The metal pieces of coffins, such as handles and adornments, are considered the main source of soil heavy metal contamination. Other sources of pollutants are the products used in the body embalming, wood preservatives and fluids released from body decomposition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clay fraction mineralogy and heavy metal contents of soils from Santa Cândida Municipal Cemetery, in Curitiba (PR), and estimate the contamination risk. The samples were collected at three depths (0-20, 20-80 […]

The dispersion of Oxisol samples can be somewhat difficult due to highly stable microaggregates that are not always completely destroyed by chemical and mechanical dispersion. It is therefore important that chemical and mechanical methods are combined, along with the pretreatment of the sample, for complete and stable soil particle dispersion throughout the analytical procedures. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of mechanical dispersion (slow agitation with an orbital shaker – 30 rpm for 16 h, in the presence […]

Knowledge about the fate of fertilizer nitrogen in agricultural systems is essential for the improvement of management practices in order to maximize nitrogen (N) recovery by the crop and reduce N losses from the system to a minimum. This study involves fertilizer management practices using the 15N isotope label applied in a single rate to determine the fertilizer-N balance in a particular soil-coffee-atmosphere system and to deepen the understanding of N plant dynamics. Five replicates consisting of plots of about […]

The application of silicates to soils can result in increased soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), displace anions, especially H2PO4– (diacid phosphate), neutralize the pH and Al toxicity and, in general, increase the nutrient availability to plants. However, calcium silicates may be less efficient than calcium carbonates. To evaluate the effect of calcium carbonate substitution by calcium silicate on the soil chemical properties, especially on phosphorus availability, four experiments were conducted in an entirely randomized design with four replications, in a […]

Plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria can increase plant nutritional efficiency thus favouring its yield. With the purpose of evaluating the influence of 10 previously selected isolates of growth-promoting endophytic bacteria on the uptake, utilization and transport of nutrients by tomato plants, greenhouse experiments were installed. The hypocotyl was cut in order to apply the endophytic bacteria to tomato seedlings cultivar Santa Clara. Fifty five days after transplanting the upper portion of the cut seedlings, the plants were collected to determine the […]

Ammonium and nitrate ions from soil organic N mineralization are the predominant N mineral forms available to plants. The ion ratio and distribution along the soil profile show daily fluctuations and oscillate seasonally. NH4+ and NO3– soil content were evaluated in two adjacent plots, one of them farmed continuously with barley, soybean and barley in a no-tillage system for more than 10 years, with pH 6.0 and fertilized with P and K. A second plot was maintained undisturbed, with native […]

The occurrence of concretionary soils in the Central and Northern Brazil is very common. They are found in low areas and on plateau edges, usually constituting dystrophic soils,poor in nutrients. The finding of an eutrophicc concretionary soil in the edge of a plateau in Ouro Verde de Goiás stimulated this research, which had the purpose of verifying the relationship between the soil eutrophic conditions and the underlying lithologic material, the probable source of the exchangeable bases. The pedologic and geochemical […]

The use of cover crops preceding corn is an alternative to supply nitrogen (N) and to make no-till system viable regions with dry winter such as in the Southeast, Center-West, North, and Northeast of Brazil. The purpose of this study was to evaluate N levels and the effect of cover plants on N supply and corn yield in no-till system. The study was carried out from 2000 to 2003. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with split-split plots and four […]

The basidiospores of Pisolithus sp. contain large amounts of lipids, indicating provision for future germination in the host rhizosphere. However, the accumulation, composition, and mobilization of lipids during formation and germination of these spores are largely unknown. In this study, lipid storage and fatty acid composition during basidiosporogenesis were analyzed in fresh basidiocarps using bright-field microscopy and gas chromatography. Abundant lipid bodies are found in the hyphae, basidia, and basidiospores of fungal basidiocarps. This evidences a considerable C transport in […]

The identification of impacts of mechanized sugarcane harvesting on the structure in different soil classes can be an important strategy to minimize compaction effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the structural changes, preconsolidation pressure and least limiting water range (LLWR) in a Red-Yellow Latosol (LVA) and a Haplic Cambisol (CX), due to harvest operations at different periods during the sugar cane harvesting season. Undisturbed soil samples were collected in the layer 0 to 0.05 m to determine […]