This study aimed to evaluate the influence of fertilization doses of liquid dairy manure combined with mineral fertilizer on the chemical properties of a Brown Oxisol, in no-tillage system and winter and summer crop rotation (sorghum/black-oat/corn/ryegrass/corn/ryegrass), for silage production, in the layers 0-5, 5-10, 10-30, 30-50 and 50-80 cm. The treatments were distributed in three randomized blocks, divided in 12 plots per block, in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement, with three mineral fertilizer levels (0, 50 and 100 % […]

The supply of mineral and organic manuring promotes alterations in the physical and chemical conditions of the soil, with consequent effects on crop productivity. An experiment was accomplished in the county of Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, from February 2004 to July 2006, to compare different organic fertilizers with the traditional chemical manuring of the yellow passion fruit plant regarding their effects on chemical and physical characteristics of the fertilized soil. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with four […]

In the recent years soybean cultivation has expanded largely in areas with sandier textures in the Cerrado. This has raised questions as to the sustainability and technical, economic and environmental viability of soybean production in these soils. Moreover, differences in the yield potential and nutrient dynamics in soil and plants are expected along a variation of soil texture. This study aimed to evaluate yield and nutritional aspects of soybean plants grown in Cerrado soils with different textures. Two databanks with […]

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of three soil cover species Acacia auriculiformis, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia and Corymbia citriodora compared to pasture and natural secondary forest on soil chemical and microbial attributes. The field survival rate of the species reached over 70% and the development in height and diameter (DAP) was adequate. The survival rate of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia was the highest among the legume species, while the development of Acacia auriculiformis was the best, mainly between 27 […]

Hydrogels based on polyacrylamide (PAAm) were synthesized and their efficiency for the controlled release of ammonium and potassium contained in fertilizers evaluated. The hydrogels were synthesized by polymerizing acrylamide (AAm) in aqueous solution at two acrylamide concentrations (3.6 and 21.7 %) using N-N’-methylene-bisacrylamide (MBAAm) as cross-linker and N,N,N’,N’ tetramethylethylenediamine (TEMED) as catalytic agent. Nutrient fixation was performed by immersion of hydrogels in aqueous nutrient solutions with 86 and 82 mg L-1 K+ and NH4+. The hydrophilic, spectroscopic and morphological properties […]

There is interest to establish the no-tillage system in areas cultivated previously with conventional tillage or pasture, with surface liming after system establishment. This practice is possible provided that there are no physical obstacles for root growth. Phosphogypsum is an alternative to decrease Al3+ and increase base saturation (BS), mainly Ca2+, in the subsoil, and can be used complementary to liming. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in chemical soil attributes (pH CaCl2, H + Al, Al3+, Ca2+, […]

The inadequate use of soils induces alterations, exhausting the productivity, and resulting in growing areas of degraded soil. This study had the objectives of a) studying alternatives to promote the formation of the A horizon of a degraded soil through the use of green manure, sewage sludge, and cultivation of a native tree species; and b) selecting soil quality indicators to detect the alterations in the surface layer. Evaluations were executed annually. The experimental design was in random blocks with […]

It is necessary to evaluate the soil physical and chemical attributes in studies that explore grazing systems intensively. In this work the variation in physical and chemical attributes of an Alfissol cultivated with Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. IPR-86 Milênio under grazing were evaluated from October 2001 to May 2002, in the fifth year of consecutive N application at rates of 0, 150, 300, and 450 kg ha-1. After five successive applications of 450 kg ha-1 N, the OM content increased 5 g dm-3, which resulted in […]

Presently, approximately 60 % of the grain crop area in Paraguay is under no-till (NT). With the expansion of NT in the country, some doubts were raised with respect to the obsoleteness of fertilizer recommendations, especially regarding phosphorus (P). The last P fertilizer recommendation had been established for conventional soil tillage system 15 years earlier. The main objective of this work was to update phosphate fertilizer recommendations for wheat, corn and soybean under NT. Seven different locations in eastern Paraguay were evaluated […]

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 […]