Hairy Woodrose Research Articles

Agrobio-economic return in radish–coriander intercropping under green manuring and population densities

Radish and coriander are vegetables that complement each other when intercropped under organic fertilizer and the ideal density of the component crops. In view of this, this study aimed to evaluate the treatments, similar amounts of green manure and population densities of coriander in the biological parameters of the radish–coriander intercrop and determine the interaction between these treatments that provides the greatest economic return in a semi-arid environment. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with treatments arranged in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme with four replications. The first factor consisted of Merremia aegyptia and Calotropis procera biomass amounts in the proportion of 50% for each green manure at doses of 20, 35, 50 and 65 t ha−1 on a dry basis. The second factor comprised four coriander population densities of 400, 600, 800 and 1000 thousand plants ha−1. The radish and coriander cultivars planted were ‘Crimson Gigante’ and ‘Verdão’, respectively. Significant agro-biological returns from this radish–coriander intercrop were obtained at a land equivalent ratio of 2.00, intercropping advantage of 11.39, canonical variable Z score of 2.45, radish aggressivity over coriander of 1.04, and actual yield loss of 2.15 with the incorporation of 65 t ha−1 of hairy woodrose and roostertree into the soil using a coriander population density of 1 million plants ha−1. The greatest economic return from radish–coriander intercropping (107,278.10 BRL ha−1) was achieved with the application of 25.88 t ha−1 of green manure biomass to the soil and a coriander population density of 1 million plants ha−1.

Efeitos de adubos de solo na forma de biomassa verde nos índices de qualidade de coentro

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effects of incorporating green manure, in equal proportions of Merremia aegyptia (hairy woodrose) and Calotropis procera (roostertree) biomass, at varying rates (16, 29, 42, 55, and 68 t ha-1 dry weight) on the quality of coriander shoots grown in a single season under semi-arid conditions. A randomized block design with five treatments and five replicates was employed. A control treatment with coriander without fertilizer was included for comparison. The coriander cultivar ('Verdão') was evaluated for nutritional quality (pH, soluble solids [SS], titratable acidity [TA], SS/TA ratio, total soluble sugar [TSS], vitamin C [VC], and pigment content [chlorophyll 'a' and 'b', total chlorophyll, and carotenoids]). The incorporation of 25.10 and 51.36 t ha-1 of the green manure mixture resulted in coriander with the maximum flavor efficiency (10.43 °Brix/% malic acid) and total soluble sugar content (3.71 °Brix). Higher concentrations of vitamin C (69.19 mg 100 g-1), chlorophyll 'a' (0.69 mg g-1), chlorophyll 'b' (0.16 mg g-1), total chlorophyll (0.84 mg g-1), and carotenoids (0.19 mg g-1) were achieved with applications of 48.71, 56.73, 53.52, 57.04, and 42.08 t ha-1 of the green manure mixture, respectively.

Evaluating the Productivity of Radish Fertilized with a Mixture of Hairy Woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and Carnauba Straw (Copernicia prunifera)”

Aims: The use of spontaneous species present in agricultural areas is of utmost importance for farmers who cultivate in the agroecological system.
 Place of Study: The experiment was conducted from June to August 2023 at the Rafael Fernandes experimental farm, in the district of Alagoinha (5º03'37 "S, 37º23'50" W), northwest of Mossoró, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, with the aim of evaluating the In study the productivity of radish fertilized with a mixture of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and carnauba straw (Copernicia prunifera).
 Study Design and Methodology: The treatments consisted of five amounts of a mixture of hairy woodrose with carnauba straw (0.0; 1.2; 2.4; 3.6 and 4.8 kg m-2 of area). The spacing used was 0.2 x 0.1 m, with a pit-1 plant. The total area of the plot was 1.1 x 0.6 m, corresponding to 0.66 m-2, with a useful area of 0.42 m-2, consisting of twenty plants.
 Agronomic characteristics of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.): Plant height; root diameter; productivity of the area plus root; root weight and total dry mass and root dry mass.
 Conclusion: The amount of 4.5 kg m-2 of the mixture of hairy woodrose plus carnauba straw was what promoted the greatest increase with a maximum value of 1626.66 g m-2 for the aerial part plus root characteristic. The use of a mixture of fertilizers of plant origin is promising for the development of radish in the Mossoró-RN region, Brazil.

