In Brazil, especially in the state of Goiás, bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are largely cropped in small and mean farms where the association beans+corn is predominant. The castor beans has draw the attention as a promising crop for biodiesel production, and being suggested by federal authorities as a primary choice in family run small farmer¿s agricultural projects. However, to attain that purpose, a careful selection of high yielding varieties is imperative. The objective was to assess the bean cultivars intercropped with castor bean in "Cerrado". The experimental design was a completely randomized block, in a 6 x 2 + 1 factorial, with four replications. Treatments comprised a combination of six cultivars of beans (Pérola, Pontal, Requinte, Grafite, Diamante Negro and Radiante) grown under two cropping systems (non-intercropped and intercropped castor bean), and the additional treatment of the castor beans non-intercropped. Bean cultivar Pérola yield best when intercropped as well as when single crop. Castor bean cultivar Paraguaçu performed similarly in both cropping systems. Bean yield decreased in the intercropping, but in the range of 38 to 71% was more efficient than in single crop.

Among the factors that affect the production of coffee distinguishes itself by its high nitrogen demand. The aim of the current paper was to evaluate the productivity of coffee plants, the leaf N level critical stages of grain maturation and export of N, depending on the nitrogen, in order to optimize its recommendation. The experiment was performed in Garanhuns - PE, in a plantation crop. The experimental design was completely used with six treatments (0; 100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 kg ha-1 of N) and four replications. The productivity with the maximum economic efficiency was of 54 bags for hectare of benefited coffee for an application of 196.43 kg ha-1 of N, which represented a decrease of 41.85% in nitrogen. The critical nitrogen ranged from the filling phase to maturity, and their values, from 25.72 to 27.19 g kg-1 and 29.24 to 29.6 g kg-1. For a dose of 328.62 kg ha-1 of N, it was the largest export of this element by the fruit that was 204.31 kg ha-1 of N.

The determination of leaf area is of interest to producers and sectors of research, and techniques should be simple, quick and accurate. This study aimed to compare methods for estimating leaf area of Barbados cherry in orchard. 60 leaves were collected randomly, and after collection, were measurements of leaf area by five methods: squares, linear dimensions, leaf area integrator AM 300, leaf disks and Digital Image Analysis (Scanner). All methods were compared with the reference method (scanner), based on the criterion of determination coefficient of linear regression (R2). The method that is closer to the leaf area of reference was the integrator portable AM 300.

Waste brine from water desalination is a highly salty residue that can be used to grow crops if carefully managed. The aim of this research was to examine the response of two species of the Caatinga (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth and Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.)Poir) to five salinity levels [0.46 (control), 3.2, 3.78, 5.02 and 5.96 dS m-1] of irrigation water obtained by dilution of the waste brine from water desalination. The 2 x 5 factorial treatments were arranged according to a completely randomized design with three replications. At 81 days of cultivation, plants of sabiá and jurema preta were sensitive to salinity increase with the addition of waste water in irrigation, especially the sabiá, which decreases more intensely its dry weight of roots and leaves and leaf area. This decrease however, does not rule out the possibility of production of forest tree seedlings using reject water desalination.

There was evaluated the effect of protein supplementation on the diurnal behavior activities of non-castrated Nellore steers at rainy season, from January to April of 2007. The grazing method was continuous with variable stocking rate. The treatments consisted of mineral supplement with 0% of crude protein (CP) and multiple supplements with 20 and 40% of CP. The behavior activities evaluated were grazing time, idling time, rumination time, bite rate and permanence time of the animals in the trough. The experimental design used was the completely random design, with seven replications. To evaluate the effect of the time of day there was use a split-plot design. With the supplementation the animals reduced at 1.1 hours razing time, offsetting part of the time for the activities of idling and permanence in the trough. The animals did not alter the rumination time, according to supplementation, and maintained the same bite rate, because of the homogeneity of the structural and chemical characteristics of pasture.

