Understanding and quantifying the impact of land use and soil management on soil organic carbon (SOC) levels and physical properties is essential for the development of a sustainable agriculture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate some physical properties and SOC of an Oxisol in the Northwest of the state of Paraná, under different use and soil management systems, i.e., under native forest, pasture, cassava, and sugarcane. Disturbed soil samples were collected for particle size, particle density, proctor and […]

The influence of cover crops and their management on the maintenance or improvement of soil physical quality in areas under organic production should be investigated. This study aimed to determine the influence of the cover crops sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp), velvet bean (Mucuna aterrima), sorghum (Sorgum technicum), and fallow on physical properties of soil under organic cultivation of common bean and corn, in no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems. The study was conducted […]

The least limiting water range (LLWR) is considered a modern indicator of soil physical quality for plant growth. The aim of this study was to determine the LLWR for assessing the soil physical quality of a dystroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol) under no-tillage in a crop-livestock integration system. In the crop-livestock integration system of the study area, soybean was planted in the summer and oat (Avena strigosa Schreb) plus ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) in the winter with different pasture heights during […]

Water resource quality is a concern of today’s society and, as a consequence, low pollutant wastewaters and sludges are being increasingly treated, resulting in continuous production of sewage sludge. Sewage sludge (SS) can be used as soil physical conditioner of agricultural or degraded lands, due to its organic C component. The objective of this research was to evaluate the long-term SS effects on soil physical quality of properties such as bulk density, porosity, permeability and water retention of degraded soils […]

Soil air permeability (Ka

The sustainable use of pasture systems depends mainly on a management that promotes soil quality. This study aimed to evaluate changes in the physical and chemical soil properties of four areas under pasture growing the species Andropogon gayanus, Brachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria brizantha, cv. marandu, with different usage histories, in comparison to the reference of the natural Cerrado. The soil was evaluated based on the following properties: cation exchange capacity, soil organic matter, bulk density, porosity and soil mechanical penetration […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different mechanical loads on soil physical properties of a Eutric Cambisol with loam sandy texture. The soil load distribution (kPa) was measured in situ by sensors placed in different soil layers. The soil physical properties evaluated were the bulk density (Ds) and the soil penetration resistance (RP) on sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) row and interrow down to 0.30 m depth. The treatments were: without extra pressure exerted by the […]

The soil management may influence soil hydro-physical conditions and crop yield. The objective of this study was to determine soil physical properties of an Albaqualf under management systems and to compare them with those under a native pasture. The bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity and aggregation were evaluated in the soil layers 0-0.025; 0.025-0.075; 0.075-0.125; 0.125-0.175; and 0.175-0.275 m. The hydro-physical soil conditions in no-till and conventional systems were similar. The conditions in the soil under native […]

Soil resistance to root penetration is an important physical characteristic for defining soil management techniques. The purpose of this study was to estimate the mechanical soil penetration resistance of an Oxisol under perennial crop, at three gravimetrical moisture contents, based on bulk density, moisture, and soil clay and organic matter content. The soil penetration resistance was evaluated by an impact penetrometer and the impact data in dm-1 were converted into dynamic resistance (MPa). At the moment of the determination of […]

Soil tillage promotes changes in soil structure. The magnitude of the changes varies with the nature of the soil, tillage system and soil water content and decreases over time after tillage. The objective of this study was to evaluate short-term (one year period) and long-term (nine year period) effects of soil tillage and nutrient sources on some physical properties of a very clayey Hapludox. Five tillage systems were evaluated: no-till (NT), chisel plow + one secondary disking (CP), primary + […]