Crop species with the C4 photosynthetic pathway are more efficient in assimilating N than C3 plants, which results in different N amounts prone to be washed from its straw by rain water. Such differences may affect N recycling in agricultural systems where these species are grown as cover crops. In this experiment, phytomass production and N leaching from the straw of grasses with different photosynthetic pathways were studied in response to N application. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and congo grass […]

There are great concerns about degradation of agricultural soils. It has been suggested that cultivating different plant species intercropped with coffee plants can increase microbial diversity and enhance soil sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate enzyme activity (urease, arylsulfatase and phosphatase) and alterations in C and N mineralization rates as related to different legume cover crops planted between rows of coffee plants. Soil samples were collected in a field experiment conducted for 10 years in a sandy […]

To maximize the efficiency of N uptake by plants it is important to study N and C mineralization, particularly in the case of eucalyptus, which has a very low response to nitrogen fertilization. The rates of C and N mineralization and C and N mineralization potential were estimated, in soils under 1, 3, 5, and 13 year-old eucalyptus plantations with similar soil and climatic conditions. Soil from the 0-10 cm layer was sampled in November 2003. The samples were incubated under aerobic […]

The nutrients in rainwater that reach the soil by throughfall or stemflow may represent significant nutrient fluxes in agroforestry systems with low external input. However, there is no information about these processes in agroecosystems of semi-arid northeastern Brazil. This study was conducted in an alley cropping system with Gliricidia and maize in Esperança, PB, Brazil. The objectives of the study were to quantify: (a) the proportion of rainfall that reaches the soil as throughfall or stemflow and the amount intercepted […]

This review aimed to compile information on the effect of plant-produced organic compounds on soil nutrient availability, especially on the cations Ca, Mg and K, and on the anion phosphate. The tillage system alters the soil chemical and physical properties, especially the nutrient availability and soil physical conditions. Due to the absence of soil plowing and deposition of crop residue on the soil surface, nutrient accumulation has been observed in soil surface layers in the no-till system. Plant organic acids […]

Microbial activity is highly relevant for nutrient cycling and soil fertility in forest plantations. Due to the long growth cycles, continuous litter production and dead roots contribute to storage and increase of soil organic matter. Changes in soil and litter microbial biomass and activity under 1, 3, 5 and 13-year-old eucalypt plantations were evaluated. Soil and climate conditions were the same at the sites. Microbial biomass C and N were higher in litter than in soil. Then, litter could be […]

Leaf-cutting ants (Atta spp.) are widely distributed in South America, and are considered to be important components of the neotropical ecosystems. Several studies have demonstrated the effect of ant-nesting in soil enrichment, thus facilitating vegetation succession. Possibly, this enrichment is due to decomposed organic matter concentration after disposal of nest refuse in the deep soil by the colonies. However, little is known about the chemical composition of refuse material produced by leaf-cutting ants. The present work aimed to compare the […]

The objective of this study was to measure the speed of decomposition and nutrient release in situ from residues of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) crop. In field conditions, leaves of common bean cultivars senesced during the growth cycle and stems and podwalls after pod threshing were collected. These residues contained 2.3 Mg ha-1 of mass, 31 kg ha-1 of N and 2.4 kg ha-1 of P that corresponded to 63, 41 and 28 % of total mass, N and […]

The use of pig slurry before implanting cover crops in the fall/winter is becoming a common practice in southern Brazil, although its effects on crops and soil are still poorly investigated. The objective of the present study was to analyze the dynamics of soil N as well as to study the cover crop yields under use of pig slurry in the fall/winter. The study was developed in the growing season 2000 on an experimental area of the Soils Department of […]

A considerable part of eucalypt plantations in Brazil grows on low-fertility soils for which fertilization techniques and nutrient cycling processes are important to elevate and maintain the forest production. The response of these plantations to nitrogen fertilization has been relatively low, indicating that the soil has been capable of supplying part of the plant demand. Microbial biomass N is considered a readily available fraction, but little is known about the biotic and abiotic factors that affect its dynamics in eucalypt […]