The reuse of waters served in industries is winning space in the current days, in face of possibility of its use in agriculture. It was aimed with this work to evaluate the effect of levels of available water in the soil and of effluents of industries of supply Campina Grande, Paraíba state, Brazil, on the chemical attributes of the soil and on the phytomass and production variables of the castor oil plant, variety BRS Nordestina. The experiment was in greenhouse in entirely randomized design in factorial scheme 5 x 3 with 3 repetitions, with 5 water types and 3 available soil water levels. The studied treatments promoted increase in all soil chemical attributes at the end of the experiment. The interaction types of water and levels of available water in the soil was significant for all phytomass and production variables, except for the length of the root. The largest value for the phytomass and production variables was obtained for the treatment with 100% of available water in the soil and wastewater of COTEMINAS. however, the number of male flowers didn't suffer significant effect of the levels of available water of the soil with the wastewater of COTEMINAS.

This work was carried out to investigate the effect maturity stage at harvest (M1, M2 and M3, corresponding to fruit with 20-25%, 45-50% and 70-75% of peel red color surface, respectively) of ‘Camila’ and ‘Laetitia’ plums, and then stored in conventional cold storage, on ripening and quality, especially regarding the incidence of flesh browning. Fruits were cold stored during 40 days (1±0.1 oC and 95±2% RH), followed by three days at ambient condition (23±5 °C and 60±5% RH). ‘Camila’ plums harvested at maturity stage M1 showed the poorest evolution of peel red color during cold storage. Only fruit harvested at stage M3 had a good flesh red color development. The values of flesh firmness and force for fruit compression were different be- tween maturity stages, being higher in M1 than in M2 and M3. On the other hand, fruit harvested at stage M1 had the highest force for flesh penetration. However, ‘Camila’ plums harvested with up to 50% of peel red color did not ripe satisfactory and had poor quality. ‘Laetitia’ plums showed satisfactory evolution of peel red color during cold storage, especially when harvested at stage M3. For this cultivar, the force for fruit compres- sion was different between maturity stages, in the following order: M1>M2>M3. Titratable acidity was highest in fruit harvested at stage M1, while ethylene production rate was highest for fruit harvested at stage M3. ‘Laetitia’ plums harvested at the three maturity stages had similar ripening during cold storage. However, fruits should not be harvested with 20-25% of peel red color since they will have a high intensity of flesh browning during cold storage.

The optimization of nutritional efficiency is critical to increase productivity and reduce produc- tion costs. However, the identification of lines with greater efficiency and responsiveness to phosphorus is of great importance, with the in intention to join the hybrid, these traits at once and, moreover, the best way to select them. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate which characters should be considered in the se- lection of genotypes efficient and responsive to phosphorus in sorghum. The correlations were split into direct and indirect basic variables of efficiency and responsiveness to phosphorus through path analysis. The character that most influenced the efficiency of sorghum lines to phosphorus was harvest index to utilization efficien- cy and dry matter to absorption efficiency and use, under conditions of stress. Under conditions of adequate phosphorus fertilization, the trait with the greatest influence for evaluation of responsiveness was dry grain mass to the apparent recovery efficiency, physiological and agronomic.

Agricultural use of soil resources under irrigated conditions requires constant monitoring of the soil quality attributes due to important soil functions related to soil water storage and distribution, aeration and root growth. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of citrus cultivation, under irrigated conditions, on the physical quality of a Yellow Ultisol through determination of soil pore size distribution, bulk density and soil water retention, in the Neópolis flat land irrigated perimeter, Sergipe. Soil core samples were collected from the 0-0,10 m, 0,10-0,30 m and 0,30-0,50 m layers, with three replications, in a 15 ha citrus orchard. The same soil type under native forest was also evaluated as a reference of soil quality. It was observed reduction in soil total porosity, macroporosity as well as available water as a function of citrus cultivation. Such alterations in soil physical quality influence negatively root development and plant productivity and also call attention to the need of soil quality monitoring as well as best irrigation management practices. Evaluation of soil quality under native forest was efficient in showing the magnitude of soil alterations as a result of changing in soil use.

