The objective of this study was to compare the weather data obtained from both conventional (CWS) and automatic (AWS) weather stations, in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil (latitude: 21º14'05" S, longitude: 48º17'09" W and altitude: 613,68m), from July 1997 to June 2002. Daily data were collected and analyzed statistically by regression analysis. The results showed a good relationship between CWS and AWS, specially for air mean temperature, minimum temperature, maximum temperature and rainfall. Air humidity and atmospheric pressure showed the highest errors, respectively equal to 5,69% and 3,64 hPa. Wind velocity at 2m did not show good precision and accuracy because its estimation for CWS.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of weed interference with Brachiaria brizantha pasture establishment and regrowth after cutting. Two experiments were conducted simultaneously in randomized complete blocks with four replications. In the first test, forage was grown together with weeds for 0; 7; 14; 21; 28; 35; 42; 49; 56, and 63 days after forage emergence (DAE) and in the second, the forage was maintained weed-free for the same periods. The weed population was evaluated during coexistence period between weeds and forage crop. The forage yield and leaf / stem ratio of B. brizantha were evaluated after forage cutting (63 DAE), and 119 and 289 DAE. Weed growth was strong in coexistence with B. brizantha during pasture formation, causing a reduction in forage yield. The period considered critical in the competition between the weed and forage community lasted from 9 to 26 DAE. However, there were also significant effects on the regrowth of B.brizantha after the second forage cut, in the dry season, showing that pasture recovery after cutting was prejudiced by the competing weeds during the pasture establishment. The competition did not affect the photoassimilate partitioning between leaves and stems in the forage plant.

In the handling for the quality of grapes without seeds the use of gibberellic acid (GA3) in association with synthetic cytokinin of character is common not purics derivatives of the urea, being the most common TDZ (N-fenil-N-1,2,3-Thidiazol-5-il urea) and the CPPU (n (2-chlorine-4-pridil) - N-feniluréia). The present work had for objective to study the effect of the cytokinin of character purics: BAP (6-benzilaminopurina), associate with the gibberellic acid (GA3), in clusters of the cv. Superior Seedless, in the Valley of the San Francisco. The evaluated characteristics had been the mass fresh weight (g), diameter (mm), length (mm) and volume of berries (mL), soluble solid (SS), titratble acidity (AT) and relation SS/AT. It was verified that the GA3 in the concentration of 10 mg.L-1 associated with 10 mg.L-1 and 20 mg.L-1 of BAP had promoted the increments most significant in the quality of clusters of the cv. Superior Seedless.

In order to evaluate foliar production of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) was accomplished in an experiment under greenhouse conditions. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with six treatments: T1 - tap water; T2, T3, and T4 mixture of wastewater and tap water (25-75%; 50-50% and 75-25%, respectively), T5 - wastewater only, and T6 - tap water + mineral fertilization, and four replications. The results showed that increasing the proportion of wastewater in the treatments T2 to T5 there was a simultaneous increase in dry mater production of root, stem and leaf. In the absence of mineral fertilization, soils irrigated with treated wastewater were able to attend nutritional requirements of the tested plant, proving wastewater to be a viable source of water and nutrients for plants.

The gallery forest and other unequal vegetal areas of semiarid suffered the antropized influence but this first kind of vegetation has been less studied. The floristic composition and phytosociological study of the woody representatives in the riparian forest of the Bodocongó River, semi-arid of the Paraíba State, it was studied through of the insertion of four transects perpendicularly to the water body in and each transect were plotted three parcels with 10x20 m. It was used Mata Nativa II program to calculate phytosociological parameters. The analyzed vegetation was represented by 357 individuals belonged to 16 genera and 7 families. The species that presented the most number of individuals were: Prosopis juliflora (221), Croton sonderianus (52), Pithecellobium dulce (20) and Ziziphus joazeiro (14). Prosopis juliflora occurred in all studied areas demonstrating its aggressive characteristic and also showing the susceptibility of areas that passed by human influence to invader areas. The highest importance value of quantity of species (VI) was Prosopis juliflora (49.22%), allowed for Ziziphus joazeiro, Croton sonderianus and Pithecellobium dulce. It was demonstrated that the bordering forest of Bodocongó River hasn't contain an expressive floristic composition that it is related probably to the influence and degradation resulting from human action.

