The objective of this study was to evaluate the development and the intrinsic growth rate (rm) of Euseius concordis on Tetranychus bastosi on physic nut (Jatropha curcas). The experiment was conducted in incubator BOD at 25 ° C and 70 % RH, with 12h photoperiod environment. The evaluations were performed twice daily for the biology of the mite, and once to the reproductive parameters. The average life cycle of fe-males was 6.3 ± 0.14 days and the males of 6.22 ± 0.14 days. The sex ratio was 0.64, and the average longevi-ty of females was 22.6 ± 2.22 days with an average production of 7,42 eggs per female. The parameters of the life table were obtained : net reproductive rate (Ro), 54,9 individuals ; average length of generations (T) , 7,77 days; intrinsic growth rate (rm), 0,22 female per female per day; finite rate of increase (λ), 1,24 female per fe-male; and in population doubling time (TD), 3,16 days. The E. concordis mite has developed satisfactorily when created with T. diet bastosi, with the short development cycle.

This study was conducted to evaluate seed cotton yield, fiber yield, and fiber quality traits of cotton cultivars grown under different irrigation levels in Brazil. The experiment was conducted over two years in the region of Apodi – RN, with sprinkler irrigation. Treatments comprised of 4 irrigation levels i.e., 130, 100, 70 and 40 % of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and 4 cotton cultivars i.e., FiberMax 993, BRS 286, BRS 336 and BRS 335. The experimental design was factorial with randomized complete block design and four replicates. Yield, lint percent and fiber quality traits determined were evaluated. Different responses were observed for cultivars at various irrigation levels. Cultivars grown under limited irrigation exhibited a decline in the seed cotton yield, lint percent, and fiber quality. Cultivars with the highest yield and lint percent were FiberMax 993 and BRS 286. Within irrigation level of 40 % ETc, the medium fiber cultivars produced short fibers whereas the long fiber cultivar, BRS 336, produced medium fiber length. Overall, the different levels of water deficits did not significantly affect fiber quality of the four cultivars tested as all fiber quality traits re- mained acceptable for the domestic textile industry.

The scarcity of the water resources has been becoming an aggravating factor in irrigation of agricultural crops, with that the utilization of treated wastewater arises as a viable alternative to meeting that demand. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the use of wastewater, on growth vari-ables and yield of cotton plants. The research was conducted at Experimental Station of Biological Treatments Sanitary Sewage – EXTRABES, in the city of Campina Grande – PB, in completely randomized design with five treatments and four repetitions. When the treatment 1 (T1) – consisted of irrigation with water refueling coming from CAGEPA; the treatment 2 (T2) – irrigation with effluent coming from the UASB reactor; the treatment 3 (T3) – irrigated with effluent coming from the series of filter; the treatment 4 (T4) – irrigated with effluent coming from the anaerobic filter; the treatment 5 (T5) – irrigated with effluent coming from the ponds of macrophytes. The incremented sodium content in soil at the end of the experiment was 812.9% afforded by irrigation with wastewater coming from the UASB reactor. The application of wastewater through irrigation in cotton culture coming from the UASB reactor and filter in series have increased the concentrations of phospho-rus, potash and organic matter in surface soil layer.

In order study the different management techniques stakes pomegranate 'Wonderful' for vegeta-tive propagation in the dry and rainy season, in the semiarid region of Paraiba. The survey was conducted in the greenhouse, in the Campus Center of Science and Agrifood Technology, Federal University of Campina Grande, in the City of Pombal-PB, Brazil. There were two experiments, one in the dry season, which com-prised from August to December 2012 (Experiment I), and another in the rainy season, from January to June 2013 (Experiment II). Experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four repli-cations and five plants per replication. To monitor the growth and physiology of the plant was adopted factorial consisting of two factors, managements of cuttings (cuttings with leaves, cuttings without leaves and cuttings without leaves more base incision) in function evaluation times (Days after planting). The propagation material was purchased from commercial plants and cuttings of softwood type. The samples were standardized by size, standard length 15 cm. The management of the cuttings leafless more incision in the base is most suitable for the propagation of pomegranate 'Wonderful'. The management of the cuttings with leaves is not suitable for the propagation of the pomegranate 'Wonderful', in the dry season. The rainy season is the ideal time for the pro-duction of seedlings of the pomegranate 'Wonderful'. The ideal time to obtain saplings of pomegranate 'Wonderful' is 144 days after planting the cuttings.

Deficiency of micronutrients is increasing in the recent years in cropping systems in many parts of the world and cover crops are important components of cropping systems. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) use efficiency in 14 tropical leg-ume cover crops grown on an Oxisol. The P levels used were low (0 mg kg-1), medium (100 mg kg-1) and high (200 mg kg-1). The P X cover crops interactions were significant for Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn use efficiency (tops dry weight/unit nutrient uptake). Hence, cover crop species varied in nutrient use efficiency with change in P levels. The micronutrient use efficiency was in the order of Cu > Zn > Mn > Fe. Higher Cu use efficiency was associated with lower uptake of this element, in the cover crop tops compared to other micronutrients. Similar-ly, lower efficiency of Fe and Mn was associated with their higher uptake in the tops of cover crops. Overall, Cu and Mn use efficiency was decreased when P level was raised from low to medium level and then it was constant. Iron use efficiency was increased with increasing P level but Zn use efficiency was constant with the addition of P fertilizer

This study sought to estimate (co)variance and genetic parameters for birth weight (BWT) and weaning weight (WWT) in Santa Ines sheep. A total of 2,111 records were obtained from EMBRAPA/CPATC experimental herds, dating from the years 1998 to 2008. (Co)variance parameters were obtained through a two - trait analysis with the Gibbs sampling algorithm using the MTGSAM program. The mixed model included the environmental effects of sex, contemporary group and type of birth, in addition to residual, direct and maternal additive effects. Mean estimates of direct heritability for BWT and WWT were 0.25 and 0.09, respectively. Mean estimates of maternal heritability were 0.34 for BWT and 0.24 for WWT. The genetic correlation be- tween BWT and WWT was 0.14. The results suggest that breeding Santa Ines sheep for meat production must take into consideration direct and maternal additive genetic effects.

