Soil management systems modify the spatial distribution of soil physical properties. The objectives of this study were to verify the spatial dependency and co-relationship of some soil physical properties by data fitting to individual and cross-semivariograms in an Oxisol (Typic Haplorthox) under no-till and conventional tillage, in Campo Mourão, state of Parana, Brazil. In April 2004, 128 undisturbed soil samples were collected in a 3 x 5 m grid, in the middle of the 5-0.15 m layer. The following soil […]

Soil acidity in no-tillage systems can be amended by surface liming. This practice is favored by plant residues on the soil surface, which release water-soluble organic compounds that vary among plant species. The experiment was conducted on a Typic Hapludox (V = 41 %) in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, to evaluate the effect of surface liming on the concentration of soluble cations in millet, common bean and black-oat crop residues in two growing seasons (2002/03 and 2003/04). For common […]

The soil structural quality is important for plant emergence as well as for crop growth, development and yield. A wide range of soil tensile strength values indicates that soil structure conditions meet these requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tensile strength and friability of an Oxisol (Acrudox) under no-tillage with crop rotation and crop succession. The soil management treatments consisted of: crop succession with wheat and soybean (SDS); crop rotation with corn-oats-soybean-oats-soybean-wheat (SDR) and SDR plus […]

Soil porosity influences plant development since root growth and crop yield are determined by the root depth. The objective of this study was to investigate the linear and spatial variability and correlations between common bean yield and soil porosity. The bean grain yield of the irrigated cultivar Carioca IAC was analyzed in the growing season 2004/2005, in Selviria-MS, as well as macroporosity (MA), microporosity (MI) and total porosity (TP), in a Dystroferric Red Latosol, at four depths: 1 (0.0-0.10 m), 2 (0.10-0.20 m), 3 (0.20-0.30 m) […]

No-tillage systems can change the ratio between soil acidity components and crop yields over the course of time. High crop yields are not seldom observed in highly acid soils. The liming criteria established for conventional tillage soils are likely to be unsuitable for no-tillage soils. The objective of this report was to define liming criteria, based on the yield response to different soil acidity levels and layers in no-tillage systems. Six plantations were sampled in the Planalto region of the […]

Carbon (C) addition through crop residues (residue-C), C dioxide emission (CO2-C) and the soil C stock (soil-C) are components of the C cycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. This 18-year study was conducted to identify agricultural practices that could potentially increase C retention in the soil and lessen global warming trends. The three C pools (residue-C, CO2-C and soil-C) under different tillage systems (CT-conventional tillage and NT-no tillage) and cropping systems (O/M-oat (Avena strigosa Schreb)/maize (Zea mays L.) and V/M-vetch (Vicia […]

Soil management systems, with crops under no-tillage (NT), crops (soybean) in rotation with pastures under NT and permanent pastures (Brachiaria sp.), were evaluated for soil aggregation and aggregate stability. Three long-term experiments (9 and 11 years) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul were sampled in the layers 0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm for determination of the aggregate stability in wet and dry sieving. The mean weight diameter (MWD) and the aggregate stability index (IAS) were calculated. In all experiments, the […]

In São Paulo State, the autumn – winter seasons rainfall distribution restriction as well as high temperatures constitute a serious limitation for soil surface covering and crop production. For this reason it is very important to study alternatives for the no tillage system establishment in that State, specially for biomass production and for adequate management for better mulching in amount enough to improve soil physical quality and organic matter content. This study was carried out at the Lageado Experimental Station […]

Most of the pig manure generated in the swine production in southern Brazil is handled and stored as liquid manure, but there is a growing interest in adopting the deep-litter production system and using the resulting organic material as fertilizer. A field experiment was carried out on a typic Hapludalf in an experimental area of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, state of Rio Grande do Sul, from October 2002 to March 2003, to evaluate the soil N […]

In this study, quantitative and qualitative microbiological parameters were evaluated to detect differences related to soil and crop management. The study was carried out in a field experiment installed 14 years ago on a Rhodic Eutrudox, in Londrina, PR, Brazil. Treatments were a combination of a crop sequence (S) (soybean/wheat) and a crop rotation (R) (lupin/maize/black oat/soybean/wheat/soybean/wheat/soybean), either under conventional tillage (CT) or no-tillage (NT). Evaluations were performed when all systems were under the soybean cropping season, at full flowering. […]