The cultivation system can influence physical and chemical soil properties by changing the root development of crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) and of liming (0 and 2.0 t ha-1) on the root system of sugarcane. The study was conducted on an Oxisol in a long-term experiment initiated in 1998, after three sugarcane cycles of four years without burning the cane trash at harvest. The soil was sampled […]

Shoot biomass is considered a relevant component for crop yield, but relationships between biological productivity and grain yield in legume crops are usually difficult to establish. Two field experiments were carried out to investigate the relationships between grain yield, biomass production and N and P accumulation at reproductive stages of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars. Nine and 18 cultivars were grown on 16 m2 plots in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with four replications. Crop biomass was sampled at four growth […]

Appropriate boron (B) availability in soils favors root growth, and a sufficient supply of this micronutrient is very important for adequate rice development and yield in upland fields, depending on the cultivars and soil type. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of B addition on growth of roots and shoot of three upland rice cultivars. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, in 10 L pots containing 8 kg of an Hapludox; the experiment was in a completely […]

Seeds of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with high P concentration, obtained from plants which had received foliar fertilization, were used in a greenhouse experiment to evaluate the effects of seed P concentration on growth and nodulation of common bean during the vegetative stage.The experiment had a 2x2x 3×3 factorial randomized block design with four replicates: two cultivars (Carioca and Rio Tibagi), two seed P concentrations (low and high, corresponding to 4.3 and 5.6mgg-1 for Carioca, and 4.8 and 6.3mgg-1 […]

Soil compaction has been a very common problem on the fields, affecting growth and yield of the crops as well as soil and water conservation. In order to study this problem, five winter green manure species (Vicia sativa; Raphanus sativus; Lupinus albus; Avena strigosa and Avena sativa) were cultivated in four soil profiles with increasing levels of subsurface compaction (soil bulk densities: 1.31, 1.43, 1.58 and 1.70 Mg m-3). The experiment was carried out in pots under greenhouse conditions at […]

Root growth impairment has sometimes been attributed to zinc deficiency. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in Botucatu, SP, Brazil, in 1997/98, using 2.5 L pots. Zinc redistribution within the plant and the effect of zinc deficiency on root growth were studied in corn (Zea mays) plants grown in nutrient solution containing from 0.0 to 2.0 µmol L-1 of Zn. Half of the pots also received foliar application of Zn. The experiment was terminated 40 days after plant emergence. Dry matter […]

Farming and cattle-raising integrated system is an alternative to increase farmers’ yield in southern Brazil (29o 45´south and 53o 42´ west Greenwich). However, grazing and, or, soil tillage may cause soil compaction at levels that can affect root growth and crop yield. The effect of animal trampling in continuous grazing during winter/spring (cold season) and soil management system effects on soil compaction, chemical attributes and root distribution were studied. The soil used was a Red-Yellow Podzolic (Hapludalf), with a loam […]

The study of root distribution in soils is an adequate method to detect adverse conditions to root development, and evaluate the effect of soil alterations caused by soil management systems. With these objectives, a field experiment was carried out for five years on a Paleudult soil with oat + clover/maize under conventional tillage, reduced tillage and no tillage. To observe the structural modifications of the soil, an adaptation of the “profil cultural” method, was used along with the determination of […]

Corn grain yield is very responsive do Zn in Brazilian soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted in the Crop Science Department of the Botucatu College of Agricultural Sciences to compare sources of Zn and their application to corn. Three plants were grown up to 45 days in 10 L pots filled with a Dark Red Latosol (Acrortox, 22% clay). The soil was limed to 70% of base saturation. Zinc was applied to corn seeds (90 g ha-1), in the seed […]