To have high yields it is necessary that seed of good quality be sowing and, to produce them, mother plants should receive appropriate treatment, like fertilization. Aiming evaluate how copper and zinc fertilization, in three types of soil, and its influence in physiological quality of sorghum seeds, in an experiment in randomized blocks with tree replicates. The treatments were a combination of five levels of Cu (0,0; 0,26; 0,90; 1,54; 1,80 mg kg-1 of soil) and five levels of Zn (0,0; 0,32; 1,10; 1,88; 2,20 mg kg-1 of soil), resulting in nine treatments in experimental matrix Central Box. Seeds produced were analyzed of hundred seed weight, germination and vigor (germination first count, IVG, emergence, emergence first count, IVE and seedlings dry matter). The levels of copper and zinc increased hundred seed weight and vigor tests. Plants cultivated in Haplustalf produced seed with the best quality.

The experiment was conducted at "sitio cantos" of UFERSA, to evaluate the green mass production and the effect of the cut age (42, 56, 70, 84 and 98 days) on chemical-composition of the canarana erecta hay, cultivated in semi-arid climate area. The DM, CP, OM and ashes levels were affected by treatments. The age of 42 days presented production of green matter (45,88 ton/ha/year), and the CP (6,64%), EE (2,15%) and ash (14,08%) levels superior to the other ages, being therefore the more indicated for haymaking.

This work had as objective studying the extraction of cadmium and evaluate four extractors as conventional chemical: Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3, TEA-DTPA and CaCl2 as indicators of the availability of cadmium in plants (Zea mays) in soils of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The soils were submitted to the correction of pH and chemical and physical analysis. The determination of total cadmium in samples of soil, were made through the technique of digestion digesters in tubes containing nitric acid with the ratio of 3:1 v / v (aqua regia). The extracts were read by the atomic absorption spectrometry, setting up the total concentration of cadmium in the samples. For the extraction of cadmium in the plant samples were submitted to digestion nitric-perclórica will ratio of 3:1 (v / v). Statistical analyses were made in the programme Statistic 6.0, where the data were submitted to the analysis of variance and correlation, is adopting levels of significance of 1% and 5% probability. The capacidae recovery of extractors used followed the following order: Water Régia> Mehlich-1> Mehlich-3> DTPA-TEA> CaCl2. The aqua regia was a good extractor for phytoavailability, presenting the second highest correlation coefficient. The CaCl2 was given the best extractor due to the availability has presented better correlation between the cadmium content in dry plant maize and extracted by extratoras tested solutions. On average the Neossolo Quartzarênico led to better absorption of cadmium by plants of maize and Neossolo Flúvico and Haplic Cambisol the minors.

This research was conducted to evaluate the physiological and sanity quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds used in agricultural region Assu-Baraúna-Mosssó in the Rio Grande do Norte. For seed lots each from the hybrids Goldex and Vereda were used. Research was conducted at the Seed Analysis Laboratory and Irrigation Agricultural of the Department of Crop Science of the UFERSA from August 2006 to July 2007. The physiological quality was evaluated by the germination, first count germination, accelerated aging, emergence speed index, electrical conductivity and seedling emergence, beyond the seed moisture content. The sanity was determinated by the method of filter paper with freezer, in four replications with 100 seeds per lot and completly randomized design. From the results obtained, it was concluded that first count germination, accelerated aging, electrical conductivity and seedling emergence tests only identified low and high seed lot from the hybrids Goldex and Vereda. The electrical conductivity test is most indicated to estimation of melon seed physiological potential, it was also possible to reduce the imbibition period of seeds prior this test. The pathogens associated with melon seeds were Aspergillus spp., Fusarium sp. and Macrophomina sp. and the physiological quality of seeds was not affected with the microrganisms presence.

Thirty-six females (of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and ¿ 4th partum order) were used, and evaluated at four stages of lactation (equalization, 7th and 14th day of lactation, and at weaning) to verify the effects that partum order and lactation stage had on the performance of hybrid swine sows maintained in a hot environment (room temperature at 28.5ºC; black globe temperature at 29.3ºC; relative air humidity at 75.7% and ITGU calculated at 78.9). Interaction among the factors was observed for food consumption, and the primiparas consumed less. The sows presented differences (P<0,05) in performance (corporal weight, bacon thickness, visual corporal score, corporal composition and tissue) according to partum order, without effect on the weaning-estrus interval or the duration of the estrus. The lactation stage had a negative influence on weight and estimated corporal protein. This study concluded that hybrid swine sows maintained satisfactory performance, and that primiparous sows were more sensitive to hot environments.

