ABSTRACT Soil and crop management systems change the soil structure, thereby affecting soil quality. The “profil cultural” method (PCM) has been used to identify the effects of management systems on soil structure; however, few studies relate the structures identified by the PCM to quantitative indicators of soil structural quality. This study aimed to quantify soil structures using the PCM and relate these structures to bulk density (Bd), critical bulk density (Bdc), soil aeration capacity (εa), least limiting water range (LLWR), […]

ABSTRACT Water erosion, the main factor in soil degradation, is strongly influenced by soil cover and management. The objective of this study was to determine soil and water losses under natural rainfall conditions from 1993 to 2012 in the southern Santa Catarina Plateau, Brazil, in 3.5 × 22.1 m plots with crops in rotation to study the following management treatments: conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and no-tillage (NT), and a treatment with bare soil (BS). The soil cover remaining […]

ABSTRACT Water erosion is the main cause of soil degradation and is influenced by rainfall, soil, topography, land use, soil cover and management, and conservation practices. The objective of this study was to quantify water erosion in a Humic Dystrudept in two experiments. In experiment I, treatments consisted of different rates of fertilizer applied to the soil surface under no-tillage conditions. In experiment II, treatments consisted of a no-tillage in natural rangeland, burned natural rangeland and natural rangeland. Forage turnip, […]

ABSTRACT: Collembolan species are differently affected by soil tillage (conventional, minimum tillage, and no-tillage) and are known to modify plant growth. This study relies on the relationships between Collembola community structures and land use systems as a proxy for characterizing changes in soil quality. Thus, Collembola community structure (eco-morphological groups – edaphic, hemiedaphic and epigeic, and morphotypes) were examined in a no-tillage system and crop-livestock integration system to evaluate the discriminative power of the Collembola community structure and to determine […]

ABSTRACT Changes in carbon stocks in different compartments of soil organic matter of a clayey Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico (Typic Haplustox), caused by the substitution of native savanna vegetation (cerrado sensu stricto) by agroecosystems, were assessed after 31 years of cultivation. Under native vegetation, a stock of 164.5 Mg ha-1 C was estimated in the 0.00-1.00 m layer. After 31 years of cultivation, these changes in soil C stocks were detected to a depth of 0.60 m. In the case of […]

ABSTRACT Changes in soil physical properties due to different management systems occur slowly, and long-term studies are needed to assess soil quality. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of soil management systems and liming methods on the physical properties of a Latossolo Bruno Alumínico típico (Hapludox). A long-term experiment that began in 1978 with conventional and no-tillage systems was assessed. In addition, different liming methods (no lime, incorporated lime, and lime on the soil surface) have […]

The use of pig slurry (PS) as fertilizer can affect the soil quality and increase total stocks of soil organic carbon (TOC). However, the effects of PS on TOC amount and forms in the soil are not fully understood, particularly in areas under no-tillage (NT). The purpose of this study was to determine TOC contents and stocks in the particulate (POC) and mineral-associated C fractions (MAC) of an Oxisol after nine years of maize-oat rotation under NT, with annual applications […]

Soil quality (SQ) assessment is an important strategy for defining management practices and systems capable of maintaining and/or improving the sustainability of agricultural systems. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate changes in SQ by physical, chemical, and biological indicators in an Oxisol under different tillage systems and fertilizer sources. The study was conducted in Taquaruçu do Sul, RS, Brazil based on an experiment set up in 2009 in a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments […]

Agricultural management affects soil structure, modifying soil physical properties and soil water movement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) on soil structure through physical properties and pore distribution in 2-D digital images. The study was conducted in an Oxisol with a randomized block design. Soil bulk density, soil macroporosity, mean weighted diameter (MWD), saturated hydraulic conductivity (SHC), and analysis of 2-D digital images (156.25 μm2 resolution) were evaluated at […]

The use of no-tillage systems associated with the use of cover crops and crop rotation changes some soil physical properties and may indicate change in soil quality. This study aimed to use the aggregate stability index (IEA) and the sensitivity index (SI) to assess changes in soil physical attributes with the use of different plant cover after twelve years of no-tillage. We used a randomized block design with the following types of cover crops: sunn hemp, millet, sorghum, brachiaria, and […]