Soil fertility can be evaluated by several methods, such as field or greenhouse tests with plants. In greenhouse studies with untilled soils the sampling of undisturbed soil cores is difficult. The aim of this study was to propose an equipment for undisturbed soil core sampling of untilled soils for greenhouse studies and test its efficiency. A sampler with a diameter of 200 mm and depth of 300 mm was developed. The soil penetration resistance and density of the soil and […]

The least limiting water range (LLWR) integrates the plant growth factors and the critical bulk density is an indicator of the soil structural quality. The objective of this study was to determine the LLWR of a clayey Oxisol. Soil samples with preserved structure were collected in an experiment with three levels of soil compaction: NT – continuous no-tillage for six years, NTc – no-tillage with additional compaction and Chi – chisel plowing on previous no-till soil. To determine soil penetration […]

In agriculture, the soil strength is used to describe the susceptibility to deformation by pressure caused by agricultural machine. The purpose of this study was to compare different methods for estimating the inherent soil strength and to identify their suitability for the evaluation of load support capacity, compaction susceptibility and root growth. The physical, chemical, mineralogical and intrinsic strength properties of seven soil samples, collected from five sampling pits at different locations in Brazil, were measured. Four clay (CS) and […]

The cohesive soils of Brazilian coastal plain have subsurface horizon with a peculiar characteristic – when wet the consistency is friablet, but of hard, very hard or extremely hard consistency when dry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of cohesive and non-cohesive horizons of a Yellow Latosol of coastal tableland based on shear parameters related with soil physical and chemical properties and moisture. The results showed that soil cohesion and shear strength increased substantially with […]

The structural soil modifications caused by different tillage systems can result in more or less intense compaction, which interferes with soil penetration resistance, bulk density and porosity, influencing root growth and crop yields. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of compaction on particular characteristics of a Red Latosol and associate them with root growth and maize yield. The main treatments consisted of six compaction levels, induced by controlled tractor traffic and the secondary treatments of two […]

Selective logging may become a form of sustainable use of Amazon forest ecosystems since most part of the forest biomass is maintained and the impacts on the exploited area are lower than in comparison to those under other land uses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of selective logging on some soil physical characteristics. The study area lies about 80 km north of Manaus and the vegetation is a humid tropical rainforest. Seven to ten trees/ha (DAP > 55 cm) […]

The intensive use of machines and agricultural equipments in the northeastearn São Paulo State has contributed to increase the areas with compaction problems, probably due to the absence of a well-defined operation chronogram or of models capable of predicting the soil support capacity. This study was conducted in Guariba (SP), with the objective of evaluating the spatial variability of the penetration resistance, soil moisture, and bulk density of a Oxisol (rhodic Eutrustox) under sugar-cane cultivation. The soils were sampled at […]

Soil compression curves are frequently used in compaction studies. These curves describe the relationship between the logarithm of applied pressure and the soil bulk density or void ratio. The preconsolidation pressure divides the soil compression curves into a region of recoverable and a region of unrecoverable deformations. Consequently, the preconsolidation pressure has been used as an estimate of soil load support capacity of partially saturated soils. The preconsolidation pressure is laboratory-obtained through the uniaxial compression test which requires sophisticated equipment. […]

Soil management alters the physical soil properties and changes the soil air, water, and solute dynamics. Physical soil properties as affected by conservationist soil management systems were studied in a sandy loam Typic Hapludalf. The treatments were established on a soil that has been under no-tillage for 10 years, and consisted of: no-tillage soybeans, chisel tillage soybeans, reduced tillage Crotalaria, and bare soil without tillage. The evaluated soil properties were soil penetration resistance, bulk density, porosity, pore size distribution, saturated […]

Soil pans caused by tillage operation may restrict root growth thus reducing yield. Physical properties of soil such as bulk density and soil strength have been used as parameters for management decision in order to promote root growth. This work was carried out to evaluate the relationship among these soil parameters and root growth, in a 7 year field experiment with five soil tillage systems and soybean (Glycine Max L.). The tillage systems combined summer and autumn tillage with disk […]