Influence of Soil Types and Quantities of the Mixture of Hairy Woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) Plus Bovine Manure on the Agronomic Viability of Coriander in the Semiarid Region of Brazil

Aims: Coriander cultivation is an activity of great importance for family farmers in the Brazilian semi-arid region. In this sense, the objective was to study the influence of soil types and quantities of a mixture of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and cattle manure on the agronomic viability of coriander in semi-arid region of Brazil.
 Place of Study: The experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Agricultural and Forestry Sciences department of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, Brazil.
 Study Design and Methodology: The design used was completely randomized in a 4 x 2 factorial scheme, with three replications, being the first factor consisting of four quantities of the mixture of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) plus cattle manure (0.0; 1.5; 3.0; 4.5 and 6.0 kg m-2 of area) and the second factor consisted of two types of soil (latosol and an argisol) in single cultivation.The coriander cultivar "Frevo" was used, adapted to the edaphic and climatic conditions of the semi-arid region. The spacing used was 0.1 x 0.05 m with five plants pit-1, corresponding to 1000 plants m-2 of area. After harvesting the coriander, the following characteristics were evaluated: plant height (expressed in cm plant-1); number of stems (expressed in plant-1 units); productivity (expressed in grams m-2 of area); number of bunches (expressed in plant-1 units) and dry mass (expressed in grams m-2 of area).
 Agronomic Characteristics of Coriander: Plant height (expressed in cm plant-1); number of stems (expressed in units plant-1); productivity (expressed in grams m-2 of area); number of bunches (expressed in units plant-1) and dry mass (expressed in grams m-2 of area).
 Conclusions: There was no interaction between the factors studied, with the amount of 3.0 kg m-2 of the hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) mixture with cattle manure, promoting the greatest increase in coriander cultivation, with values of 1030.6 g m-2, equivalent to 20.87 units of coriander bunches m-2, respectively. In relation to soil types (latosol and an argisol) there was no statistical difference, with values of 841.9 and 709.6 g m-2 for productivity, equivalent to 16.7 and 14.0 units of coriander bunches m-2.

Agronomic Efficiency of Hairy Woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) Mixed with Cattle Manure in the Productivity of Coriander Cultivars in the Semiarid Region of Brazil

Aims: Ecologically-based agriculture is widely applied by family farmers who grow vegetables in the semi-arid region, contributing to a great extent to the increase in production.
 Place of Study: The experiment was carried out at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm, belonging to the Universidade Federal Rural do Semiárido-UFERSA, with geographic coordinates of 5o03'37”S and 37o23'50”W Gr, with an altitude of 72 m, with the objective of agronomic efficiency of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) mixed with cattle manure in the productivity of coriander cultivars in the semiarid region of Brazil.
 Study Design and Methodology: The experimental design used was complete randomized blocks in a 5 x 3 factorial scheme, with three replications. The first factor consisted of four amounts of the mixture of hairy woodrose plus cattle manure (0; 1.0; 2.0; 3.0 and 4.0 kg m-2 of bed) and the second factor consisted of three cultivars of coriander (verdão, Super-verdão and tabocas) in single cultivation. The spacing used was 0.1 x 0.05 m with five plants pit-1, corresponding to 1000 plants m-2 of bed, density used by coriander producers.
 Agronomic Characteristics of Coriander: Plant height, expressed in centimeter plant-1; number, expressed in plant-1 units; productivity, expressed in grams m-2; number of sauces, expressed unit m-2 and dry mass, expressed in grams m-2 of area.
 Conclusions: The best agronomic performance was obtained in the amount of 4.0 kg m-2, for the verdão cultivar, with an average value of 1585 g m-2 and 31.7 units m-2 for productivity and number of bunches, respectively.
 The mixture of fertilizers of plant and animal origin is extremely important for increasing coriander production and productivity.