The objective of this research was to characterize the nutritional limitations of Jatropha curcas, in addition the effect of the absence of certain nutrients in the growth of the plant. The research was carried in the greenhouse conditions at Agriculture Science Institute of Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The soil was used dystrophic Yellow Oxisol, colleted in the superficial layer (0-20cm), under cerrado vegetation. The experimental design was totally randomized with 13 treatments and three replications. The treatments were based on the missing element technique (with omission of liming and each one of the macro and micronutrients). The plants without the nutrients P, K and liming showed less growth. The nutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg e liming affected the shoot of plants. The roots were more affected by absence N, P, Mg and Ca. The results allowed concluding that the macronutrients were more limiting to growth of plant.

This paper aimed to collect, to characterize and to estimate the phenotypic divergence of Dimorphandra spp. from different regions of Brazil. Dimorphandra species are sources of rutin, quercetin and rhamnose for pharmaceutical industry. Fruits at mature stage were collected from 21 areas, totaling 84 trees in cities of Minas Gerais, Maranhão and Tocantins states. The following descriptors were used to characterize the collected fruits: mean fruit fresh weight; mean seed fresh weight; fruit length and diameter; length, diameter and thickness of seed; seed color; number of viable and unviable seeds per fruit, and boron content in mesocarp and endocarp. The data were analyzed using a standardized average Euclidian distance matrix. The areas were clustered based on Neighbor Joining algorithm. Phenotypic variability among areas was detected. The clustering of the groups was consistent with geographic region of the collection and the species were separated in different groups. The D. wilsonii Rizz. species was the most divergent considering the three studied species. However, for germplasm conservation, more expeditions to collect samples are needed to increase the effective population number and to ensure an adequate accuracy to assure the occurrence of minimal genetic erosion.

The current paper was proposed to analyze and determine the behavior and the direct and indirect relation between the sign of live cattle value and the main components of supplementation. The database was obtained by consulting secondary sources, which underwent path analysis to study the unfolding of the correlation coefficient (dependent variable x independent) in direct and indirect effects. The analysis period was from January 1999 to December in 2008. The corn presented a total correlation of 0.5080 indicating a substantial contribution for the increasing of beef value. The value of wheat bag had a direct effect of 0.4897 and an indirect effect through the soybean (0.5601), like this, the main components of concentrate supplementation (soybean, corn and wheat) showed high correlation with the sign of live cattle value in the state of Sao Paulo.

This paper has evaluated the alterations in the number of spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and enzymatic activity in soil under cultivation of banana trees in Chapada of Apodi. The hypothesis was tested that the agricultural use causes environmental alterations that they reduce the presence of population of AMF and the microbial activity. An area was selected under cultivation of banana trees (Farm Frutacor) and its control (natural vegetation). Four soil samples were collected in three depths in which analyses were accomplished, the number of spores of AMF by Gerdemann and Nicholson (1964) and enzymatic activity: acid phosphatase, arylsulphatase and b-glucosidase by Tabatabai, (1994). The number of spores of AMF show values decreasing with the rise in depth in area cultivated. The activity of the arylsulphatase and acid phosphatase were stimulated by the competition of the anions H2PO4- and SO4- for the same ranches of adsorption in the colloids of the soil. For b-glucosidase, there was a larger activity in the cultivated area, influenced by the amount and quality of the vegetable residue. The enzymatic activity evidences a difficulty of establishing correlations between the biochemistry and chemistry of the soil in area where the entrance of nutrients is high.

Mastitis is responsible for expressive losses in the breeding systems of ovine due to the low development of lambs or death because of starvation, beyond precocious discarding and occasionally the death of sheep. Studies had been carried through to determine the occurrence of mastitis in the north of Minas Gerais, to characterize the main etiological agents involved and identify the predispose factors of handling to the disease. The occurrence of mastitis under the clinical form was 11.19% and under the sub clinical form 54.54% of the analyzed cases, predominating as etiological agent the coagulase-negative staphylococci. The epidemiologist characterization of the frequency of the installations cleanness (P<0.05) and the practical of depletes of females (P<0.01) presented relation of dependence with the occurrence of illness, having been this work a contribution for the elaboration of prophylactic rules of mastitis in ovine breeding in the north of Minas Gerais.