Currently in Brazil, as in other parts of the world, the concern is great with the increase of degraded agricultural soil, which is mostly related to the occurrence of soil compaction. Although soil texture is recognized as a very important component in the soil compressive behaviors, there are few studies that quantify its influence on the structural changes of Latosols in the Brazilian Cerrado region. This study aimed to evaluate structural changes and the compressive behavior of Latosols in Rio […]

The use of inoculants containing N-fixing bacteria for cowpea in the regions North, Northeast, and Central-West of Brazil is on the rise every year. However, in some cases, strains recommended for soybean have been used despite the existence of specific strains for cowpea. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of Bradyrhizobium strains recommended for soybean in cowpea nodulation and development. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with cultivar BRS Guariba, evaluating the soybean recommended strains: SEMIA 5079 (= CPAC15), SEMIA […]

Cropping systems and management of phosphate fertilization affect P availability in the soil, its accessibility for plants and finally, crop yields. This calls for an evaluation of P distribution in the soil profile, in long-term experiments, to understand the impact of each cropping system and fertilization management on this process. An area of Embrapa Cerrados, in Planaltina – DF, in an Oxisol, with very low P content at the beginning of the experiment, was cultivated for 14 years with soybean […]

The mineralogy of Mn oxides is highly variable and complex, since the number of minerals is large and the knowledge of their structures imprecise. In view of the scarcity of specific papers on Mn oxides in Brazilian soils and their unusually high contents in some soils of one of the Iron Ore Province (IOP) of Minas Gerais State, this study aimed to characterize the chemistry and mineralogy of these oxides in the soils of this region, stratifying them according to […]

Cowpea Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp. is the main subsistence crop of the semi-arid region and a low-cost protein source, especially for poorer populations. The production of this crop in the Northeast is low due to the lack of agricultural inputs, among them, nitrogen fertilizer. Plant-growth promoting bacteria (BGPB) are being studied to maximize N2 fixation, provide nutrients such as P or phytohormones and inhibit diseases. The objectives of this study were to verify the viability of co- inoculation of cowpea […]

Water soluble phosphates are the most often used phosphorus sources in fertilizers for ease of P release to the soil. However, in tropical soils, much of this P is adsorbed to soil particles and becomes unavailable to plants. Conversely, reactive phosphates may be slow initial releasers of the nutrient, but be released continually to the developing crops, reducing soil P fixation. The aim of this study was to investigate the application of two P sources to triticale and assess the […]

Soil water availability to plants is affected by soil compaction and other variables. The Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR) comprises soil physical variables affecting root growth and soil water availability, and can be managed by either mechanical or biological methods. There is evidence that effects of crop rotations could last longer than chiseling, so the objective of this study was to assess the effect of soil chiseling or growing cover crops under no-till (NT) on the LLWR. Crop rotations involving […]

Chibui bari is an edaphic oligochaeta from the Amazon region, called “minhocuçu” in view of its large size (length up to 60 cm). Their castings, in tower-shaped mounds with a height of up to 30 cm and dry weight of 2 kg, are common on the soil surface of Acre State. The objective of this study was to compare nutrient availability, organic carbon concentration and microbial activity in Chibui bari castings with soil of the surroundings under secondary forest, rubber […]

The process of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), performed by symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria with legume species, commonly known as α and β rhizobia, provides high sustainability for the ecosystems. Its management as a biotechnology is well succeeded for improving crop yields. A remarkable example of this success is the inoculation of Brazilian soybeans with Bradyrhizobium strains. Rhizobia produce a wide diversity of chemical structures of exopolysaccharides (EPS). Although the role of EPS is relatively well studied in the process of […]

To synchronize nutrient availability with the requirements of eucalyptus during a cultivation cycle, the nutrient flow of this system must be well understood. Essential, for example, is information about nutrient dynamics in eucalyptus plantations throughout a cultivation cycle, as well as impacts on soil nutrient reserves caused by the accumulation and subsequent export of nutrients via biomass. It is also important to quantify the effect of some management practices, such as tree population density (PD) on these fluxes. Some nutrient […]