Coriander yield as a function of green manure incorporation of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.), rooster tree (Calotropis procera) and kills pasture (Senna uniflora L.) in a semiarid region of Brazil

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual herbaceous vegetable crop widely produced in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil, being of great importance for farmers who work in this activity. Its cultivation is mainly aimed at meeting the demand for fresh consumption of stems and for the condiment industries. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the coriander yield as a function of soil incorporation of hairy woodrose, rooster tree and kills pasturein a semiarid region of Brazil. The experiment was carried out at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm, belonging to the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-árido, located in the district of Alagoinha, rural area of Mossoró, Brazil. The experimental design used was in complete randomized blocks, with treatments arranged in a 4 x 3 factorial scheme, with three replications. The treatments consisted of the combination of four amounts of green manures (0.4; 0.8; 1.2 and 1.6 kg m-2) and the second factor, corresponding to three types of spontaneous species from the Brazilian semiarid region (hairy woodrose, rooster tree and kills pasture). The coriander cultivar sown was Verdão cultivar. The characteristics evaluated were the following: plant height, number of stems plant-1, productivity, number of bunches and dry mass of coriander. The highest coriander yield was obtained in amounts of green manures of 1.4; 1.6 and 1.6 kg m-2, with a maximum value of 1027; 701 and 850 g m-2 for the spontaneous species of the semiarid hairy woodrose, rooster tree and kills pasture, respectively. The largest number of sauces was obtained with the incorporation of 1.4 kg m-2 of hairy woodrose with a maximum value of 21.0 units m-2. The use of spontaneous species from the semiarid region of Brazil (hairy woodrose, rooster tree and kills pasture) is of great importance as a source of green manure in the production of coriander.

Produtividade e eficiência econômica otimizada de raízes de cenoura em monocultivo sob adubação verde

ABSTRACT A great challenge of scientific research with carrot in semi-arid regions is obtaining the best productive characteristics and economic conditions by optimizing the green manure amounts using spontaneous species from the Caatinga biome, such as hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and roostertree (Calotropis procera Ait.). Therefore, this work aimed to agronomically and economically optimize the production of carrot roots in monocropping and of their components when fertilized with equitable biomass amounts of these spontaneous species in two cropping seasons in a semi-arid environment. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design, with five treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of equitable amounts of hairy woodrose and roostertree biomass in amounts of 16, 29, 42, 55, and 68 t ha-1 on a dry basis. In each experiment, an additional carrot treatment without fertilizer (absolute control) was planted for comparison with the other treatments to determine maximum physical and economic efficiency. Carrot fertilization was performed with the incorporation of 48.87 t ha-1 of M. aegyptia and C. procera dry biomass into the soil to obtain the maximum optimized productive efficiency (commercial productivity). The maximum optimized agroeconomic efficiency (net income) of carrot cultivation was obtained when 49.64 t ha-1 of M. aegyptia and C. procera dry biomass was added to the soil. The use of biomass from these spontaneous species from the Caatinga biome as green manure is a viable technology for tuberose producers in monocropping in semiarid environments.

Green Manuring with Hairy Woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) Mixed with Rooster Tree (Calotropis procera) in the Agronomic Production of Kale Greens (Brassica oleracea L.) in the Semi-Arid Region of Brazil

Aims: In the semi-arid region of Brazil, there are several species of spontaneous plants that develop during the rainy season, in the case of the hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and throughout the year, the rooster tree (Calotropis procera), these plants are being used as green manure in vegetable production. In this sense, the objective was to study the green fertilization with hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) mixed with rooster tree on the productivity of the leafy vegetable kale greens in the semi-arid region of Brazil.
 Place of Study: The experiment site was in the municipality of Mossoró, RN, Brazil, located at 5º 11' south latitude and 37º 20' west longitude and altitude of 18 m.
 Study Design and Methodology: A completely randomized design was used, with treatments arranged in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme, with four replications. The first factor consisted of five amounts of green manure from the mixture of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) plus rooster tree (Calotropis procera) (0.0; 1.2; 2.4; 3.6 and 4.8 kg m-2 of area in green base) and the second factor by the forms of application to the soil (incorporated and cover).
 Kale greens (Brassica oleracea L.) Evaluated Characteristics: At the time of harvest, the following characteristics were evaluated: plant height; number of leaves; weight of leaves; mass green of kale; Production of kale greens and dry mass.
 Conclusions: The best productive performance of the leafy vegetable kale was observed in the amount of 3.6 kg m-2, with values of 17.0 leaves/plant and 1080.25 g/m2 of area. Regarding the forms of application to the soil, the method of incorporation was superior to the application of fertilizers in coverage, values of 985.8 and 788.9 g m-2 of area, respectively. Hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and rooster tree (Calotropis procera) are promising species to be used as green manure.

