Adequate management of nitrogen fertilizer is one of the main difficulties on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) crop. However, the biological N2 fixation is an alternative source of N supply to this crop. This study had the purpose to evaluate the response of common bean to rhizobium inoculation and split application of N fertilizer in terms of plant nodulation and grain yield. Besides, this study aimed to evaluate the economic viability of using N fertilizer application and/or rhizobium inoculation on […]

In view of the high cost of fertilizers and the importance of mineral nutrition on the technology level used by rice producers for yields in southern Brazil, the use of evaluation techniques of the nutritional status, such as foliar diagnosis has become essential. Among the methods for nutritional plant diagnosis, the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) stands out, which is based on the concept of nutrient balance. The objective of this study was to establish a DRIS reference norm […]

With the expansion of the sugar/alcohol sector, the native vegetation was removed from soils with few limitations as well as with great risks for intensive cultivation and the areas incorporated in the production process. Therefore, the adoption of management systems that maintain the soil structure may be a key for the maintenance of the quality and sustainability of sugarcane production systems. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the use potential for sugarcane and structural quality of a […]

The economic attractiveness and negative environmental impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization in pastures depend on the N use efficiency in the soil-plant system. However, the recovery of urea-15N by Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania pastures, one of the most widely used forage species in intensified pastoral systems, is still unknown. This experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four treatments (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha-1 of N-urea) and three replications, to determine the recovery of 15N urea by […]

In recently fertilized soils, plants uptake nutrients mainly from around the granules, but little is known about the chemical composition of these zones. This study aimed to evaluate the K concentration gradient as well as the electrolyte concentration around KCl granules applied at different rates to five soils varying in clay (95 to 569 g kg-1) and organic matter (13 to 54 g kg-1) contents. Treatments consisted of four KCl rates (0, 50, 100, and 200 kg ha-1 K2O). These quantities were obtained by simulating a […]

Soil physical characteristics were evaluated of a typical dystrophic Red Latosol (Typic Haplorthox) located in Passo Fundo, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, after ten years (1993 to 2003) under mixed production systems. The effects of production systems integrating grain production with winter annual and perennial forages under no-tillage were assessed. Five mixed cropping systems were evaluated: I) wheat/soybean, white oat/soybean, and common vetch/corn; II) wheat/soybean, white oat/soybean, and annual forages (black oat + common vetch)/corn; III) perennial cool […]

The in situ ion exchange resin membrane allows a partial simulation of the behavior of plant roots regarding phosphorus absorption from soil solution. Soil sampling is rendered unnecessary since the technique is used directly in the soil where the plants are grown and may be a promising methodology in the determination of phosphorus availability for crops. To evaluate the technique, a greenhouse experiment was carried out with resin membranes buried in the soil when plants were sown (day zero) and […]

Tannery residues are potential pollution sources in several regions of Brazil, mainly in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. One of the alternatives for the final destination of the sludge resulting from the waste water treatment of tanning industries is the disposal and recycling in the soil. To evaluate the effects of two waste types originated from primary treatment of tannery residual water on soil microbial populations, an open air pot experiment was carried out in a Paleudult soil […]

The expansion of the soybean crop has evidenced a high host specificity, indicating the requirement of new strains with capacity of nodulating soybean and competition capacity with the natural soil rhizobial population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the host specificity of mutants isolated from Bradyrhizobium spp strains in relation to nodulation and relative N2 fixation effectiveness in soybean (cultivars Peking and Clark), cowpea and pigeon pea. The experiment was carried out under controlled conditions in a growth […]

Despite of Luvisols and Planosols being ubiquitous in the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil there are very few studies on the micromorphology and genesis of these soils. The purpose of this study was to investigate the soil micromorphology of four toposequences of Luvisols to understand and identify the main soil formation processes. Profiles of 12 soils (10 Luvisols and 2 Planosols) arranged in four toposequences were selected in the semiarid region of the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba. Undisturbed samples […]