Considering soil acidity importance under tropical conditions and the existence of several limingrequirement evaluation methods, this work aimed to evaluate liming requirement methods in use in Brazil. Experimental units were plastic cups with 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 t ha-1 of CaCO3, in a factorial arrangement with three soil classes, under a block design with five replicates. pH readings were obtained each seven days for eight weeks. Regression analysis and model selection was done for pH, Al3+ and Ca2++Mg2+, considering CaCO3 levels as independent variables, for each soil. Obtained equations were used to estimate pH, Al3+ and Ca2++Mg2+ which would be obtained if liming was conducted according to the liming requirement methods. Data estimated for each soil was submitted to analysis of variance, with each soil being a replicate. Base saturation, exchangeable aluminum neutralization, or exchangeable calcium and magnesium content increase had the best results for pH. These methods achieved liming goals, while the remaining resulted in pH below desirable.

The obtaining of seedlings of high quality in organic agriculture still represents a challenge, especially with relationship to the concentration of nutrients and the physical properties of the substrate. The objective this research was evaluated effect of cast earthworm as organic component of substrate for production of collard greens-butter seedlings. Two experiments were installed in greenhouse in the Universidade Federal do Acre, both in design completely randomized with eleven treatments and eight replications. The treatments were obtained through of mixtures of different cast earthworm concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 e 100%) and soil, being dystrophic (V = 29 %) in the experiment I e eutrophic (V = 80 %) in the experiment II. To the 26 days after the sowing was evaluated the height of the plant and dry weight matter masses of shoot, root and total plant. The results of the experiment 1 indicated that addition of cast earthome to soils distrophic increases the growth of the plants, in concentrations greater 70 %. However the results of the experiment 2 indicated that addition of cast earthome in eutrophics soils result in benefits effects for plants only in few quaintly, promoted growth maximum in the concentrations around of 20 %. The results of both experiments indicate that the effect of the cast earthworm as component of substrates was of increasing the growth of collard greens-butter seedlings when the chemical condition of the cast earthworm goes better than the one of the soil in supplying nutritious for the plants.

This paper reports the first occurrence of Hoplolaimus galeatus associated to banana (Musa sp.) var. "Gran Naine" rhizosphere in Ceará State, Brazil.

Different rooting average were tested to identify those whch would provide the best conditions for growth of mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru P.. DC.), facheiro (Pilosocereus pachycladus Ritter), xiquexique (Pilosocereus gounellei (A. Webwr ex K. Schum.) Bly. ex Rowl.) and coroa-de-frade (Melocactus bahiensis Britton & Rose). five different compositions for rooting average were (sand; soil; sand + soil; sand + cattle manure; soil + cattle manure) the study was carried out from september of 2004 to december of 2005, in an area room temperature at Embrapa semi-arid, Petrolina, PE, Brazil. the substrate composed with sand + cattle manure and soil + cattle manure rooting medium showing the highest rates. In relation to the development of the system to radicular of the cactáceas was verified that in treatment 1 (sand) all had presented the biggest values in length terms. The growth in height of the cactáceas was influenced by different analyzed substrata. Between substrate, optimum cattle manure was with ground.

The mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), jucá (Caesalpinia ferrea), white popinac (Leucaena leucocephala) and tamar ind (Tamarindus indica) are useful species for the Brazilian semi-arid region because are sources of wood, f i rewood, fruits, forage and others products. Measuring plant height (y) i n t rees may not be an easy task, but canopy (x) and stem diameter (z) can be more eas ily evaluated. This work¿s object ive was two-fold: evaluate the growth of related species , in the f i r s t two years of age , and obtain l inear equations to est imate y from x or z, and x from z, in those species. A randomized complete block design with four t reatments (trees) and eight replications was used. The values for x, z, and y were measured biannually from October/2003 to March/2005. The species had different growth in te rms of plant height and stem and canopy diameters. Twenty-four months after the transplantation, the highest growth regarding these t rai t s was observed i n the mesquit e (as wel l as jucá, as the plant height ). The bes t equations (based on the R2 value) to est imate y in mesquite, jucá, white popinac and tamarind are: y = 0,33 + 0,05 z, y = 0,70 + 0,06 z, y = 0,64 + 0,04 z and y = 0,06 z, respectively. The equations to estimate x from z are: x = 1,47 + 0,03 z, x = 0,55 + 0,05 z, x = 0,04 z e x = 0,05 z , respectively, for the same species.

