Revista Ciencia Agronomica 

About: Revista Ciencia Agronomica is an academic journal published by Universidade Federal do Ceará. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Biology & Germination. It has an ISSN identifier of 0045-6888. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1589 publications have been published receiving 17269 citations. The journal is also known as: Revista Ciência Agronômica.

A new proposal of the classification of irrigation water

Abstract: A study on surface water quality in the Acarau Basin, in the North of the state of Ceara, Brazil was performed. Qualitative dynamics of water flowing to the Acarau River that supplies water to the irrigation project in the area was evaluated. Multivariate Factor Analysis/Principal Component Analysis was used for evaluation of water quality in order to develop a water quality index (WQI) that reflects soil salinity and sodicity risks and water toxicity to plants. From April/2003 to September/2005 water were sampled from ten sampling sites covering the basin, where physical and chemical parameters that contribute to the WQI were evaluated. The results showed that the use of water for irrigation in the Acarau basin, according to the proposed WQI, are potentially prone to cause toxicity (crop cycle) and sodicity problem in the long run, if the soil-water-plant is not carefully monitored.

Rendimento quântico e trocas gasosas em maracujazeiro amarelo sob salinidade hídrica, biofertilização e cobertura morta

Abstract: Um experimento foi conduzido a ceu aberto no municipio de Remigio, PB, para se avaliar as respostas do maracujazeiro amarelo relacionadas a eficiencia fotossintetica e trocas gasosas. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados, no esquema fatorial 2 x 2 x 2, referente a irrigacao com agua nao salina (0,5 dS m-1) e salina (4,5 dS m-1), sem e com biofertilizante bovino, sem e com cobertura morta, com tres repeticoes e tres plantas por parcela, em recipientes plasticos circulares utilizados como lisimetros de pressao, com 130 dm3 de volume e drenos na parte inferior para a lixiviacao do excesso de sais. A irrigacao com agua de baixa salinidade e aplicacao de biofertilizante bovino comum estimularam a eficiencia fotossintetica das plantas. O uso simultâneo de agua de alta salinidade, biofertilizante e cobertura morta reduziram a condutância estomatica do maracujazeiro amarelo. As plantas sob estresse salino apresentaram atividade fotoquimica do fotossistema II e fotossintese liquida inibida.

Caracterização físico-química de subprodutos obtidos do processamento de frutas tropicais visando seu aproveitamento na alimentação animal

Abstract: Residuos de abacaxi, acerola, goiaba, maracuja e melao oriundos do processamento de frutas tropicais foram caracterizados com vista ao seu aproveitamento como fonte alimentar para suprir as necessidades de rebanho ovino. Os residuos foram submetidos ao processo de secagem solar ate atingirem um teor de umidade entre 13 e 16%. A preparacao dos residuos foi feita atraves de trituracao em moinho de martelo, com peneira de 5mm de abertura. Nas amostras dos residuos, coletadas do ensaio de digestibilidade aparente em ovinos foram realizadas as seguintes analises: materia seca; proteina bruta; extrato etereo, fibra detergente neutro, fibra detergente acido; cinzas; nitrogenio insoluvel em detergente neutro; nitrogenio insoluvel em detergente acido; lignina; calcio; fosforo; pectina e digestibilidade in vitro da materia seca. Os resultados das analises mostraram que o teor de: materiaseca, proteina bruta, fibra detergente acido, fibra detergente neutro, hemicelulose, lignina e carboidratos totais variaram de 83,33 a 86,33%; 8,35 a 17,33%; 30,74 a 54,70%; 56,15 a 73,45%; 9,92 a 40,65%; 5,29 a 20,11%; 64,84 a 83,68% respectivamente. No que concerne a digestibilidade in vitro da materia seca o teor variou de 32,20 a 62,11%.

Characterization of biochars from different sources and evaluation of release of nutrients and contaminants

Abstract: The biochar, product of pyrolysis of organic waste, has been used as a soil conditioner and alternative on solid waste management. However, the raw material and pyrolysis temperature used influence the quantity and dynamics of release of nutrients and contaminants from the biochar. The objective wasto evaluate the use of waste sugarcane bagasse, eucalyptus and sewage sludge for production of biochar and determine the chemical, physical, mineralogical properties and acid extraction of these materials produced at 350 °C and 500 °C. Were evaluated the proportion of C, H, N, O; ashes; macro and micronutrients, plus some contaminants; characterization of mineral phases by diffractometry of X- rays; functional groups by infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR). Moreover, it was determined the release of nutrients and contaminants for the extraction in increasing concentration of HNO3 (0,01 - 2,0 mol L-1). The O/C and H/C relations decreased with increasing temperature of pyrolysis, which define a greater stability of the C of biochars. Sewage sludge biochar (BC-L) had the highest nutrient release rates and contaminant metals (Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb). Acid extraction of other biocarvoes was very low (<20% of the total content). The results indicate that the carbon fraction of biochar contributes to the low rateof release of the elements in acid place.

Óleos essenciais de Cymbopogon nardus, Cinnamomum zeylanicum e Zingiber officinale: composição, atividades antioxidante e antibacteriana

Abstract: The aims of this study were to chemically characterize and to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) essential oils. The essential oil extraction was performed by the using of hydrodistillation through the modified Clevenger apparatus, and identification and quantification of the constituents by the GC/MS and GC-FID analysis. Evaluation of antibacterial activity was performed by using agar well diffusion method, with Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19117, Escherichia coli ATCC 11229, Salmonella Cholerasuis ATCC 6539 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by using β-carotene/linoleic acid system and the radical scavenging DPPH method. In chromatographic analysis the major constituents of C. nardus essential oil were citronellal (47.12%), geraniol (18.56%) and citronellol (11.07%), in the C. zeylanicum essential oil were identified (E)-cinnamaldehyde (77.72%), acetate (E)-cinnamyl (5.99%) and the monoterpenoid 1,8-cineole (4.66%) as major components, and in Z. officinale the majority were geranial (25.06%), neral (16.47%), 1,8-cineole (10.98%), geraniol (8.51%), geranyl acetate (4.19%) and camphene (4.30%). The essential oils showed antibacterial activity for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms, and the most efficient was C. zeylanicum essential oil. The antioxidant activity was observed, when using β-carotene/ linoleic acid system, for C. nardus, followed by Z. officinale and C. zeylanicum and, when using DPPH test, activity was observed only for C. nardus.