Rural communities have accumulated knowledge about survival techniques in the midst of diffi culties, such as ecological, economic or social, and one of the transformation spaces and extraction of resources to these communities is the natural vegetation and homegarden. The aim of this study was to list medicinal plants and characterize the use of these plants at the Sítio do Gois, Apodi-RN, Brazil. Openinterview, semi-structured and guided tours by local experts (fi eld guide person, foresters, herb doctors, healers, farmers, housewives) were realized. Medicinal plants are distributed in 34 families, 46 genera and 52 species. The family with the greatest number of individuals was Lamiaceae (seven species). The species most mentioned were Amburana cearensis (77%) followed by 69% de citation of Myracrodruon urundeuva, Sideroxylon obtusifolium, Ximenia americana. Informants are aware of specifi c uses of native medicinal plants of the caatinga and homegardens. The most common preparations are teas and syrups, used part is the leaf and stem bark and great number of citations for disorders of the digestive and respiratory systems. The most important species with greater use agreement were A. cearensis M. urundeuva, S. obtusifolium and X. americana they deserve pharmacological studies and validation.

Propôs-se, neste trabalho, avaliar o desempenho agronômico da cebola em diferentes densidades de plantio, em Mossoró, RN. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados completos em esquema fatorial 2 x 5, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram da combinação de duas cultivares de cebola (Vale Ouro IPA 11 e Bella Dura) e cinco densidades de plantio (80, 120, 160, 200 e 240 plantas m-2). As características avaliadas foram: classificação dos bulbos em função do diâmetro transversal; produtividade total, comercial e não comercial; massa média dos bulbos; massa seca dos bulbos e relação do formato de bulbos. A cultivar mais produtiva foi a IPA 11, com produtividade total de 26,76 t ha-1. A densidade que proporcionou maior produtividade total (30,48 t ha-1) foi a de 204 plantas m-2 e comercial (24,74 t ha-1) foi a de 161 plantas m-2. O incremento da densidade reduziu a massa média e seca de bulbo, percentagem de bulbos das classes 2 e 3, mas aumentou a produtividade não comercial, percentagem de bulbos classe 1 (refugo) e relação de formato de bulbo. A cultivar Vale Ouro IPA 11 foi superior ao híbrido Bella Dura com relação à produtividade total de bulbos, massa média de bulbos comerciais e relação de formato, independentemente da densidade de plantio.

A laranjinha Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Humb. Ex Roem. Schult.) T.D. Penn. é uma arvore frutífera, adaptada as condições do Pantanal, Semi Árido nordestino e vales do rio São Francisco, de importância ecológica, alimentícia e medicinal. S. obtusifolium é sensível ao desaparecimento por destruição de seu habitat e uso extrativista na medicina popular. A casca é usada para feridas, dores, ulcera duodenal, gastrite, azia, infl amação crônica, problemas genitais, infl amação ovariana, cólica, problema renal, cardíaco, diabetes, febre e como expectorante. Nessa revisão são abordados aspectos etnobotanicos, ecológicos, químicos e de conservação desta espécie.

No abstract

Rio Grande do Norte State in Brazil has microregions with altitudes where the edaphoclimatic conditions are favorable to the cultivation of garlic, including vernalized noble garlic. An example is the municipality of Martins, where vegetable cropping is not a traditional practice. Since it is a region with potential for cultivation of noble garlic, comprising soil and climate conditions that are distinct from traditional production regions in Brazil, the use of nitrogen fertilization becomes an alternative to increase crop yield. This fact can stimulate the semiarid producer to invest in the crop, once it guarantees greater economic return. Thus, aiming to evaluate the production of vernalized noble garlic as a function of nitrogen doses applied in top dressing, an experiment was developed from May to August 2014, using a complete randomized complete block design with five replicates. The treatments consisted of the cover application of increasing doses of N (0, 40, 80, 120, and 160 kg ha-1). The following were evaluated: plant height; number of leaves; average bulb weight; total, commercial, and noncommercial bulb yield; bulb and bulblet classification; and number of bulblets per bulb. The dose of 90 kg ha-1 nitrogen, applied in top dressing, provided the highest averages of plant height, number of leaves, average bulb weight, and total bulb yield. The dose of maximum economic efficiency was 91 kg ha-1 , which promoted greater commercial bulb yield. The number of bulblets per bulb and bulblet classification were not influenced by nitrogen doses applied in top dressing.