This work had as objective to evaluate the emergency and the survival of seedlings of imbu tree (Spondias tuberosa Arruda) in caatinga. The assay was carried through of January of 2001 the December of 2004 with 37 plants of imbu tree, selected to perhaps in area of caatinga of the Embrapa Semi-Árido, Petrolina - PE. In each plant four quadrants of 1 m2 had been demarcated randomized below of the pantry for counting of the emergency and survival of seedlings. The comments had been carried through to each 15 days in the rainy station and 30 days in the dry station. A rain gauge was installed in the area of the experiment for attainment of the values of the occurred precipitation during the period of evaluation. The biggest indices of emergency had occurred in the period of bigger precipitation with 57,89 plântulas.m-2, in average, for plant-mother in the rainy station of 2004. Few seedlings had survived until the end of the period of evaluation. The stadium seedling is most critical for the survival and development of the imbu tree in caatinga. The biggest volume of precipitation significantly contributed for a bigger tax of germination and emergency of seedlings of imbu tree.

This work was carried out in order to evaluate the mycorrhizal fungi in four surrounding areas of Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, in Ubatuba (SP), with the following covering vegetation: banana plantation interposed at forest, cassava plantation, capoeira area and secondary forest. Soil samples were collected in July 2003 and March 2004. Regarding arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs), the crop areas of banana and cassava showed higher spore number than forest and capoeira areas in the winter. In the summer, only cassava area showed high spore production. The rainy season provided a higher number of AMFs species compared to the dry season, in both forest and banana areas. However, regarding the occurrence of different AMFs species there was no clear pattern as to wet or dry season.

This work aimed to evaluate nodular occupancy rate of rhizobium strains inoculated in different cowpea accesses (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) from Brazil, USA and Nigeria and their relationship with the symbiotic specificity. The identification of strains in nodules was done using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (Indirect-ELISA). It was observed that the nodule number and weight were influenced by the origin of cowpea accesses. The inoculation was able to promote a significant increase in the number of nodules occupied by serogroup of inoculant strain. In agreement with the cowpea accesses origin, the Brazilian accesses presented the largest of nodule occupancy rates, followed by those of Nigeria and USA. The largest occupation percentage, in 6 of the 10 tested cowpea, was due to the innoculation with the BR 3273 strain, and the smallest one was due to BR 3269 strains, in 8 of the 10 cowpea accesses. These data suggests that specificity exists between rhizobium inoculant strains and cowpea accesses.

The knowledge of hemoglobin types may help in near future the selection of animals, serving as a genetic marker. The present work aimed to determine the types of hemoglobin in Santa Ines crossbreed sheep, and verify whether it has correlation with the erythron. It were collected 49 blood samples from different healthy Santa Ines crossbreed sheep, from Mossoró city, RN, Brazil. These samples were used for determination of packed cell volume, red blood cells counts, hemoglobin concentration, hematimetric indices (mean corpuscular volume - MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin - MCH, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration - MCHC), and electrophoretic separation of hemoglobin. The electrophoresis revealed a slow band characterized as hemoglobin A (HbAA), a fast band characterized as hemoglobin B (HbBB) and both bands in the heterozygous hemoglobin A and B (HbAB). The type HbAB was the most frequently found, but all found types were present at representative amounts. The statistical analysis for comparison between the hemoglobin parameters and each parameter of the erythron revealed significant difference only for MCH; the other measurement were not statistically different. Thus, the hemoglobin types (HbAA, HbBB e HbAB) did not influence the erythron of sheep.

The predatory mite Euseius alatus DeLeon has been reported in several economic crops in Brazil, with certified importance in fruit trees and coffee. In order to establish an integrated pest management program it is important to determine the efficient pesticides in pests control, but presenting low impact to predators. This work had the objective of evaluating the toxicity of acaricides (abamectin, azocyclotin, diafenthiuron, dicofol, sulphur, fenpropathrin, fenpyroximate, propargite, tetradifon) to eggs and adult females of E. alatus. Leaf discs of "feijão de porco" (Canavalia ensiformes L.) containing 10 eggs of E. alatus were immersed into the acaricides dilutions, during five seconds, and dried for 30 minutes under room temperature. Treated eggs were observed up to 72h to determine egg survival. The residual effect of the same acaricides to adult females of E. alatus was studied using arena constituted by treated leaf disc. Ten adult females were confined per arena, 30 minutes, 24h and 72h after immersing the discs into the acaricides dilutions. Mortality was measured 24, 48 and 72h after confining the females on the treated leaf discs. All tested acaricides showed low impact on egg survival, except for fenpropathrin that caused reduction of egg survival at rate of 66%. The acaricides azocyclotin, diafenthiuron, tetradifon and abamectin caused 100% of mortality to adult females. Otherwise, diafenthiuron (500g de a.i./Kg), fenpyroximate (50g de a.i./L), propargite (720g de a.i./L) and tetradifon (80g de a.i./L) caused lower impact to adult females of E. alatus and, therefore, being of potential recommendation into an integrated pest management.