There is great genetic diversity of rambutan plants, thus, to establish commercial orchards cul-ture, it is recommended the use of plants vegetatively propagated. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the best method of grafting, graft protection and type of rootstock for its propagation. The experiment was re-peated in two seasons (autumn/winter and spring/summer). The experimental design was completely random-ized in both experiments, with four replicates, each experimental unit consisted of 10 plants analyzed in a 4x2x2 factorial with four types of grafting (whip graft-WG; cleft graft –CG; wedge graft-WG; and inverted wedge graft-IWG;), 2 types of graft protection (Biodegradable and plastic) and 2 types of rootstock (without or with leaves). The variables analyzed in this study were: percentage of grafting success, number and length of buds (cm). For grafting performed in autumn / winter, both by cleft grafting as whip graft with biodegradable strip and rootstock leafless provided the best results in propagation of rambutan tree. The best results were ob-served during the autumn / winter.

Several factors are involved in the formation of soil aggregates, specially chemical, physical and biological origin. The glomalin, a protein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is one of the substances associated with soil aggregation. The aim of this study was to quantify the levels of soil organic carbon and glomalin in different vegetation types in Caatinga biome in Araripe plateau - Ceará state, and verify the relationship with aggregate stability and seasonality. Soil samples were carried out in dry and rainy seasons, in three vegetation types (Brejo de altitude, Carrasco and Cerradão) in Araripe National Forest to determine the water stability aggregate, soil total carbon, particulate carbon and glomalin. Seasonality effect was observed in the levels of easily extractable glomalin, suggesting that this fraction of glomalin is more sensitive to seasonal variations. The highest correlations were observed between the variables soil carbon and both fractions of glomalin, indicating that the protein produced by AMF is directly related to the amount of carbon, in addition to being an important component in soil aggregation of the Araripe.

Chemical composition, energy values, digestibility coefficients and the values of true amino acid of eight different deactivated full-fat soybeans were determined. The total excreta collecting method was used to determine the energy values, where 180 broiler chicken, aging 21 days, were distributed in a completely randomized design, with nine treatments (eight soybeans and one reference diet), four replicates, and five birds per experimental unit. The method of “forced feeding” was used to determine the digestibility coefficients, where 40 cecectomized roosters were distributed in a completely randomized design, with eight treatments, five replicates and one rooster per experimental unit five cockerels were fasted to determine endogenous losses. The values for apparent metabolizable energy (AME), nitrogen corrected AME (AMEn), and coefficients of metab-olizability (CAME and CAMEn) for the soybean, ranged respectively, from 3.191 to 4.242 kcal/kg, 2.953 to 3.906 kcal/kg, 64.85 to 80.42% and 60.00 to 74.07%. The average values of true digestibility coefficients of essential and nonessential amino acids from soybeans evaluated ranged from 79.74 to 93.08% and from 78.33 to 91.85%, respectively. The soybean one (deactivated organic) showed the lowest digestible coefficients com-paring to the others (obtained commercially), probably due to a subprocess, confirmed by the urease activity of 0.32.

The implantation of the mechanized harvesting system of sugarcane led to changes in the pro- duction system, in the production system was the modification of the weed flora, promoting the emergence of weed species that weren`t present in the conventional production system where the sugar cane was burnt. The present work had the objective of determining dose response curves of the herbicides amicarbazone, saflufenacil, mesotrione and sulfentrazone in post - emergence, over the weed species Merremia aegyptia ; Ipo- moea purpurea ; Luffa aegyptiaca ; Mucuna aterrima e Ricinus communis. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, with delineation entirely randomized, with four repetitions. The treatments constituted of the spraying of different doses of the herbicides amicarbazone, saflufenacil, mesotrione and sulfentrazone over the weed plants M. aegyptia ; I. purpurea ; L. aegyptiaca ; M. aterrima e R. communis when the plants had two pairs of true leaves. . The method used was the dose response curves, being sprayed doses equivalent to 1,5; 1,0; 0,5; 0,25 and 0,0 times the commercial dose of each product ( amicarbazone, saflufenacil, mesotrione, and sulfentrazone). The herbicides were sprayed individually over each weed species,. By 7, 14 and 21 days after the applications of the treatments (DAT), the symptoms of phytotoxicity were visually evaluated, and by 21 DAT, the dry mass of the shoots was determined. The herbicides saflufenacil and mesotrione weren`t effective in controlling Luffa aegyptiaca e Ricinus communis, respectively. The application of the herbicides sulfentrazone and amicarbazone resulted in control supe- rior to 80% for all weed species times the commercial dose studied. Therefore, different levels of susceptibility of the weed plants to post - emergent herbicides were observed. The herbicides amicarbazone and sulfentrazone were the most effective.