The citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton is an important pest of citrus orchards either by direct damage or by favoring citrus canker contamination. The experiment was carried out inlaboratory conditions to evaluate Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) larvae preying on P. citrella egg, larval and pupalstages. It was observed that all the immature stages were preyed by first, second and third larval instars. The developmental time of the predator had direct influence on preying capacity, reaching 100% for predator larvae on the prey second instar larvae. This is the first record of C. externa preying the citrus leaf miner eggs, larvae and pupae in the world.

The objective of this paper was to determine the phosphorus adsorption characteristics using the Langmuir isotherm. The study was carried out in the Laboratório de Irrigação e Salinidade, of Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, PB, Brazil, with surface (0-20 cm) samples from two soils of Paraiba State. The soil samples (2,5 g) were mixed with a CaCl2 0.01M (25 mL), with addition to 0; 35; 45; 55; 70; 85 and 100 mg L-1 of P as KH2PO4 and maintained in contact for 24 hours. The phosphorus was analyzed from the supernatant in order to determine the amount of P adsorbed by the soils. The maximum P adsorption capacity (MPAC) was determined for all soil through the linear model of the Langmuir equation. The Ultisol showed the highest values of the MPAC and PmCF and the Oxisol showed the highest adsorption energy. The results showed that the soil attributes that had influenced on soil MPAC were soil organic matter and clay content and the base saturation.

The contamined soil with the forms infect of the parasites, transmitted by feces of animals, it represents high risk of zoonoses transmission. Among the helmintos species, they meet agents producers of the cutaneous migrans and visceral migrans larvae. In this context, the present work had for objective to contribute for the study of the cutaneous migrans larvae, identifying your agents producers and associate the results with the obtained data of the medical registrations of dermatological center in the Mossoró-RN. The study was accomplished in the Mossoró District and beaches of Areia Branca and Tibau District, region west of Rio Grande do Norte State, removing soils samples of the 29 public squares, 07 schools and 04 beaches, to which was processed at the Laboratory of Animal Parasitology - UFERSA, by modified Baermann method. In overall, 200 samples of soil were collected originating from 40 different places, of these, 35% (14) presented growth for Ancylostoma sp, being distributed in 78,6% (11) squares, 14,3% (2) schools and 7,1% (1) beach. The larger occurrence of the helminto was verified in the months that presented higher pluviometric index and in the studied period 92/770 patients positive for worms migrans cutaneous according the medical registrations.

The use of water of inadequate quality is pointed out as one of the causes of failure inseedling production. Absence of indication of salinity tolerance for West Indian Cherry (Malpighia emaginata D.C), an experiment was carried out in randomized block design, with the objective of studying the effects of 6 level of eletrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw) varying from 0.5 to 5.5 dS m-1 on the formation of seedlings of West Indian Cherry utilizing clone BV1 as rootstock and clone BV7 as graft. The irrigation water of desired ECw was prepared maintaning equivalente proportion of 7:2:1, among Na:Ca:Mg, respectively. The water growth of rootstock was evaluated at 50 days after application of treatments and of grafted seedlings at 15 and 50 days after grafting. The water with ECw of 5.5 dS m-1 does not affect the adequability of rootstock for grafting neither the sprouting of graft at the time of transplanting.

Surveys of the intensity of soft rot in plantations of lettuce and Chinese cabbage were performed from January to May 2004 in mesoregions of the Mata and Agreste of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Disease prevalence of 42.9% was observed in lettuce and 100% in Chinese cabbage. The incidence of soft rot ranged from 0 to 22% in lettuce and 1 to 67% in Chinese cabbage. In lettuce higher intensity of soft rot was observed in areas with more than 17 years of cultivation; planted with cultivars "Cacheada", "Elba" and "Tainá"; with clay soil type; irrigated by hosing; and having poor drainage. Lower disease intensity was detected in areas of cultivars "Verdinha" and "Salad Bowl"; when coriander was the previous crop; and when seedlings wereproduced in trays. In Chinese cabbage higher intensity of soft rot was found in areas having more than 10 years of cultivation, and in plantations with more than 50 days of growth. The sole subspecies detected causing soft rot in all areas of lettuce and Chinese cabbage was Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum.

Prickly pear has great potential for biomass production in agroecosystems of the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. However, this crop has a relatively high cost of planting, therefore, studies have aimed at management practices that optimize its fodder production for the greatest possible period of time. The present work was conducted within a 19-year old prickly pear field and had the objective of evaluating the effects of different planting densities (5,000 and 10,000 plants ha-1) and harvest intensities (preservation of primary or secondary cladodes during harvest) on biomass production and soil fertility. However, the preservation of secondary cladodes during harvest led to greater biomass production within the density of 5,000 plants ha-1. Fertilization with 20 t ha-1 of manure at 2-year intervals, increased ( P < 0.05 ) soil total N content ( Nt ) and also soil P extracted by the Mehlich-1 method, in relation to soil under native vegetation in an area adjacent to the prickly pear field. However, soil K extracted by Mehlich-1 the method, was lower in the area cultivated with prickly pear, in spite of the manure applications, showing that there is a need to add K from another source, as a way of maintaining long term levels of this nutrient in the soil.

A phytosociological comparative study was performed in two "caatinga" areas (A - productive pasture and B - degraded pasture), in the eastern "Cariri" microregion of Paraíba State, Northeast of Brazil. The multiple plots method was used, where 40 plots were established in each area, being measured living trees and shrubs with diameter at base height (DAB) ³ 3 cm and plant height (At) ³ 1 m. Eight botanic families, ten genera, and ten species were identified in area A. The Cactaceae and Mimosaceae were the best-represented families in number of individuals in this area. Six families, eight genera, and nine species were identified in area B, where Cactaceae, Mimosaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the best-represented families. The following parameters, total number of sampled individuals (N), basal area (BA), and total density (TD) had in area A 438 individuals, 12.22 m2.ha-1, and 2737 individuals per hectare, respectively, which were higher than area in B, that had the following values: 308 individuals, 11.31 m2.ha-1 e 1925 individuals per hectare, respectively. These results allow to postulate that the uncontrolled grazing practiced in that microregion of Paraíba State, is leading to an environmental degradation of the "caatinga" phytocenosis (a set of plants with ecological similar preferences, living in the same biotope).

It were determined serum levels of phosphorus and magnesium in 90 cattle grazed at Almino Afonso, Martins, Olho D´Água dos Borges, Patu, Rafael Godeiro and Umarizal cities, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. Serum phosphorus levels lower than reference values were found in 23 of 90 cattle (25.6%), from all evaluated cities. Serum levels of magnesium were lower than reference values in 15 of 90 cattle (16.7%), from five of six cities. Further works are needed aiming the reasons for reduced serum levels of evaluated minerals.

The objective of this work was evaluating the principal alterations of the chemical properties of quality of the papaya 'Formosa' under refrigerated storage. The harvest of fruits was accomplished in a commercial planting located in the municipal district of Baraúna-RN. The storage happened in cameras under controlled conditions of temperatures (8, 10 and 12 ºC ± 1 ºC) and relative humidity of the air (90 ±5%) during periods of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. After each period, the papayas were transferred to environmental conditions (20 ± 1oC 60 ± 5% UR) where a period of shelf life of seven days was simulated. Then, the papayas were analyzed regarding the titratable acidity (ATT), C vitamin, total soluble solids (SS), starch, reducing and non-reducing sugars. A completely randomized experimental design was used, in a factorial 3 x 4 outline (temperatures x time of storage), with five replications and two fruits per plot. The best extension for the post harvest useful life of papaya 'Formosa' was esteemed for the fruits submitted to 10 °C and 90 ± 5% UR up to 20 days, with soluble solids above 12% and C vitamin around 40 mg×100 g-1. The fruits submitted to 8 °C, 90 ± 5% UR had the worst estimates, presenting the smallest contents of SS.

The Objective this work was to evaluate the interaction of the amount and salinity of irrigation water in the floral efficiency of the Green Dwarfish coconut tree, in the area of the coastal boards of the Northeast of Brazil. The study was driven in the experimental station of EMPARN, located in Parnamirim - RN, in the period of August of 2002 to September of 2003. The studied factors were four irrigation sheets, based on the evaporation of tank class "A" (30, 60, 90 and 120% of the evaporation of the tank) and four salinity levels in the irrigation water (0,1; 5,0; 10,0 and 15,0 dS.m-1). The experimental design was entirely random with subdivided portions and regression analysis with answer surface. The number of feminine flowers grows with the increment of the irrigation amount, reducing the negative effect of the applied saline levels. The relationship flower / picked fruit reduces with the increase of the saline levels, while the interaction of the largest irrigation sheets with the smallest saline levels results in a growth in the number of flowers emitted by picked fruits. The production in biomass of the fruits grows positively with the increase of the irrigation sheets and it reduces with the increase of the saline levels and the interaction of the smaller saline levels with the largest irrigation sheets produce the largest weights of registered fruits. As reaction the water with high salinity to the plant of the coconut tree answers with the increase of the efficiency of the bloomed related the crop of fruits, in other words, it emits less flowers to obtain the same production that in appropriate conditions of cultivation.