Aiming to evaluate the influence of the clay fraction mineralogy on the physical properties of Latosols (Oxisols) from southeastern Brazil, seven Latosols, representative of this group, were selected from the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, having distinct morphological features associated with soil structure. The sampling of soils was performed in the latossolic B horizon, with disturbed and undisturbed samples being collected. Chemical, physical and mineralogical characterizations were performed in the laboratory. Regression and correlation analyses taking into account […]

Bulk density is a soil parameter that can be easily measured, associated to other intrinsic soil properties such as texture and organic matter. Pore size distribution, soil resistance to root penetration, and available water are also related with bulk density. When comparing tillage systems, bulk density is frequently used. However, tillage and plant effects on bulk density variability have not been addressed. Bulk density variability is caused by traffic, wetting and drying processes, as well as root system activity. The […]

The variation of bulk density in a vertisol was studied by gamma-ray double bean tomography. Tomographic images of samples deriving from 137Cs and 241Am gamma-radiation were used, providing two attenuation equations which allowed the determination of two variables: bulk density and moisture. The samples, initially with the same bulk density, were submitted to different moistening degrees. The results showed that: (1) the system allowed a satisfactory moisture and bulk density determination; (2) volume of destructured samples varied around 23% from dry to […]

The packing condition of the soil is important for providing direction for land management. In soils developed from recent sediments, the tendency to packing may be related to inherited characteristcs from sedimentation conditions. In a soil toposequence from sandy sediments of Barreiras geological group, in Caravelas city – Bahia, eight soil profiles were selected, five of them from a eucalypt plantation. The soils were allocated in five great groups: Fluvaquent (P1),Duraquod (P2, P8), Haplorthod (P3), Hapludult (P4, P5, P7) and […]