Organic cultivation of mint under different amounts of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and harvesting times

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the possibility of organic cultivation of mint under different amounts of hairy woodrose and harvesting times. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with the treatments arranged in 4 x 3 factorial scheme with three replicates. The first factor consisted of four amounts of hairy woodrose (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg m-2 of dry beds) and the second factor, corresponded to three harvest bunches (30; 60 and 90 days after transplanting). The cultivar "Mentha piperita" was used as mint crop. The evaluated characteristics were the following: biomass height, biomass production, number of sauces, dry mass, oil content and yield. There was interaction between the factors-treatments for yield, number of bunches and oil content. The best productive performance of the mint was obtained in the amount of 1.0 kg/m2 of hairy woodrose incorporated into the soil at 60 days after mint transplanting (AMT). Hairy woodrose proved to be efficient as a green manuring in the mint crop.

Agronomic characteristics and optimized sweet potato root production in monoculture under green manuring

One of the challenges of the scientific research on sweet potatoes in semi-arid environments is to increase biomass amounts of spontaneous species from the Caatinga biome, such as hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and roostertree (Calotropis procera Ait.), for use as green fertilizers during cultivation. Therefore, this study aimed to agronomically and economically optimize the agronomic characteristics of sweet potato root production in a monoculture, fertilized with equal amounts of biomass mixture of these spontaneous species, over two years of cultivation. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks with five treatments and five replications. The treatments consisted of equal amounts of hairy woodrose and roostertree biomass at 16, 29, 42, 55, and 68 t ha-1 on a dry basis. An additional sweet potato treatment was planted in each experiment, one without fertilizers (control) and another with mineral fertilizer, to compare with the treatment of maximum physical or economic efficiency. Sweet potato fertilization obtained the maximum optimized productive efficiency by incorporating 46.97 t ha-1 of dry biomass of M. aegyptia and C. procera into the soil. The maximum optimized agroeconomic efficiency (based on net income) of sweet potato cultivation occurred by adding 41.55 t ha-1 of dry biomass of M. aegyptia and C. procera to the soil. Using biomass from the green fertilizers M. aegyptia and C. procera is a viable technology for producers who practice sweet potato monocropping in semi-arid environments.

Glyphosate effect on Merremia aegyptia water transpiration and water use efficiency

Water availability is a concern for agricultural production and sustainability, escalating the need for an efficient weed control. Weeds are in direct competition with crops for water and its unsuccessful control risks water management across the crop season. However, little is known regarding the impact of herbicide on weed water use behavior. Thus, the objective of this study was to unveil the effect of glyphosate doses on Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb. water transpiration, water use efficiency (WUE), and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). Two greenhouse studies were conducted using the troublesome weed hairy woodrose (M. aegyptia) in four glyphosate doses (1.4; 15; 111; and 740 g a.e. ha−1) plus an untreated control. Water transpiration was measured in a 3-day-interval until 21 days after treatment (DAT), determining WUE based on its dry biomass and water use. iWUE was determined at 21 DAT through IRGA analysis. Glyphosate label dose (740 g a.e. ha−1) effectively reduced water transpiration 3 DAT and ceased whole water transpiration by 12 DAT. Lower doses (111 and 15 g a.e. ha−1) reduced 39 and 20% of water transpiration, in comparison to the untreated control, and increased its iWUE. Therefore, label dose application of glyphosate successfully controlled hairy woodrose and ceased its water transpiration.

