Avaliação do desenvolvimento da região de Cruzeta (RN), através do uso intensivo de água para irrigação

This work aims for the evaluation of Cruzeta Irrigated Perimeter, RN, which consists in the efficient use of water for agricultural production. The goal is looking for the available quantity of water for supplying required demands for adequate and economically viable cultures for the region. It is supposed that regional community water is supplied by pipelines from sources located outside of the region. From this study it is recommended the implantation of adequate installments for culture management in accordance with the availability of water resources and others conditionings. It must be considered the intensity of rainy and drought seasons in order to adjust the cultivated area and equipments to be operated, and also, the use of operating models and simulations in order to establish alert levels and eventually, reduction of irrigated area. Based on obtained data it is proposed the cultivation of different types of non-permanent cultures so that temporary cultures would be extensively produced in periods of abundant reservoir storage water permitting the transformation of storage water in storage culture products and few or no production in severe drought periods. This is the basic premise for sustainable agricultural development for Brazilian semiarid region

Estudo de manejo de águas pluviais urbanas na cidade Natal-Rio Grande do Norte

Urban stormwater can be considered as potential water resources as well as problems for the proper functioning of the manifold activities of the city, resulting from inappropriate use and occupation of the soil, usually due to poor planning of the occupation of the development areas, with little care for the environmental aspects of the drainage of surface runoff. As a basic premise, we must seek mechanisms to preserve the natural flow in all stages of development of an urban area, preserving the soil infiltration capacity in the scale of the urban area, comprising the mechanisms of natural drainage, and noting preserving natural areas of dynamic water courses, both in the main channel and in the secondary. They are challenges for a sustainable urban development in a harmonious coexistence of modern developmental, which are consistent with the authoritative economic environmental and social quality. Integrated studies involving the quantity and quality of rainwater are absolutely necessary to achieve understanding and obtaining appropriate technologies, involving both aspects of the drainage problems and aspects of use of water when subjected to an adequate management of surface runoff , for example, the accumulation of these reservoirs in detention with the possibility of use for other purposes. The purpose of this study aims to develop a computer model, adjusted to prevailing conditions of an experimental urban watershed in order to enable the implementation of management practices for water resources, hydrological simulations of quantity and, in a preliminary way, the quality of stormwater that flow to a pond located at the downstream end of the basin. To this end, we used in parallel with the distributed model SWMM data raised the basin with the highest possible resolution to allow the simulation of diffuse loads, heterogeneous characteristics of the basin both in terms of hydrological and hydraulic parameters on the use and occupation soil. The parallel work should improve the degree of understanding of the phenomena simulated in the basin as well as the activity of the calibration models, and this is supported by monitoring data acquired during the duration of the project MAPLU (Urban Stormwater Management) belonging to the network PROSAB (Research Program in Basic Sanitation) in the years 2006 to 2008

Influência da salinidade e temperatura da água nas respotas comportamental e fisiológica de camarões marinhos Litopenaeus vannamei(BOONE 1931)

The shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei has been grown in highly variable environments, especially in relation to salinity and water temperature. The adjustment to such conditions mainly involves changes in behavior, physiology, particularly in the immune response. This may consequently reduce the welfare of these animals. Despite the widespread farming of the species, little is known about their behavioral and physiological responses under stressful conditions. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the influence of different salinities and temperatures in the behavior of the marine shrimp L. vannamei, and its relation to the total hemocytes count. In the laboratory, juvenile shrimp were kept in glass aquaria with a closed water recirculation system, continuous aeration and filtration, and under a 12:12 h light/dark cycle. Behavioral observations occurred 1, 4, 7 and 10 h after the start of each phase (light or dark). To assess the influence of salinity, shrimp were first acclimated and then observed at 2, 30 or 50 ppm salinity water, while temperatures tested were 18, 28 and 33 ° C. At the end of each experiment (30 days), shrimp hemolymph was collected for subsequent total hemocytes count (THC), a parameter used to assess stress. In general, feeding behavior was modified under lower salinity and temperature, with reduced values in feeding, exploration and digestive tract filling. Inactivity and burrowing were prevalent under extreme conditions water salinity and temperature, respectively: 2 and 50 ppm and 18 and 33 ° C; crawling was also less frequent under these conditions. In regards to light/dark cycle, shrimp were more active during the dark phase (crawling and swimming), while burrowing was higher during the light phase, regardless of salinity or temperature of the water. Inactivity behavior did not vary according to the light/dark cycle. Moreover, the total hemocytes count (THC) was reduced under 2 and 50 ppm salinity and 18 ° C temperature. Farming of L. vannamei under extremely low or high salinities and low temperatures is harmful. This suggests the species must be cultivated in salinities closer to those of the sea as well as at high temperatures, which seems to be ideal for a management focused on animal welfare, therefore, producing healthier shrimp

Comportamento do camarão de água doce macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) em cultivos misto e monossexo

