ABSTRACT Large-scale mining operations, such as those associated with iron extraction, disturb soils and vegetation and create the need for effective rehabilitation practices. The Iron Quadrangle region of southeastern Brazil is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots; however, iron mining activities threaten many natural and seminatural ecosystem types in which many rare/protected species occur. The Iron Quadrangle has four main ecosystem types: Atlantic Forest (AF), ferruginous rupestrian grassland with dense vegetation (FRG-D); ferruginous rupestrian grassland with sparse vegetation (FRG-S); and […]

ABSTRACT Conservation agriculture principles applied to peanut can reduce soil erosion and production costs when cultivated in rotation with sugarcane. Still, the problem with soil compaction is the leading cause of skepticism about the efficacy of this practice. This research aimed to study the effect of three soil management strategies compared with conventional for peanut cv. IAC-OL3, cultivated in rotation with sugarcane using the MEIOSI (method of intercropping occurring simultaneously) system for agronomic practices with additional analysis on changes in […]

ABSTRACT Sandy texture soils have a great expression in agricultural areas worldwide. In the Baixada Fluminense, soils with a sandy texture on the surface horizons are striking, and a good part of these areas is destined for producing vegetables using conventional cultivation methods. The sandy texture is one of the great challenges for agriculture due to the low water retention capacity provided to the soil, the rapid decomposition of organic matter, and the intense loss of nutrients by leaching. In […]

ABSTRACT Soil macrofauna is an important indicator of soil quality, as it is sensitive to changes in the environment as a result of soil management, which includes soil chemical and physical properties and the diversity of cultivated species. This study aimed to evaluate the composition and structure of soil macrofauna under a no-tillage system in different crop sequences, with and without crop rotation, over two growing seasons: a rainy summer and a dry winter. The crop sequences were soybean/corn rotation […]

ABSTRACT One of the pillars of a no-tillage system is the addition of adequate amounts of residue to keep the soil continuously covered. Cover crops are a tool for supplying the demand for the permanence of residues on the soil surface and releasing nutrients to the soil. However, there is no index that relates these two factors and can reconcile the maximum permanence of crop residues in the soil with the maximum N supply via N mineralization of such residues. […]

ABSTRACT To meet the growing demand for bioenergy such as ethanol, the area cultivated with sugarcane has expanded, especially in areas currently occupied by extensive pastures with low productivity. However, land-use change (LUC) from pasture to sugarcane implies changes in soil structure and variations in organic matter (SOM) stored in the soil. This study aimed to quantify the impact of LUC on organic matter fractions – particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) – in soils with contrasting […]

ABSTRACT Aluminum (Al) is an important abiotic stress factor constricting the production of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) in acid soil conditions. This study investigated the effect of Al and pH levels on the photosynthesis, proline accumulation, and nutritional status of two cowpea cultivars. Two pot experiments under greenhouse conditions were performed concurrently. Each experiment was carried out using a completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme 2 × 3 +1, in which each cultivar was exposed to two levels […]

ABSTRACT Agrosilvopastoral systems have been used as sustainable production models that can promote soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. However, there are no simulation studies with the Century model to estimate the SOC accumulation capacity in the long term, analyzing the effects of management and climate change in integrated crop-livestock-forest (ICLF) systems. This study aimed to simulate soil C dynamics in two chronosequences of land-use composed of native vegetation (NV), degraded pasture (DPA) and ICLF system in the Cerrado of Minas […]

ABSTRACT Conservation management practices with minimum soil mobilization, maintenance of amounts of straw in the soil, and chiseling of ratoons interrows can be beneficial to soil quality, nutrition and sugarcane yield; however, the combination of these practices and their influence over the culture cycle should be better understood. This study aimed to assess the effects of levels of remaining straw and chiseling in the cultivation of ratoons on soil fertility, nutritional status and yield of stalks and sugar in one […]

ABSTRACT Soil nutrient availability and interpretations of nutrient contents are based on the results obtained from specific extraction methods used in routine testing laboratories. The development of new extraction methods and new extractants with better accuracy is particularly important to determine the correct fertilizer rates to be applied. For this purpose, this study aims to synthesize, characterize and evaluate the predictive capacity of cellulose acetate film containing calcinated layered double hydroxide (CAF-LDH-c), as a new extractant and a new method […]