Abstract Studies evaluating the structure and diversity of bacterial communities in arid environments including the rhizosphere of local and adapted plant species are important. Therefore, we used a sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene for describing the structure and diversity of soil bacterial community in three zones: Agreste, Transition and Sertão. The bacterial community was clustered in 9,838 OTUs in Agreste, 8,388 OTUs in the transition, and 14,849 OTUs for Sertão. Among the most abundant phyla, Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were abundant in Agreste and Sertão, respectively, while Actinobacteria were abundant in Transition and Sertão. Specific taxa of Proteobacteria, in Agreste, and Actinobacteria, in Sertão, exhibited differences according to biotic and abiotic conditions. Thus, the structure and diversity of bacterial community were different in these areas and were influenced by environmental and soil conditions.

The supplementation allows the supply of limiting nutrients and increase in efficiency of pasture utilization. The intake of supplement can be controlled by use of urea and mineral salt, avoiding dominancy of some animals over the others. The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients in finishing phase Nellore steers fed different levels of supplements based on corn meal, during the dry season. The experiment was implanted on pasture of Panicum maximum 'Tanzânia', in four paddocks of 1.0 hectare. Four 30 months old and initial weight of 440 kg Nellore steers were used. The animals were distributed in 4x4 Latin square (four levels of supplementation and four periods). Levels of supplements use were: 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 kg/ animal/day, in addition to a control group receiving mineral mixture. The supplements, except the control, presented decreasing levels of crude protein (52.0 to 42.6% of dry matter) and proportions of mineral mixture:urea:corn meal of 10:10:80, 5:5:90 and 2.5:2.5:95, respectively. Urea was used as supplement intake controller. The experimental periods lasted 16 days each one, in a total of 64 days. The intake and the digestibility were measured with the use of the external indicator chromium oxide and internal indicator iADF. There was increasing linear effect for dry matter intake in kg/animal/day and percentage of BW, and intakes of crude protein, ethereal extract, neutral detergent fiber, non fibrous carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients, and there was no effect on the forage intake. There was increasing linear effect for the digestibility coefficient of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber. There was no effect for the digestibility coefficient of crude protein, ethereal extract and non fibrous carbohydrates.

A suplementação alimentar proporciona suprimento de nutrientes limitantes e aumento da eficiência de utilização das pastagens. O consumo de suprimentos pode ser controlado pelo uso de uréia e sais minerais, impedindo a dominância de uns animais sobre os outros. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o consumo e a digestibilidade aparente dos nutrientes em novilhos Nelore em terminação, alimentados com diferentes níveis de suplemento à base de fubá de milho, durante o período da seca. O experimento foi implantado em pastagem de Panicum maximum 'Tanzânia', em quatro piquetes de 1,0 hectare. Foram utilizados quatro novilhos Nelore com 30 meses e peso médio inicial de 440 kg. Os animais foram distribuídos em quadrado latino 4x4 (quatro níveis de suplementação e quatro períodos). Foram utilizados níveis crescentes de suplemento: 1,0; 2,0; e 4,0 kg/animal/dia, além do tratamento controlemistura mineral. Os suplementos, à exceção do controle, apresentaram níveis decrescentes de proteína bruta (42,6 a 25% da matéria seca) e proporções de mistura mineral:uréia:fubá de milho de 10:10:80, 5:5:90 e 2,5:2,5:95 para os tratamentos com 1,0; 2,0 e 4,0 kg/animal/dia, respectivamente. A uréia foi usada como controladora de consumo de suplemento. Os períodos experimentais constituíram-se de 16 dias cada um, num total de 64 dias. O consumo e a digestibilidade foram determinados por meio do indicador externo óxido crômico e indicador interno FDAi. Houve efeito linear crescente para o consumo de matéria seca em kg/animal/dia e em porcentagem do PV, consumo de proteína bruta, consumo de extrato etéreo, consumo de fibra em detergente neutro, consumo de carboidratos não fibrosos e consumo de nutrientes digestíveis totais. Não houve efeito sobre o consumo de pastagem. Houve efeito linear crescente para os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente da matéria seca e fibra em detergente neutro. Não houve efeito para os coeficientes de digestibilidade da proteína bruta, extrato etéreo e carboidratos não fibrosos.

Fungi populations were evaluated in large intestine from sheep raised in the North of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The samples were from 39 Santa Inês crossbred ewes and 30 lambs raised on Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania), both supplemented with mineral mixtures. The clinical specimens were directly collected from rectal ampoule with sterile swabs. The development of fungal mycelium was observed in all lamb samples and positive cultures were observed in 34 ewe specimens (87.2%). After microculture of 40 colonies from lambs, 34 isolates of the genus Aspergillus, three of Paecilomyces spp., one Acremonium sp., and one Trichoderma sp. were identified. Out of the 39 isolates from ewes, 15 Paecilomyces spp., 11 Aspergillus spp., 11 Malbranchea spp., and one Onychocola sp. were identified. The results showed the predominance of the genus Aspergillus in the lambs, while the genus Paecilomyces, Malbranchea, and Aspergillus were predominant, in ewes.