Brazilian soils have natural high chemical variability; thus, apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) can assist interpretation of crop yield variations. We aimed to select soil chemical properties with the best linear and spatial correlations to explain ECa variation in the soil using a Profiler sensor (EMP-400). The study was carried out in Sidrolândia, MS, Brazil. We analyzed the following variables: electrical conductivity – EC (2, 7, and 15 kHz), organic matter, available K, base saturation, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Soil […]

The use of saline irrigation water is an important alternative in view of the lack of good water quality throughout the world. The water requirement of jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) is low, and the species survives and produces satisfactory yields in low-fertility soils. However, yields are higher in irrigated crops, indicating the need of studying the possibility of using saline irrigation water. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different salinity levels of irrigation water on the morphological and […]

One way of classifying water quality is by means of indices, in which a series of parameters analyzed are joined a single value, facilitating the interpretation of extensive lists of variables or indicators, underlying the classification of water quality. The objective of this study was to develop a statistically based index to classify water according to the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI), to evaluate the ionic composition of water for use in irrigation and classify it by its source. For […]

The limited availability of low-salinity water in Brazilian semiarid region causes producers to use water of moderate to high salinity for irrigation. In view of the increasing importance of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in this region as a potential source of renewable energy, this study was conducted to evaluate sunflower crops irrigated with different water salinity levels (ECw) and fertilized with nitrogen. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse of the Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG), from July to […]

Salinity levels in soils of the Outer Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, can be high, due to excess of Na in the irrigation water, evapotranspiration and soil development from marine sediments. The cultivation of irrigated rice could be an alternative, since ion uptake as well as leaching by the establishment of a water layer could mitigate the effects of soil salinity. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamics of basic cations in the solution of Albaqualf soils […]

In the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, flooded rice fields using Patos Lagoon as the source of water for irrigation are subject to be damaged by salinity, since this source is bound to the sea on its southern end. The sensitivity of rice is variable during plant development, being higher in the seedling and reproductive periods. However, there is not enough information about the behavior of plants under salt stress during the course of its development, especially in […]

In recently fertilized soils, plants uptake nutrients mainly from around the granules, but little is known about the chemical composition of these zones. This study aimed to evaluate the K concentration gradient as well as the electrolyte concentration around KCl granules applied at different rates to five soils varying in clay (95 to 569 g kg-1) and organic matter (13 to 54 g kg-1) contents. Treatments consisted of four KCl rates (0, 50, 100, and 200 kg ha-1 K2O). These quantities were obtained by simulating a […]

Intensive land use can change the chemical composition of the soil solution and cause solute losses. Thus, it can alter the chemical composition of water courses. A study was carried out in a farm of EPAMIG in Oratorios, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from June 1996 to May 1997, to evaluate the effect of soil management on the chemical composition of soil solution, taking climatic conditions into consideration. Soluble organic carbon was also determined in the soil solution and in […]

This study compares the chemical composition of the solution and exchange complex of soil in a 3-year-old irrigated vineyard (Vitis vinifera L., Red Globe cultivar) with that of adjacent clearing in the native hyperxerophyllic ‘caatinga’ vegetation. The soils are classified as Plinthic Eutrophic Red-Yellow Argisol; according to Soil Taxonomy they are isohyperthermic Plinthustalfs. Detailed physiographic characterization revealed an impermeable gravel and cobble covering the crystalline rocks; the relief of this layer was more undulating than the level surface. Significant higher […]

This study was carried out to evaluate chemical changes and corn growth in an Albaqualf soil.The tannery wastes used were primary sludge with Cr at the rates of 13.8 and 27.6Mgha-1 corresponding to 250 and 500mgkg-1 of Cr soil, respectively, and the sludge from liming, at the rates of 10.25 and 20.50Mgha-1. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse during 108days.The liming sludge increased pH (4.9 to 5.8), soil Ca (0.5 to 3.2cmolcdm-3) and resulted in corn yields similar to […]