Where nutrients are lost by water erosion the eroded soil is impoverished and crop productivity is reduced, apart from the water contamination. Soluble N in the runoff is biologically available and contributes to eutrophication of the water and, depending on the form and content in the water, may be toxic to aquatic organisms. In order to evaluate the N content in the form of ammonium and nitrate in the runoff water, an experiment was conducted with simulated rainfall from April […]

The understanding of the N dynamics in pasture ecosystems can be improved by studies using the 15N tracer technique. However, in these experiments it must be ensured that the lateral movement of the labeled fertilizer does not interfere with the results. In this study the plot-size requirements for 15N-fertilizer recovery experiments with irrigated Panicum maximum cv.Tanzania was determined. Three grazing intensities (light, moderate and intensive grazing) in the winter, spring and summer seasons were considered. A 1 m2 plot-size, with a […]

Decomposing crop residues in no-tillage system can alter soil chemical properties, which may consequently influence the productivity of succession crops. The objective of this study was to evaluate soil chemical properties and soybean, maize and rice yield, grown in the summer, after winter crops in a no-tillage system. The experiment was carried out in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil (21 ° 15 ‘ 22 ” S; 48 ° 18 ‘ 58 ” W) on a Red Latosol (Oxisol), in a completely randomized block design, in strip plots with three replications. The treatments consisted of […]

Soils developed at semi-arid climate can present salt accumulation, which compromise the agricultural use, being increased by inadequate irrigation management. Based on the use, the degradation of these soils can occur at higher or smaller intensity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of soil uses based on physical and chemical properties of an irrigated area in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. The soil uses were annual crops (C), fruticulture (F), pasture (P), discarded lands (D), or native vegetation […]

The soil incubation methods can be used as tools to a better evaluation of N mineralization and availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential and net soil organic N mineralization, and relate them to N availability to plants. Twenty two soil samples (0-20 cm) were incubated at 35 ºC for 30 weeks in aerobic conditions and at 40 ºC for seven days in anaerobic conditions, and tested in a greenhouse experiment on corn plants. During the 30 weeks-incubation period […]

Agricultural soils can act as a source or sink of atmospheric C, according to the soil management. This long-term experiment (22 years) was evaluated during 30 days in autumn, to quantify the effect of tillage systems (conventional tillage-CT and no-till-NT) on the soil CO2-C flux in a Rhodic Hapludox in Rio Grande do Sul State, Southern Brazil. A closed-dynamic system (Flux Chamber 6400-09, Licor) and a static system (alkali absorption) were used to measure soil CO2-C flux immediately after soybean harvest. Soil […]

Dark subsurface horizons, with properties similar to the sombric horizon characterized by the USA Soil Taxonomy, are frequent in Southern Brazil. The genesis of this horizon is controversial and poorly understood. This study aimed to describe the occurrence of sombric-like horizons in Ultisols in the South of Santa Catarina State, at low altitudes, and suggest possible processes of humus transference, accumulation and persistence in these horizons. Physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of four Ultisols were evaluated; three were sampled in […]

The Depressão Central region in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is characterized by large areas of sandy soil that were intensively cultivated with flooded rice in the last decades. Currently, the high rice yields, along with the low organic matter content of these soils and the fertilization practices are favorable conditions for the appearance of sulfur (S) deficiency. With the purpose of determining sulfur distribution in the soil profile and recommending levels of this element for flooded […]

Nitrogen is the nutrient required in the largest quantity by plants and is generally the most limiting nutrient for crop yield. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of cropping systems on N accumulation and availability in the soil. A long-term experiment (22 years) was conducted on a Paleudult soil at an experimental station of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (30 º 50 ‘ 52 ” S and 51 º 38 ‘ 08 ” W), in Eldorado do Sul, Brazil, established in 1983. The experiment consisted […]

The residues flue dust, aqueous lime and sewage sludge (centrifuge and biodigestor) may affect soil physical attributes. The use of industrial and urban residues in soil, with emphasis to sewage sludge, was done in tilled soil, and there are no repports on soil physical attributes affected by these residues on soil surface in no-till system The goal of this study was to evaluate the physical attributes of a an Oxisol in no-till system by surface dispoasal of sewage sludge, flue […]