In Brazil, postharvest diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms are a major problem that causes damage to around 80% of the total fruit production. In the lower middle São Francisco river valley numerous studies on identification and control of fungal diseases during postharvest of grapes are needed, in order to minimize losses in this step. In this context, bunches of seedless varieties 'Crimson', 'Sonaka'; 'Superior' and 'Thompson' were collected from July to November 2009, in order to identify and quantify the incidence of pathogenic fungi. The grapes were collected on five farms which specialize in the production of table grapes for export, all located in Juazeiro - BA and Petrolina - PE. During this period, 10 samples were taken. In the fruit farm five plants were used for sampling, and removal of two bunches of grapes per plant, totaling 10 bunches per variety. Subsequently, they were sent to the laboratory of Plant Pathology at UNEB/DTCS where they were placed separately in a moist chamber for 48 hours at an average temperature of 23 ºC. After this period, isolations of berries and stems in Petri plates containing PDA - potato-dextrose-agar were carried out with 10 repetitions, which were placed on benches under laboratory conditions. From the 8th day on, the presence of Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium herbarum, Lasiodiploidia theobromae was observed, which presented the highest incidence, as well as Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium expansum.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utilization effects of two native cacti named mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC.) and xiquexique [Pilosocereus gounellei (A. Weber ex K. Schum.) Bly ex Rowl.] associated with sabiá (Mimosa caesalpinifolia Benth.) and flor de seda (Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br.) shrub hays on nutrient intake, milk production and composition of Saanen dairy goats¿. Eight goats averaging 43.4 kg were used in two 4x4 latin square experimental design. The experimental treatments consisted of four diets (30% native cacti + 30% shrub hay + 40% concentrate, on dry matter basis): xiquexique + flor de seda hay; xiquexique + sabiá hay; mandacaru + flor de seda hay and mandacaru + sabiá hay. The ingredients proportion of the concentrate in the diet was 57.5% algaroba (Prosopis juliflora (Sw) DC); 37.5% soybean meal and 5% mineral mixture. Significant differences were observed for voluntary intakes of dry matter, organic matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acidy detergent fiber, total carbohydrates, nonfiber carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients in relation to g/day and g/kg0.75. No significant differences were observed for milk production (averaged 1,294.39 g/day), and milk composition.

With the aim of determining the concentration of potassium (K+) and electrical conductivity (EC) in water drainage in the cultivation of sweet pepper (Maximos F1), and to evaluate the possible risk of contamination of groundwater was conducted a experiment on a battery of 40 drainage lysimeters, whose experimental plot consisted of three plants in each lysimeter, located at campus of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, PE, in a completely randomized factorial scheme 5 x 2, with four replications, being five irrigation depth (80, 90, 100, 110 and 120% of ETc) and two levels of potassium (80 and 120 kg ha-1 of K2O), applied parceled according to phenological phase, through a drip irrigation system, with selfcompensable emitters. Throughout the cycle proceeded to the measurement of volumes generated from natural drainage and the fortnightly water balances in the lysimeters, and collection of samples for tests to determine the K+ and EC. The K+ content and the EC showed significant linear adjustments in all phases of the cycle, whose mean values were 9.79 mg L-1 and 0.35 dS m-1, respectively. The drained volume showed increases in certain events of water balance due to the high rainfall during the period, leaching more potassium ions. It was observed that with the application of higher blade and the higher dose losses were higher K2O, an average 60.10 kg ha-1.

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of the fertilization with silica and its effect compared with limestone and interaction with the phosphorus in an Oxissol in tomato. A 5 x 2 factorial randomized block experimental design was adopted with four replication being five levels of metasilicate, five levels of limestone and two of phosphorus. In absence of phosphorus and in the presence limestone negative correlation was observed between stem diameter and content of Al in the soil and positive among stem diameter, root growth and content of P in the plant with the pH soil and the content of Ca in the soil. In the presence of phosphorus, positive correlation was verified among content of P in the plant and fresh matter of root with electrical conductivity of soil and root growth and content of Al in the soil. Using metasilicate of calcium in the absence of phosphorus, significant and positive correlation was observed for root growth with pH soil, Ca and sum of bases sum and content of P in the root with electrical conductivity of soil; in the presence of phosphorus, negative correlation was observed among Na and Al in soil. In the presence of phosphorus, was observed negative correlation among the stem diameter with pH, Ca, sum of bases and electrical conductivity of soil. For the leaf area, plant height, fresh matter in shoot and content of phosphorus in the root was verified significant and positive correlation with Na and the K in soil.

The aim of this research was to investigate the similarity of water quality in space and time in the upland of Salgado watershed, Ceará, Brazil. Multivariate analysis/Cluster Analysis was used for this investigation. Water samples were took in nine stations, spread out along the rivers during March, May, July, August and September, 2005, totalizing 45 samples. The water quality attributes analyzed were: electrical conductivity (EC), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO4-2), soluble orthophosphate (OPS), nitrate (NO3-), dissolved oxygen (DO), bicarbonate alkalinity (BA), total coliforms (TC) and turbidity (T). Four homogeneous groups were identified. The water samples collected at rainfall season defined the dissimilarity of group 1 in relation to the others. This group showed the best water quality due to the dilution of salts. Water samples collected during the end of rain-fall season and began of dry season formed group 2. Waters sampled at dry season in stations located down of discharge point of effluents defined group 3. These stations presented the highest concentrations of Cl-, EC, SO4-2 and TC. The values of NO3- and TC defined the similarity of group 4. Although Cl-, SO4-2, DO, and TC influenced the cluster definition, the most important variables were EC and NO3-. The water quality similarity was defined by two factors: punctual pollution and climatic seasonality.