The whitefly is the major pest of tomato due to direct damages caused by sucking and indirect damages related to viruses transmition. Was evaluated the distribution and incidence of whitefly nymphs in tomato by using of mineral and organic fertilization in greenhouse. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm of São Luis, Maranhão State University in a greenhouse during the period november 2010 to december 2011. The experimental design was completely randomized plots with five treatments and six replications T1-Soil + NPK, T2-Soil + NPK + micro-nutrient, T3-Soil + NPK + manure, T4-Solo + manure + NPK + micro-nutrient, T5-Solo + manure + rock phosphate + Biofertilizer. Irrigation was performed manually, based on the weight and field capacity of each pot. The number of nymphs of B. tabaci was evaluated by counting performed at 45, 60 and 75 days after transplanting. In the process of sampling three leaflets were removed by plant been each of plant strata lower, middle and top. The use of organic fertilization showed lower incidence of nymphs of B. tabaci in tomato and distribution of this insect pest is higher in middle and apical strata of the plant.

The vegetation of the Caatinga has different types of unique landscapes, in which little is known. Considering the situation, this study aimed to perform a phytosociological survey in area of Ca atinga, located in Bom Jesus, Piauí. Were systematically re leased 15 quadratic plots with 400 m², with spacing of 80 m between plots and between lines. Within each sampli ng unit were measured all individuals with circumfe rence at breast height (CBH) ≥ 6 cm, as measured in these individuals the CBH and the total height. With this, it were calculated the phytosociological parameters, diamet er distribution and diversity index of Shannon-Wean er (H'). In this survey we sampled 640 individuals represent ing 36 species, which provided a density of 1600 in d ha -1 and an estimated basal area of 17.02 m² ha -1 . The species most representatives were Copaifera langsdorffi Desf., Ptyrocarpa moniliformis Benth., Pterodon abruptus (Moric.) Benth and Combretum glaucocarpum (Mart.) Eichl. , with about 43% of the sampled and 40% in the area of ecological importance. The result of the diversity index of Shannon-Weaner was 2.96 nats in d -1 .

The carnauba (Copernicia prunifera (Miller) HE Moore) is a native fruit species to the north- east of Brazil and its exploration is based mainly on the extract of wax powder from leaves. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different management strategies of cutting leaves, developmental stages and leaf age on leaf traits and physical-chemical attributes of carnauba wax in a natural population of carnauba palm located at the Cajazeira Farm, municipality of União, Piauí state, Brazil. The selected plants were identi- fied and classified in two developmental stages: capoteiro and adult palm. The management strategies cutting leaves were: one cut in August; two cuts, the first in August and the second in December; and one cut in De- cember. The leaves were separated according to age into new and old leaf. It was performed the individual analysis of variance of leaf number (LN), wax powder production (WP), ratio WP/LN, moisture content, impu- rities content and wax yield for each management systems as well as the analysis of the different managements. Leaf age presented as the attribute of greater relevance in the commercial use of carnauba. The best manage- ment strategy for cutting leaves of carnauba consists of a single annual cut in December.

