Erythrina velutina Willd. is a Fabaceae, popularly known as mulungu. Of the several species spread around the world about twelve are found in Brazil. Mainly in the Brazilian northeast the bark is used due to its sudorific, sedative and topical anesthetic properties. The presence of fungi in seed germination can reduce, causing the death of seedlings or transmit diseases to adult plants. The work has as objetive to test the thermotherapy and chemical treatment in the control of fungi associated with the mulungu seeds of three districts in the state of Paraiba. The sanity was carried by "Blotter test" and physiological quality of seeds was evaluated by germination, first germination counting and drymass. The heat treatment used was hot water at 60°C for 5, 10 and 20 minutes. The chemical treatment was done with the fungicide Captan® TS. It was used by treatment 100 seeds, which were incubated forseven days, the temperature of 22 ± 2 ° C and photoperiod of 12 hours. The qualitative and quantitative evaluate of the fungi associated with seed was done with the help of stereomicroscope and expressed as a percentage. In the samples examined, it was the incidence of fungi Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium spp., Cladosporium sp., Rhizopus sp., Fusarium sp and Botritis sp. The results show that the heat and chemical treatments reduced significantly the germination and first count of the locations studied.

The accumulated litter in the forest ecosystems is source of nutrients for the soil, contributing to the maintenance of the productivity and sustainability in these environments. This study evaluated the chemical characteristics and nutrient content of litter in a Caatinga forest site located in the Fazenda Tamanduá RPPN, in the semi-arid region of Paraíba. Litter production in collector boxes were monthly collected of the seven transects systematically located in the RPPN area, being that the each three months was litter retired an the organic material sample, by transect, to evaluated the chemical characteristics. It was also estimated the remaining nutrient content of litter in nylon bags after 12 and 24 months under field conditions. The order of the nutrient quantities present in litter was: N > Ca > S > K > Mg > P. Potassium, Ca, and Mg release was directly related to litter weight loss, and N, P and S concentrations in litter increased during the process of litter decomposition. The nitrogen in the litter was presented the highest concentration in the wet period and phosphorus as limiting factor in this environment.

The experiment was carried out at a greenhouse of Plant Science Department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), Mossoró-RN, with the objective of determing the effect green manuring with scarlet starglory in coverage in agronomic performance of lettuce. A completely randomized desing with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consist of: T1 (scarlet starglory in coverage 35 days ; T2 (scarlet starglory in coverage 28 days); T3 (scarlet starglory in coverage 21 days); T4 (scarlet starglory in coverage 14 days); T5 (scarlet starglory in coverage 7 days); T6 - Control (no fertilized soil). The evaluated traits were: plant height, Horizontal and vertical diameter of the root (mm), shoot fresh and dry mass (g); roots fresh and dry mass (g). The time of decomposition of 42 days was the maximum provided for all characteristics evaluated.

Yellow passion fruit crop (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.) and natural insume use on agriculture are increasing in Remígio county Paraíba State, Brazil. In this direction was carried out an experiment, during July 2005 to December 2006 in randomized blocks in order to evaluate the effects of absence and presence of biofertilizers comum (bovine manure fertilizer fresh and water) and supermagro (bovine manure, water, macronutrients and micronutrients), applied to soil on liquid form, in level of 2.4 L plant-1, 30 days before and two months after transplanting, in the absence and presence of mineral fertilizer with NPK, with three repetition and six plantas per set using a factorial designs 3x2. The biofertilizers show more reliable to growth than fruit production of yellow passion fruit. Biggest production corresponded to treatments with the use of mineral fertilizer, specially in the first production. Comum and supermagro biofertilizer gave significative effects on vegetative growth of plants of yellow passion fruit plant but had no influence on fruits production.

The occurrence of Spodoptera eridania (Cremer, 1782), Spodoptera dolichus (Fabricius, 1794) and Spodoptera cosmioidess (Walker) is registered for the first time attacking Crotalaria spp. in Rio Largo country (12°40' S, 39°06' W, 127 m de altitude), Alagoas State, Brazil.