Sewage sludge, waste from the stations of wastewater treatment, has high contents of organic matter and nutrients and, when stabilized, it presents enormous potential for agricultural use. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of doses of sewage sludge on growth and yield of castor bean. The experiment was conducted in Cambisol, using the cultivar Guarany AL 2002. The treatments in a randomized block design with four replicates, corresponding to a treatment with chemical fertilizer (90 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and 30 kg ha-1 K2O at planting and 40 kg.ha-1 N, 40 days after planting), and five doses of dry sewage sludge (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 t ha-1). At the end of the cycle, the assessments were made of stem diameter, plant height and productivity. The productivity of seeds and the biometric characteristics of castor bean increased with increasing doses of sewage sludge applied to soil, and the dose from 15 t ha-1 is sufficient for replacement of mineral fertilization of culture without the risk of soil contamination with heavy metals.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the influence of priming and efficiency of two methods of scarification on dormancy break of brave peanut seeds. After scarification with sulfuric acid and sandpaper, seeds were placed in mannitol solutions at concentrations 0.0 (control), -0.25, -0.50, -0.75 and -1.00 MPa for six days at 10 °C. Water content and germination percentage were determined. It was observed that, at 0.0 MPa, the seeds were scarified with H2SO4 had higher water content than the scarified with sandpaper, this may be related to uniform wear in the seed coat caused by H2SO4. For the water content, due the concentrations of mannitol, there was a significant linear response, only for the chemical scarification. However, it was observed null for both. The maximum responses of germination were 79.36% (chemical scarification) and 95.56% (scarification) with a maximum point of -0.41 MPa either. The scarification with sandpaper was most effective, however, at concentrations above -0.41 MPa, it was observed reduction in germination percentage.

To evaluate the nutrient content of leaves of gerbera fertigated with treated domestic effluentswith and without mineral supplementation, a study was carried out in a greenhouse located at the Embrapa Meio-Norte in Teresina, Brazil from July to October 2007. The treatments studied were: T1 - 100% water and nutritional needs furnished with fertigation (N e K2 O); T2 - 25% volume of water through fertigation and 75% treated wastewater effluents (TWE); T3 - 50% volume of water through fertigation and 50% TWE; T4 - 75% volume of water with fertigation and 25% TWE; and T5 - volume of water 100% supplied through TWE. The leaf growth and plant development were favored by the application of 50% fertigation and 50% TWE (T3). At the end of experiment two adult leaves were collected in each treatment and content of nutrients was determined. Soil samples were also collected for analysis to verify alterations in physical and chemical properties.The soil irrigated with 100% wastewater effluent showed high concentrations of P, organic matter and low concentration of Na and K, but these changes did not cause any alteration in nutritional status of leaves and quality of gerberas flowers.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the vegetative growth, the chemical composition, the rain use efficiency and to determine the green and dry matter production of cactus forage cv. Italian (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.), depending on planting spacing. The research was carried out at (EMEPA), in Soledade- Pb, from April 2007 to June 2008. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four repetitions. In order to evaluate crop under the four planting spacing (1 x 1; 1 x 0.5; 2 x 1; 2 x 0.5 m ) we measured plant height, number of cladodes per plant, and the order, length, width, perimeter, thickness and area of cladodes. There were no treatment effects (P > 0.05 ) on any of the growth variables evaluated, except for plant height and cladode width. The cactus pear showed low levels of fibrous carbohydrates, and planting spacing influenced levels of neutral detergent fiber. The phytomass production per area and rain use efficiency by cactus pear increased with increases in planting densities, with higher values observed for the spacing of 1 x 0.5 m; resulting in a greater quantity of forage produced per area and per unit of rain.

The preliminary investigation of chemical constituents of a plant allows the prior knowledge of the extract and indicates the nature of the present substances. The aim of this paper was to detect the absence or presence of appreciable amounts of various chemical constituents in extracts of jurubeba [Solanum paniculatum Linnaeus (1762)], capim santo [Cymbopogon citratus Stapf (1906)], batata de purga [Operculina hamiltonii (G. DON) D.F. Austin & Staples (1983)] and melão de são caetano [Momordica charantia Linnaeus (1763)], which has been indicated as alternative treatment against gastrintestinal helmintiasis of small ruminants. The jurubeba was collected in the city of Teixeira - PB. The capim santo, the batata de purga and the melão de são caetano were collected at the Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural/UFCG, Patos - PB, in august and september of 2008. After, was realized the identification of the indicated shares to the ethnopharmacology study, deposited in the Herbário Caririense Dárdano de Andrade - Lima of the Universidade Regional do Cariri-URCA. The acquisition of the extract and phytochemical study followed the methodology described by Matos (1997). To obtain the extract was used the dust of the shares collected from each plant and as solvent ethanol PA. Four tests (phenols and tannins; anthocyanins, anthocyanidins and flavonoids; leucoanthocyanidins, catechins and flavanones; and alkaloids.) were conducted for the exploration of hydroalcoholical constituents. In the chemical assay were concluded that the ethanol extracts of the four plants with compounds such as tannins and catechins, and absence of phenols, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins.