The continuous and inadequate machine traffic and, or, the use of tillage tools on agricultural areas of the Cerrado region have been changing the soil physical and mechanical properties. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of the rear wheel and the sill on the compressibility of a dystrophic Red Latosol, caused by agricultural tillage tools usually used in the Cerrado region. This study was carried out in plots tillage with disk plow, moldboard plow, heavy disk […]

Soil compaction is one of the main consequences of inadequate soil management and can lead to a loss of the agricultural sustainability. The compressive behavior of a clayey Red Latosol (Oxisol) under four water tensions and under native vegetation, no-till, and conventional till with a disk plow for two decades was studied. Undisturbed soil samples were used to characterize the soil porosity and for uniaxial compression tests. Preconsolidation pressures and compression indexes were obtained from the soil compression curves, and […]

All anthropic action causes changes in the environment. The objective of this study was the evaluation of alterations on the physical properties of a typical Brazilian Oxisol, caused by agricultural soil management. Undisturbed soil samples were collected along a 1m top layer of the soil profile in three use and management systems: natural forestry, non-irrigated and irrigated. These samples were used to determine the soil water retention curves and then the soil pore size distribution. After flooding, the aeration porosity […]

Soil water content is one of the determining factors in controlling compaction caused by animal trampling or machinery traffic.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of water content (pore water saturation) on preconsolidation pressure (σ’p) and compression index (Cc) values, for two soils with contrasting textures, at two depths, cultivated under no tillage and conventional tillage.Undisturbed soil samples (5.35cm of diameter for 2cm of height) were collected in the surface layer (0 to 2cm) and in the […]

Knowing the susceptibility of a soil to compaction is important to adjust soil management, tillage practices, and traffic to cause minimal detrimental effects on soil properties. The objective of this study was to determine the preconsolidation pressure (σ’p) and the compression index (Cc) at two depths of two soils under no-tillage and conventional tillage, including a wide variation of the state of compaction. Undisturbed soil samples were collected with rings (5.4cm wide and 2.0cm high), at 0 to 2 and […]

Understanding the characteristics and properties of the soils of the state of Rio Grande do Sul low lands, which are being used now with the culture of irrigated rice, is indispensable for the adoption of practices involving irrigation, drainage, correction of acidity and fertility. Mainly when high productivity levels are desired with lower cost and with fewer possibilities of soil and air degradation. The objective of this work was to evaluate compaction of a Planossolo cultivated under different handling systems […]

The integration between agriculture and cattle-raising in some areas can restrict the use of no-tillage system in clayey soils, due to soil surface compaction, which restricts root growth and limits crop yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil physical properties and maize parameters caused by animal trampling preceding the summer crop, under two tillage systems. The degree of degradation of the cultivated soil compared to the native forest was also evaluated. The experiment was […]

The structural modifications caused by the different management systems to the soil can result in greater or lower compaction, which may change bulk density, porosity, water infiltration in the soil and crop root development. The present work aims to study the effects of structure soil moisture and soil resistance in the distribution of the corn root system in clay soil and under field condition, using conventional system (plowing plus leveler grille) for over 10 years, and no-tillage for over 20 […]

Phosphate sorption can cause particle dispersion, changing soil porosity, and affecting soil-water relationships, mainly in oxidic soils. Therefore, it can also affect water-related parameters, such as consistence limits and response to soil compaction. The objective of this study was to test the effect of phosphate sorption on consistence limits and compression indexes of undisturbed samples from 0-0.03 and 0.27-0.3 m-layers of a Dark Red Latosol from Campos das Vertentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Phosphate was added to half of the samples, during […]

Compaction is one of the main causes of degradation of agricultural soils and it has been evaluated through several indicators of: (a) soil structural quality for crop growth, such as the least limiting water range (LLWR), and (b) load support capacity of the soil, i.e., the preconsolidation pressure (σp). This research was carried out with the objective to relate the LLWR and the σp, as well as to determine critical pressures values that can be applied to the soil without […]