Oils of andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl.), copaiba (Copaifera sp.), Eucaliptus globulus Labill. and Eucaliptus citriodora Hook., neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), eugenol, souari nut (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.), rosemary (Lippia gracillis HBK.), and cedar (Cedrela fissilis Vell.) were evaluated in adults of Sitophilus zeamais Mots. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). In the non-choice test, 20 g of corn grains per plot were treated with 50¿L of each oil and homogenized for two minutes. The plot was infested with eight 0 to 15 days-old S. zeamais adults. The E. globulus, eugenol, rosemary, and neem oils caused 100% mortality in S. zeamais adults. Except for copaiba, all oils caused mortality above 87% and the reduction in emergence of 100%. In the free-choice tests, arenas consisting of two plastic containers symmetrically interconnected to a central box by two plastic tubes were used. Twenty grams of non-treated corn (control) were placed in one of the boxes and the same amount of grain treated with 50¿L of each oil comprised the other treatment. Sixteen non-sexed S. zeamais adults (0-15 days old) were released in the central box. The rosemary, E. citriodora, eugenol and copaiba oils were the most repellent for S. zeamais adults, with repellence percentage varying from 97.3 to 87.7. Rosemary, andiroba, neem, and cedar reduced S. zeamais emergence in 100%, while the reduction caused by the other oils ranged from 72.7 to 97.9%.

The experiment was accomplished in a completely randomized block design, using 25 cross bred bullocks nursed in the periods of 35, 42, 49, 56 and 63 days of life. Effect of the breastfeed periods was not observed on the weight development of the bullocks. The consumption of daily and total milk was influenced by the weight when being born and for the breastfeed period (P < 0,05). The adjustment of the averages for the variation analysis showed an increase tendency in the consumption of proportional milk to the breastfeed periods. The wean at 35 days was shown economically viable.

This study had the objective of surveying the apicultural potential in the municipality of Petrolina flora (9o9'S; 40o22'W), aiming at identifying the nectariferous or polliniferous species visited by Apis mellifera. The observations were carried out from January 2004 to May 2005, in areas of hyperxerophilous Caatinga native vegetation and of irrigated fruit crops of Embrapa Tropical Semi-Arid. Fifty one species were observed, belonging to 42 genera and 25 botanic families. The families Leguminosae, Anacardiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Rubiaceae and Sterculiaceae were the most visited species by Apis mellifera, including 47.08% of the total visited plants. Among the species visited by Apis mellifera, 41.17% are herbaceous, showing the importance of this stratum as an apicultural source. Regarding the flora resource used as food source by the bees, it was found that A. mellifera made several visits for exclusive nectar extraction to 72.55% of the plants considered nectariferous. Among the remaining plants, it was found that in 19.60% the bee collecte pollen, being these species considered polliniferous, and in 7.85% there was pollen and nectar withdrawal. Among the herbaceous species, Borreria verticillata (L.) G.Mey., Diodia teres Walter (Rubiaceae), Waltheria rotundifolia Schrank (Sterculiaceae), Merremia aegyptia (L.) Hallier, Jacquemontia confusa Meisn. (Convolvulaceae), Hypenia salzmanni (Benth.) Hanley (Lamiaceae) distinguished as nectariferous source during the raining season, while the arboreal species Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl. and Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão. are considered apicultural source for the dry season.

The yield of lettuce plants cultivated under agrotextile protection was evaluated in conditions of high temperatures and intensity of radiation. The experiment was carried out at the experimental area of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, in a red-yellow argissol. The randomized complete blocks design was used, with four replications, in a 3 x 3 factorial scheme. The treatments consisted of the combination of three lettuce cultivars (Tainá, Babá de Verão and Verônica) with three types of plant protection (non-protected, direct-on-the-plant agrotextile protection, and nonwoven polypropylene tunnel with height of 0.5 m). The best yield performance was observed when the lettuce cultivars were grown in low tunnel.

It was characterized the rural producers and their lands of the Municipal districts of Itambé, Caruaru and Serra Talhada, Pernambuco. The producers were interviewed in Organizations and/or Rural Producers Associations and in free markets of Itambé, Caruaru and Serra Talhada. Informations about the rural producers and lands, the cattle activity and the forest management were collected. The population mean age is above 50 years old with low scholar education, except to Itambé. Small pasture lands prevailed and the cattle activity was the more practiced by the rural producers, with animals grazing during all the year. The proprietors, in majority, don't accomplish forage conservation and they don't have information about agroforest systems and plan of forest management . The largest use of species was for firewood, coal and stake in Serra Talhada, Caruaru and Itambé, respectively, and the producers of Itambé and Caruaru are the largest importers of forest products. The three township present potentialities for silvipastoril system aplication, which besides supplying fodder plant the animals can also offer lumber and energy products for the agricultural prorietors.