Discrimination of morningglory species (Ipomoea spp.) using near-infrared spectroscopy and multivariate analysis

AbstractThe occurrence of weeds is one of the main factors limiting agricultural productivity. Studies on new techniques for the identification of these species can contribute to the development of proximal sensors, which in the future might be coupled to machines to optimize the performance of species-specific weed management. Thus, the objective of this study was to use near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate analysis to discriminate three morningglory species (Ipomoea spp.). The NIR spectra were collected from the leaves of the three weed species at the vegetative stage (up to five leaves), within the spectral band of 4,000 to 10,000 cm−1. The discrimination models were selected according to accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and Youden’s index and were analyzed with a validation data set (n = 135). The best results occurred when the selection of spectral bands associated with the use of preprocessing was performed. It was possible to obtain an accuracy of 99.3%, 98.5%, and 98.7% for ivyleaf morningglory (Ipomoea hederifolia L.), Japanese morningglory [Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth], and hairy woodrose [Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb.], respectively. NIR spectroscopy associated with principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (PC-LDA) or partial least-squares regression with discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) can be used to discriminate Ipomoea spp.

Maximização de benefícios agro-bioeconômicos em sistemas consorciados de rabanete e alface em ambiente semiárido

ABSTRACT Radish and lettuce are two crop vegetables that can be intercropped because they are companion cultures that complement each other. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate agro-bioeconomic returns arising from radish-lettuce intercropping in different equitable amounts of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia) and roostertree (Calotropis procera) biomass at different population densities of lettuce, in the semi-arid environment. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, with treatments arranged in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme with four replicates. The first factor consisted of equitable amounts of M. aegyptia and C. procera biomass at doses of 20, 35, 50, and 65 Mg ha-1 on a dry basis. The second factor comprised four lettuce population densities of 150, 200, 250, and 300 thousand plants ha-1. The lettuce and radish cultivars planted were ‘Tainá’ and ‘Crimson Gigante’, respectively. Expressive agro-bioeconomic returns from this radish-lettuce intercropping were obtained in the land equivalent ratio (LER) of 2.25, a score of the canonical variable Z of 3.00, net income (NI) of 52,270.48 R$ ha-1, respectively, in the biomass amount of 65 Mg ha-1 of the green manures and lettuce population density of 300 thousand plants ha-1. Also, there was a productive efficiency index (PEI) of 0.96 and a competitive ratio (CR) of 2.61 in the biomass amount of green manure of 65 Mg ha-1 and lettuce density of 150 thousand plants ha-1. Using M. aegyptia and C. procera biomass from the Caatinga biome proved to be a viable technology for producers who practice the cultivation of radish and lettuce in intercropping in the semi-arid environment.

Benefícios agroeconômicos no consórcio de rabanete e alface sob adubação verde e densidade de plantio otimizadas

ABSTRACT One of the biggest difficulties in the intercropping of radish-lettuce is to obtain the ideal dose of green manure and the adequate planting density for the crops. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the agro-economic benefits of radish-lettuce intercropping under the influence of green manuring with Merremia aegyptia (hairy woodrose) and Calotropis procera (roostertree) and lettuce population densities in a semi-arid environment, in two cropping seasons. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with treatments arranged in a 4x4 factorial scheme, with 4 replicates. The first factor in this scheme consisted of equitable biomass amounts of M. aegyptia and C. procera at doses of 20, 35, 50 and 65 t/ha on a dry basis, and the second factor of lettuce population densities of 150, 200, 250 and 300 thousand plants/ha. The production of radish and lettuce and its components, in addition to the agroeconomic indicators, system productivity index (SPI), land equivalent coefficient (LEC) and monetary equivalent ratio (MER) were evaluated. The greatest agro-economic benefits of the intercropped radish-lettuce were obtained with SPI of 15.37 t/ha, LEC of 1.27 and MER of 1.30, respectively, in the combination of 65 t/ha of M. aegyptia and C. procera biomass with the lettuce population density of 300 thousand plants/ha. The maximum commercial productivity of radish roots in the intercropping system was 8.45 t/ha in the combination of the biomass amount of 20 t/ha of M. aegyptia and C. procera and lettuce population density of 300 thousand plants/ha, while the maximum lettuce leaf productivity optimized in intercropping was 17.72 t/ha, in the combination of green manures biomass amount of 65 t/ha and population density of 300 thousand plants/ha of lettuce. The use of spontaneous species from the Caatinga biome as green manure in the radish-lettuce intercropping provides optimized agro-economic benefits in a semi-arid environment.