The pollination is currently recognized as impor tant factor of production in the driving of many crops. The objective of this research was to study the reproductive biology of fennel in the field int ercropped with colored cotton (BRS Safira) in the presence an d absence of insecticide Actara and evaluate the pe rform- ance of their floral visitors. The evaluations were conducted in an experimental field in the municipa lity of Lagoa Seca-PB. Plots were evaluated: P 1 = fennel in the absence of insecticide; P 2 = fennel in the presence of insecticide; P 3 = fennel intercropped with cotton in the absence o f insecticide; P 4 = fennel intercropped with cotton in the presence of insecticide. In each plot data were recorded on the inflorescence and flower s such as floral morphology, color, time, duration and sequen ce of anthesis and observed aspects related to time , fre- quency, duration and visiting behavior. For analysi s of the reproductive system was evaluated the natu ral polli- nation and self-pollination by the number of fruits formed, weight of thousand seeds and number of see ds/kg. The hermaphrodite flowers are yellow in color, have 5 mm in diameter, have five petals, have short cor olla and inferior ovary containing two ova. After anthesis, the flowers remained open for approximately 24 hour s. Ob- served self-pollination in this species, but there is increased production of fruits and seeds in the natural polli- nation. The bee Apis mellifera is the most efficient pollinator of this species, with a higher number of visits to the plots without insecticide application, regardle ss of single planting or intercropping system.

There are few studies related to the in vitro cultivation of plants from theTheobroma genus and no effective micropropagation protocols for T.grandiflorum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the calli formation in cupuassu floral explants, targeting their organogenic or embryogenicdevelopment. Experiments were conducted in the Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory of EMBRAPA, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil. Floral parts from unopened immature flower buds taken from seedless cupuassu trees were sterilized and employed as a source of explants. These explants were cultivated in Petri dishes in an induction medium consisting of MS salts and vitamins, supplemented with glycine(3 mg.L-1), lysine (0,4 mg.L-1), leucine (0,4 mg.L-1), arginine (0,4 mg.L-1), tryptophan (0,2 mg.L-1), 2,4-D (1 mg.L-1), kinetin (0,25 mg.L-1), coconut water (50 ml.L-1), sucrose (40 g.L-1), Gelrite (2,2 g.L-1) and pH adjusted to 5,8. Cultures were maintained in the dark for 3 weeks at 27°C and then subcultured for six weeks in medium without growth regulators supplemented with glycine (1 mg.L-1), lysine (0,2 mg.L-1), leucine (0,2 mg.L-1), arginine (0,2 mg.L-1), tryptophan (0,1 mg.L-1), coconut water (100 ml.L-1), sucrose (40 g.L-1), Gelrite (2,2 g.L-1) and pH 5,8. We used a completely randomized design with 10 replications of 5 explants per plate and four different explant sources: staminode, petal, ligule and ovary. As a result, we obtained a highercalli formation in theinduction medium when ovaries were used as source of explants. However, there was no development of somatic embryosor organogenic response in medium without growth regulators and further studies are being conducted.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the emergence and development of lettuce seed- lings, cv. Babá de Verão, when produced with organi c substrates made from sheep manure. The experiment was accomplished at a nursery in the Universidade F ederal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada (UAST), Serra Talhada to wn, State of Pernambuco, during the month of April 2011. It was used a completely randomized design wi th four replications. The treatments were: T1 – com mer- cial substrate (Tropstrato HT ® ); T2 – sheep manure + sand (1:1); T3 – sheep manur e + sand (2:1); T4 – sheep manure + sand (3:1); T5 – sheep manure + soil (1:1) ; T6 – sheep manure + soil (2:1); T7 – sheep manure + soil (3:1); T8 – sheep manure + sand + soil (1:1:1); T9 – sheep manure + sand + soil (2:1:1); T10 – sheep m anure + sand + soil (3:1:1). Emergence indicators were: per centage, speed index and average time of emergence. Re- garding the development characteristics of seedling s were analyzed: leaf number, seedling height, root length, shoot dry matter and root dry matter. Whereas the i ndicators of emergence and development, it can be i nferred that substrates T3 [EO + A (2:1)], T4 [EO + A (3:1) ], T6 [EO + S (2:1)], T7 [EO + S (3:1)] and T10 [EO + A + S (3:1:1)] provided similar results to those observ ed in the production of lettuce seedlings with the commercial substrate, thus providing the formation of vigorous seedlings more sustainable for the initial stage o f cultivation of this vegetable.