The irrigation practice, in a lot of situations, is the only way to guarantee agricultural productivity and economic and social development, especially in the semi-arid region of the Northeast Brazil that is characterized by rainfall irregularities. The objective of the present work was to quantify qualitatively the lands of the farm Agreste, located in the Microrregião do Alto Piranhas, Itaporanga - PB, in classes of potential aptitude for irrigation. For this was taken in consideration the soil characteristics and the available water resources. In the farm 16.80 hectares (3.29% of the lands) can be used for irrigation with restrictions. 144.96 hectares (28.38% of the lands) are irrigable, but only for special use. Finally, 349.04 hectares (68.33% of the lands) are not inapt for irrigated agriculture.

With The experiment was carried out during the dry season in the experimental station of Serra Talhada -IPA, state of Pernambuco. The objective was to evaluate the botanical composition, the availability and the quality of the fodder and the diet of the fistulated animals grazed in a field of differed buffel grass. Twenty-four species of twenty-two genus and twelve families were found in the area of study, and the available fodder varied from 6492 kg DM/ha in the beginning of the work to 3356 kg DM/ha in the end. The buffel grass always participated with over 90% in the different period of studies. The in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) that was always inferior to 50%, allied to crude protein content, both in the pasture and in the diet of the animals were very low as expected to differed pasture grass.

The effects of salinity on the plant are first noticed during the germination process. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate germination and initial development stage of melon plants hybrids (Mandacaru and Vereda) in different levels of salinity of irrigation water. Research was conduted at the Seed Analysis Laboratory of the Department of Crop Science of the UFERSA from February to April 2007. The treatments were organized in a completely randomized design in factorial scheme 2 x 6 (two hybrids of melon plant Mandacaru and Vereda, and six levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water: 0,45; 1,95; 3,45; 4,95; 6,45 and 7,95 dSm-1), with four replicates. Evaluation of speed of emergence-index, height of the aerial part of the seedling, dry mass of the aerial part of the seedling and seedling emergence. Compared to the Vereda Hybrid, the Mandacaru proved to be the most tolerant to salinity due to higher estimates of the speed of emergenceindex, height of the aerial part of the seedling, dry mass of the aerial part of the seedling and seedling emergence in different levels of salinity of irrigation water.

This work was based on dried specimens, including types, field works (collects and observations) mainly in Brazilian Northeastern, as well as information obtained in the specialized literature. Eleven genera, and approximately 150 species, belonging to four subfamilies were recorded: Boraginoideae, Cordioideae, Ehretioideae and Heliotropioideae. An illustrated key to the recognition of the genera of Boraginaceae native from Brazil based on its floral and fruit features are presented.

An experiment was carried out at Caatinga Experimental Field of Embrapa Tropical Semi-Arid, Petrolina-PE, Brazil, in the first semester of 1998, with the objective of evaluating the effect of different levels of salinity of irrigation water with and without the soil conditioner on the yield of carrot, cv. Brasília. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of water with electrical conductivity of 0.1 dS/m (control - from the São Francisco river), 4.0 and 8.0 dS/ m, and the same levels of electrical conductivity plus soil conditioner. The carrot yields varied from 33.1 to 82.3 t/ ha, for the treatments irrigated with saline water plus soil conditioner and for the control, respectively. Also, there was no significant difference between the yield obtained using water from the São Francisco river (0.1 dS/m) and that obtained using water with 4.0 dS/m electrical conductivity and that obtained with the application of soil conditioner.