Understanding the behavioral activities of freshwater shrimp in captivity is of paramount importance for the appropriate management of the species. In Brazil, the shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii is currently the most widely used species in the freshwater shrimp culture due to its high potential for cultivation and good market acceptance. Thus, the present study aimed to describe and characterize the behavioral activities of M. rosenbergii in monosex and in mixed (male and female) (manuscript 1, 2 and 3) populations and the growth performance of this species in restrictive feeding conditions and in different feeding management (manuscript 4 and 5, respectively) . Juvenile and adult shrimps were collected from ponds of the Aquaculture Station - Unidade Especializada em Ciências Agrárias - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Macaíba/RN and then transferred to the Laboratório de Estudos do Comportamento do Camarão LECC (Laboratory for Shrimp Behavioral Studies) of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). For each treatment , eight aquaria of 250 L (50 cm x 50 cm x 100 cm) were used in a closed recirculating water system with artificial lighting, constant aeration , continuous filtration through a biochemical and biological filter (canister filter), and fine sand as substrate . The water quality was monitored daily. The lab consisted of two rooms with artificial lighting system , controlled by a timer with dark / light cycle of 12:12 h . In manuscript 1, the behavioral categories of the species were presented through an ethogram, which described 31 behaviors, subdivided into general and agonistic behaviors. Manuscript 2 compared the behavioral profile of shrimps in male and in female monosex and mixed populations over 24 hours in laboratory. In three types (mixed, male monosex and female monosex) of populations during the light and dark phases of the 24 hour cycle, the shrimps showed higher occurrence of cleaning behavior. Manuscript 3 examined the influence of the color of the shelter on the frequency of its use and behavioral activities of shrimp in mixed, in male monosex and in female monosex populations over 24 hours. We observed that the shrimp M. rosenbergii burrow more frequently during the light phase in male monosex and mixed populations; they also tend to choose the black shelters. Female monosex populations tend to use red and orange shelters. In manuscript 4, we evaluated in laboratory the behavioral activities and growth performance of juvenile shrimps under food restriction. We observed that a mild food restriction may be used since there is no loss concerning the growth of the animals; feeding management on alternate days , compared to daily management can be financially productive both reducing labor costs and reducing the amount of feed used . Manuscript 5 evaluated the behavior of shrimps in monosex and in mixed populations, as well as the latency of reach the food according to feed offer (tray or food dispersal) . Our results indicate that animals adjust to both types of feed offer food dispersal as much as tray, but they spend more time to reach the feed when it is offered in trays (feeders). Comparing culture types (mixed, male monosex and female monosex), the latency to reach the food was lower for female monosex population. The data obtained in this study demonstrate the importance of identifying different pressures and environmental stimuli on the behavioral responses of this species. This knowledge would support management improvement to optimize the levels of animals‟ welfare, resulting in a better zootecnical performance

Crescimento inicial e morfologia foliar em plantas de Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth. Em função do manejo microbiano, sob estresse salino

The sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth.) is an endemic species of the Caatinga biome, considered tolerant to salt and water stress. The process of salinization of soil and groundwater and surface water is one of the most important problems of environmental degradation, with its harmful effects being more pronounced in the areas of arid and semiarid regions, and rapidly growing in many parts of the globe, causing problems of the major crop yield. Organic conditioners as barnyard manure, and rice hulls can contribute to reducing the PST, possibly due to the release of CO2 and the production of organic acids during the decomposition of organic matter, and act as sources of calcium and magnesium and inhibit the availability sodium. The intimate association of mycorrhizae and beneficial to plants results in increased uptake of water and nutrients by plants, especially phosphorus, due to their low mobility in soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the initial growth of thrush seedlings under inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi and fertilized with manure corral and irrigated with water of different salinity levels. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions of vegetation on the premises of the Agricultural School of Jundiaí - UFRN, Campus Macaíba. The adopted statistical design was randomized composed of twelve treatments - three substrates (sterile soil, manure and FMA), four salinity levels (0.2, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 dS m-1 ) and five repetitions, totaling sixty experimental units. The results indicate that inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi own contributions to the growth of plants, especially in roots and shoots, which suggests that its application is beneficial in establishing thrush plants in natural conditions, with poor soil in P. Levels salinity caused no effects with statistical significance in plant development, indicating Sabia resistance to it.

Qualidade da água de um reservatório e do solo da zona ripária sob diferentes usos na região semiárida do Rio Grande do Norte

Reservoirs are artificial ecosystems intermediate between rivers and lakes widely used in the Brazilian semiarid region as a way to provide water supply due to the said region’s water scarcity. The use of water from these supply sources for multiple uses, along with occupation and utilization of its riparian zone without proper management, directly influences the increased nutrient flow into aquatic environments, there with contributing to the acceleration of eutrophication. The semi-arid region is characterized by peculiar weather conditions, such as severe evaporation, high temperatures with little variation throughout the year and long water residence time, making it susceptible to prolonged drought occurrence, which tends to concentrate the nutrients in reservoirs, which favors the development of eutrophic conditions. Moreover, it is common soil use and occupation by carrying out activities with potential environmental impact on natural resources such as agriculture, livestock farming and lack of sanitation. The aim of this study is both to evaluate the water quality of the Cruzeta Reservoir, located in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte, during a prolonged drought period, and assess the quality of its riparian zone soil under different uses, by monitoring physical-chemical variables. Along the prolonged drought, high levels of turbidity, suspended solids, nutrients and chlorophyll a were verified as present, therefore featuring low water quality. In the riparian zone of Cruzeta Reservoir, the areas under use of agriculture and livestock farming appeared as one of the main diffuse sources of nutrients to the said reservoir, featuring the highest levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the soil, originated from decomposition of animal excreta and from the use of fertilizers, creating a tendency to increased eutrophication of such water supply source. The indicators of water and soil quality are useful for monitoring and evaluating the conservation status of natural resources, allowing the control and mitigation of the reservoir eutrophication process. This study confirmed the hypothesis that the reduction of water level, resulting from prolonged drought event, aggravates the symptoms of eutrophication; and also that using the soil under severalways modifies the physic chemical properties of the soil, having livestock farming and agriculture as the usages with greatest potential towards yielding P and N to the aquatic environment.