Irrigation with treated domestic sewage wastewater (TSE) is an agricultural practice to reduce water requirements of agroecossystems and the nutrient load impact on freshwaters, but adverse effects on soil chemical (salinization, sodification, etc.) and soil physical properties (alteration in soil porosity and hydraulic conductivity, etc.) have been reported. This study aimed to define some relationships among these changes in an Oxisol using multivariate analysis. Corn (Zea mays L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) were grown for two years, irrigated with […]

Crop-livestock integration can affect soil physical properties, altering the yield and plant composition during the various no-tillage crop cycles. The objective of this study was to select the soil properties with the clearest relationship with yield and crude protein content of Brachiaria brizantha. Linear and spatial correlations were analyzed between dry matter yield and crude protein of Brachiaria brizantha and of some physical properties of a Dystroferric Red Latosol (Oxisol), in three layers (0-0.10; 0.10-0.20; 0.20-0.30 m). A geostatistical grid was […]

Soil porosity, especially pore size distribution, is an important controlling factor for soil infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, and water retention. This study aimed to verify the effect of secondary-treated domestic wastewater (STW) on the porosity of a sandy loam Oxisol in the city of Lins, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The two-year experiment was divided into three plots: soil cultivated with corn and sunflower and irrigated with STW, soil cultivated and irrigated with sodic groundwater, and non-irrigated and non-cultivated soil (control). […]

The chemistry of the soil solution can be regarded as an indicator of the presence of nutrients or contaminants in the soil. To evaluate the variation of this chemical composition in the soil pores, a sequential system of extraction of the soil solution from the different soil pore classes was used. Soil columns were constructed and filled with air-dried fine soil of a Dystrophic Ultisol, and irrigated with: distilled water (T1), treated wastewater (T2) and treated wastewater + 1.2 g […]

The soil compaction, induced by different traffic intensities, can cause damage in the soil structure, reducing the coffee plantation production. The objectives of this study was to develop a model of load support capacity for a Red Latosol (Oxisol) under Cerrado and under coffee and to investigate the effect of coffee plantation management on soil pore distribution and soil water retention, in different sampling positions in the coffee plantation. The stud site is located at 18 º 59 ‘ 15 […]

The soil management may influence soil hydro-physical conditions and crop yield. The objective of this study was to determine soil physical properties of an Albaqualf under management systems and to compare them with those under a native pasture. The bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity and aggregation were evaluated in the soil layers 0-0.025; 0.025-0.075; 0.075-0.125; 0.125-0.175; and 0.175-0.275 m. The hydro-physical soil conditions in no-till and conventional systems were similar. The conditions in the soil under native […]

Chiseling and cover crops can be used in the management of orchards with the purpose of improving soil physical conditions and reducing soil compaction. This study had the objective of evaluating the influence of chiseling on the development of cover crops and citrus trees and on soil physical properties in an orchard with a compaction history in a clayey Typic Haplorthox. The soil was chiseled at 0.30 m, followed by three soil cover crops: spontaneous vegetation, pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), […]

Soil management systems modify the spatial distribution of soil physical properties. The objectives of this study were to verify the spatial dependency and co-relationship of some soil physical properties by data fitting to individual and cross-semivariograms in an Oxisol (Typic Haplorthox) under no-till and conventional tillage, in Campo Mourão, state of Parana, Brazil. In April 2004, 128 undisturbed soil samples were collected in a 3 x 5 m grid, in the middle of the 5-0.15 m layer. The following soil […]

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 […]