The impact of wood loads on bulk density and preconsolidation pressure and of harvester and forwarder traffic on rut depth, bulk density and preconsolidation pressure of two Ultisols were examined in this study. Our objective was to quantify the threshold beyond which significant soil compaction and rutting would occur. This study was carried out in the county of Eunápolis, state of Bahia, Brazil, (16 º 23 ‘ 17 ” S and 39 º 10 ‘ 06 ” W; altitude 80 […]

The S index corresponds to the slope of the soil water retention curve at its inflection point. A high S value indicates the presence of structural pores, which are essential for a good soil physical condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the index of soil physical quality (S), as proposed in the literature for some physical properties of soils from Southern Brazil. In the seven soils used here, no relationship was found between clay […]

The knowledge of the pressure levels that can be applied to the soil under different weed management system (WMS) is importante for coffee plantations management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different weed management systems on the susceptibility to compaction of a Red-Yellow Latossol (Oxisol) (LVA) using soil support capacity (CSC) models. This study was carried out at the Epamig Research Farm in Patrocínio, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in a coffee plantation using Ruby […]

Preconsolidation pressure (sp) is determined by a consolidation test method, based on the gradual transference of a load onto the soil until all porosity is compressed. The equipment used for this test is a consolidometer, which is not available in Brazil, while the models used abroad are very costly. In some cases this situation impairs the access of Brazilian researchers and farmers to data of Soil Load Support Capacity (SLCS). This study had the objective of developing and evaluating an […]

Minas Gerais state is the largest coffee producer in Brazil. The state contributes with over 50 % of the total production, which is for the most part cultivated in the Cerrado region. This region is outstanding in coffee production due to the advanced technology in mechanization. Consequently, the machine traffic that the soils are subjected to causes concern because of the possibility of widespread soil compaction. Our objectives were (a) to propose load support capacity models to a typical dystrophic […]

The preconsolidation pressure, despite the difficulties inherent to its measurement, provides a useful measure of the soil mechanical state for soil management and the planning of mechanization systems. The estimation of the preconsolidation pressure, based on easily measurable soil physical properties, may be relevant to solve some difficulties. The objectives of this study were: (a) to quantify the preconsolidation pressure and soil resistance to penetration measured in the laboratory and the field for a Haplustox under orange orchard, and (b) […]

The effects of machinery traffic on soil attributes following the adoption of no-till systems in tropical environments are still poorly documented. Numerous questions persist about the dynamic variation of soil structure and its interaction with machinery and equipments. The present study had the objective to evaluate the effect of time of adoption of no-tillage system and compare them to a conventionally tilled soil and a soil under a native forest using soil compressibility models. The evaluated systems were: PD1 (one […]

Increment in pasture productivity has been associated with the understanding of the soil behavior under compression. The objective of this research was to quantify (a) the compression curves and (b) the preconsolidation pressure of the soils under non-irrigated and irrigated short duration grazing systems. Ninety-six undisturbed soil samples were taken from the four successive pasture cycles of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) in a Hapludalf. The samples were saturated in water and equilibrated at the matrix potential (y): -10 kPa and then […]

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. […]

The heterogeneity in soil compaction induced by different traffic intensities can reduce the productivity of citrus trees. The objective of this research was to quantify the compression index (CI) and the preconsolidation pressure (sp) in different sampling positions (row, between wheel track, wheel track, and canopy projection) to evaluate the compaction heterogeneity in a Haplustox under an orange orchard. The sampling was carried out at forty randomly distributed sites (ten samples in each position). The samples were water saturated and […]