The weed control procedures are known to affect the soil physical attributes and the nutrient amount taken up by weed roots. This work hypothesis is that weed control methods might also affect soil chemical attributes. Four experiments were carried out, three with maize (E-1, E-2 and E-3) and one with cotton (E-4), in randomized complete blocks design arranged in split-plots, with five replications. In E-1 experiment, the plots consisted of two weed control treatments: no-weed control and weed shovel-digging at 20 and 40 days after sowing; and the subplots consisted of six maize cultivars. In the three other experiments, the plots consisted of plant cultivars: four maize cultivars (E-2 and E-3) and four cotton cultivars (E-4). And, the subplots consisted of three weed control treatments: (1) no-weed control; (2) weed shovel-digging at 20 and 40 days after sowing; and (3) intercropping with cowpea (E-2) or Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. (E-3 and E-4). In all experiments, after harvest, eight soil samples were collected from each subplot (0-20 cm depth) and composed in one sample. Soil chemical analysis results indicated that the weed control by shovel-digging or intercropping may increase or decrease some soil element concentrations and the alterations depend on the element and experiment considered. In E-2, the weed shovel-dug plots showed intermediate soil pH, lower S (sum of bases) values and higher soil P concentrations than the other plots. In E-4, soil K and Na concentrations in plots without weed control did not differ from plots with intercropping, and in both, K and Na values were higher than in weed shovel-dug plots. Maize and cotton cultivars did not affect soil chemical characteristics.

This work has objective estimates the heritability and the phenotypic correlations between characteristics of bulb and plant of lineages of multiple-onion half-sib families as subsidy for programs of improvement for the conditions northeast. One field experiment with radonmized complete blocks and with 14 half-sib families and three replications, were carried out. The greatest heritability coefficient was expressed by bulb number per plant. The high heritability obtained from the character number of bulbs for plant can compensate the low associations with the yield before and after cure, respectively, what it makes with that that characteristic can be used in the indirect selection for yield. The longitudinal diameter is a characteristic that can be used for indirect selection aiming at to increase the yield after cure of multiple onion. It is possible to obtain success with the selection for the traits number of bulbs for plant, height of the aerial part, longitudinal diameter, traversal diameter, format index, content of total soluble solids and productivity after the cure. The estimates of simple correlations evidence that is possible to obtain desirable recombinants individuals with high productivity and quality of bulbs.

The research was carried out to evaluate the quality of waters used in the irrigation of agricultural areas of Congo region, Paraíba State, Brazil. The water samples were collected in Cordeiro dam, in wells and in river, in two periods of the year, rainy (May/2006) and dry period (December/2006) and analyzed under the qualitative aspects of salinity, sodicity and toxicity of ions. For the studied conditions and in agreement with the evaluated parameters in both periods, most of the samples of water, as for the salinity, were considered normal for the use in the irrigation since special practical of soil and water management are adopted; as the toxicity of the ion sodium, more than 40% didn't present restriction to the use. In relation to the toxicity of the ion chloride, in the rainy period, 61% of the samples didn't indicate restriction to the use for irrigation and in the dry period, 44% presented restriction varying from low to moderate.

For proposition of the better recovery practice is necessary to identify the main characteristics of index fingers soil of environmental degradation. For so much, it should seize upon chemical, physical and biological analyses. Thus, the goal of this work was to study some chemical indicators of environmental degradation in soils terms of semiarid. The soils were collected in the pilot's area JICA Project located in the municipal district of Pedro Avelino-RN, the choice of the area was due to your desertification degree. The analyses were accomplished in Soil, Plant and Water Analyses Laboratory of the University Semi-arid Rural Federal. The samples were collected in the layers of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 cm. The accomplished chemical analyses were: pH in water (1:2,5); Electric Conductivity (CE) in the extract 1:5; Ca+2,Mg+2, Na+ and K+ exchangeable, and P available. By the results, it verified that pH and CE increased with the depth, with regard to the contents of In the Na+ in the soil there was variation with the increase of the depth. To the thwart of the majority of the analyzed elements the K+ tended to decrease your content in the soil with the increase of the depth, The sodium elevated contents should be carried in consideration for the implantation of the recovery project, using itself preferentially resistant plants of sodicity.

The objective of the work was to evaluate the effect of the osmotic and hydric conditioning on the physiological quality of seeds of herbaceous cotton. The practices were carried out in the Laboratory of Phytotecny of the Polytechnical University of Madrid, Spain, in 2006. Used seeds of cotton chemically deslinted of cultivar Panton. Was realized two practices of osmotic conditioning: seeds submitted to osmotic solutions of PEG 6000 (-0,25 MPa) and of potassium nitrate (3 M) in the seven times of osmotic conditioning (0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 h) to temperature of 20 °C. As the hydric conditioning, the seeds were imbibitions with and without water renewal, in function of the times of immersion: 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 hours. The variable analyzed were percentage of germination and length of seedlings. The experimental design was entirely randomized with four repetitions. The osmotics solutions of PEG and potassium nitrate were not favorable for germination of the seeds, however the vigor of the seeds was increased by both osmotics solutions in some conditions studied. The hydric conditioning was more effective to increased the vigor of the cotton seeds, but were not efficient to increased its germinative potential.