A large proportion of soybean fields in Brazil are currently cultivated in the Cerrado region, where the area planted with this crop is growing considerably every year. Soybean cultivation in acid soils is also increasing worldwide. Since the levels of toxic aluminum (Al) in these acid soils is usually high it is important to understand how cations can reduce Al rhizotoxicity in soybean. In the present study we evaluated the ameliorative effect of nine divalent cations (Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr, […]

This paper presents and tests a practical and easy method for setting up a tension table using sand layers obtained as quartz powder in the determination of the soil moisture retention curve up to 100 hPa. Twenty-eight undisturbed cores with varying clay (105 to 316 g kg-1) and organic matter contents (1.98 to 3.90 dag kg-1) along with a mini tensiometer were used to test the sand table efficiency. The results showed that the sand tension table was very reliable when measuring soil water retention […]

Shoot biomass is considered a relevant component for crop yield, but relationships between biological productivity and grain yield in legume crops are usually difficult to establish. Two field experiments were carried out to investigate the relationships between grain yield, biomass production and N and P accumulation at reproductive stages of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars. Nine and 18 cultivars were grown on 16 m2 plots in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with four replications. Crop biomass was sampled at four growth […]

The change of cultivation systems from conventional to no-tillage, the change in soil sampling depth and the higher crop yields over time can influence the critical P content, fertility ranges and fertilizer doses recommended for crops. The objective of this work was to calibrate the soil P tests, Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3 and anion-exchange (AER) resin for soybean, wheat and corn plants cultivated under no-tillage system, and to estimate the P fertilizer amounts for a maximum economic yield. For this purpose soil […]

Crop residue production, plant residue maintenance and their decomposition are important factors in the understanding of nutrient recycling process. To evaluate K accumulation and release a study with eight cover crops types was developed: pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum sin. tiphoydes), brachiaria grass (Brachiaria brizantha), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp), sunn hemp (Crotalarea juncea) and black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb), fallow land and conventional culture (control) in the experimental area of CEFET-Uberaba-MG, in a Cerrado area. […]

To date, little is known about the dynamics of water and air in porous spaces of soils exposed to mechanical stresses, mainly when the pressure is located on the pre-consolidation line. This study aimed to quantify the changes in the porous spaces of an Acrisol under two tillage systems, submitted to increasing one-dimensional compression, emphasizing the bulk density and water retention at two water potential levels. Undisturbed soil samples were collected under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT), with three […]

The soil use not always result in an ecological sustainable system. An intense and inadequate soil use leads to soil degradation. In this sense, this study aimed to investigate the influence of sewage sludge on the recovery of physical properties of a degraded Oxisol, cultivated for 2.5 years with eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora Hook) and Brachiaria grass (Brachiaria decumbens), in Selvíria, MS, Brazil. Six treatments were evaluated in an experiment in a randomized block design with four replications: (1) Savannah; (2) […]

Increasing underground plant biomass and soil aggregate stability by application of adequate management practices enhances the quality in terms of water infiltration and erosion resistance. Based on this premise, an erosion study using simulated rainfall was carried out in the field, at an experimental station of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – EEA/UFRGS), in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, in the summer of 2003/2004, in a 7.5 year soil management experiment. The purpose […]

Nitrogen deficiency is one of the important causes of degradation of cultivated pasture, mainly in the case of Brachiaria pastures. Soil recovery is a way to restore the productive capacity of pastures in degradation. Among nutrients, nitrogen is considered essential and largely responsible for pasture area recovery. The research objective was to evaluate the effects of application of nitrogen doses and sources on marandu grass pasture over a period of three years, based on soil chemical characteristics such as pH, […]

The swine industry generates large amounts of pig slurry (PS), which is reused as agricultural fertilizer. However, if applied at excessive rates, pig slurry becomes a severe environmental pollutant. The objective of this study was to evaluate forms of soil phosphorus accumulation after successive swine manure applications. The experiment was installed in 1995, in an area of native pasture. Rates of 0, 20 and 40 m3 ha-1 of PS were applied periodically (at 45 to 60 days intervals) during five […]