The cultivation of the strawberry is concentrated in the states of the Southeast and South of the country contributing to generating direct and indirect jobs. The opening of new frontiers in atypical climate conditions for the cultivation, such as regions having higher temperatures, has been investigated. The leaf topography interferes with pathogenicity and deposition of pesticides. This study aimed to analyze the performance of 11 cultivars of strawberry in the tropical conditions of the Mesorregião Mata of the Pernambuco state. The cultivation was done in screenhouse where topographical characters of the median leaves of cultivars were evaluated. The experimental design was Completely randomized, with five replications, being each pot a plot. Dover, Oso Grande and Tudla cultivars showed leaves with a flatter relief. The cultivar Sweet Charlie presented a more rugged topography. Considering the conditions of this experiment, the cultivars Dover, Oso Grande and Tudla were those that presented the most potential to pesticide absorptions.

The Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is one of the main plague-insect specie of Brassicaceae plants in Brazil and all over the world. The resistant genotypes use to its control is a promising alternative. This work aimed evaluates the eggs distribution along the plant, the adults' density per plant, and determine the cauliflower genotypes effect in the P. xylostella oviposition. The experiment was carried out at FCAV/UNESP - Jaboticabal Campus Phytossanity Department (Departamento de Fitossanidade). It was evaluated the eggs distribution, the P. xylostella adults density effect using Sharon hybrid, and tests with or without choose choice to determine the P. xylostella nonpreference in the Teresópolis Gigante, Verona, Barcelona, Sharon, Silver Streak, and Piracicaba Precoce genotypes. It is possible conclude that P. xylostella has higher willingness to oviposits in the stem than in the basal leaves. The three couple density of P. xylostella per plant is the best to discriminate cauliflower genotypes regarding the resistance grade to nonpreference choose choice to oviposition. During the P. xylostella oviposition preference tests with choose choice, the genotypes Sharon, Piracicaba Precoce, Barcelona, Verona e Teresópolis Gigante are less desirable to oviposition; while during the no choose choice tests the genotypes did not differ among them.

The controlled deterioration test has frequently been used to evaluate the vigor of several species and could be an alternative for evaluation of the vigor in jilo seeds. The objective of the present work was to study the controlled deterioration to evaluate the physiological quality of jilo seeds. Five seed lots, cv. Verde Claro Comprido, were submitted to tests of germination, germination first count, seedling emergence and deterioration (19%, 21% and 24% water content, at 45ºC and 24 and 48 hour periods). The 24% water/24h at 45ºC combination, for the controlled deterioration test, was efficient to detect vigor differences among jilo seed lots.

The human specie has always been developing and improving its ways of exploring the natural resources. Among these ways, farming stands out for including various activities which are moving according to the time and space where they are implemented, which makes necessary to consider and study farming as a system. In this work, the concept of farming system was set up, showing that it is formed of several parts that interact with each others and with external components, generating a dynamic. To facilitate the comprehension of the current farming systems in the semi-arid northeast of Brazil, a revision of the evolutionary paths of these systems was done, considering livestock like a subsystem of the sugarmills, and of its importance in the economy and culture of the northeast. Observations about the fragmentation of the land and the appearance of systems of family production were also conducted. This study draws the conclusion that besides the physical characteristics of the area, some socio-political and economical factors have influenced a lot the way in which the farming systems were constituted in the semi-arid northeast.

The study was to evaluate the effect of the combination of different irrigation levels and rates of potassium applied drip on parameters indicative of the banana production Pacovan Apodi (var. SH3640). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with split plot and 3 replications. The treatments consisted of a combination of five layers of irrigation and drainage lysimeter by means for four doses of potassium applied by fertirrigation. The variables were the weight of the bunch without stalk, the number of hands in the bunch, the weight of the hand of the central cluster and the number of fruits of the central cluster of the bunch. The data were obtained from the harvest of the first two cycles of the experiment, from March 2006 to September 2007. The treatments with irrigation levels influenced in all tested parameters of production, while the doses of potassium only influenced the weight of the bunch without stalk.