This work aimed to estimate the phenotypic correlation coefficients and to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of these correlations (path analysis). It was studied the effect of the explanatory independent variables tiller number, stem diameter, and stem length on the main dependent variable leaf number of "Capparis flexuosa" plants during two evaluation periods in the Cariri region of Paraiba State, Brazil. There were significant differences between the evaluated periods for the studied variables. Tiller number during the dry season and stem length during the rainy season explained best the leaf number, acting respectively in a direct and inversely proportional way on the main variable, changing according to the environmental conditions during the growth period. The results allowed the conclusion that tiller number exerts great influence on leaf number in both evaluation periods.

The experiment was conducted at the Soil Laboratory of the Center for Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas to evaluate the effect of different sources of phosphorus, with different levels of humidity on the diffusive flux of phosphorus in soil samples from the State of Alagoas. Samples of four soils from different locations were used. The P sources used were the KH2PO4, Ca(H2PO4)2 and NH4H2PO4, considering two levels of humidity (40% and 80% of field capacity of soil). The test consisted of a factorial arrangement (4 x 3 x 2), corresponding, respectively, the four soils, three sources of phosphorus and two levels of moisture, with four replications in randomized blocks. As experimental units were used rings of PVC. The dose of phosphorus was 50% of maximum capacity for adsorption of phosphorus. To evaluate the diffusive flux, were used anion-exchange paper (PA). The PA was prepared using a filter paper immersed in solution of FeCl3.6H2O and then transferred to a solution of NH4OH. After dried, the leaves were cut into strips and placed in the soil samples. The estimate of the diffusion was performed by quantification of phosphorus adsorbed to the PA. In general, the diffusive flux increased with the decrease in clay content of soils and the higher water content and the source NH4H2PO4 favored greater diffusion.

Objective of this study quality of lettuce cultivars under saline stress, in an experiment carried out in a greenhouse. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, in scheme factorial 5 x 5, with three repetitions. The treatments were five levels of salinity of irrigation water (0.5; 1.5; 2.5; 3.5 and 4.5 dS m-1) and five lettuce cultivars (Mônica SF31, Grandes Lagos 659, Veneranda, Folha Roxa Quatro Estações e Stella). The quality characteristics evaluated in the lettuce leaves were: pH, total soluble solids (TSS), titrable total acidity (TTA) and vitamin C. The analysis of the results allowed concluding that the interaction between the factors salinity and cultivars was significant. The parameters of quality were significantly affected by salinity, however, the intensity of this effect varied with the cultivar used.

The objective of this work, the performance of three varieties of soybean on "Tabuleiros Costeiros" State of Alagoas. The installation of the experiment occurred on March 20, 2006, picking up the parcels on 26 August 2006. The experimental design was a randomized blocks with seven repetitions. The experimental plots consisted of ten rows of 4.0 m in length, spaced 0.50 m. In ten plants per plot were marked certain height of the plant in full bloom stage R2 and point of harvest stage R9 considering the distance between the soil surface and apical end of the main stem, the body weight of 100 seeds, grain production and dry weight in (kg ha-1) which are calculated from the production harvested per plot. The soybean plants of three varieties showed height below the minimum required for mechanical harvesting. The three varieties yield or more of the traditionally producing. The average of dry matter accumulation obtained show the variety BRS Tracajá as a good option for the production of forage.

The latent infections represent serious problems for exportation of the fruits. Nevertheless, the number of products registered for postharvest treatment of melon is reduced. In view of that, was evaluated the efficiency of three pesticides thiabendazole, azoxystrobin and imazalil utilized, in the commercial doses of 194g, 8g and 100g, a.i. /100 l, respectively, in storage conditions at ambient temperature in the control of faulness postharvest caused for Alternaria alternata. The effect of pesticides on the mycelial growth, sporulation and germination of the fungi was evaluated, as well as the efficiency of the pesticides in the control of the fungi in melons. After the immersion of fruits in the fungicidal solution, discs of 5mm of PDA medium with the fungi structures were inoculated. After, four fruits were put in each cartoon package and storaged for 36 hours in a humid chamber. After that, the fruits were taken out of the humid chamber and storaged at ambient temperature. The Imazalil has inhibited 100% of the mycelial growth and sporulation of A. alternata. Although the azoxystrobin only reduced 36% of the mycelial growth, when compared with the standard sample, it shows efficiency related to sporulation. The Thiabendazole was also efficient to reduce the mycelial growth. However, it had not the same efficiency related to sporulation. All pesticides researched were efficient in the control 'in vitro', but they did not show any efficiency in the control of fungi in fruits storaged at ambient temperature.