ABSTRACT Production of Conilon coffee under organic management systems has increased in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. However, information is lacking in regard to the impact of these management practices on soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic fertilization on C and N stocks and soil bulk density (Bd) in a Conilon coffee agrosystem. A field experiment was carried out in Linhares, ES, in a randomized block design in […]

The use of organic fertilizers and the inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi in the cultivation of oil crops is essential to reduce production costs and minimize negative impacts on natural resources. A field experiment was conducted in an Argissolo Amarelo (Ultisol) with the aim of evaluating the effects of fertilizer application and inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth attributes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and on soil chemical properties. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Rio […]

Soil and water losses by erosion were measured in forest ecosystems and were related to the calculated maximum tolerable soil losses. Main soil classes in the Coastal Plains of the region of Aracruz (ES) were studied, with the aim of obtaining indicators of management adequacy for this production system. The experimental plots were set on loamy/clayey Yellow Argisol (PA1), Haplic Plinthosol (FX), and moderately rocky Yellow Argisol (PA8). The slopes ranged from 2-8  %, 1-12  %, and 29-36  %, for each soil class. […]

In the tropical soil environment, raindrop impact is capable of disrupting natural soil aggregation and porosity, thus influencing the amount of infiltrated water and its redistribution. Under such conditions, a vegetation cover of weeds cannot be viewed simply as a crop competitor. This research project was designed to examine, under field conditions, the changes of soil properties, namely soil water content, structure and sealing, resulting from different types of weed management, with the aim of contributing to the establishment of […]

This study was carried out under laboratory conditions from September to December, 1992. The objective was to evaluate the mineralization of nitrogen in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) green manure, using 15N as tracer, in three major soils of Central Amazon: an Oxisol, an Ultisol and a Low-Humic Gley. The variation in amount and form of the mineral N from cowpea residues was related to the chemical characteristics of each soil. In the Oxisol and Ultisol the incorporation of green manure […]

The efficiency of two nitrogen fertilizers, ammonium sulphate and urea, labelled with 15N, in two major Central-Amazonian soils (Yellow Latosol – an Oxisol and Red-Yellow Podzolic – an Ultisol), was studied in greenhouse experiments in Nancy, France, 1992. Italian rye-grass (Lolium multiflorum L.) was used as the test plant. Rye-grass nitrogen uptake of ammonium sulphate ranged from 44 to 49%, and of urea from 60 to 70%. Immobilization and losses of nitrogen were dependent on the fertilizer type. Microbial nitrogen […]