Pasture management with levels of leaf blades may favor significant increase in production, and the leaves indicated an important role in plant-animal relationship, caused by photosynthesis efficiency and better quality in animal diet. Current study identifies which leaf blade mass of the African star (Cynodon nlemfuensis var. Nlemfuensis) provides better productivity and nutritional value. Treatments comprised different leaf blade masses: 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000 kg of dry matter ha-1. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments and three repetitions, totaling 12 plots with 100 m 2 each. Results indicated increase in production, in the leaf/stem ratio and in the interval days according to increase in leaf blade mass. Daily accumulation rate was similar to treatments. Crude protein decreased and fiber increased with rise in leaf blade mass and the highest forage productions were reported in the treatments 1200 and 1600 kg ha-1 leaf blade mass.

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Ripening studies of nontreated and treated papaya (papaya L) are accomplished by monitoring the ethylene and CO2 emission rates of that climacteric fruit, to evaluate its shelf life. The treatments simulate the commercial Phitosanitarian process used to avoid the fly infestation. Ethylene emission was measured using a commercial CO2 laser driven photoacoustic setup and CO2, using a commercial gas analysis also based on the photothermal effect. The results show a marked change in ethylene and CO2 emission rate pattern for treated fruits when compared to the ones obtained for nontreated fruits and a displacement of the climacteric pick shown that the treatment causes a decrease of shelf life of fruit.

SUMMARY The present study aiming to determine the nutritional quality of oat (Avena sativa L.) IPR 126 in order to produce forage for ruminants. Four periods between harvests were used: 14, 21, 28 and 35 days, distributed in randomized blocks with four replicates for each treatment. The variables evaluated were: the concentration of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent insoluble fiber (NDF), crude potein (CP), lignin, dry matter (DM), ash, ether extract (EE) and in vitro digestibility of dry matter obtained by measurement of gas production. The profile of gas production was adjusted to the logistic bicompartimental mathematical model. The variables and the parameters of the adjusted gas production curves were analyzed as repeated measurements through the PROC MIXED of SAS (version 9.0) and the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) as the method of estimation of parameters. Regression analysis was performed for the variables: DM, CP, EE, NDF, ash, and for the parameter k2 of the bicompartimental model. DM and NDF concentrations increased linearly, CP, ash, and the estimations of the parameter k2 reduced linearly and the EE concentration showed a cubic behavior in function of the age of harvest. Lignin and other parameters of the Schofield model were not influenced by the age of harvest. The harvest interval influenced some chemical components and degradation rate of fiber carbohydrates, but do not interfere in lignin concentration. The forage with 21 days of cutting interval has the high nutritional value.