The cover crops in no-till system can contribute to the formation of mulch and nutrient cycling to annual crops in succession. The objective of this study was to evaluate biomass production and nutrient cycling of cover crops sown in the second growing season, in crop rotation after upland rice and soybean, in no-tillage and conventional tillage systems, on a Red Latassol of Rio Verde, state of Goiás, from April 2008 to April 2010. The experiment was evaluated in randomized strips, […]

In agricultural systems the N-NH4+ and N-NO3– contents is significantly affected by soil management. This study investigated the dynamics of inorganic nitrogen (N; NH4+ and NO3–) in an experimental evaluation of soil management systems (SMSs) adopted in 1988 at the experimental station of the ABC Foundation in Ponta Grossa, in the Central South region of the State of Paraná. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in N-NH4+ and N-NO3– flux in the surface layer of a […]

On paddy soils in the southern region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, irrigated (flooded) rice is grown on 1´000´000 ha, under different soil management systems. The influence of poor drainage and alternating oxidation and reduction cycles on the content of soil organic carbon is still poorly understood. This long-term study (21 years) was conducted in Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil, to evaluate the effect of irrigated rice management systems on soil organic carbon stocks and physical […]

The state of Rio Grande do Sul is an important tobacco producer. The crop is produced in three management systems: conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) and no tillage (NT). To assess the impact of these systems on the soil fauna population, the epigeic fauna was sampled. Aside from the three cited systems, an area in conversion from tobacco to grape (TGr) and an area of native forest (NF) were evaluated. Ten Provid traps per area were used for sampling. […]

The environmental zoning for soil and water conservation provides useful information about land use and management. Thus, this study proposes (i) an environmental zoning, based on the combination of Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), soil loss tolerance (T) estimates adapted to Brazilian soils and environmental legislation; and (ii) qualitative-quantitative monitoring of water resources using Total Maximum Daily Load curves (TMDLs). The study area was the Ribeirão Salobra Basin (Terenos, MS, Brazil), located in the transition between the biomes Cerrado and […]

Pig slurry application as soil manure can alter the chemical properties of the soil and affect its acidity, modifying the environment for crop growth and development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical properties related to soil acidity subjected to successive applications of pig slurry. The experiment was conducted in May 2000, in an experimental area of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) under no-tillage and lasted until January 2008. Nineteen surface applications of 0, 20, […]

One of the main problems faced by humanity is pollution caused by residues resulting from the production and use of goods, e.g, sewage sludge. Among the various alternatives for its disposal, the agricultural use seems promising. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity and interaction of soil with sandy-silty texture, classified as Spodosols, from the Experimental Station Itapirema – IPA, in Goiana, state of Pernambuco, in mixtures with sewage sludge from the Mangueira Sewage Treatment Station, […]

Among the techniques for soil moisture evaluation, the use of Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) stands out, which consists of an indirect, non-destructive, fast and accurate method less dependent on environmental factors. However, works carried out after its applications suggest the influence of factors related to soils structural and mineralogical characteristics, which makes necessary the site calibration for the TDR proper functioning. The aim of this work was to study the influence of bulk density (Ds) on the volumetric soil water […]

Despite the efficiency of the Shoemaker, McLean, Pratt (SMP) buffer method in estimating soil acidity, the presence of p-nitrophenol and potassium chromate in the solution, both hazardous substances, has caused increasing environmental concerns. The purpose of this study was to test Sikora method (Sikora, 2006) as an alternative to the adapted SMP buffer method, generally used to estimate potential acidity of Southern Brazilian soils. For the test, 21 soils in the South and Cerrado regions of Brazil were sampled. (1) […]

Pasture-agroforestry systems have become an important strategy for the use of sandy soils in the Pampa Biome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the aggregation, total organic C (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN), carbon of the physical fractions and humification degree of organic matter (OM). Evaluations were conducted in an Alfisol under homogenous eucalyptus forest (HF), between the rows of a pasture-agroforestry system (PA) and in native pasture (NP) in the layers 0.000-0.025, 0.025-0.075, 0.075-0.125, and 0.125-0.225 m. […]