Priming promotes physiological and biochemical changes in seeds which contribute to the improvement in germination and vigor of the lots. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological response promoted by priming lots of papaya seeds after 12 months of storage. Seed lots were obtained through different methods of removing the seeds sarcotesta and stored in a refrigerator for 12 months. After this time, the lots were conditioned in PEG 6000 MPa/48h -0.8 solution, -1.2 MPa/48h PEG 6000 solution, 0.34 KNO3 M/48h solution; H2O/24h and H2O/48h. The temperature during the treatments was 25 Celsius degrees. Seeds not conditioned were used in the control. The design was completely randomized with four replicates, and treatment in a factorial scheme (4 x 6 lots conditioning). The effects of the treatments were tested by F test (< 0.01). Papaya seeds KNO3 solution conditioned accelerated the onset of germination in seeds without sarcotesta, promoting favorable response in the vigor of seed lots. Accelerated aging reduced the germination of the lots. After aging, the conditioning in PEG solution promoted improvement in the physiological quality of the lots.

If was evaluated to the influence of different sources fertilization in the productivity of the lettuce cultivar ¿Elba¿ of different sources fertilization. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial scheme 4 x 2 with three replications. The experiment was conducted in gauntry of eutrophic cambisol and treatments consisted of the combination of four fertilization sources: 1 - bovine manure vermicompost humus (4 kg m-2); 2 - organic manuring, 4 kg m-2; 3 - cattle manure, 20 kg m-2; 4 - organic and mineral fertilizer, 10 kg m-2 cattle manure + 10 g de urea , 15 g potassium chloride and 45 g sample superphosphate m-2) with without and with foliar application. No significant interaction was observed between factor-treatments. The head mean diameter had mean value of 26 cm at 42 days after transplantation. This value is acceptable for the cultivar. For the characteristic commercial fresh mass, the best performance was in the organic and mineral fertilization (260.20 g).

This current paper aimed to evaluate the use of increasing levels of hydrolyzed feather meal (0, 2, 4, 6, 8%), feeding broiler females 21 to 42 days old. Cobb 480 pullets were used with 21 days of age an average weight of 938 grams, distributed in 30 experimental plots in a randomized block design with five treatments and six replicates of 16 birds each. Five experimental diets isonitrogenous and isoenergetic based on digestible amino acids for stages 21 to 35 days and 36 to 42 days. The birds were weighed for uniformity of the plots at 21 days and every seven days to assess the weight and feed consumption. The average values for weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion, respectively, 1.398 ± 59 g, 3.068 ± 130 g and 2.194 ± 0.36. The average weights of carcass, breast, thigh, drumsticks, abdominal fat, heart, liver and gizzard were, respectively, 1671 ± 81 g, 569 ± 38 g, 218 ± 13 g, 275 ± 13 g, 49.3 ± 7 g, 9.7 ± 1 g, 36.8 and 27.2 ± 2 g. The conclusion was that for each 1% inclusion of FPH was observed a decrease in carcass weight of 16.6 g in weight of the wings of 1.26 g and 1.73 g increase in abdominal fat.

The abusive use of pesticides results in contamination of the environment, food and people. The aim of this research was to evaluate the use of silicon in the integrated management of Diamondback moth, as a physical barrier, reducing the use of pesticides. Agrosilício was the source of silicon used in the research. This product has 23% of silicon. Discs of cabbage were sunk in water (control) and on four solutions containing 3, 6, 9 e 12 kg.ha-1 of silicon, in 10 replicates. The discs were offered to 2o instar larvae, reared in laboratory, and morphological and behavior responses were recorded in the first 24 hours. Feeding preference, mortality and jaw damage were evaluated. Treatments had a significant effect in all variables. Larvae were more attracted and mortality was high in treatment with 12 kg.ha-1 of silicon. Silicon damaged larvae jaw, limiting ingestion and causing high mortality. Silicon in the integrated management of diamondback moth may contribute to reduction of pesticides use.

This paper had as objective to build and to calibrate weight lysimeters of low capacity and to establish comparisons between the working status of constant level water table lysimeters. Two weight lysimeters of 15-L and 50-L and two constant level water table lysimeters of 15-L and 50-L were built at Embrapa Mandioca & Fruticultura Irrigation and Fertirrigation Laboratory, Cruz das Almas - BA, Brazil. Linearity, repetitivity and hysteresis errors in the range of reading of the weight lysimeter. Simultaneously measurements of soil evaporation were performed on bare soil with the two lysimeters in a 1-h interval. Afterwards, orange transpiration was measured by using lysimeters and by using a heat balance sap flow equipment. Results showed that the relation between analogical signals and the standard mass in the lysimeter provided linear equation with reasonable goodness of fit. The systematic and random errors were larger in the lysimeters of larger capacity. The instruments were able to make readings with good stability during the days of measurements and were also able to detect mass variation due to hourly transpiration. However, the measurements were in agreement if comparing average three day data.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the no-preference for feeding and biological aspects of Spodoptera eridania fed on cowpea cultivars BR17 Gurgueia, BRS Urubuquara, BRS Nova Era, Sempre Verde, BRS Milênio and BR3 Tracuateua. In free-choice test, leaf discs were placed in Petri dishes where one third instar larvae per cultivar was released, whereas in no-choice test one leaf disc was placed per Petri dish where one caterpillar per cultivar was released, evaluating their attractiveness after 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120, 360 and 720 minutes, as well as the leaf area consumed. Randomized blocks and complete randomized blocks design were used for free-choice and no-choice tests, respectively, with six treatments and 10 replications. The evaluation of the biological parameters of S. eridania was carried out in Petri dishes where recently hatched caterpillars were transferred in the proportion of one per dish, and the leafs of the cultivars were offered to them during the whole larval period, and we evaluated: periods and viabilities of larvae and pupae, overall viability, weight of larvae and pupae, sex ratio, longevity and overall cycle. Complete randomized design was used with six treatments and 30 replications. In no- preference for feeding free-choice test the cultivars Sempre Verde and BR17 Gurgueia were the most and the least consumed, respectively. Regarding the effects of cowpea cultivars on larval viability we can infer that BRS Urubuquara and Sempre Verde show antibiosis-type resistance to S. eridania.