USO DE BIOMASSA DE MERREMIA AEGYPTIA E DE CALOTROPIS PROCERA NO CULTIVO DO COENTRO EM AMBIENTE SEMIÁRIDO

ABSTRACT Green manuring with spontaneous species from the Caatinga has emerged as a viable alternative to supply vegetables with nutrients and thus increase their productivity. This study aimed to evaluate and estimate the maximum physical and economic efficiencies of coriander productive characteristics as a function of equitable biomass amounts of hairy woodrose [Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urban] and roostertree [Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T.] in different cropping seasons. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of green manure amounts (16, 29, 42, 55, and 68 t ha-1 on a dry basis). A treatment without fertilization (control) was used in each experiment. The maximum agronomic efficiency (coriander green mass yield) was possible with the incorporation of equitable amounts of 49.56 t ha-1 of M. aegyptia and C. procera biomass, respectively. The maximum economic efficiency of production (evaluated in terms of net income and rate of return) of this leafy vegetable was achieved with the addition to the soil of 42.68 and 41.64 t ha-1 of biomass of these green manures, respectively. The net income and the rate of return optimized for these amounts of green manures were 30,243.92 R$ ha-1 and 2.79 reais for each real invested in the production of this leafy vegetable. The use of biomass from Merremia aegyptia and Calotropis procera from the Caatinga biome proved to be a viable technology for producers who practice the cultivation of coriander when monocropping in a semiarid environment.

PRODUÇÃO OTIMIZADA DE FEIJÃO-CAUPI IMATURO SOB ADUBAÇÃO VERDE EM AMBIENTE SEMIÁRIDO

ABSTRACT Given the lack of information on the use of spontaneous plants from the Caatinga biome as green manure to produce green grains, the present work aimed to agronomically and economically optimize cowpea production for green grains and their components when fertilized with equitable biomass amounts of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia L.) and roostertree (Calotropis procera Ait.) in two cropping seasons in a semi-arid environment. The experiment used a randomized complete block design, with five treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of equitable amounts of dry M. aegyptia and C. procera biomass of 16, 29, 42, 55 and 68 t ha-1. In each experiment, an additional treatment was planted with cowpea without fertilizer (absolute control), and another was fertilized with mineral fertilizer for the purpose of comparison with the treatment of maximum physical or economic efficiency. The maximum optimized physical (agronomic) efficiencies of cowpea green pods and grain production were reached in the productivity of green pods at 3.90 t ha-1 and green grains at 4.06 t ha-1, with incorporation into the soil of 45.07 and 50.48 t ha-1 of green manure, respectively. The maximum economic efficiency of cowpea green grain production was reached at a net income of R$5826.12 ha-1 and at a rate of return of 1.29 reals for each real invested with application to the soil of 38.74 and 37.85 t ha-1 of the tested green manure biomass.

Bio-economic return from the green fertilizing and plant population in strip-intercropping of beet and rocket

The triumph of the crops association with vegetables in semi-arid environment depends on crop types grown and adequate manipulation of treatment-factors tested such as fertilization, plant population, among others. Thus, this investigation aimed to valuate the bio-economic return of beet-rocket strip-intercropping in diverse balanced quantities of hairy woodrose (M. aegyptia) and roostertree (C. procera) biomass (20, 35, 50 and 65 t ha-1 on base dry) and in different rocket plant population (40, 60, 80 and 100% of that recommended population in monocropping - RPM), associated with the beet population of 100% of the RPM, in two years of cultivation. The bio-economic indices: land equivalent ratio (LER), intercropping advantage (IA), actual yield loss (AYL), productive efficiency index (PEI), canonical variable score (Z), gross return (GR) and net return (NR), rate of return (RR) and profit margin (PM) were assessed. The greatest bio-economic returns of beet-rocket strip-intercropping were of: 1.87; 7.44; 1.90; 0.98; 2.52; 85,827.79 and 65,425.01 R$ ha-1; 4.24 R$ for each real invested, and 77.02%, respectively, for LER, IA, AYL, PEI, Z, GR, NR, RR and PM in the biomass quantity of 65 t ha-1 of hairy woodrose and roostertree, in the rocket population of 100% of the RPM (a million plants ha-1). The hairy woodrose and roostertree biomass use from Caatinga biome proved to be a viable technology for growers who practice the cultivation of beet-rocket strip-intercropping in semi-arid environment.

