contend of macronutrient and micronutrient of the aerial part of plant. The delineation was of blocks casualizados with eighteen treatments and four repetitions. The results had demonstrated that10% dust dry coconut the seedlings of green pepper presented better results in mass dries of the aerial part, height, number of leves and diameter of caule.

Most of the time, seedlings of yellow passion fruit are produced from seeds. The success in the establishment of the culture depends on several factors, such as the use of seeds of good quality and choice of the best substrate. This work the aim, was to evaluate sources alternative of organic matter in the mixture of substrates for the production of yellow-passion (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg) seedlings. The experimental design was in blocks completely randomized, with ten treatments, with four repetitions and ten plants per parcel, been the treatments: pure soil (S), soil + goat manure (S + GM) in the proportion of 3:1, soil + sheep manure (S + SM) in the proportion of 3:1, soil + bovine manure (S + BM) in the proportion of 3:1, soil + earthworm humus (S + H) in the proportion of 3:1, soil + goat manure + sheep manure (S + GM + SM) in the proportion of 2:1:1, soil + goat manure + bovine manure (S + GM + BM) in the proportion of 2:1:1, soil + sheep manure + bovine manure (S + SM + BM) in the proportion of 2:1:1 , soil + sheep manure + bovine manure (S + SM + BM) in the proportion of 2:1:1, pure soil fertilized with single superphosphate and potassium chloride (S + P + K) at doses of 1 kg m-3 and 0.5 kg m-3 respectively and pure soil fertilized with only single superphosphate (S + P) at a dose of 1 kg m-3. The use of goat and sheep manure in mixtures of substrates provided good results in the production of Yellow-passion seedlings. Of all the tested substrates, the substrate soil + bovine manure in the proportion of 3:1 promoted the best development of the yellow-passion seedlings.

The Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr. All. specie is known like aroeira-do-sertão, it belongs to Anacardiaceae family and it can be found in the Caatinga, Cerrado and Pluvial Forest. In the present study was tested on aroeira-do-sertão the water deficit effect under greenhouse conditions in two experimental blocks: the daily irrigation and the other with water deficit. It had tested with four repetitions by treatment and in three point of stem: basal, intermediary and apical. It was registered the data about photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, relative water content and leaf protoplasmatic tolerance. The water deficit produced increment in relative water content in the leaves at the all positions leaves through the stem and reduced the transpiration and photosynthesis rates in the plants. The apical leaves were the most sensitive to the variations of the ambient. When the aroeira-do-sertão leaves were exposured to high temperature, they presented protoplasmatic tolerance mostly in the leaves located at intermediary position in the stem whose growth is complete.

A field experiment was developed in the period of April of 2000 to May of 2002, at the Experimental Station of Jiqui pertaining to the Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Rio Grande do Norte - EMPARN, Parnamirim city, state of Rio Grande do Norte. The work had as objective to evaluate the effects of nitrogen and potassium applied through irrigation water on the nutritional state of green dwarf coconut tree (Cocos nucifera L). The treatments had consisted of the combination through the experimental matrix of Plan Puebla III, 5 doses of N and 5 doses of K2O both oscillating of 135 the 2565 g plant -1 year -1 derived of the urea and white potassium chloride. The used experimental A field experiment was developed in the period of April of 2000 to May of 2002, at the Experimental Station of Jiqui pertaining to the Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Rio Grande do Norte - EMPARN, Parnamirim city, state of Rio Grande do Norte. The work had as objective to evaluate the effects of nitrogen and potassium applied through irrigation water on the nutritional state of green dwarf coconut tree (Cocos nucifera L). The treatments had consisted of the combination through the experimental matrix of Plan Puebla III, 5 doses of N and 5 doses of K2O both oscillating of 135 the 2565 g plant -1 year -1 derived of the urea and white potassium chloride. The used experimental delineation was of blocks at random with 4 repetitions and 5 plants for plots totalizing 40 experimental units. The plantation was made in the triangular spacing of 7.5 m between plants and 7.5 m between lines. When the plants were with 4, 4.5 and 5 years had been made three foliar material collections in two plants for parcel in 9 and 14 number leaves. With the results of the analyses proceeding from these collections they had extracted to the averages and was made the statistics analysis. In the samples, they were determined the N, K, P, Ca, Mg and Cl concentrations. Only the N presented concentration below of the critical level, the other P, K, Ca, Mg and Cl nutrients had presented its concentrations above of this level. There was not trend defined between 9 and 14 levels in relation to the N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Cl concentration. The N concentrations had increased proportionally and linearly and to the amount of N applied. The K concentrations had increased proportionally of quadratic form to the amount of applied N. The K concentrations had increased of quadratic form proportionally to the K doses and linearly to the N doses. There was no effect of the N and K doses on the Ca proportions, the Mg concentrations of Mg had diminished linearly with the rise of the N and K doses. The Cl concentrations had increased with the rise in the N and K doses. Considering the evaluated nutrients and the shown leaves, it is possible affirm that the plants were nutritiously were balanced.

The objective of this research was to identify species of ants in plantations of Heliconia spp. in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. The fauna of Formicidae was sampled in Maceió and Rio Largo, State of Alagoas, Brazil. The samples were taken from three producing areas of tropical flowers from June 2003 to May 2004. We collected 289 specimens belonging to 12 species, distributed in five genera of four subfamilies. The most abundant genus was Camponotus, with five species. This is the first record of a survey of mirmecofauna in Heliconia plantations in the agrobusiness flowers.

The accumulated litter in the forest ecosystems is source of nutrients for the soil, contributing to the maintenance of the productivity and sustainability in these environments. This study evaluated the chemical characteristics and nutrient content of litter in a Caatinga forest site located in the Fazenda Tamanduá RPPN, in the semi-arid region of Paraíba. Litter production in collector boxes were monthly collected of the seven transects systematically located in the RPPN area, being that the each three months was litter retired an the organic material sample, by transect, to evaluated the chemical characteristics. It was also estimated the remaining nutrient content of litter in nylon bags after 12 and 24 months under field conditions. The order of the nutrient quantities present in litter was: N > Ca > S > K > Mg > P. Potassium, Ca, and Mg release was directly related to litter weight loss, and N, P and S concentrations in litter increased during the process of litter decomposition. The nitrogen in the litter was presented the highest concentration in the wet period and phosphorus as limiting factor in this environment.