Agronomic and economic feasibility indicators for cowpea-vegetable under green manure in a semiarid environment

Two experiments were conducted at the Rafael Fernandes Experimental Farm, from June to September 2015 and 2016 with the objective of evaluating and estimating sustainability indicators of cowpea-vegetable as a function of the amounts of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil in two crops. Treatments consisted of the following amounts of hairy woodrose biomass: 20, 35, 50 and 65 t ha -1 on a dry basis. The cultivar of cowpea-vegetable planted was BRS Itaim. The evaluated characteristics were: length of green pods, number of green pods per m 2 , productivity and dry mass of green pods, weight of 100 green grains, yield and dry mass of green grains. In addition, the economic indicators of sustainability were evaluated: gross income, net income, rate of return and profitability index. The optimization of the agronomic efficiency of the cowpea-vegetable was obtained in the amount of 45 t ha -1 of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil and the optimization of the agroeconomic viability of the cowpea-vegetable cultivation was reached in the quantity of hairy woodrose biomass of 37.70 t ha -1 added to the ground. The first growing crop yielded better agroeconomic efficiency of cowpea-vegetable than the second crop. The use of hairy woodrose as green manure is economically feasible and recommended to the farmer in the production of cowpea-vegetable.

Effect of the environment and diet on the physiological variables of sheep in the Brazilian semi-arid region

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the physiological variables of three sheep genotypes: Morada Nova, Somalis, and Dorper x Somalis crossbreed regarding the environment and diet in the Brazilian semi-arid region by using 30 animals (10 from each genetic group). Five of these animals had 30% of the tifton hay replaced by hairy woodrose hay. The temperature and relative air humidity were registered, the black globe temperature and humidity index (BGHI) was calculated, and the rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and surface temperature (ST) were measured in the morning and afternoon. The experimental design was a completely randomized design in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial scheme, which consisted of three genotypes, two diets, and two periods, and five replications each. BGHI presented values of 81 in the shade and 90 in the sun and a significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed for the studied variables in relation to the periods, with higher values in the afternoon. The average ST was 35.48 °C in the morning and 38.11 °C in the afternoon. Morada Nova presented the lowest RT and RR (P < 0.05) among the genetic groups, with a higher tolerance to heat. The 30% substitution of tifton hay by hairy woodrose hay did not negatively affect the thermoregulatory capacity of sheep. The studied genetic groups were adapted and tolerant to climate conditions of the Brazilian semi-arid region.

Agro-biological and economic efficiency in a beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) production system fertilized with hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb.) as green manure

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is a tuberous vegetable that is under experimentation in the vegetable production system in Rio Grande do Norte state (Brazil). It is quite demanding, in nutritional terms. One of the alternatives to meet this need is green manuring using spontaneous species of the Caatinga biome. The aim of the present work was to optimize the agro-biological performance and economic profitability of the beetroot 'Early Wonder', fertilized with different doses of hairy woodrose (Merremia aegyptia (L.) Urb.) in this semi-arid environment. Hairy woodrose is a spontaneous species of the Caatinga biome that is widely distributed, being found in forests, fences, forest clearings and fields, growing in soils of different textures, producing biomass with a high content of macronutrients. This material was collected from spontaneous vegetation, native to the region, and used as green manure.The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with four treatments and five replicates. The treatments consisted of four amounts of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil (10, 25, 40 and 55 t ha-1 of dry matter). The following agronomic characteristics were evaluated in each beetroot treatment: plant height, fresh mass of shoots, number of leaves per plant, dry mass of shoots and dry mass of roots, total and commercial root productivity, and root productivity classified into scrap and extra roots, extra A roots, extra AA and great roots. Apart from these characteristics, the following economic indicators were also determined for each treatment: gross income, net income, rate of return and profit margin. The maximum agro-biological efficiency of beet root productivity (22.68 t ha-1) was obtained from 44.92 t ha-1 of hairy woodrose biomass added to the soil. The maximum economic efficiency of the yield of beet roots was achieved as a net income of AU$2,491.00 (R$6,406.36) ha-1, provided by the production of 22.04 t ha-1 of commercial roots, using 37.03 t ha-1 of hairy woodrose biomass incorporated into the soil. The use of hairy woodrose as green manure presents agro-economic feasibility in beet cultivation in this semi-arid environment.